Capital Region Masters – Weekly Bleat, 2 July 2024

Masters, In this week’s Bleat

• From the Desk of the President
• Next Road Race – Sutton Super Series round four – Saturday 13 July 1.30 PM
• Sutton Super Series round three race report – Craig Lindenmayer
• Upcoming races requiring volunteers
• Race calendar can be found here for other race dates needing officials

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT

Hi members,

The Committee met again on Monday night, and we had a productive evening in balancing the needs of the membership, with returning value back to club members, and maintaining our ability to deliver quality race experiences. Thank you to the many volunteers who have staffed the Age Standard TT, SFP and SDTC races to date.

2024-25 criterium season pass

We announce the Club’s first criterium season pass for which we have set a price of $160 for up to 24 races, commencing Tues 8 October 2024 and concluding on Tues 1 April 2025. This includes the Christmas Wheel race, and the Club Championships. The Committee is adamant that we provide tremendous value for money for our racing. For those members who plan on racing at least 16 races, you will break even. For other members, we encourage you to consider this as a target number of crit races on which to focus. The committee will evaluate the uptake of the pass during the season alongside a range of other metrics. We believe it will reduce race administration and registration burden. We will commence the technical development so that electronic payment and pass subscription will be ready before the start of the crit season.

Volunteer policy

While we return significantly more value to club members who race a lot, we also ask those members that in return you contribute back to the club by helping out at races, so that this is equitably shared across the whole membership. As far back as 2017, previous iterations of the Committee had recognised declining volunteerism, and raised awareness of our club obligations on our website, and even went so far as outlining the suspension of racing eligibility for members who do not contribute back https://capitalregionmasterscyclingclub.org.au/racing-with-us/marshal-schedule/
The current Committee has continued along this path, and we are implementing from January 2025 as a condition of your CRMCC membership, that you must volunteer to assist in at least 1 race per year. We have always been open about volunteerism manifesting in many forms as some members may have specials skills that we could utilise that would contribute towards the running of the club. Please contact membership@crmcc.org.au if you possess such skills (excluding fire-walking, sword-swallowing, etc.)

Wearing race numbers

We would like to issue a reminder to all members that the wearing of your correct race number is mandatory for your participation, according to the AVCC. Where the correct race number has not been displayed prominently on your back with fasteners (preferably pinless clips), and we allow you to race, the Committee has agreed to disallow any points earned from that race. No race number = no points. The most hardened and strictest race director would not allow you on the course. Please contact membership@crmcc.org.au if you need a re-issued white card race number.  As for the cloth numbers, please note that just because you see a spare one in the pile in the van or at SFP, it doesn’t mean that the number is currently unassigned, and available to you. We have a number of members who have yet to be re-united with their cloth number as someone else has got to them first.

Winter track training

We are offering 6x 1hr track sessions every Sunday afternoon fortnight, commencing Sun 7 July 2-3pm, and ending on 15 September. The goal of this training is to stimulate and reinvigorate our track program. Participants must be members or trial riders to register and pay $5 per session online https://rms.crmcc.org.au/calendar?5021614. This is for track practice only, no racing, no moto-pacing. We are also providing this opportunity for club members unacquainted with the art of fixed wheel riding, to come out and try track in the hope that you will join our Thurs afternoon racing program from October 2024. These track practice sessions will be staffed by knowledgeable ‘Club track wardens’, who will open up the velodrome for our booked timeslots, brief participants particularly novices about protocol and safety. Novices wishing to learn on one of the club’s donated track bikes should establish early contact with membership@crmcc.org.au so that we can fit you to the bike. Note that the velodrome has a high bank and road bikes and street fixies are not appropriate for this venue. Please only bring your kids along as spectators if they are actively (not passively) supervised, due to the risk of serious injury with riders exiting and entering the velodrome gate.

Conan

CRMCC President

NEXT ROAD RACE

Round 4 of the Sutton Super Series on Saturday 13 July 2024

Race registration cut-off is Friday 12th July at 9pm. Cost is $10.
You need to register by looking up the calendar entry in the RMS https://rms.crmcc.org.au/calendar?5019055
You must wear your CRMCC assigned race number to race.
Late registrations will be assessed by Race.committee@crmcc.org.au and if allowed, a late fee of $10 will be applied.
If you are unregistered and show up to the crit track, you must convince a committee member (not the Race Director) of your club member financial status for insurance purposes, before being allowed to participate.

