Hello Vets,
In the Bleat this week;
• Gunning 2 Day
• Race support needed
• From the desk of the President
• From the Handicapper
• COVID-19 Restrictions
• AVCC 2021 Nationals – CANCELLED
• Racing this Week
• Race Reports
Ian Morton
Gunning 2 Day
Gunning 2020 two-day race is on 17 & 18 October. Race format will be the same as last year with racing starting from 10:00am on both days. Riders must race on Saturday to be eligible to race on Sunday. This year we will use RMS for pre-entry and payments. Any members who cannot pay by credit should contact the race committee.
To enter, go the Calendar page https://rms.actvets.cc/calendar. Click the ‘Details’ button for the race on 17/10/2020 at Gunning. Put in your race number and then hit the Enter button. If you are financial, credit card details fields will display. Enter your details and you should receive a transaction reference code (Note this down if you want to. The transaction will appear on your statement as SQ *ACT VETERANS CYCLI Kambah AUS). You name should appear in the Entries List.
Entry for this year is only $20.00!
Race support needed
The club is extremely lucky to have Graham Hendrie looking after, and bringing out to races, our race van. Graham also manages the timing and results recording and uploading into RMS. This operates like a pro rider, very smooth looking but a lot of hard work going on.
Graham is looking to take a break from marshal duties, so we need to start looking at transitioning some of the tasks that he does to other people. This could be a member of the club, a family member or someone who has spare time and an interest in cycling. If you are interested in helping out, or know someone who would be, please get in touch with the race Committee.
Remember, it’s up to everyone in the club to help ensure we continue to have a viable ongoing race program.
Ian McVay
Race Committee
From the desk of the President
Good evening everyone, and welcome back to Criterium season – it’s been a long time coming, and I hope everyone enjoys the racing challenges over the next few months.
Having spent a long time off the bike this year, my racing has deteriorated, which saw me in C grade for a couple of races.
Criteriums are my preferred type of racing to compete in, and I stupidly committed a faux pas last week when I crossed the line in C grade in first place – something we have all been warned against doing when racing in a grade than our usual one. At the time of the incident I realised my error and apologised to the C graders near me. Our Grading expert Rob Langridge has also since pulled me up on my poor form, and rightly so. Thankfully my result has subsequently been scratched.
While making a rash decision in the moment may not be intended to annoy fellow racers, we can all appreciate and understand that it’s not fair to other racers in the grade to take a win while racing in a lower grade, or to make Rob’s function as the club’s handicapper more complicated.
I sincerely apologise to the racers in C Grade and hope that my poor decision-making and racing last week doesn’t inspire others that find themselves in similar situations!
Good luck to everyone coming out tomorrow for what should be another great evening’s racing.
Best Regards
Seymour Savell-Boss #25
ACT Vets Cycling Club President
From the Handicapper
Vets out and about
It hasn’t been much of a year for Vets to get out and about but on the weekend a few members gathered in Singleton for the NSW masters’ road championships. Participation from ACT riders was lower than other years probably because of the uncertainty regarding restrictions on traveling to sporting events in NSW but also due to general bushfire/smoke/COVID long-term training upheaval. Brendan Byatt M5 and Owain Tilley M7 both finished an agonising 4th in their respective TT events. Bruce Goodspeed M6 was 10th in the M6 road race. The course probably wasn’t tough enough for a rider like Bruce and he had to be content with finishing in the bunch which contained the vast majority of starters. Owain finished 19th in the M7 RR. There were no starters for the criterium. Well done to all!.
Gunning this weekend
I hope everyone is featuring trips to Gunning and Breadalbane in their weekend plans. As mentioned last week, this is your one chance to ride for GC glory in the season. With Gunning being Gunning and the weather forecast to be unsettled, make sure you pack every item of cold weather/rain gear you have so you are ready for every possible weather contingency. Hope to see you there.
Rob Langridge
Handicapper
COVID-19 Restrictions
There are legal requirements in place for people returning to the ACT from Victoria and particular places in New South Wales to self-quarantine.
Members who have been to any of these locations in the past 14 days should be complying with ACT Government quarantine restrictions.
Members should stay home if you have been feeling unwell or showing symptoms of COVID-19 or been in contact with someone who has felt unwell in the past 2 weeks.
AVCC 2021 Nationals – CANCELLED
The National Championships were scheduled to be held in South Australia during January 2021 in conjunction with the Tour Down Under.
