Capital Region Masters Cycling Club

Masters,

In this week’s Bleat;

• How the West was won!

• From the Committee

• From the Desk of the Handicapper

• From the Race Committee

• Racing this Week

• Race Reports

This week: “Don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades.” — Eddy Merckx, Belgian pro racer

Michael Langdon
thebleat@actvets.cc

How the West was won!

Chapeau to Alec Millet ex stalwart of the ACT Masters cycling scene, and now Perth resident, for bringing home a brace of Gold medals at the recent WA Track Championships. Alec took out the M7 Time Trial and Individual Pursuit Titles – with an impressive 2.35 in the IP. A great come back from Alec after a couple of tough years.

Craig Kentwell
@ The Bundadome & via Batemans Bay

From the Committee

Topic: CRMCC March Committee meeting
Time: Mar 6, 2023 19:00

In person: Everyone is welcome to attend @ Raiders Weston.
Virtual: via Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88643092398?pwd=eXFBZzNuRG05Rmh4MEFraklBcU9TQT09

Meeting ID: 886 4309 2398
Passcode: 691756

Craig Tozer
Secretary@actvets.cc

From the Desk of the Handicapper:

Promotions/demotions

Heath Chester A to B

Rob Langridge – Handicapper

From the Race Committee

Road Races and Directors

Volunteers required for Sunday. Please note that we are in need of ETCs and a first aid qualified volunteer.

We are still lacking a few Race Directors for upcoming races. Anyone able to assist, please advise the Race Committee race.committe@actvets.cc.

We are also looking to fill the remaining Vacant spots on the Calendar here https://rms.crmcc.org.au/calendar

Please come forward and help our races happen. We will be looking to roster people into spots if they are not filled, so pick your spot before you are placed in one.

David Parker CRMCC VP

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 28th February: Stromlo Criterium

Note: Registration required by 28 Feb 2023 3:30 pm.
Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.
Late entries may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Please email race.committee@actvets.cc

Stromlo Forest Park – due to works onsite on Tuesday 28th February, potable water will not be available onsite. Two port-a-loos will be available for use at the Pavilion Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th, and the Blue Gums toilets will still have water access.

Race Director: Bradley Peppinck Contact: Ph: 0478028598

Marshals: Kerrie Muir

Narrabundah Track Racing

The Program for Thursday 2 March, 6.00PM is as follows:

5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice.
6.00pm – 6.20pm: 8-lap graded scratch race.
6.20pm – 6.50pm: Paired Match Races (Omnium Event).
6.50pm – 7.10pm: 2-lap Handicap.
7.10pm– 7.30pm: Italian Pursuit.

Graeme O’Neill – Director

“This is timely reminder that all track riders need to be 2023 financial members before setting foot on the track, and this includes if you are officiating (for insurance coverage purposes). The track program will move to online registration and payment for next season. As many track riders are already using the RMS registration and online payment system for criterium and/or road race entry, we will be offering this rego and payment method for the remaining 5 track sessions this year. We will still be accepting cash on the day, and Square payment during this transition period. Please see the calendar entry for Thursdays https://rms.crmcc.org.au/calendar.

You will need to know your Club-assigned race number (not your TG number when you made your annual payment), which you can look up by doing a name search in the Results section of the RMS https://rms.crmcc.org.au/index, and a credit card for making the $10 payment. If you are encountering issues, please contact Conan, the Club Membership Officer via membership@actvets.cc.  Should there be a track cancellation due to weather or personal circumstances, we will roll your entry fee over to the next session”. 

Conan Liu – Club membership Secretary

Sunday, 5^th March – Graded Scratch – Lookout Hill

RACE REPORTS:

Downtube Shifter Derby

The club’s inaugural Downtube Shifter Derby was held on a wet Stromlo track last Tuesday. The storm around 1500 on Tuesday may have put off a few possible entrants fearing water damage to their priceless machines, but I was happy that we had eight riders show up for 15 minutes plus two laps of no-holds-barred action. The riders were evenly matched despite the mixture of grades and it seemed that any attacks were short lived, as the effort to sustain them was too much on the steel bikes. The highlights were Paul Clare not being able to find the right gear, leaving a gap which I stole, and overhearing the comment about the BB axle length of one of the bikes. Somehow bike mechanic extraordinaire Peter Taylor had time to critique the mechanical set-up of one of the the bikes while competing.  ‘It looks about 125mm when it should only be about 115mm’ is not something you hear very often during a race. As I had built my Shogun Katana myself, I rode in fear of a public admonishment of my rudimentary mechanical skills. I briefly led into the home straight before being overhauled by Dale Kleeman, Peter and Paul. The next challenge was the barrel draw as competitors had the difficult choice of choosing between WD-40, metal polish and a microfibre polishing cloth or beer.  Thanks to Jeremy, Kerrie and Des Brown for their assistance in making it possible.

Rain and crits–clarification

There was a bit of speculation on CRMCC Facebook page about the likelihood of the crits being cancelled following the storm last Tuesday.

• The general rule is that crits will only be cancelled if it’s too dangerous to ride or if nobody turns up.

Lightning or the threat of lightning, very strong winds or rivers flowing across the course would be the reasons to cancel. Races can still go ahead in heavy rain or no rain but a lot of water on the course. The rule for road races is more complicated as generally the race committee doesn’t want to conduct races with less than 20 competitors given the amount of time these races take to organise and the number of volunteers required to ensure a successful event.

SFP Criterium – 21^st February

With ominous skies, moist conditions on track and a frightening array of God’s creations surrounding the parcours, a reduced field took to the course for CRMCC Downshifter Derby 2023 (15+1). Ian P and Dale K were ever present at the front of proceedings early. The peloton stayed tight, although strung out, for the first 7 minutes. With 8 to go Bruce M made a move up the front straight, took an easy 30m but then all together again down the back. Meanwhile marshals and directors were clearing ducks and kangaroos…and dodging puddles. Special shout out to Tony Beasley (who had a stent put in only 3 weeks ago) and was comfortably lurking at the back. With 2 laps to go it was still all together as the showers rolled in once again. In the final it was a bunch kick from the bottom corner with Dale K outclassing, Paul C and we think Peter T but it could have been Rob L for the bronze. Frankly, we’ll never know for sure. 

