Post date: Feb 11, 2014 5:11:35 AM
Hello Vets,
A big issue of the Bleat this week;
· Annual General Meeting
· Caution when Cycling the Cotter Uriarra Loop
· Masterclass Sessions
· Marshal Roster
· Marshal Swap Request
· From the desk of the Handicapper
· National petition for improved cycling safety
· Racing this Week
· Race Report
Please send me your contributions at: TheBleat@actvets.cc
Ian Morton.
PO Box 870 Civic Square ACT 2608
Members are advised that the Annual General Meeting
of the ACT Veterans Cycling Club will be held on :
Monday 3 March 2014
The Weston Club
1 Liardet St Weston
Commencing at 7:30 pm
Items of Business should be advised to the Secretary 14 Days prior to the meeting to be considered at the meeting;
Apologies also to the Secretary
To be delivered to the Secretary or the Club Mail Box 7 days prior to the AGM, or e-mailed tophillcou@bigpond.net.au
A number of committee positions will be coming vacant this year and we are looking for members who would be willing to fill these positions.
The club cannot continue to function without an effective committee so please consider making a contribution to the smooth running of the club.
Refer to nominations form on web: http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=YWN0dmV0cy5jY3x3d3d8Z3g6MTI4MDg0MTU5MDA0YTEzMw
and please forward to the Secretary, Phill Coulton: phillcou@bigpond.net.au
Take care riding on the Cotter Uriarra Loop. A silver ford falcon, ACT plate, has been reported as being involved in multiple incidents of road rage/intimidation of cyclists. In one incident, the vehicle allegedly swerved into a group of five riders, causing them to crash and then fled the scene. The vehicle has also allegedly been involved in incidents of intimidation towards cyclists on Northbourne Ave and in Turner and Lyneham. The vehicle is often towing a box trailer with a cage fitted.
The police continue to investigate but no charges have been issued to date.
We understand that the vehicle’s owner is aware of police attention in relation to the incidents under investigation, and this seems to have escalated his behavior. The vehicle tends to approach from behind, with long loud horn blasts, coupled with verbal abuse once closer to cyclists, and swerves into groups trying to force them off the road.
If you are approached by this vehicle, safety is your first priority. Get off the road, stay together with other cyclists, do not be aggressive towards this driver.
Once safe, try to get the vehicle registration number and a description of the driver to support reporting the incident. Camera images/footage of the vehicle and/or driver will provide strong evidence in support of any incident report but be aware that obvious filming may provoke the driver.
To report an incident, call your nearest police station and ask for a traffic officer. Ask to make a statement, and get as many other witnesses to provide statements as possible, as well as photos/video of the incident if available.
If anyone is injured, call an ambulance and the police on 000 to attend the scene immediately.
February will see two masterclass sessions, both held on Sunday 23rd. The first will cover Handicap Racing, while the second will focus on Sprinting.
Session information
These masterclass sessions will be slightly shorter than usual, each running at 1.5hrs rather then the normal 2hrs. The first session (Handicap Racing) will start at 9am, while the sprinting one will commence at 10:45am.
With February marking the start of the handicap racing season this session is perfect for anyone looking to hit up their first handicap race or for more seasoned racers looking for that edge to get them into contention for a better result. There will be a small section on sprinting in the handicap session but for anyone serious about improving their sprinting the second session is the one for you.
When: Sunday 23rd February 2014.
Time: 9:00am for the Handicap racing session and 10:45am for the Sprinting session.
Location: Stromlo Forest Park Criterium Circuit
These sessions are open to all CA affiliated club members and Australian Vets Cycling club members. Junior riders with skills at the U15 and above are welcome.
Each session will run for 1.5 hours and cost $20 per rider. A discount is available for riders who want to participate in both sessions with the total cost being $30 per rider (i.e. 2 x $15).
To register for or obtain full details on the Handicap Racing Masterclass session please visits the Handicap Racing Masterclass page of the website
To register for or obtain full details on the Sprinting Masterclass session or to view more information please visits the Sprinting Masterclass page of the website
As you are aware the club operates with a reliance on its members to contribute to the running of the various races. As such it is expected that each member should attend at least two races a year and assist by acting as a marshal. These duties are not particularly onerous and normally consist of manning a turn point or assisting at the start finish.
