Post date: Oct 22, 2012 8:21:43 PM
Hello Vets,
In this issue of The Bleat;
· Racing this Week
· Race Reports
· Vale Tatto Mick.
· From the desk of the Handicapper.
Please send me your contributions at: TheBleat@actvets.cc
Ian Morton.
Where: Stromlo Forrest Park
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description: G Grade@ 5:45 - 10min + 2 laps; C/D Grade@ 6:04 - 19min + 2 laps; E/F Grade@ 6:29 - 14min + 2 laps; A/B Grade@ 6:49 - 26min + 2 laps
Race Director: Mick Donaldson
Contact: Email: mdonaldson@netspeed.com.au Ph 6241 8294
Crit Marshals and Helpers needed
Helpers are needed on the night. If you are racing you can still get there early or stay after your race to help out.
Important Information: Late Arrivals
It is a condition of our Insurance that all riders receive a referee’s briefing before the commencement of racing to ensure that they are aware of racing conditions.
All riders need to ensure that they arrive in sufficient time to sign-on and be briefed before the commencement of racing.
Where: Queanbeyan Track
When: 6:00 pm
Details: Warm up from 5:30 first race at 6pm. Scratch races, two lap handicap, derny races and Italian pursuits. Road and track bikes welcome
It’s the Fitz’s Challenge weekend so no Vets Racing..
A lovely warm evening with hardly any wind greeted the riders at last Tuesday nights Crit. I think we should start calling the Vets Tuesday night races a ‘Super Crit’ because that’s what it’s turning into. Numbers were possibly at a record level with a massive 26 riders in B grade, 21 in C and 29 in D. And it’s only the beginning of the season.
James Jordan, the Club Handicapper tells me there will be some well deserved promotions based on the Tuesday results so watch out! James, who could have easily won B grade, unselfishly and strategically rode at the back of the B grade peloton for most of the race to check that riders were in their correct grade.
Club officials and volunteer Marshalls were there in abundance to ensure the smooth running of such a large number of riders on such a tight schedule. If you ever had any doubts about how complicated it is to run a race on time and make it look easy, then why not volunteer to help out at a race.
The results speak for themselves but there were some outstanding performances and displays of heroine-ism (is that a word?) Jeremy, Mark and Nic managed to slip away from the A grade bunch and work out and maintain a nice breakaway from the bunch. Kerry Knowler put in a fine display of determined riding and just wouldn’t give up.
There was an unfortunate accident in the C and D grade race when one grade attempted to over take another. By my calculation when the grades came together there would have been about 50 riders trying to sort themselves out in the closing laps of the race. Our First Aid support person was close at hand and I believe there were no major injuries. It’s probably time to remind riders that the Club rule is when passing other grades:
· Pass on the right hand side, maintaining a gap of at least one metre between the two grades.
This was the first time we have used the PA system which is pretty useful with such large numbers of competitors. The colored ribbons for the various grades are another innovation to assist riders and Referee and Marshals to work out what is happening on the track.
Thanks to Lee Hopson for refereeing.
After a delay of one week the track season is finally open.
We held a come and try night which saw a few new riders attend and even brought back a few of the old hands. Welcome back Sluggo and the new riders - Ben, Adrian, Aaron and Gary. A good turn up of 18 riders. Everyone got to spin around the now smooth track, thanks to Queanbeyan Council for fixing the lumps and bumps, they even re-painted the lines and numbers. Though there wasn’t any racing everyone enjoyed the relaxed evening socialising and watching Andre assemble and disassemble his bike 4 times.
Next week the racing starts. Each week will see a different type of race for the season points to cater for both the sprinters and the endurance riders, road and track bikes.
Come along and enjoy the atmosphere.
A small field of 41 riders turned out at Dogtrap Road for Sundays graded scratch. Maybe the weather forecast had put them off, but on the day the weather was mild and dry with only a light breeze. And this at the later start time of 9am to make it easier to get to the NSW venue.
The racing was excellent on a course that has been re-sealed in parts making a good course even better. Of course there were the usual stories of what might have been. Attacks not answered and who was outfoxing who.
With only 2 A graders we combined A and B. That worked well and for the most part the group raced as just that. Nick Boylan attacked as usual with the group finally breaking into three. That saw Aaron Sedgmen and Reinhard Mauch just edge out Nick on the line.
C grade had a smaller field and then 2 of the 5 DNF'd so it was an all podium finish for the remainder, just a matter of which step. As it was, Owain Tilley made a decisive early attack that wasn't answered by Jason Parkes and Philip Walker and though they tried hard they couldn't make up the gap and that was the finishing order.
Kevin Hennessy continues to challenge the handicapper with strong results. This week in D grade he held off Robert Wilson and Mike Hayes in a close bunch sprint. Apologies to Robert for misreading his number on the finish line and awarding his place to a rider not even present!
In E grade there looked to be another close finish but Ian Shaw finally got away from Ben Davis and Bobby Kent to win by a convincing margin. The rest of the group were not far behind but had well split up by the line.