Running a ship tight schedule A (38+2) & C (35+2) were called next to the line and rolled away at exactly 5.50pm. Again, reduced fields fronted in both grades as the inclement weather persisted. Most of the race was very damp with light, misty rainicles…although virtually no wind. 11 A graders rolled the first few laps together before the attacks started on lap 3 with Dennis, Stu and Trent forming a 3 man break to a chasing 5, then 4 and basically…that was race over. 4 DNFs due to a combination of environmental fatigue…or just straight up good ol’ fashion out the back door fatigue. Stu bested Dennis in a tight two up sprint and Trent in the mix for 3rd. 

C grade mostly stayed together for the first half with Mark V very attentive on the front. At 10 to go, attrition had taken out a few and eventually a several singles were spread out around the track. A small bunch sprint saw Wayne B take it on the line from Mark V and Mark T.

B (38+2) & D were next up and it was getting blustery and c-c-cold. There were requests for early starts, shortened race times and all sorts of other shenanigans that were promptly denied by race officials. Darren B & Brendon L formed a very EB followed by the bunch who let them dangle for some time. B grade was back together at 20 to go and then Darren went again solo. He had half the main straight at 10 to go and it seemed like a dominant advantage. At 8 to go he’s caught. All together (less a few fade aways) for a bunch sprint into the final straight with Brendan L recovered enough for the W followed by Brian P and Ben Z. 

D (35+2) had only 4 on the line to roll out and they were all together and gentlemanly right until 10 minutes to go. You’d then say “it exploded”. It suddenly became 2 up front and 2 singles behind. And it stayed that way with Ian M taking the win from Greg M and Paul M a fair way back for 3rd. A triple M one might say. 

E (28+2) completed the evening in fading light and bouncing roos which meant a 20+2 was more appropriate. Only 2 well rugged up yet eager participants to start. Although they were swapping turns, Shirley-Anne seemed to be doing more of the work in the north easterly gusts and foreboding cloud cover. That is until the final lap where she opened the throttle and let it rip putting over 150m into Ross H by the finish. 

Big appreciation for all marshals and helpers to keep the racing safe, fast and animal collision free. 

Jeremy Gillman-Wells

Track Racing – 23^rd February

Thursday 23 February provided good conditions for track racing. It was a bit cloudy, but warm. A strong
wind streamed across the track during practice, creating a tough headwind in the first turn. It
moderated as the evening progressed. Attendance (10 riders) was below par. However, it was again, a
good evening’s racing.

A Grade Scratch (8 laps)
John Paul De Sousa led off at an easy pace. The pace stayed steady through subsequent turns by Gavin
Stephens, Martin Graham, Wayne Benham and Craig Kentwell. On lap 6, Conan Liu ratcheted up the
pace, first gaping, then energising the bunch. Conan was eventually overtaken by John Paul De Sousa as
the bunch drew level. As the bell lap approached, all riders were packed in a tight bunch, jockeying for a
good launch position from the banking. Tim Jolly and John Paul De Soua launched attacks
simultaneously from the banking. The remaining bunch stuck like limpets, accelerating into the final lap.
It was another ferocious and entertaining final lap sprint, with Tim Jolly 1 st , Conan Liu 2 nd and Martin
Graham 3 rd .

B Grade Scratch (8 laps)
B Grade had just 4 riders, so the first half of the race was steady paceline riding. James Newhouse had
his race face on, eager to lap up points for the season points score. Points are awarded to the first 5
riders across the line – the absent 5 th rider’s points went begging, in this instance. By lap 6, the pace was
getting serious and about this time a pack of three launched into a long final surge. On the final lap Ian
Drayton attacked – somehow, this caught the other riders by surprise! However, James Newhouse was
able to close down the attack to get home first, with Ian Drayton 2 nd and Phil Coulton 3 rd .

1-Lap Standing Start Time Trial
The 1-lap time trial was challenging with riders accelerating into an immediate headwind. However, the
times were generally on par, so the wind appeared to have minimal effect. Most of the A grade times
were within 28 – 30 seconds. Tim Jolly set the benchmark for A1 grade with 28.18 seconds. However,
Gavin Stephens really raised the flag for A2 grade with the night’s best time of 27.91 seconds (43.2
km/hr average).

B grade had a good night, with their best times within cooee of A grade. James Newhouse set the
benchmark at 30.05 seconds (40.1 km/hr average).

4-Lap Handicap (A & B Combined)
The handicap race was an A grade affair with A grade riders taking the first four places and some honour
for B grade being salvaged by James Newhouse in fifth place. The race started with James Newhouse
taking a flyer and blasting past the limit rider after just one lap. James did a maximal effort. However,
the pursuit from A grade was relentless and four laps gave the strong riders just enough time to catch
and pass James. It was good, close racing with Conan Liu 1st, Martin Graham 2nd, Tim Jolly 3rd.

Italian Pursuit
10 riders again for this week’s Italian Pursuit. It was the one that got away – for Team 1 that is. John
Paul was at second wheel for Team 2; and this indicated a strong team as JP would usually ride midfield.
Indeed, the Phil Coulton professional Team 2 lead out placed them well from the start! Each rider in
Team 2 increased the lead and by the final lap the race was over for Team 1 with Team 2 anchor Conan
Lui well out in front for the final lap.

Major Placings:
8-Lap Scratch: (A1 Grade) Tim Jolly, Conan Liu, John Paul De Sousa. (A2 Grade) Martin Graham, Gavin
Stephens, Craig Kentwell. (B Grade) James Newhouse, Ian Drayton, Phil Coulton.
1-Lap Standing Start TT: (A1 Grade) Tim Jolly (28.18s), Wayne Benham (29.26s), John Paul De Sousa
(29.34s). (A2 Grade) Gavin Stephens (27.91s), Martin Graham (29.94s), Craig Kentwell (30.15s). (B
Grade) James Newhouse (30.05s), Ian Drayton (31.40s), Phil Coulton (31.94s),
4-Lap Handicap: (A&B Grades) Conan Liu, Martin Graham, Tim Jolly, Wayne Benham, James Newhouse.
Combined Italian Pursuit: Winner Team 2 (John Paul De Sousa, Conan Liu, Craig Kentwell, Gavin
Stephens, Phil Coulton).

Omnium Points Score:
Conan Liu (10), James Newhouse (9), Tim Jolly, Graeme O’Neill, Gavin Stephens, Craig Kentwell (8), Ian
Drayton (7), John Paul De Sousa, Phil Coulton, Wayne Benham (5), Sarah Stephens (3).
Season Point Score:
Tim Jolly (328), James Newhouse (285), Alison Hale (243), Conan Liu (241), Craig Kentwell (229), John
Paul De Sousa (178), Steve Jones (148), Wayne Benham (140), Ed Garnett (134), Warwick Wilson (127),
Ian Drayton (119), Gavin Stephens (113), Hamish Anderson (103), Graeme O’Neill (102), Mark Canaider
(89), Karen Clutson (86), Phil Coulton, Martin Graham (70).

