Masters, In this week’s Bleat;
- Racing – Next Race
- Race Reports – Lookout Hill
“There will be a lot of complaining that today was too hard, but the winners never complain”. Phill Liggett – Cycling Journalist
RACING – Next Race
Saturday 13 May , 1.30pm – Sutton Driver Training – Graded Scratch
Note – will be Reverse direction @ Sutton.
Cutoff registration Friday 12 May, 9.30pm
Race Officials needed: Director x 1, Marshal x 1 and the Van driver
RACE REPORTS:
Lookout Hill – Graded Scratch – Saturday 29 April 2023
Numbers were a little low but the racing was still exciting with a drizzly sprint finish for all grades. The forecast rain put most of the regulars off. To those of you who did race; you are a bad arse!
In most grades there were just enough riders to create dynamic racing. The exception was B grade. Craig Lindenmayer decided a two-up race was not for him. He made a determined start and bridged a 30 second starting gap to join the A grade bunch. Alana Forster, the 2nd B grader, took a more sensible approach to the start, eventually joining up with C grade for her own solid session.
The A graders hit the climb on the second lap with plenty of pace in effort to off load any passengers. There was lashing of suffering as dropped riders chewed the stem to rejoin the bunch. The group did reform and things appeared to settle down for the rest of the race and with a bunch sprint finish.
The five C graders set off at a steady pace. John Paul De Sousa forgot his water bottle. On the first lap he’s calling out to the Race Director to get a bottle ready for him when he comes past on the next lap. Our first aid, Simon Whitehead, decided riding without water was a “medical issue” and managed to find John a bottle. Note for riders; the Race Director is not your soigneur! By the final lap the punchy climb had taken a toll with two riders off the back. This left the leading riders to grind out a three-up bunch sprint.
The four D-grade riders rode a great race with plenty of smooth pedaling form on show. Eventually the long grinding false flat and the climb worked its magic. The group managed to wear Allan Bontjer down to finish in another three-up bunch sprint.
Thank you to our Race Volunteers – Elizabeth Lowe, Howard Moffat, Tom Stewart-Moore, and Simon Whitehead (First Aid).
Andrew Remely – Race Director