Unfortunately, the AVCC have had to cancel the Nationals due to uncertainty arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of state border restrictions, there is no clarity regarding the ability of members to travel to South Australia in January.
RACING THIS WEEK:
Tuesday, 13th October: Stromlo Criterium
Where: Stromlo Forest Park
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
B/D 5:50 B 25m+2, D 22m+2
E/F/G 6:20 E/F/G 20 m + 2 laps
A/C 6:45 A 25m+2, C 22m+2
Race Director: David Witham Contact: Email: david.witham@act.gov.au Ph 0448 812 162
Marshals: Corey Beatson
Wednesday, 14th October: Track Racing
Regrettably, last Wednesday’s track practice session was washed out. However, the season’s first track racing session remains scheduled for this Wednesday.
The Program for Wednesday is;
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice;
6.00pm – 6.20pm: 8-lap graded scratch race;
6.20pm – 7.00pm: 1-SS Time Trial;
7.00pm – 7.20pm: Italian Pursuit.
Gunning 2 Day
Saturday, 17th October: Day 1
Where: Day 1 races start and finish at summit of hill about 1.5 km NE of Gunning. Park off the road at top of hill adjacent start finish.
When: 10:00 am.
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
ABCD do two laps for 100k.
EFG do 1 lap for 50k.
All races start from 10:00 onward. You MUST register buy 9:45.
Time bonuses for the 2 kom primes are 5,2,1 sec. Time bonuses for the finish are 13,7,3 sec.
Sunday, 18th October: Day 2
Where: Drive to Gunning, then Cullerin Road to Breadalbane, or, Federal Highway to Collector then Breadalbane Road to Breadalbane, or, Federal Highway – Hume Highway – Cullerin Road. Park at the Community Hall.
When: 10:00 am.
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
Breadalbane – short turn – Gunning return ~ 50km
Followed by 5km TT (no aero equipment permitted)
All races start from 10:00 onward. You MUST register buy 9:45.
Time bonuses for the kom prime are 5,2,1 sec. Time bonuses for the finish are 7,4,2 sec
RACE REPORTS:
Stromolo Criterium – 6th October
The first of the 2020 Summer Criterium series proceeded uneventfully despite the weather forecast looking grim all day.
E a grade christened the season, followed by F and G grade, with the sole G grader, Bernie Crowe opting for the company of F grade, at least for a while. E grade’s 6 starters traded places for 20 minutes, and duly lined up for a sprint involving all, with the wily Alex Sommivara edging out Alison Hale and Penelope Ardern. One of the 4 F graders had to miss a place on the podium, but Dennis Puniard followed by Pat Rooke and Edward Joliffe made sure it wasn’t going to be them, and Bernie Crowe made no mistake in G grade.
A and C grade were next away, with healthy fields of 9 and 11 respectively.
A grade showed some hard racing with Tristan Dimmock in particular putting the hurt on up the home straight. Brad Peppinck put in a move around 11 minutes and held the bunch off for a few laps, but inevitably it all came together and Ben Morrison won the gallop, ahead of a still frisky Brad Peppinck and Tristan Dimmock.
C grade included the tandem of Ben Healy and John Burton who showed willing on the downhills, but saw the elastic stretch and eventually break on the uphill straight. Newcomer Adam Davey was inevitably “allowed” to spend considerable time at the front of the bunch. The finish ended with Seymour Savell-Boss timing his appearance at the front to the right moment, edging out Mick Hanbury and Adam Davey.
Finally B and D grade set off amid light sprinkles of rain, and fading light.
B grade’s 13 starters saw some early action from Michael Foulds and Peter Young, and later including Ed Logue and Dale Riley, but again, nothing stuck and the bunch regrouped with 3 to go, and Al Raitt coming in ahead of Bruce Goodfellow and Ed Logue.
D grade had a dozen riders. Adam Strickland stretched the legs after 7 minutes, with John Stockman looking to spoil the party. The attack stuck until near the end, and the bunch took the bell together. The finale saw Adam Strickland with enough juice left to take the win, and possibly farewell D grade, ahead of Lance Purdon and Ian Morton.
Thanks are due to marshall Aaron Thomson and First Aid Officer Simon Whitehead, as well as Ian McVay for valuable guidance.
Kevin Woods
Race Referee