Michael Langdon’s commentary on the Italian Pursuit here.

Graeme O’Neill and Michael Langdon

Masters,

In this week’s Bleat;

•  Vale Bruce Jones

•  From the Desk of the Handicapper

•  From the Committee

•  From the Race Committee

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Reports

I will be retiring as editor of The Bleat. Michael Langdon has kindly volunteered to take over editorial duties.

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

Vale Bruce Jones

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of one of the founding members of the CRMCC.

Many Club members from the 90’s and 2000’s would know of Bruce. After a long battle with cancer and pneumonia Bruce died at the Canberra hospital on Monday 13 Feb. 

Bruce was a member of the Canberra Cycling Club since the mid 80’s and was a founding member of the ACT Vets club in 1993.

His grades ranged from G grade to D grade.

Bruce personified the spirit of a true club stalwart as not only was he a consistent competitor every season from 1993 to 2019, racking up an impressive 840 events, when he wasn’t racing because of ill health or other circumstances, he, since 2010, marshalled over 30 times. He medaled in several trophy and club age championship events.

His legendary cat-and-mouse criterium battles with Bernie Crowe in his latter years didn’t quite result in many wins, as Bernie tended to get a great advantage from drafting Bruce’s tall frame. Nonetheless, he’d be back the next week for another battle. Even though ill health put an end to his racing career, he would still come to races for a chat and to help out.

He was know to have ridden a few Great Victorian bike rides, many Adelaide TDU community challenges and many Alpine classics at Bright.

Bruce was known as an affable character and always up for a chat provided you had the time to hear him out.  He had a slow, deliberate and dry delivery often punctuated with the phrase “and this and that” throughout his commentary.  He was also known for often succumbing to the dreaded cycling “death rattles” whilst riding/racing.  However, he wasn’t alone with that problem.

Farewell Bruce. May the wind always be at your back.

He will be sadly missed by all his cycling colleagues. 

From the Committee

Annual General Meeting

Last Monday the Committee met for the 2023 AGM where all positions were spilled, nominations received and voted on. Not a lot of change with Kim Malcolm continuing as President and AVCC President David Parker as Vice President. Craig Tozer continuing as Secretary and Kevin Woods as Treasurer.

With the Membership Secretary position vacant we welcome Conan Liu into the role, and Michael Langdon taking on the Bleat, bring on the Liggitisms! Chris Short, Rob Langridge, Ian Morton, and welcoming newcomer Ed Logue are our general committee members.

If you are interested in going ons at the AGM, you can access the minutes and Exec Reports via the website by following ‘About > Documents and Committee Meeting Minutes > Member documents shared drive’ and in Google Docs selecting the 2023 AGM folder.

 202300213 – Minutes – February/AGM 2023 (DRAFT)

Good news is, you don’t need to be a committee member to come along to meetings which you can now Zoom into. Conan does a great job as our ears on the ground getting member feedback but it’s always great to have members come along and share their thoughts, provide input to discussions, raise concerns etc.

We also hope to establish some sub-groups to take care of improvements we as a committee struggle to action while we manage the running of the club. Last year we were generously assisted by Mark Taylor and Matt Hinchcliffe with skills clinics so if you are interested in being involved, giving back without signing up as a full time committee member please let us know via the Secretary@actvets.cc mailbox.

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Promotions

Brenton Clark B to A road
Greg Mitchell E to D road
Krusty Bryant B to A
Alex Sommariva D to C

Krusty’s B grade half-lap screamer was particularly impressive, as he took off from the middle of the back straight, got a 20m gap immediately, extended it around the bend and was able to cruise in with daylight second.

Downtube Race

Tomorrow’s race will go ahead unless there’s a threat of lightning. The rules have changed a little to include pre-downtube shifter technology, as Peter Taylor will be riding a rod-festooned contraption. A barrel draw of small prizes will be held for riders so please hang around afterwards to enjoy a soft drink and a chance to wax lyrical with your competitors about the advantages/disadvantages of racing on an old bike compared with a sleek, aerodynamic carbon machine. Please also enter early so that I can get an estimate of how many prizes I might want to buy.

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

From the Race Committee

Race Numbers

If your club assigned race number is torn and tattered, and you would like a re-issue of your race number, I’ll be at SFP on Tues from 5:15pm until close where you can receive a ‘fresh’ one. These are the older style, card-like material. Come and find me in the facility room office. If I am not there, please look for your own number, without disturbing the numerical order of the whole collection!

Thanks
Conan
Club Membership Officer.

Trial Rides

At the last committee meeting, the Committee agreed to reduce the number of permitted trial rides from two trial rides to one ride in any calendar year. This will make it easier for the Membership Secretary to monitor the number of trial rides that a rider has taken. The website and online trial membership form have been updated to reflect this change.

Road Races and Directors

We are still lacking a few Race Directors for upcoming races. Anyone able to assist, please advise the Race Committee (race.committe@actvets.cc).

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 21^st February: Stromlo Criterium

Note: Registration required by 21 Feb 2023 3:30 pm.
Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.
Late entries may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Please email race.committee@actvets.cc

Where: Stromlo Forest Park

Race Description:

Downtube Shifter Criterium

This race will be a criterium for bikes with downtube shifters. Riders can also ride in their normal grades following the Derby. There will be some barrel prizes for entrants so stick around for the post-race celebrations.

Time: 5:30
Duration: 15 minutes plus one lap
Rules: Must ride bike with downtube shifters

*** Note: Riders need to register separately for the downshifter race and the regular Criterium event ***

Regular Criterium

A/C	5:50	A 38m+2, C 35m+2
B/D	6:35	B 38m+2, D 35m+2
E/F/G	7:15	28 min + 2 laps

Race Director: Jeremy Gillman-Wells Contact: Email: jezgw@icloud.com Ph: 043 411 1172

Marshals: Kerrie Muir

Thursday, 23^rd February: Track Racing

The Program for Thursday is as follows:
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice.
6.00pm – 6.20pm: 8-lap graded scratch race.
6.20pm – 6.50pm: 1-lap SS Time Trial (Omnium Event).
6.50pm – 7.10pm: 4-lap Handicap.
7.10pm– 7.30pm: Italian Pursuit.

