Post date: Jul 23, 2012 11:41:26 AM
Hello Vets,
Well, Le Tour has been run and won for another year so all those bleary eyed enthusiasts who have been staying up late to watch the race can now get a good night’s sleep (until the Olympics start).
In this issue of The Bleat;
· Racing this Week –F&A Tonelli Trophy, Old Federal Highway.
· Lookout Hill – Race Director’s report.
· 2012 Australian Veteran Cycling Championships.- Tasmania, 9-12 November,
· In this week’s Member Profile we look at Jan Koehler.
Please send me your contributions at: TheBleat@actvets.cc
Ian Morton.
Where: Intersection Shingle Hill Way and Old Federal Highway.
When: 1:30 pm.
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
Gravel pit turn left toward Gundaroo, turn back to intersection. Turn Left toward Lake George. All do 2 Laps intersection to left George. Finish before intersection
Race Director: Ian Morton
Contact: Email: mortoni@optusnet.com.au Ph 041 111 2007
Help Needed on Saturday: I will need a three road marshals, lead and trail car drivers and helpers at the finish line to run the race. Please contact me if you can assist.
It’s important that we continue to observe all the relevant rules when out on the road. Some reminders for this week;
· Turns are neutral, wait for the rest of your bunch to catch-up before increasing speed,
· Marshals cannot stop traffic. Particularly when performing a u-turn, be prepared to stop for oncoming traffic,
· Hold your line on the final sprint (otherwise you’ll be docked points like Matty Goss).
On a sunny afternoon, 75 riders decided to give the Lookout Hill scratch race a go. The course was different to that advertised with the riders using the traditional race route due to the lack of marshals and this meant that all grades covered the same course which was 47 kms.
In A grade Ian Downing was the clear winner and stormed home with a sizable gap to the rest of the field. The other minor places were filled by Aaron Sedgmen and Marc Vroomans. B grade was won by Peter Prammer and he was closely followed by Rohan Verco and David Dickson. The C grade race was closely contested with Ross Macpherson (who should be in B grade) taking line honours from Sue Powell, and a distant Michael Reppion was third.
The D grade race was a close finishing bunch with the winner Anthony Pratt followed by Andrew Boyd and David Lander. While in E grade Kevin Hennessy was the clear winner from Ian Shaw and Mike Corke. In F grade Adrian Pridden was the winner by a good margin, second and third were Belinda Wren and Graham Hendrie. The G grade race was won by Bruce Jones, with Mike Spoljaric and John I’ons taking the minor places.
Thanks go to our race director Peter Klein, and marshals James Meredith, Bruce Goodspeed, Alain Arbaut, Elton Ivers and Henry Beaverstock. Also a big thank you to Graham Hendrie who drove the ACT Vets van and helped with the setup, plus thanks to our first aid person from SMA, Simon Whitehead..
Thanks to Peter Klein for Race Refereeing.
Race results on the RMS: http://rms.actvets.cc/
For anyone who wants the detailed times, you can get them from http://www.actvets.cc/results/2012-winter-season-results
These will be held over the 9th, 10th and 11th of November 2012 in Northern Tasmania where the major town is Launceston. Launceston is the 3rd oldest Australian city and is serviced by the Western Junction airport. You can also travel from Melbourne on the ferry where you can bring your car or camper. This docks at Devonport which is some 90 minutes to Launceston. You may need to decide early to come to these Titles as accommodation can be hard to obtain at some times.
The Road Races and Time trials will be held in the beautiful Western Tiers area where the roads are undulating and challenging. The scenery is great too. The criteriums will be held in a different area closer to Launceston in a very old town steeped in history.
More details at: http://www.tasvetscycling.com.au/html/national_titles.html
In our next member profile we look at we look at Jan Koehler;
How long have you been a member of ACT Vets?
I joined the Vets in 1995 after seeing a race notice in The Canberra Times and making a phone call to Henry Beaverstock to find out what vets' cycle racing was all about. I've been a member since then and am approaching my 400th ACTVCC event sometime soon.
What is your favourite course in the ACT Vets racing calendar and why?
My favourite course is Gunning, with its wide, open road, rolling countryside and little traffic. The course has something for everyone and the uphill finish is pretty special for the non-purist sprinters.