Unfortunately not all members have met this commitment in the past couple of years and it keeps falling on the same small number to provide assistance.
As such the Race Committee has decided to instigate a roster of members and assign them a race. Marshals assigned to the further NSW regional races can still request a payment to cover fuel costs if they undertake lead and follow car duties.
This roster will be found on the website under the Referees & Marshals Tab.
If you unable to make the date that you have been rostered the obligation is on you to find a replacement. It is recommended that you look at the roster and make your plans accordingly.
Should you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.
James Jordan
Vice President
I am unable to meet my designated marshalling duty (my wife is due to give birth the day before) on 5th April 2014.
I wish to swap for a duty well before that date, preferably in Feb or early March. Anyone wishing to swap or who can please help me out my mobile is 0412 251 579.
Thanks, Duane Toohey.
The good news is, the handicapper is on holidays.
The bad news is, he sent through another batch of upgrades before he left;
Please confirm in the RMS.
Launched at the 2014 Cycling Australia Road National Championships by Richie Porte and sponsored by Cycling Tasmania, the petition is calling upon the Australian Government to amend the Australian Road Rules to require that:
· drivers allow a minimum of one metre when overtaking bicycle riders in speed zones up to 60km/hr
· drivers allow a minimum of 1.5 metres when overtaking bicycle riders in speed zones over 60km/hr
Every signature counts. Make yours count for improved safety for bike riders.
Richie Porte: “The current laws in Australia offer inadequate protection to bicycle riders on the road, this has to change. We all know that space matters - a metre matters – when passing bike riders. This campaign is understood nationally, it’s time to make it law.”
Richie’s pledge: “I’m prepared to put my name to this, on behalf of the millions of Aussies who deserve to ride their bikes in a safer environment, whether for work, sport or play. This is an action that everyone can take. Signing the petition is your way of leading the charge for a safer cycling environment.”
How you can make your signature count
To fulfil the House of Representatives ‘petition requirements’, please follow these simple guidelines.
1. Download the petition from here
2. Print petition
3. On one line, write your name clearly and sign your name in the boxes (your address is optional)
4. Post by: 30 April 2014
5. Post to: Andrew Nikolic MP, Federal Member for Bass, 100 St John Street, Launceston, Tas 7250
Notes:
· You must be an Australian Citizen
· You can be any age
· The petition form doesn’t have to be filled before posting, e.g. one name and signature can be on a single petition form
· Do not sign a blank piece of paper, or sign on the back of the petition form
· Online, emailed or scanned petitions will not be accepted
More signatures count
Thanks for taking action today! Encourage all your friends, family and colleagues to take action too, it’s easy:
Want to know more?
If you would like to know more about the Amy Gillett Foundation's ‘a metre matters’ campaign and advocacy for minimum overtaking distance legislation, check out our website www.amygillett.org.au.
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; A/B Grade@ 6:07 - 36min + 2 laps; C/D Grade@ 6:49 - 29min + 2 laps; E/F Grade@ 7:26 - 24min + 2 laps
Race Director: Christophe Barberet
Contact: Email: barberetchristophe@gmail.com Ph 0402 688 452
Assigned Marshals
The nominated marshals for this event are;
· Janet FACEY
· Kevin WELLS
Please confirm with the Race Director that you are available. If you unable to make the date that you have been rostered please find a replacement.
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: Lookout Hill, Tidbinbilla Road.
When: 4:00pm
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
Lookout/Apollo 6 Lookout/Apollo map Course 6 Start, C, A, C, A, Finish (Lookout, Tharwa, Pt Hut , Tharwa, Pt Hut, Lookout).
Race Director: Bob Miller
Contact: Email photo@bobmiller.com.au Ph 0411 271 656
Assigned Marshals
The nominated marshals for this event are;
· Lindsay GRAHAM
· Trevor RIX
· Jeff IRVING
· David JEPPESEN
· Ian PRESTON
Please confirm with the Race Director that you are available. If you unable to make the date that you have been rostered please find a replacement.
On Tuesday 111 riders turned out to race in very difficult conditions – there was a 30 km/h wind and it was overcast and quite cool. In addition riders had to contend with wayward ducks seemingly desperate to get to the Grandstand grass and numerous kangaroos bounding across the track at both ends. Only F and G grades had less than 10 competitors with the other grades fielding around 20 riders. A new rider, Luke McGowan, was welcomed to the club.