Sunday, 26^th February -No Scheduled Event

RACE REPORTS:

SFP Criterium – 14^th February

With valentine prospects in the air, race numbers were down slightly this week, with 83 keen riders lining up in their respective grades for the weekly crit races. Weather was pretty good with a bit of a north easterly, but clearly not strong enough to cause too much carnage with the bunches generally staying together over the evening. The kangaroos mostly stayed away, with the main sighting being a group crossing the track at the top end during the final lap of the evening – fortunately they were off the track by the time the A graders came through!

First up on the track was B and D grade, with 27 riders starting in B grade, the largest of the evening, and 15 in D grade. D Grade generally kept it together for most of the race, with Alex Sommariva and Ashley Sked going off the front for a lap or so around the halfway point. This wasn’t enough to slow Alex down who came back and won the sprint in front of Russell Marston and Michael Golding.

B Grade was a little more animated with the wind potentially causing some major splits at various stages, only for these to be closed down. An initial group of Ben Healy, Michael Foulds and Tom Stewart-Moore had a go, then 5 minutes after they were caught, Darren Blackhurst, Craig Lindenmayer and Michael Foulds (again) were off the front for 3 or 4 laps. A bit further on Krusty Bryant and Rowan McMurray were joined by Darren (again) for a further 3 or 4 laps. Things settled down mostly for the last 15 minutes with the sprint won by Krusty Bryant, followed by Brendan Lakey, Tom Stweart-Moore and the ever present Michael Foulds.

Next up on the track was E, F and G grade with 6 riders starting in E grade and 1 in each of F and G grade. E grade was down to a group of 4 riders about half way through with Shirley-Anne Taylor taking out the win after doing quite a bit of work on the front. She was followed in by Mick Donaldson, Theresa McLachlin (same order as last week) and Poupee Lam, a new rider who hung on well until final sprint down the hill. Lindsay Graham rode well in F grade, keeping the E grade pack in sight for most of the race. And Gai Monahan finished strongly in G grade.

A and C grade finished off the evening’s races with 18 riders in A grade and 15 in C grade. C grade mostly stayed together, with an early attack by Mark Vardy and Mark Taylor that lasted about 3 laps. Mark Vardy also had another go on the bell lap, but was caught before the down hill sprint. My notes had the sprint being won by Wayne Benham followed by Duncan Macdonald, but there was a bit of confusion with the chute as some of the C graders went up to help with the kangaroos on A grade’s bell lap – Wayne seems to have missed out on the RMS. Simon Porombka and Ben Davis made up the remaining places. I decided to give the C graders 2 laps to go when it looked like they had a handy lead on the A graders, but the A graders upped the anti at this critical time and both grades crossed the line as I was ringing the bell for the C graders – not a good look, but fortunately the A graders got far enough ahead that the C grade finish was separated from the A grade antics.
A grade was also a bit more animated, as we have come to expect, although there was no obvious split into 2 groups as has happened a bit in recent weeks. However, there were plenty of attacks off the front with Daniel Lekhac featuring in a few of these. Other riders who also went off the front at times included Denis Mongoven, Michael Tolhurst, David Parker, Stuart Griffiths, and Ross Goggin. There were a few DNFs, but the remaining riders mostly finished in a bunch sprint won by Stuart Griffiths, followed by Michael Tolhurst and Christophe Barbaret.

My thanks to Kerrie for her excellent marshalling, Simon for medic support (thankfully not required) and Conan for opening/closing.

Dale Kleeman

Track Racing – 16^th February

Thursday 16 February provided ideal conditions for track racing. It was warm, though not oppressive. The wind seemed to swirl around the Bundadome during practice. It dropped off, before racing commenced. Attendance (11 riders) was a bit below par. However, it was a good evening’s racing.

A Grade Scratch (8 laps)
Tim Jolly led off at an easy pace and did 2 laps on the front before handing off to Craig Kentwell. Unusually, Craig did only one lap before handing off to Conan Liu. Conan lifted the pace and enlivened the bunch. At the next lap changeover, Gavin Stephens launched an early attack, taking the most aggressive rider award. At first it looked like Gavin’s suicidal attack might just work, as he quickly gained at least 30m on the bunch. However, Tim Jolly soon stirred into action, scorched across the gap and left Gavin slightly demoralised. It did not help that the remaining bunch were now thoroughly aroused and in hot pursuit of Tim. The result was a thoroughly entertaining race with Tim Jolly 1st, Conan Liu 2nd and Craig Kentwell 3rd.

B Grade Scratch (8 laps)
B Grade had 5 riders – a very still and hot evening gave B grade excellent racing conditions. Ian Drayton lifted the pace on lap 4 and the other riders were onto his wheel. Ian handing over to Phil Coulton (most combative) who then really picked the pace up. James Newhouse did well to control much of the race. Sarah Stephens attacked James on the bell lap and really put in a solid sprint. James stuck to the black line and made the task very difficult for Sarah. With a close finish history was made at the Bundadome with James Newhouse 1st, Sarah Stephens 2nd and Ian Drayton 3rd.

200m Fly
An exciting and technical event for riders – the launch is from high on the banked turn at near maximum pace. The kick down the banking is followed by a flat-out sprint for 200 metres. It is amazing how exhausting such a short sprint can be.

Most track regulars are quite accomplished at this event, so the lines and pacing were fairly consistent. The A grade times were quite close with around a 1 second spread. Tim Jolly was impressive (12.62s, 59 km/hr). In B grade, Sarah Stephens also impressed by going under 14 seconds (13.98s, 53 km/hr).

2-Lap Handicap (A & B Combined)
The riders were counted down for take-off – and indeed Phil Coulton went like lightning and soon overtook the other riders off limit, before dying! All riders started well and were really flying – with half a lap to go the riders came together as a bunch with 3 riders up the track for a very fast finish. The scratch markers did not catch – a close finish had James Newhouse 1st, Wayne Benham 2nd and Sarah Stephens 3rd.

Italian Pursuit
Two teams – 10 riders – 5 laps. Graeme O’ Neill, (back from the Chinese balloon off Murray Bridge), got Team 1 off to a good start. Team 2 no gaps – looked good. Team 1 seemed to hold its initial lead and was able to build on it.

Amore conquers all – again! (This theme could go for a few weeks). That’s right – Team Amore (Team 1 with the Stephens partners) won again. And a close finish was denied Team 2 with a very fast final lap by the Team 1 anchor Conan Liu to seal the deal.

Michael Langdon’s commentary on the Italian Pursuit here.

