Post date: Nov 17, 2014 9:5:11 PM
Hello Vets,
In this week's Bleat;
• Message from the President
• Next Traffic Controller Course
• Fund Raising BBQ at the Crits
• Registration for 2015 is now open
• Handicapping
• Interstate Events
• Racing this Week
• Race Reports
Please send me your contributions at: TheBleat@actvets.cc
Ian Morton.
If you are having difficulties with the IMG registration, please follow the instructions on the IMG website and if that cannot solve your problem then contact the club at membership@actvets.cc
After attempting to follow, from overseas and parts north, the very hectic goings on of our club during the last three months it has been good to get back home and see the fruits of lots of hard work coming together and our members enjoying some great racing, specifically:
Racing at Stromlo Forest Park on Tuesday evening now seems like the summer race of choice for our members. We are seeing big fields, close and exciting racing across all grades, with a great atmosphere and rider camaraderie. The handicapper has been busy 'rewarding' consistent winners with upgrades, while also being also kind with the odd downgrade - to keep things fair. Make sure you don't miss the Christmas Wheel Race on 16 December, the last criterium race for 2014.
The winter road season finished with some difficulty owing to new traffic controller and road signage requirements being mandated in the ACT. We also had a run of poor weather. We thank our members for their patience and forbearance during this period. We are also grateful to our members who spent a day of their lives to become accredited traffic controllers (ATC) and their ongoing support in providing this important service instead of the prohibitively expensive alternative of contracting professional ATCs to do this. The club is also very grateful to both the Canberra Cycling and Vikings clubs for offering us their compliant signage while we have our own new signs produced.
After a sensible hiatus in October, the road racing season is back . . . or would have been had the weather been kinder this Sunday morning. We did have eight officials out at Uriaria, but with only five hardy riders registered at 8.45 am and the rain coming down hard we all called it a day. The message in this is:- if it's scheduled, it will go ahead, provided a 'quorum' of members turn up to race. The club will only cancel if conditions are so poor it would be dangerous to race (ie high winds, lightening and blinding rain) - so vote with your feet (or rather pedals) and get in some great road racing. All it needs is YOU! We would like to see more members challenging themselves and each other on our fantastic road courses in and around the ACT - have a look at this week's handicap at Old Federal Hwy, for instance.
The track season is successfully underway at the new and improved velodrome at Narrabundah following track practice sessions. Graeme O'Neill has the track program running like clock work with a warmup/induction session at 5.30pm Wednesdays followed by a mix of graded and handicap races with all abilities being catered for in a very friendly and supportive atmosphere. Its also great to see the different track machines going round ranging from vintage 'steelies' to carbon fibre wonders. Numbers are also building with each week as more and more members discover the joys of track racing on a proper velodrome. 'Do yourself a favour' and go out and have a look one Wednesday afternoon, but be warned - you could be hooked - I think I have been.
Our 2015 program is being finalised and will be out shortly. It looks like the ACT Vets will once again be offering club members Canberra's most complete and comprehensive bicycle racing program with up to three races each week (criterium, road and track) in the warmer months and a weekly (road, criterium or time trial) race in the winter months. The 2015 program will formalise this year's October road racing hiatus - to better get the Crit. and Track programs under way. We will also have a recess in January and better recognise and avoid clashing with other major cycling events such as the NRS, Tour de Femme, Fitzes etc - as we have done in recent years.
There will be some new courses and race formats, too and we will also look to have a criterium race each month during winter, whether at SFP or Dairy Flat - stay tuned.
I welcome members support, feedback and suggestions - whether positive or negative. Simply drop me a line at president@actvets.cc and I will promise to get back to you.
I would personally like to give great feedback to our hard working committee and officials, particularly: our secretary Phil Coulton for his patient and persistent work in equipping us to meet the new ACT Government's requirements, effectively negotiating with and building goodwill with NSW shires and just quietly getting on with the job; to Rob Langridge and his race committee for doing the hard yards of planning and organising races, co-opting marshals and keeping things fair in the handicapping department; and to our very valuable officials like Barb Bayliss, Graham Hendrie, Ian Morton, without whose reliable service, week in and week out, the club would cease to function. Finally to our valuable members who have stepped up to marshal and help out at races - with the biggest contributor being club stalwart, Henry Beverstock. You are all what makes the ACT Vets Club the club it is. Long may it continue.
Regards
Alex O'Shea
President
As a result of the popular demand placed on the training so far, there will be one other training day scheduled for Saturday 22 November. This is an additional day supplied by Roads ACT. For ease of administration, Capital Cycling will take on the registration process for this training.
The training day will be;
DATE: Saturday 22 November
TIME: 9:00am – 4:00pm
LOCATION: Macarthur House, 12 Wattle St, Lyneham
Registrants are asked to provide the necessary details at the following registration platform: https://eventdesq.imgstg.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=main&EventDesqID=8523&OrgID=4426
Please ensure that all details are completed. If the registrants are available to undertake the training on 22 November, please ensure that this date is nominated in the registration process. Could you also please contact Ben DavisBen.Davis@Teradata.com and let him know you have registered.
If you have any questions, please contact John Armstrong on 02 6248 7995.
Some club members will be riding the Hartley Lifecare Challenge from Canberra to Mt Kosciusko and back in late November.
For the next four weeks they will be running a BBQ at the crits to raise some much needed funds for this wonderful cause that helps people living with disability in our community.
So after you have done the hardwork in your race, we encourage you to stick around and buy something to eat and drink.
The Registration system on IMG is open for next year's subscriptions. Simply go to the IMG site. Logon with the username and password that you used to register last year. The annual subscription for 2015 remains unchanged.
Note that if you are not currently a member, you can register now and get the remainder of this year and all of 2015 for the one fee.