As a result of a fierce headwind, riders were dropped early in every grade and 9 riders did not finish their race. One rider in the A/B race was heard to suggest after 17 minutes of their 40 minute race that it was hard to believe that they had been riding for only 17 minutes – it felt like a lot more obviously. Fortunately, despite all the challenges, the services of our first aid officer, were not required.
As usual G grade kicked off the evening’s events and after only 3 laps Stjepan Hisrler and Paul Robey broke out of the bunch of 5. One lap later and it was Paul Robey alone facing the elements. The effort took its toll with the bunch catching and dropping him in the next lap. Susan Belton employed some clever tactics and conserved her energy for the sprint from ‘collarbone’ and was strong enough to hold out Bruce Jones and Leon Horsnell.
C and D grades were next away for 30 minutes +2. In C grade Tim Minihan and Duane Toohey rode strongly. They broke away from the bunch after only 4 laps and stayed away for another 3. With a third of regular time to go Tim surged away again and held on for another 4 laps. In the sprint to the line Paul Morgan won by 65 metres with Duane Toohey and Tim Minihan coming in second and third. D grade rode mostly as a bunch nearly all of the race although 4 riders were dropped after 7 laps. In the end Peter Fisher Wiggins got the cigar from Scott Tozer and Stephen Cusack.
E and F grades were next. With only 6 riders, F Grade wisely rode as a bunch for 10 minutes of their allotted 25 minutes of regular time. With 10 minutes to go Barbara Bayliss, James Meredith and Mike Hayes broke away and held out until just before regular time. At the finish Mike Hayes crossed first, with Barbara Bayliss and Mike Hogan taking second and third.
Last away were A and B grades who raced for 40 minutes (+2) in fading light and many bounding ‘boomers’. In this race the conditions really took a toll with small and larger groups of riders from both grades as well as single riders everywhere you looked around the circuit. At the halfway point, a group of 3 riders in each grade had broken from their bunch. The 3 riders that dominated A grade, Steve Crispin, Matthew Kinch and Paul Scherl, established a break of 100 metres or more only 7 minutes into the race and were strong enough to stay away to the finish. One by one the other riders dropped away except for Bradley Peppinck and Graeme Allbon who battled on to the end. In the final sprint, Matthew Kinch was first home closely followed Steve Crispin and Paul Scherl.
In B grade Peter Prammer, Nick Boylan and Jason Parkes set the early pace but were soon afterwards caught by the pursuing bunch. Peter Prammer broke again with 10 minutes of regular time remaining and stayed away for a couple of laps but in the end Michael Langdon crossed the line first followed by Ben Toyne and Peter Young in third.
Thanks to Jessica Baird and Doug McLean for marshalling and the ever reliable Henry Beaverstock.
Thanks to Ian Shaw who was the Race Director.
You can find season point scores at http://www.actvets.cc/track/tracknews
E grade saw Andrew Welsh taking out the prize with Phil Anderson 2nd and Brendan Cheswick 3rd. E grade was difficult to score in the latter combo sprint with F grade. Also we had one rider veer over the white line with a fast F grade going in the opposite direction. This caused the heart rate of Brad the first aider to reach 220 BPM.
F grade saw the trio of Garry Moffat, Barbara Bayliss and James Meridith battle it out for 123.
C grade was a close call until Ross McPherson broke away to claim the last 4 sprints. Tim Minehan 2nd and Ian Potts 3rd.
D grade showed Rob Quilty as “Mr Consistent” to take the race out, with Ashley Sked and David Gunther battling for 2nd and 3rd.
G grade was the closest race with Leon Horsnell beating Paul Robey by 1 point in the final sprint. Bruce (“I am a bit late”) Jones joined in to make up 3rd place. No tandems turned up for this event
A grade started fast with Paul Scherl making an early break claiming 6 sprints in a row for victory. Mark Vroomans performed some excellent sprinting against Steve Jones to claim 2nd and 3rd respectively.
B grade was dominated by Damien Pollard who has gone from D grade to B grade in two races(and 2 wins) and now looks like he is in A grade soon. Peter Young 2nd and David Dickson 3rd.
Thanks to marshal Travis Hicks, Brad the FA man and others who assisted.
Thanks to Nick Boylan for Race Refereeing