Major Placings:
8-Lap Scratch: (A1 Grade) Tim Jolly, Conan Liu, John Paul De Sousa. (A2 Grade) Craig Kentwell, Gavin Stephens. (B Grade) James Newhouse, Sarah Stephens, Ian Drayton.
200m Fly: (A1 Grade) Tim Jolly (12.62s), John Paul De Sousa (13.73s), Conan Liu (13.78s). (A2 Grade) Gavin Stephens (13.03s), Craig Kentwell (13.67s). (B Grade) Sarah Stephens (13.98s), James Newhouse (14.65s), Ian Drayton (14.70s).
2-Lap Handicap: (A&B Grades) James Newhouse, Wayne Benham, Sarah Stephens, Conan Liu, John Paul De Sousa.
Combined Italian Pursuit: Winner Team 1 (John Paul De Sousa, Conan Liu, Gavin Stephens, Sarah Stephens, Graeme O’Neill).

Omnium Points Score:
Conan Liu, Craig Kentwell, Graeme O’Neill (5) James Newhouse, Gavin Stephens, Tim Jolly (4) John Paul De Sousa, Phil Coulton, Sarah Stephens, Ian Drayton (3) Wayne Benham (2)

Season Point Score:
Tim Jolly (307), James Newhouse (266), Alison Hale (243), Conan Liu (220), Craig Kentwell (213), John Paul De Sousa (162), Steve Jones (148), Ed Garnett (134), Warwick Wilson (127), Wayne Benham (124), Ian Drayton (106), Hamish Anderson (103), Gavin Stephens (94), Graeme O’Neill (90), Mark Canaider (89), Karen Clutson (86), Sarah Stephens (68).

Graeme O’Neill and Michael Langdon

Lookout Hill – 19th February

Was a nice start to the day, no wind but what felt like a humid morning. That was confirmed by all the sweat dripping from the competitors during and after the race.

Firstly, a big thank you to all the marshals’ and traffic controllers for there assistance today. Was a good day had by all i believe.

As for a race report I don’t have a lot to pass on as being at the start/finish line not a lot was seen. I did have a bit of a race report form Steve Crispin from A grade.

At the 4km mark an (apparent) accidental breakaway by Lekhac and Crispin. Pele sat up and allowed break to build a lead. Gap at first turn around 30s. Off the front of the Pele chasing was Griffiths and Irwin. They were reeled in shortly after, while the break committed to strengthening the time gap on the return with further assessment at the next turn. Sadly, mechanical took pre race fave Henshaw out. Gap at end of lap was bigger, so green light to go for it given in the break. Pele together at end of lap 1. Gap at turn 3 increased, but group of 4 – Wilton, Coles, Griffiths and Newman – about 30s off the front of the Pele. Up front, decisive move on the west side of Asthma hill distanced Lekhac and saw the leaders roll over the line with a small gap between, with Griffiths and Newman juking it out for the final podium. in 1st place Steve Cripin Followed by Daniel Lekhac and Stuart Griffiths.
Before A grade started it was agreed Steve Crispin was t do 3 laps, im still waiting for the results from that lap. Any word Steve?

B Grade was won by Brenton Clark followed by Dimitar Dojcinoski and Micahel Rowland. Sorry not a lot more to say as didnt see a lot.

C Grade was won by David Dickson followed by Ed Logue and Brain Peak.

D grade was won by Andrew Hislop followed by Alain Arbaut and Terry Moore.

E grade was won by Greg Mitchell followed by Cat Riley and Simon Milnes.

Sadly, the only rider in F grade was a DNF.

PS; sorry to those that wanted a cup of tea after the race as there was no gas in the gas bottle but I think blaming the possibility of a total fire ban was an easier reason to deliver to those disappointed riders.

Again, thank you to all the volunteers which made the day happen without fault.

Until next race stay safe.

Simon Porombka

Masters,

In this week’s Bleat;

•  2023 Annual General Meeting

•  From the Desk of the Handicapper

•  From the Race Committee

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Reports

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

2023 Annual General Meeting

The AGM for the Capital Region Masters Cycling Club for 2023 was held this evening.

Committee positions;
– President: Kim Malcolm
– Vice President: David Parker
– Secretary: Craig Tozer
– Treasurer: Kevin Woods
– Membership: Conan Liu
– Handicapper: Rob Langridge
– General Committee: Chris Short, Ian Morton, Ed Logue

The Committee would like to thanks outgoing members Kirsti McVay and Dougal Torrance for their service on the Committee.

After 11 years, Ian Morton is looking to handover responsibilities for The Bleat (but will remain on the Committee). Any members who are interested in taking over this responsibility please advise thebleat@actvets.cc.

We are still looking for members to join the Committee.

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Promotions

Nathan King C to B
Andrew Buick C to B

Downtube Shifter Derby update

It’s now a week away from the Derby. You can now enter from the race via the Race Calendar. Riders can also ride in their normal grades following the Derby. There will be some barrell prizes for entrants so stick around for the post-race celebrations. Check up the CRMCC Facebook page for pictures and discussion about the race.

This race will be a criterium for bikes with downtube shifters. Members are welcome to convert carbon bikes to use such shifters but will be interviewed by healthcare professionals after the race. The derby will be 15 minutes plus one lap starting at 1730. Races may be seeded depending on the number of entrants. Riders must have a roadworthy bike, wear an approved helmet and non-arse-crack revealing kit. Old jerseys and knicks are most welcome.

Date: 21 February
Time: 1730
Duration: 15 minutes plus one lap
Rules: Must ride bike with downtube shifters

Rob Langridge (Steel bike nutter)
Handicapper

From the Race Committee

CRMCC Kit

*** Deadline extended until tomorrow ***

The CRMCC Kit Portal is now open with MVMNT.Club until 14th Feb (one extra day). So please head over to the link below and have a look at what is on offer. Jimmy has also included some heavily discounted MVMNT jerseys in there at the bottom of the page. So check them out!

Link here:
https://mvmnt.club/collections/crmcc-custom-portal

Stromlo Parking

The ACT Government has announced a decision to upgrade the existing SFP carpark to help manage increased visitation and to improve user safety. Construction is expected to start in Autumn and completed by the end of the year (weather permitting). As the works will be completed in stages, SFP will continue to offer onsite parking spaces throughout the construction period.

Once the new carpark is complete, the ACT Government has taken the decision to introduce paid parking at Stromlo Forest Park, with 100% of revenue to be reinvested back into the maintenance and improvement of the park, including the mountain bike trails.

This means all funds raised from paid parking will directly contribute to the ongoing development and repairs/maintenance of the park, including new and upgraded trails and facilities.

The parking fees will be modest, and an annual SFP parking pass will be available for frequent users.