What Grade did you start in with the Vets?
G grade. I was the slowest rider by far. Back then the club was relatively small so there was a higher proportion of handicap races than there is now. I used to be sent off 10 to 20 minutes before the clock was started and still came in last by an embarrassing margin. That's when John became involved as a timekeeper - he thought he might as well make himself useful while he was hanging around waiting (hours) for me to finish. I knew nothing about racing and used to stop at the turn points to have a friendly chat to the marshals until I was told that you weren't really meant to do that!
What do you like about racing with the Vets?
The encouragement I received from everybody when I first started out, the general camaraderie of the club and the enduring friendships that I've made over the years. The after race cuppa and post mortem of the day's race is always a highlight.
How long have you been cycling?
I took up cycling in 1995 having never owned or really even ridden a bike before. I was looking for a different sport to participate in after having played basketball for 30 years and deciding, after breaking the same finger twice in one year, that running around in a singlet and shorts at 10.10pm games in the middle of winter was no longer enjoyable.
What got you interested in cycling?
A work colleague mentioned that she was going in the Tour de Femme.I was in my 'looking for a different sport' phase and thought it sounded like fun so I borrowed a bike and helmet to participate in the event and was hooked thereafter. For the record I rode the TdF in my basketball singlet and shorts! When I joined the vets' club I was totally inspired by the fitness levels and youthful appearance of the 'old guys'; they were perfect role models.
What was your most memorable ride?
I was absolutely stoked the first time I averaged more than 25kmph in a road race! There have been so many memorable rides but John and I always look forward to going to Bright, VIC in January each year for the Alpine Classic (AC) in the company of many fave fellow vets, me for riding and John for golf - the perfect relationship. I've completed 12 ACs, 4 of them the 200km option. Now that the ante has been upped to include a 250km option I am just gonna have to attempt that one in the next year or two before age gets the better of me.
What is/was your favourite bike?
My initial phone call to Henry Beaverstock revealed, amazingly, that I needed a 'proper' racing bike so John and I made a rash $420 purchase thinking it was an expensive outlay......oh the novice. I treasure every bike I've owned, from the initial Protour (well maybe not), to my custom made Davis, my super special Casati Dardo and more recently my Pinarello Paris. In each case the bike steed far outweighed the ability of the rider.
Where do you work?
My agency's social media policy precludes me from stating this, suffice to say I am a very well paid Australian Public Servant.
How do you find the time to train?
My life is super busy - working full-time & long hours, family commitments and ageing parents to care for, so I fit in riding when I can. I love the commute to work approx. 3 days a week, and especially the weekend rides with my training buddies Kirsti and Vanessa.
Do you have a special training regime?
I follow the mantra of Heiko Swalzeidel - if you have limited training time, do most of it at 85% effort, save the super efforts for race day. Keith Davis also gave me similar advice many years ago - don't train so hard that there is nothing left for race day.
What does your family think of your cycling?
My immediate family has always been totally supportive of my efforts (however meagre), especially John who came along and managed the race timekeeping each week for many years before he discovered golf. My father has implored me many times to give up racing because it is too dangerous but he now accepts that that is what I do.
An interesting fact about yourself;
The eldest of my three children, Jessica, and her husband Nick are about to give birth to our first grandchild in approx 4 weeks, it is an amazingly exciting time!
The other change required by the AVCC is that all future racing must be conducted by club registered Race Referees. The race committee is asking for volunteers to take on the role. The Referee should be knowledgeable in the rules of the AVCC, and the club, and be willing to enforce those rules to the benefit of the club and its members.
These members will be put on a rotating roster to undertake their duties throughout the year, with consideration given to obligations. Each referee will receive their membership for the year that they are roster at the clubs expense.
As everyone has already joined for this year we will wave all future race fees for the rest of the year for all this years rostered referees in lieu. The need for volunteers is a matter of urgency and we must be able to meet this requirement before the start of the winter season when the new policy will take effect.
The important question to be asked is what happens if we don’t get the minimum number of referees. The race committee will be forced to reassess the calendar and reduce the number of races.
If you are prepared to take on this role, please contact James at handicapper@actvets.cc