ACT Veterans Weekly Bleat, Monday 4th June, 2018

Hello Vets,

In this week’s Bleat;

• New UHF Radio goes into Van
• Left over Tupperware
• From the Desk of the Handicapper
• Event Traffic Controller courses for 2018
• Indoor Training
• Racing this Week
• Race Report

Please send me your contributions at: TheBleat@actvets.cc

Ian Morton

New UHF Radio goes into Van

The club has purchased and installed a new UHF radio into the club’s van. This will provide an additional radio to use in conjunction with our hand-held radios. It will also provide wider coverage, due to it having an external aerial, which will useful at some of our longer race courses. Thanks to Graham Hendrie and Alex Sommariva for the install work and the club Facebookers for their helpful comments.   Ian McVay Race Committee

Left over Tupperware

Someone kindly bought a large Tupperware dish with dips and nibbles to race at the Old Fed on Sat. The contents were consumed but the dish was left behind. Can you send an email to Graham Hendrie at hendrie@netspeed.com.au if it is yours.

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Handicaps this week;

• Tim Brown C to B
• Alex Sommariva E to D

Rob Langridge

Event Traffic Controller courses for 2018

We only had a couple of members attend the last training course, which was very disappointing. Having enough controllers available in the club is critical to our ability to run races in the ACT and it is likely we will need to have ETCs for NSW races in the future. ETCs are eligible for reimbursement of $100 for marshalling at ACT road races.

The next course for Event Traffic Controllers is on 8 September. Details are available on Cycling ACT’s web site http://www.act.cycling.org.au/Road/News/2018-cycling-event-traffic-controllers-course-dates-confirmed

Members previously accredited as ATCs will need to do the updated training course to get ETC accreditation. Having enough controllers available in the club is critical to our ability to run races in the ACT and it is likely we will need to have ETCs for NSW races in the future. Please register for a place on one of the courses ASAP as numbers are limited.

Ian McVay
Race Committee

Indoor Training

Don’t Forget indoor training is on again this coming and every winter Tuesday commencing at 6:30pm. Hall is open at 6pm for setup.

The Hall in the Weston Community Centre is hard to find in the dark. The turnoff is off Hilder St Weston directly opposite a set of very attractive white concrete lions. Once you have turned in veer to the right to find the lower car park. The hall is adjacent.

A reminder that attendees must be competition members of the club.

Bruce Griffin

RACING THIS WEEK:

Saturday, 9th June: No scheduled race due to long weekend

Upcoming Marshal Roster

Please check the following table of allocated officials to end of June. If you are unavailable on your allocated date, please arrange to organise a swap with another rider and advise the race committee (race.committee@actvets.cc).

* denotes ETC required for ACT races.

Thank you to those who volunteered to help (noted below in black) at the races from July to September.

The remaining nominations in blue have been selected based on results from the previous summer race season and the period since people last helped at a race. More experienced riders have been selected to help direct races. Please advise your availability or unavailable to the race committee (race.committee@actvets.cc) as soon as possible.

* denotes ETC required for ACT races.

Ian McVay
Race Committee

RACE REPORTS:

Old Federal Highway – 2nd June

When looking out the window at home and noticing the trees bending over at 90 degrees, I was convinced that i) it was going to be blowing a gale at OFH and ii) we would have more marshals than riders. Standing at the start line I was, almost, proven wrong on both accounts. It was a mild winters day with little wind and 42 riders had registered. The almost part came an hour into the race when the clouds arrived and the wind picked up. I don’t know what it was like on the bike, but it was bitterly cold at the start-finish line, as demonstrated by the multiple layers of clothing being warn by all of the marshals.

A, B, C and D had the fun task of completing four laps while E and F got stuck with 3. A grade set a blistering pace averaging about 20 minutes per lap. A, B, C and D all managed to complete their first lap staying, more or less, together as a bunch. E and F had already broken up by the time they completed their first lap with Kirsti McVay and Russel Marston out front in E grade. Rosemary Robinson was the lone break-away rider in F grade.

The bunches were looking somewhat smaller on the second lap with the exception of D grade. Des Brown decided that the marshals were better company than his fellow riders so he stopped and had a bit of a chat while he waited for the rest of the grade to catch up (actually he had a flat but my version sounds better). Kirsti was now riding on her own in E grade and Rosemary had managed to gain 3 minutes on the next F grade rider.

By their third lap A grade had already managed to lap E and F grade and a group of 3 managed to form a break away. B and C had somewhat depleted their ranks with D grade the only grade staying together as a bunch.

A grade was well separated by the time they completed their final lap with Brendan Byatt finishing way out front followed by Seymour Savell-Boss and Christophe Barberet. Kirsti McVay continued her strong performance being the first E grader to cross the line 3 minutes in front of Russel Marston followed by Elizabeth Lowe. Rosemary Robinson managed to reach the finish line before B grade and about 10 minutes before Ian Morton with Mike Spoljaric completing the first three spots for F grade. Next across the line was B grade with a close sprint finish. Bruce Goodspeed just edged out David Jukes with Peter Young taking third. C grade had a strong ride with race times similar to B grade. Ben Healy just got in front of Ross MacPherson very closely followed by Peter Klein. The friendly grade, D grade, was still together as a bunch on the final lap with Brian Peak leading the charge in front of Darryl Smith and then Steven Simms.

I would very much like to thank all of the marshals, it makes a world of difference being the race director knowing that you can rely on their support. Thank you to Bernard Crowe for driving the tail car, with Adam Potts in the lead car, Alwyn Chilver as turn marshal at Lake George, Jason Parkes as turn marshal at the Gravel Pit, Steven Crispin for helping with the finishing chute and keeping over excited dogs away from the riders, Mark Taylor at the finishing line, Mary Lovett at the start line, finishing chute and unpacking/packing the van, and last but not least thank you to Graham Hendrie for organising the van, manning the sign-on, working on the finishing line, correlating the results and unpacking/packing the van.

Linda Stals