Costings for paid parking will be as follows:

Period	Fee
15 minutes	Free
15 minutes to 3 hours	$1.75
3 hours to 6 hours	$2.75
6 hours +	$3.90
Annual pass	$87.00

This year, the ACT Government will also begin work on a five-year Stromlo Forest Park Trails Masterplan, that will involve public consultation. This Trails Masterplan will review existing trails and plan for new trails for key site users including runners, mountain bike riders, road cyclists, equestrian riders and the general public.

Trial Rides

At the last committee meeting, the Committee agreed to reduce the number of permitted trial rides from two trial rides to one ride in any calendar year. This will make it easier for the Membership Secretary to monitor the number of trial rides that a rider has taken. The website and online trial membership form have been updated to reflect this change.

Road Races and Directors

We are still lacking a few Race Directors for upcoming races. Anyone able to assist, please advise the Race Committee (race.committe@actvets.cc).

Registration for 2023

All members must be registered prior to racing in 2023.

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 14^th February: Stromlo Criterium

Note: Registration required by 14 Feb 2023 3:50 pm.
Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.
Late entries may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Please email race.committee@actvets.cc

Where: Stromlo Forest Park

Race Description:
B/D 5:50 B 40m 2, D 35m 2
E/F/G 6:35 28 min 2 laps
A/C 7:10 A 40m 2, C 35m 2

Race Director: Dale Kleeman Contact: Email: dalek011@gmail.com Ph: 0438 516 382

Marshals: Kerrie Muir

Thursday, 16^th February: Track Racing

The Program for Thursday is;
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice.
6.00pm – 6.20pm: 8-lap graded scratch race.
6.20pm – 6.50pm: 200 fly (Omnium Event).
6.50pm – 7.10pm: 2-lap Handicap.
7.10pm– 7.30pm: Italian Pursuit.

Sunday, 19^th February – Lookout Hill

Reminder: All riders must register on the CRMCC Web site (https://rms.actvets.cc/calendar) by 18/2/2023 6:00 PM prior to the race. There is no registration at the event.

Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.

Where: Observation lookout on Tidbinbilla Road about 2.5 km towards Tharwa from Point Hut / Tidbinbilla Rd intersection (or about 4.5 km from Tharwa village).
When: 9:00 am.
Race Description:
Lookout Hill to Tidbinbilla Reserve and back. ABCD x 2 laps. EFG x 1 lap.

Race Director:  tba Contact: Email: tba    Ph tba

Marshals: Warwick Wilson, Elizabeth Lowe ETC, Andrew Peel, Vacant ETC, Vacant ETC, , Vacant Van Driver.

RACE REPORTS:

SFP Criterium – 7^th February

We don’t often get windy nights these days, but when they do, I seem to be otherwise engaged. Such was the weather that greeted 105 keen riders ready to do battle on our track.

E, F and G were first to start, with some grades opting to stick together for the duration and others being ripped apart by ruthless tactics employed into the breeze up the straight. Bernie Crowe and Gai Monahan in G grade battled on their own and rode strong individual races, with Gai getting the upper hand at race finish. In F grade, three riders stuck together for most of the race, with a slight break in the bunch towards the end seeing Lindsay Graham take the win over Dennis Puniard, with Paul Robey coming in shortly after. E grade was a much more broken affair, with riders all over the track chasing a main group of riders eking out their advantage into the wind with strong numbers. In the end, the sprint was taken out by Shirley Anne-Taylor, with Mick Donaldson second and Theresa McLachlan in third.

In C grade, a strong group of 4 broke away fairly early, with not enough cooperation behind seeing the gap open up as the race continued. The group of Damian Copeland, Michael Hanbury, Nathan King and Andrew Buick shared the workload evenly before the workload became too much for Damian, who dropped back into the now splintered chase groups. In the final, it was King who took the win over Buick and Hanbury.

Just like in C grade, A grade saw an early move of 3 riders breaking clear consisting of Matt Corby, James Meadley and Jeremy Gilman-Wells. They were chased down and joined by Stuart Griffiths and Ben Morrison, and the quintet continued to put time into the chase. Several strong efforts by the likes of Gerard Tiffen and Paul Scherl held out for a lap or two before being swallowed up by the remainder of the group, and the lead continued to widen. Coming into the final, it was all cat and mouse through the bottom end of the track before they reappeared at the base of the track in a 5 across drag race. Stu Griffiths was looking good for the win with a slowly increasing gap over Jeremy Gilman-Wells before Morrisson trumped them both with a late surge more than bringing him on terms with the leaders.

D grade and B grade decided early on to make this writer’s job difficult by strategically placing themselves all over the track at once, making it quite difficult to keep track of the unfolding races. In D, Jonathan Chowns put in significant amounts of work (I’ll confess and apologise that my notes for this race were limited and I did not note if he was alone or in a small group – just that his performance was noteworthy). The riders were splintered into numerous groups all across the space of over a lap, and the make up of each group was consistently changing with this grade seemingly the most attritional race of the night. In the end, it was Timothy Moore taking the sprint over Alex Sommariva and Michael Whyte.

B grade also split early, with a large group off the front being driven by Seymour Savell-Boss, Darren Blackhurst, Rowan ‘son of god’ McMurray and Craig Lindenmeyer. Conversations about tactics in the bunch kept the cohesion, although I suspect the conversationalists were more focused on exploiting the less willing than anything more, and the gap remained fairly static for the duration. In the final laps, a strong attack by McMurray yielded a solid gap going past the finish on the bell lap before being swallowed up by a group sensing the danger of an immaculate victory. With some tactical shenanigans playing out through collarbone, the race came down to a final straight sprint with big numbers contesting, with Savell-Boss taking the win over Nicholas Jeffries and Michael Foulds.

From my perspective, seeing the satisfaction on the faces of riders post race and the club camaraderie across all grades made my night of volunteering exceptionally rewarding. I note that the club has had to resort to putting out requests to fill spots in the bleat, and I’d suggest that giving up a few hours on one day to see a race proceed is entirely a small price to pay for the opportunity to race the rest of the year. I thoroughly enjoy racing with the vets… er… Masters, and I enjoyed giving something back. See you next race from the start line!

Steve Crispin

Track Racing – 9^th February

The thunderstorms and rain from the morning had cleared and the Bundadome was reported as dry. 13 riders signed on at this session – 12 raced – on offer were four demanding mainly sprint race events which challenged each rider over the evening.

A black box data download from the downed Chinese balloon confirmed that Graeme O’Neill, (Chief Commissaire & holder of the algorithm), was returning for next week’s CRMCC Track races.

