ACT Veterans Weekly Bleat, Monday 6th May, 2019

Hello Vets,

In the Bleat this week;

• Everesting or Racing for Ryan
• Fitability Fundraising Trivia Night
• Racing this Week
• From the Race Committee
• Race Report

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

Ian Morton

Everesting or Racing for Ryan

A reminder that if you would still like to donate to the fund for Ryan Fawke, you can still;

• transfer funds to;
  BSB: 062 907
  Acc no: 1022 6555 (Canberra High School P&C)
  Reference ‘Ride for Ryan’
• call the school directly on 6205 7000 and pay by credit card or
• donate cash at races later in the year (please bring in a separate envelope marked “Ryan’s Fund”)

Fitability Fundraising Trivia Night

Many of the ACT Vet members know that tandem cycling had given the opportunity for vision impaired members to ride and race on the bike. This fundraising will help Fitability keeps the bikes in good working order. So that many vision impaired people ant those with other disabilities can have the opportunity to experience the joys of cycling.

Friday 31st May, 6:30 to 9:30 at Canberra Labor Club, Belconnen. Cost: $20 plus booking fee. Don’t miss out – it should be a fantastic fun night! Bring your partners, friends and family. A great opportunity to mix socially with other Vet members and to raise money for a wonderful program.

Buy your tickets here https://eventplus.net/TN19.

Lindy Hou
Mobile: 0402 113 836
Email: lindy@lindyhou.com

RACING THIS WEEK:

Saturday, 11th May: Smiths Rd – Naas Rd Graded Scratch

Where: Members to park on the side of the road of Smiths Rd and start just around the corner on Naas Rd.
When: 1:30 pm.
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number
Race Description:
Course is laps over Mt Tennant spur to Apollo Road and return ABCD – 3 laps. EFG – 2 laps.

Race Director: Peter Merrick Contact: Email: pmerrick@gmail.com    Ph  0407222869

Marshals: Robert Brunato, Bruce Goodspeed, Stephen Blackburn

From the Race Committee

Marshal Needed

We require the help of at least one additional marshal for Saturday’s race at Smith’s Road. You do not need to be an ETC to help out. Please contact the race committee (race.committee@actvets.cc) or the race director Peter Merrick (pmerrick@gmail.com) ph. 0407222869 if you can assist.

Turn Danger!

We had a close call in the race at Dog Trap Rd when a car tried to overtake riders at a turn. This has also happened at other races in the past. Riders should check behind for approaching vehicles before reaching a turn, give a right-hand signal that they are turning, and call out to other riders if a car is coming e.g. “CAR BACK”. Do not assume that the vehicle is going to stop.

In graded races all turns are neutral to help with rider safety. In handicaps, bunches of riders approaching a turn should also have safety as the primary goal, ensuring everyone gets round the turn without issue. Making a quick turn should be very much a secondary objective.

Marshals in NSW cannot stop traffic. Marshals in the ACT, while able to stop traffic, will be controlling the cars approaching you from head on, not the traffic approaching from behind you. The race committee will review turn signage to try and deter cars overtaking at turns.

Event Traffic Controller course for 1 June 2019

The next ETC Training course is on Saturday 1st June.

We currently only have about 40 ETCs from a club of 300 members. Members need to share the burden of helping to run races. Having enough traffic 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.

Course details are available on Blended Learning’s web site – http://www.blendedlearning.edu.au/home/courses/programs-courses/event-traffic-controller/. I am still awaiting information on funding the training. YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY.

Upcoming Marshal Roster

Thank you to those who have already volunteered to help. Nominees, in blue have been selected based on results from the previous race season and the period since they last helped at a race. Nominees are requested to advise their availability/unavailability to the race committee (race.committee@actvets.cc) as soon as possible.

Summer series crit races are held at Stromlo Forest Park on Tuesday evenings and road races are held on Sunday mornings.

* denotes ETC required for ACT races.

Ian McVay
Race Committee

RACE REPORTS:

Dog Trap Road Secret Handicap – 4th May

Saturdays weather was fine but with a little wind. We have a total of 44 riders turn up for two laps of the Dog Trap road course.

There was a split of 11 A grade, 7 B Grade, 7 C Grade, 5 D Grade, 10 E Grade, 3 F Grade and 1 G Grade riders. Being a secret handicap with a group start certainly meant some would have their work cut out.

The race started heading south with the lead vehicle holding the faster riders back for the first couple of hundred meters. By the time the riders had returned past the start point for the first time the A Grade riders had set a cracking pace. From here the field was split but with the time splits per grade still in play it meant the all had to keep the pushing through. The wind played havoc with all and this was evident in the final results with the higher grades being in the top the positions for the men’s.

Results

Grade and adjusted time.

Ladies

1st Elizabeth Lowe E1 Time 1.10.53
2nd Kerrie Muir E1 Time 1.10.54
3rd Jan Koehler E1 Time 1.15.43

Mens

1st Gerard Tiffen B1 Time 1.07.50
2nd Matt Hinchcliffe B2 Time 1.08.42
3rd Jeremy Ross A1 1.09.21

A special thanks to the Marshalls: Neil Skipper, Paul Smith, Helmut Zeller, Chris Copland, Paul Mckay and not to mention Graham Hendrie.

Andrew Peel