Elizabeth Lowe and Graham Hendrie fought out the run to the line in F grade with Graham finally conceding in the last 50 meters. Rosemary Robinson came in third. The rest of the grade were stretched out well behind as the not so flat course took its toll.
G grade saw Lindsay Graham win from Bruce Jones and Angelika Mauch. Another group that had well split up by the finish line! With the weather starting to threaten we were glad to see all the riders safely home.
Thanks to marshals on the day Henry Beaverstock, Paul Scherl, James Meredith and David Dickson. A special mention for Emma McNamara who took down numbers in the finish chute assisted by John the First Aider who fortunately had nothing better to do. Also thanks to Jason Parkes for volunteering his car.
Thanks to Rob Diamond for refereeing.
Former club member Mick Rawlin passed away in Caloundra on Wednesday morning, finally succumbing to cancer of the tongue and throat. Mick and family moved to the sunny state a few years ago where he continued to ride and race for a period.
Tattoo Mick raced in our club in the early 2000s having moved from Harden to Kaleen. He was a regular in the Cootamundra region cycling events and continued racing in them after coming to Canberra. He would often jump on the bike to ride to Harden and even longer odysseys like riding to Queensland, solo. He was a regular on our training rides with Don de Smet, Mike Hayes, Peter Harding and others. We would meet at “Tattoo Corner” (Ginninderra & Hayden Drive) and head for “the beach” (Lake George). The highlight was the coffee at Sfoglia where we would be in stitches laughing at the Tattoo’s anecdotes and stories. He was a tough cookie in the peloton. I remember one day in a club handicap with a large group negotiating the esses in Namadgi on the way back to Tharwa when a rider with a protruding mirror cut the Tattoo off. There was commotion in the bunch as the Tattoo advised the offender that if he tried that move again he would find the mirror inserted in a most uncomfortable position (the actual language employed was rather colourful). In one of the Cootamundra classics a young rider sat on the Tattoo’s wheel for some time without taking a pull when they were trying to keep ahead of the approaching cavalry. With his patience exhausted, as well as his legs, the Tattoo advised the young bludger that if he didn’t take a pull he would end up doing somersaults in the ditch – the frightened and chastened rider opted to sit up. On another occasion in a club race at Lookout Hill the Tattoo attacked on the drag up to Tidbinbilla Road and quickly gapped our group by about 80m. Selfishly, being high in the winter points score, I worked my way across but only served to drag the bunch up to Mick and he was swamped at the uphill finish – and so was I and hence didn’t get those winter points. I quickly made sure I apologized for my disloyalty and somehow managed to avoid a spray.
In 2005 Mick went to Melbourne to do the 210-km clockwise option Round-the-Bay with Don de Smet and Mike Hayes when I was going anti-clockwise with my son. We all met up afterwards at Docklands for some cleansing ales. We’ll miss the cycling banter and jokes from that rascal cyclist zipping past on that navy blue Specialized. But above all we’ll miss the warmth and zest of this wonderful character. On behalf of Mick’s cycling friends I extend condolences to Carinna and their daughter and son and extended family.
Jeff Culnane
I have fond memories of Mick and I am very sorry to hear of his passing. Mick was a strong rider and an aggressive competitor, aided by his formidable appearance and legendary tattoos.
One morning I was wheeling my bike around the basement of a Civic building looking for the right place to chain it up. Out of the dim recesses emerged this small, aggressive figure in dark clothing, heavily tattooed, demanding to know what I thought I was doing. Fortunately, Mick recognised me and after he explained he was the janitor I could relax and breathe again. I don't think anyone else dared park their bike in that vicinity.
Vale Mick, always a good man to have on 'your' side.
Bill Frost.
Jeff - Thanks for the great obituary and tribute to ‘Tattoo’ Mick. He was a great club member and competitor. For me, he did project a bit of a scary-man image on first sight, but he was a big softie at heart. He could always be relied on to do his turn on the front of the C-grade bunch and always thanked those who did likewise. I can remember him helping me with a push when I was losing the last wheel in the bunch on that long climb on Paddy’s River Road after the Pt. Hut turnoff. But my most endearing memory of him was as the wearer of the original (not reproduction) yellow with black flock lettering ‘Colnago del Tongo’ jersey from the Merckx era . A classic jersey for a classic rider. It would be fitting if he is buried in it as both were strictly limited and rare editions.
Alex O’Shea
This week’s changes to the grades;
Criterium
· Kerry Knowler B
· Georg Pongracz D
· Peter Marshell B
· Mark Langman C
· Anthony Bishop A
· Matt Malone F
· Ian Spencer C
· Lynne McGregor G
Road
· Georg Pongracz D2
· Richard Headly E2
· Peter Marshell B1
· Mark Langman D1
· Anthony Bishop A2
· Matt Malone F1
· Ian Spencer C1
· Lynne McGregor G1