A Scratch (8 laps)

A Grade raced in sunny conditions – 6 riders stayed together for the race, a few riders wearing the “Race Forever ” CRMCC kit. Warwick Wilson again with four laps to go attacked to a 50 metre lead, however no other riders went with him. Tim Jolly worked to close the gap and Warwick’s attack was subsumed to the bunch. Conan Liu then attacked with one lap to go and then a counter attack positioned Tim Jolly to cross the line 1st, Martin Graham with a strategic, fast and well timed race got 2nd and Conan Liu 3rd.

B Scratch (8 laps)

B Grade had 6 riders – a sedate pace of 1 lap turns exploded on lap 6 with an attack by Hamish Anderson – Hamish was high on the track looking around him for a counterattack – and indeed James Newhouse obliged with his signature low on the sprinter’s lane black line attack. The Commentator was in raptures; – history was about to be made! – with a Newhouse scratch win – however it wasn’t to be, and Ali Hale got 1st by a tyre, James Newhouse 2nd and Hamish Anderson 3rd.

4 Lap Handicap

The handicap data sheet, also obtained from the Chinese balloon black box – placed riders on the Bundadome fence and they were counted down to their handicap in seconds. Phil Coulton the limit rider took off like a bat out of hell – Sarah Stephens gave chase. (4 laps is enough time for the Scratchies to catch the limit riders). But no one told Phil or Sarah as they were on lap 3 before you could say when. The lead of the limit riders was closed down by the back markers on lap 3. Tim Jolly 1st towed the other scratch riders home, Conan Liu 2nd and Martin Graham again in the mix with 3rd.

Win & Out

In this race if you win – you’re then out of the race with maximal points…alas there were doubtful points. Once the race is live and the bell goes for the first sprint lap, then each subsequent lap is a sprint for 2nd then 3rd and so on… In A grade Tim Jolly was first out, followed by Martin Graeme 2nd and Conan Liu for 3rd. In B grade Hamish Anderson yelped as he laid a watt bomb down the back straight on the bell alp for 1st, next lap Ali Hale 2nd was out and then James Newhouse 3rd on the subsequent lap was out.

Italian Pursuit

Amore was in the valentine’s day air – Sarah and Gav Stephens’ were both in the same Italian Pursuit Team 1. Team 2 on paper had a strong midfield. Both Teams stayed even for the race with the only difference being a quick and consistent lap by Sarah Stephens which set up Team 1 for the win. Both anchor riders – Conan Liu (Team 2) and Tim Jolly (Team 1) were on their final laps at about 50 kmph. Smokin!! Team 1 got the win by about half a track bike.

Michael Langdon’s Italian Pursuit commentary here.

Season Point Score Update:
Tim Jolly 289, James Newhouse 244, Alison Hale 243, Conan Liu 201, Craig Kentwell 196, Steve Jones 148, John Paul De Sousa 144, Ed Garnett 134, Warwick Wilson 127, Wayne Benham 111, Hamish Anderson 103, Ian Drayton 92, Mark Canaider 89, Karen Clutson 86, Graeme O’Neill 78, Gavin Stephens 75

Michael Langdon

Masters,

Plenty to cover in this week’s Bleat;

•  2023 Annual General Meeting

•  From the Desk of the Handicapper

•  From the Race Committee

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Reports

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

2023 Annual General Meeting

The AGM for the Capital Region Masters Cycling Club for 2023 will be held on Monday 13th February at 7:00pm at the Raiders Club Weston.

Members are invited to attend in person or can join via a zoom meeting (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88327935272?pwd=VGZaL242bDhvMSt0bUZ3bHBBMkt3Zz09).

For those that use zoom we need you to register your attendance. Use Chat in zoom to fully identify yourself. For example “Joe Blow is attending CRMCC AGM”.

NOTE: Any Apologies should be advised to the secretary.

Craig Tozer
Secretary Capital Region Masters Cycling Club
secretary@actvets.cc

Membership Secretary

The Membership Secretary position will become vacant at this year’s AGM.

The Membership Secretary is responsible for maintaining a current list of financial members of the club. The duties of the Membership Secretary include:

• monitoring the AVCC member registration system (currently SportsTG GameDay Classic) for new and renewing members
• uploading member details from the membership system to RMS
• issuing race numbers to new members and replacement numbers to existing members where required
• allocating temporary race numbers to trial riders, entering trial rider details in RMS and forwarding trial rider details to AVCC
• reporting on membership issues at committee meetings

Ideally, the Membership Secretary will be highly organised and have good attention to detail.

To nominate for the Membership Secretary or any other Committee position, you can download a nomination from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tt7NK_6jAoJRclpWUiMxWRqO1aaT_5pH

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Promotions

Craig O’Neall C to B
Nathan King D to C
Andrew Peel D to C

Downtube Shifter Derby

Steel bike aficionados mark February 21st on the calendar for the Downtube Shifter Derby!

This race will be a criterium for bikes with downtube shifters. Members are welcome to convert carbon bikes to use such shifters but will be interviewed by healthcare professionals after the race. The derby will be 15 minutes plus one lap starting at 1730. Races may be seeded depending on the number of entrants. Riders must wear an approved helmet, have a roadworthy bike and wear non-arse-crack revealing kit. Old jerseys and knicks are most welcome. Further details to come.

Date: 21 February
Time: 1730
Duration: 15 minutes plus one lap
Rules: Must ride bike with downtube shifters

Rob Langridge (Steel bike nutter)
Handicapper

From the Race Committee

CRMCC Kit

The CRMCC Kit Portal is now open with MVMNT.Club until 13th Feb (one week only). So please head over to the link below and have a look at what is on offer. Jimmy has also included some heavily discounted MVMNT jerseys in there at the bottom of the page. So check them out!

Link here:
https://mvmnt.club/collections/crmcc-custom-portal

Stromlo Parking

The ACT Government has announced a decision to upgrade the existing SFP carpark to help manage increased visitation and to improve user safety. Construction is expected to start in Autumn and completed by the end of the year (weather permitting). As the works will be completed in stages, SFP will continue to offer onsite parking spaces throughout the construction period.

Once the new carpark is complete, the ACT Government has taken the decision to introduce paid parking at Stromlo Forest Park, with 100% of revenue to be reinvested back into the maintenance and improvement of the park, including the mountain bike trails.

This means all funds raised from paid parking will directly contribute to the ongoing development and repairs/maintenance of the park, including new and upgraded trails and facilities.

The parking fees will be modest, and an annual SFP parking pass will be available for frequent users.

