Post date: Nov 09, 2013 1:54:59 AM
Hello Vets,
In this week’s Bleat;
· From desk of the Vice President
· Letter to the Editor
· New Gradings from the Handicapper
· Upcoming Events
· Racing this Week
· Race Reports
Please send me your contributions at: TheBleat@actvets.cc
Ian Morton.
REMINDER: Due to another booking at the Stromlo Forest Park venue, Crit racing this week will be on Monday 11th November.
Criterium Course
We have secured the services of Jason Mahoney of Argonaut Cycle Coaching to provide us with a session on getting the most out of racing at Stromlo and will be covering:
Cornering
Race tactics
Moving through a pack
Sprinting
This course will be invaluable to those who are just starting out but also some of the more experienced hands (just me some of you are not as skilled as you think you are).
Course will be held at Stromlo at 10am on the 23rd of November and will go for 2 hours.
Cost $10.00 (This is a subsidised cost for members of the ACTVETs)
There are 15 places and registrations will be via emailing the vice.president@actvets.cc
Marshalling
With another weekend race coming up we are going to see ourselves in that position again of needing extra marshals.
I would like to remind everyone that we will no longer be calling for volunteers on the line.
Should insufficient marshals not be identified by 6 pm the Friday before the race on the weekend will be CANCELLED!
Having reviewed the marshalling of club members over the last couple of years I am extremely disappointed is a large number of club members who have not marshalled ONCE during this time.
Starting next year all members will be rostered on a quarterly basis starting with those who have not marshalled.
Should these members fail to undertake their duties it is the option of the race committee that they be barred from further racing until they do so.
James Jordan
Vice President
ACTVETS Cycling Club
Dear Editor "The Bleat"
I feel that my reputation may have been impugned by the recent commentary appearing in the Bleat on the Criterium racing last Tuesday evening 29 October.
While I would admit to the odd instance of dyslexia when updating the timing board - let's face it who hasn’t got confused when setting the "four" on the board, or "five" for that matter, and the "two" that's particularly confusing!!
However, I strongly deny any suggestion that I was responsible for the air raid siren on the megaphone, and would suggest that the culprit may well have been the author of the race notes - Hi Steve.
That said, I would recommend all club members putting their hands up to participate as marshals, as it was a thoroughly entertaining night with Steve, Henry, Mike and Terry, a particularly satisfying nite when members took the time to thank you for marshalling, and a great way to get an insight into Criterium racing strategies.
So volunteer early and give it a go.
Dear Editor, if a sincere apology is not published in the next Bleat, next stop Media Watch!!
Dave Clark
[Ed] Sincere apologies if you were falsely accused of causing consternation on the start line with the megaphone and thanks for your efforts in helping out with marshalling.
The new handicapper is keeping up a brisk schedule. Here are his new gradings for this week;
Robert Langridge
· Sat 18th Road Race - Graded at The Range Willunga
· Mon 20th Time Trial - 5 yr age div – Woodchester to Langhorne Creek return
· Wed 22nd Hill Climb – 6 kms - 5 yr age div – bike track Mt Barker Rd Glen Osmond
· Thurs 23rd Criterium – Graded – Victoria Park Criterium track Adelaide city
Registration including an early-bird incentive will be on the www.savca.org.au website soon.
Where: Stromlo Forrest Park
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
G Grade@ 5:45 - 13min + 2 laps; C/D Grade@ 6:07 - 24min + 2 laps; E/F Grade@ 6:39 - 20min + 2 laps; A/B Grade@ 7:07 - 31min + 2 laps
Race Director: Nick Boylan
Contact: Email: paddlepower@grapevine.com.au Ph 0417873032 or 6287 3032
Crit Marshals and Helpers needed
Nick will need a couple of helpers 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: 3 – 4 short events per session with a mixture of scratch, handicap, sprinting and team events;
Where: Gravel Pit, 500m East of Dalton (on Dalton-Gunning Rd)
When: 9:00am
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
Dalton - Gunning - Boorowa Rd ABCD do 2 laps Dalton to Gunning 1st Dalton U Turn at Start area. EFG do 1 lap. Then all head west on Boorowa Rd to end of bitumen (3k) and return to Dalton then north on Rugby Rd to end of bitumen (5k) and return to finish in Dalton.
Race Director: James Meredith
Contact: Email JamesMeredith5@bigpond.com Ph 0427477521 or 61617586
Help Needed on Sunday: James will need 4 turn marshals, lead and trail car drivers and a couple of finish line helpers. Anyone who can assist please let him know before the weekend.
On Tuesday 126 riders turned out to race in conditions that were greatly improved on those experienced in previous weeks – the temperature was comfortable and the wind was less than 10 km/h. The fields were big with only F and G grades fielding 10 competitors or less and the services of Stu, our first aid officer, were not required.
G grade kicked off the evening and it didn’t take long before 6 of the original 8 riders formed a bunch which stayed together until the early in the last lap when Edward Joliffe sprinted away from the bunch. With a quarter of a lap to go he clearly slowed and was able to roll across the line. James Meredith burst out of the remaining bunch of 5 riders in the sprint and was too strong for Bernie Crowe. Edward Joliffe assured Henry that he would be starting in F grade next week.
E and F grades got away next with F grade staying together until the sprint to finish with Gray McLaren outlasting a first timer in Mark Dunstone. Fergus Nelson crossed the line in third. In contrast there were a couple of breakaways in the E grade race. 4 riders, led by Liz Lowe, broke away with 14 minutes of regular time to go and managed to stay away for 5 minutes. Shortly afterwards Jeff Culnane and Andrew Welsh broke from the bunch but were soon caught. In a well contested final sprint Graham Tanton proved too strong for Michael Golding and Terence Merrigan.
Next up were A and B grades who had to ride for 30 minutes before the business end of the race. In A grade there were 5 separate breakaways predominantly by Trevor Rix, David McCook and Mark Harris during the course of the race. The end of the race however saw a bunch sprint in which Ian Downing held off Mark Harris and Sean Ifland. In B grade Mark Langman broke away 20 minutes into the race but that was covered quickly by the bunch. Robert Langridge surged away with 2 laps to go but the bunch caught him soon afterwards. In the sprint Paul Frankcom crossed the line first, one place better than the previous week, closely followed by Mark Langman and Jason Parkes.
Last away on the night were C and D grades. Early on C grade was strung out in a long line but then came together before a bunch of 7 riders broke away at the 12 minute mark. They were caught quickly by the rest of the bunch of 18 riders and remained together until the final 2 laps. The finish was very tight with Bryan Holloway just taking the points from Christopher Simpson and Michael Langdon. In D grade Andrew Tully rode away from the bunch after only 4 minutes. He managed to stay there for 11 minutes but with 2 laps to go the bunch was back together. Tony Henry sprinted out of the pack a half a lap before the finish and rolled over the line comfortably ahead of the rest of the other riders. Terry Danaher and Gareth Millar sprinted strongly to secure second and third, respectively.
Thanks to Michael Reppion and Russell Marston for marshalling and Henry Beaverstock for all his invaluable help.
Thanks to Ian Shaw for being Race Director.
Track results can be found at;
http://www.actvets.cc/track/tracknews