RACING REPORT

Sutton Super Series round 3 on 29 June 2024

A cool winter afternoon greeted the 37 riders who turned up to the Sutton Driver Training Centre (SDTC) track. The riders had a glint in their eyes as they dreamed of emulating their heroes about to commence Le Tour in Florence.

Once again, the SDTC track presented a fun twisty circuit but – always a cruel mistress – it also presented a block headwind down the straight to ensure every lap was a struggle.

C grade started the proceedings with everyone all together after the first lap however that did not last for long. Riders started to make attempts at causing a break and within four laps the race had exploded. David Buckley, Rosie Hurt and Ian Preston broke off the front. Andrew Remely tried to go with them but ended up in no man’s land for a very long time, and the remnants struggled to assemble a chase. In the end, it came down to a sprint with David Buckley besting Rosie Hurt, and a gap to Ian Preston in third.

D grade had the biggest turnout of the day and rode nicely all together for almost one lap. Tony Fenech was an early casualty falling off the back with Poupee Lam following shortly after. Visiting rider, Steve Beatty, spent the first half of the race dangling at the back of the bunch as he got accustomed to sitting in the wheels. It wasn’t long before more riders were jettisoned from the peloton. In the end it came down to a bunch sprint with Lance Purdon taking first place closely followed by Damian Copeland and Simon Porombka.

The E grade field started the race with a guaranteed podium place for each of the three starters. They rode nicely as a bunch for half of the race before David Gunther was ejected from the bunch. Rob Langridge and Russell Marston rode together all the way until the final lap when Russell sprinted down the main straight to take the win over Rob, and David finishing third.

A grade rolled off the line at a leisurely tempo around for half of their time on the track. There were a few skirmishes as the clock ticked down, including a little excitement with riders having a little bump at speed as they dropped into the straight. In the last couple of laps Stu Griffiths put down the power to break away from the bunch, and he held his break to take the win. Meanwhile, Steve Crispin and Gerard Tiffin rolled down the finishing straight together arm in arm and wheel in wheel for what appeared to be a draw for second place. However the Race Director’s slow-mo camera never lies, showing Tiffin taking silver by mere millimetres.

B grade did their best to put on one of the most entertaining performances of the day. Just one lap into the race things got exciting with the peloton splitting in half. Four riders established a solid break off the front – Marc Vroomans, Mick Rowland, Greg Harris and Mick Rose. They pushed the pace very hard, nipping at the heels of A grade in front. Tristan Fuge spent half the race in no man’s land between the leading bunch and the second group on the road. Throughout the race the second bunch struggled for cohesion and eventually fragmented into pieces. The break held on for the win and in a sprint finish Marc Vroomans took the win with a very narrow margin over Mick Rowland with Mick Rose rolling in for third.

Many thanks to Terry Danaher for marshalling, Owain Tilley for van driving duties, and Matt Sainsbery for first aid support. Thank you also to the race committee for organising the event.

Craig Lindenmayer (Race Director)

Links to photos, courtesy of Ian Hutchings, from round 3 of Sutton Super Series here https://www.facebook.com/groups/ACTVets/permalink/2178587699178280/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/ACTVets/permalink/2178591885844528/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/ACTVets/permalink/2178597952510588/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/ACTVets/permalink/2178594905844226/ .

UPCOMING RACES NEEDING VOLUNTEERS

Upcoming races requiring roles to be filled

27 July 2024 – Lookout Hill – 40km Memorial Trophy handicap:
We need a race director.

10 August 2024 – Sutton Driving Training Centre – Graded scratch:
We require a race director, a marshal and a van driver.

17 August 2024 – Iron Mike handicap – Stromlo Forest Park western car park:
We need an ETC and a van driver.

Please contact race.committee@crmcc.org.au if you can fill any of these roles for the club.

Thank you to those members who have offered their services to fill roles so the races are run.