Costings for paid parking will be as follows:

Period	Fee
15 minutes	Free
15 minutes to 3 hours	$1.75
3 hours to 6 hours	$2.75
6 hours +	$3.90
Annual pass	$87.00

This year, the ACT Government will also begin work on a five-year Stromlo Forest Park Trails Masterplan, that will involve public consultation. This Trails Masterplan will review existing trails and plan for new trails for key site users including runners, mountain bike riders, road cyclists, equestrian riders and the general public.

Trial Rides

At the last committee meeting, the Committee agreed to reduce the number of permitted trial rides from two trial rides to one ride in any calendar year. This will make it easier for the Membership Secretary to monitor the number of trial rides that a rider has taken. The website and online trial membership form have been updated to reflect this change.

Road Races and Directors

We are still lacking a few Race Directors for upcoming races. Anyone able to assist, please advise the Race Committee (race.committe@actvets.cc).

Registration for 2023

All members must be registered prior to racing in 2023.

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 7^th February: Stromlo Criterium

Note: Registration required by 7 Feb 2023 3:50 pm.
Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.
Late entries may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Please email race.committee@actvets.cc

Where: Stromlo Forest Park

Race Description:
E/F/G 5:50 28 min 2 laps
A/C 6:25 A 40m 2, C 35m 2
B/D 7:20 B 40m 2, D 35m 2

Race Director: Steve Crispin Contact: Email: steven.crispin@ed.act.edu.au Ph: 0419 429 453

Marshals: Kerrie Muir

Thursday, 9^th February: Track Racing

The Program for Thursday is;
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice.
8-lap graded scratch,
4-lap Handicap,
Win & Out,
Italian Pursuit

Sunday, 12^th February – No Scheduled Race

RACE REPORTS:

Track Racing – 2^nd February

The evening started out sunny with very gusty winds. Attendance was 14 riders.

A Scratch (10 laps)

The CRMCC A Grade riders were greeted with 43 kmph NW winds – the traditional two laps for Tim Jolly on the front set the scene for the scratch. Warwick Wilson once again when on the front picked the pace up for each of his 2 laps. Then with 4 laps to go Conan Liu lifted the bunch again, the field went high on the track unable to replicate that pace. Martin Graham could – and split up A grade with a devastating attack with 2 laps to go – Martin got at least a half lap break – he was then tracked down by Craig Kentwell, Con Liu and Tim Jolly whom worked well together to catch Martin to set up a close and fast finish – Tim Jolly 1st, Conan Liu 2nd, Craig Kentwell 3rd.

B Scratch (10 laps)

B Grade completed the traditional 333 metre one lap turns at a sedate pace into the head wind on the back straight. With 2 laps to go Peta Brill, (riding all grades on the night as she couldn’t decide which grade to go in); put in a strong attack – and Ed Garnett quickly got on her wheel, so too Ali Hale had to quickly cover off on Peta’s attack. James Newhouse after seasons points was planning his attack. Ali Hale was able to attack with 1.5 laps to go and then James Newhouse counter attacked low on the track setting up a drag race to the finish – a very exiting race had multiple attacks in the back straight with ½ a lap to go with the final result – Ali Hale 1st, James Newhouse 3rd and Sarah Stephens 3rd.

Match Race

Riders were placed in a pool for match sprints – a coin was tossed to see which rider would lead out the other. The match sprint goes for 2 laps with a start from the Bundadome fence. These match sprints were close and tactical races. Results below:

		Result
T. Jolly	C. Liu	TJ
JP. DeSousa	G. Stephens	GS
W. Wilson	C. Kentwell	WW
M.Graham	H. Anderson	HA
P. Brill	A. Hale	PB
J. Newhouse	I. Drayton	JN
E. Garnett	S. Stephens	SS

Italian Pursuit

On paper a very even match up with 7 riders on each team. Team 2 started very smoothly – the teams remained even for the first few riders – no gaps. The strong Team 1 midfield got them ahead – with Team 2 fighting back in the midfield as well. However, this race came down the last few riders of each team – with the Team 1 anchor, Conan Liu putting in a scorching final lap to pull Team 1 further ahead for the win.

Michael Langdon’s Italian Pursuit commentary here.

Season Point Score Update:
Tim Jolly 264, Alison Hale 229, James Newhouse 229, Craig Kentwell 196, Conan Liu 182, Steve Jones 148, Ed Garnett 134, John Paul De Sousa 133, Wayne Benham 111, Warwick Wilson 110, Mark Canaider 89, Hamish Anderson 87, Karen Clutson 86, Ian Drayton 86, Graeme O’Neill 78, Ben Davis 66

Michael Langdon

Uriarra Homestead Handicap – 5^th February

The Uriarra Homestead Handicap race saw an eventful start to the 2023 road calendar. The weather conditions were perfect with clear skies and a light breeze. 41 riders registered for the fast race with three laps of the short course.

Chris Copeland set off solo at 22mins with a 6 strong E grade close behind. He was soon joined by E grade thanks to Shirley-Anne Taylor driving a high pace. Mark Taylor and Terry Moore were also strong in D grade only 2 minutes behind but C grade had the numbers and were looking ominous on their first lap. B grade were down one rider but Craig Lindenmayer, Marc Vroomans and Mark Harris were determined to catch the larger group ahead. However A1 and A2 never let them out their sites and were soon together thanks to the Gerard Tiffen express that was hitting 65km/h on the run to the bottom turn.

Unfortunately Kate Vandenberg came off at speed on the downward run of the second lap and had a nasty fall. I am grateful for the support she received from the riders from C and D grade who stayed with her until Paul Robey and eventually the ambulance arrived. This ended their race but is an excellent example of club spirit. We all wish Kate a speedy recovery.

A and B grade caught the front runners from the remains of E grade in third lap and really put on the afterburners. Their last lap was run at an average speed well above 40km/h. On the last turn, Steve Crispin put a gap into the bunch and kept them a bay all the way to the line, taking a strong win ahead of Jason Irwin and Stuart Griffiths. It was good to see the B grade bunch all finished in the top 10.

A huge thanks to the Lindsay Graham, Frank O’Sullivan, David Dickson, Paul Robey and Ben Healy for marshalling the race. They worked tirelessly to put out the road signs, sweep the debris from the road and even run to the shop to get milk for the post race cuppa. Thanks also to Club President, David Parker for helping pull everything together over the weekend..

Damian Copeland

Kate Vandenberg would like to thank all those who assisted her after her crash during Sunday’s handicap. She’s making a great recovery and already concerned about the welfare of her bike.