Only one change this week;
• Liz Lowe E -> D
And a reminder that riders are not to downgrade themselves without approval from the Handicapper.
• Tour of Two Rivers, Sunday 23rd November
more information at http://riverinainterclubracing.com/ttr/stages/stage-3-forrest-hill/
• Classic Adelaide Masters Cycling Series during the Tour Down Under week 17-25th Jan 2015.
Registrations are now open at http://www.samc.org.au/
• 2015 Riverina Rush Cycling Classic - Narrandera
- 28 Feb - Twilight Criterium
- 1 Mar - Road Cycle Classic
for more information contact Gerry Daly
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 - 33min + 2 laps; C/D Grade@ 6:46 - 26min + 2 laps; E/F Grade@ 7:10 - 22min + 2 laps
Race Director: Steve Dean
Contact: Email: steve.dean2004@gmail.com Ph 0413 749 652
The nominated marshals for this event are;
• David Gunther
• Jan Koehler
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.
The Program for Wed 19 November is as follows:
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice;
6.00pm – 6.20pm: 12-lap scratch race;
6.20pm – 7.10pm: Timed 200 metre Fly;
6.10pm – 7.20pm: 4-Lap Handicap race;
7.20pm – 7.40pm: 6-Lap scratch (All in with B Grade early start).
Where: Gravel Pit, intersection Federal Highway and Shingle Hill Way.
When: 9:00 am
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description: Start, Shingle Hill Way, back to Intersection, Lake George x 2
Race Director: Phill Coulton
Contact: Email Phillcou@bigpond.net.au Ph 0417 299 149
The nominated marshals for this event are;
• Ben Davis
• Mark Langman
• Frank O'Sullivan
• Bob Miller
Phill will also need Lead and Trail car drivers. Please let Phill know if you assist.
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.
This year, the End of Year presentation BBQ will be held on Tuesday 9th December and the traditional Christmas Wheel Race will be the 16th December.
The track session on Wednesday 12 November brought perfect weather and a good roll up of 24 riders. Club president Alex O’Shea dropped in for a look and expressed some interest in having a go at this exciting form of racing.
A and B grade scratch races were each ten laps. In both races there were finish sprints from the bunch. A grade was particularly close with Ben Davis emerging in the final metres to take a fine win. Brad Sellwood dominated the B Grade and won comfortably.
The four lap scratch races took a little organising logistically, but went well once underway. Not even the handicapper can predict the form in these races. The lotteries went to Gary Waldron in A grade and Craig Kentwell in B grade, both fine performances.
Win-and-Out races provided the next entertainment. Wins were taken by Michael Langdon in A grade and Brad Sellwood in B grade. A special mention should go to Cameron Ermet and John Barlow on a track tandem. They managed to gap the field for the third and fourth sprints. Their commendable initiative went unrewarded. They were chased down by a single rider in both sprints.
The track session concluded with an all in scratch race of six laps. Jim Davey had the endurance for this one and took a win from Chris Thompson.
Major place getters were as follows:
10 Lap Scratch: (A Grade) Ben Davis, Michael Langdon, Jim Davey; (B Grade) Brad Sellwood, Craig Kentwell, Glen Heward.
4-Lap Handicap Race: (A Grade) Gary Waldron, Ben Davis, Allan Bontjer; (B Grade) Craig Kentwell, Glen Heward, Brad Sellwood.
Win-and-Out: Michael Langdon, Allan Bontjer, Chris Thompson; (B Grade) Brad Sellwood, Craig Kentwell, Bruce Griffin.
8 Lap Scratch: (All grades) Jim Davey, Chris Thompson, Ben Davis.
Graded scratch races were scheduled for Uriarra but these were cancelled at the start time (9.00am). reasons for the cancellation were;
. only 5 riders registered for all grades
. heavy rain between 8.45 and 9 am with no real sign of relief
. hazardous conditions for motorists increasing risk to cyclists
. forecasts of wind gusts 30-50 km/hr
. unpleasant conditions for marshals and officials
Some of the five cyclists that were willing to ride had cycled out to the event and home again so it was with great reluctance that the race was cancelled. Thank to the marshals and traffic controllers (who outnumbered the cyclists). The people that we had recorded are Henry Beaverstock, Ben Robey, James Meredith, Andrew McKechnie, Simon Milnes and Graham Hendrie. There may have been a couple more volunteers so if I haven't noted your name please contact me to enable me to correct any omission. (paul.robey3@gmail.com) or 62913913.
Thanks also to the the Vikings Cycle Club and Jeremy Smith for the loan of 20+ road signs needed to meet the new traffic control requirements. The ACT VCC signs were still being made and therefore unavailable for the race on Sunday.
Paul Robey (Race Director)
After a dearth of rain and Sunday road races, we thought an event at Uriarra Homestead would be a simple task given that TAMS had approved the race and we had a set of signs thanks to the Vikings. (We had a contingency should the club's signs not be completed on time--and they weren't!) But this time it was the weather that spoilt things. By 8:30 a crowd of marshals and few riders were gathered by the van at the homestead. With the arrival of the true hard nuts by bike, Nick Boylan, Mark Taylor and James Jordan, the decision to race was made and I got back in the car for the traditional 'in-car' warm-up. This involves staying dry until the race starts and hoping the rain eases off after that. Instead, the heavens opened and by 8:50 the race was cancelled owing to poor visibility. The hard nuts couldn't get any wetter so they shunned lifts and pedalled back up Canberra. Frustratingly, by the time I was driving past Casuarina Sands the rain was easing, and conditions would have been conducive to racing. There's an Old Fed handicap on next Sunday, surely this will won't be washed out. Thanks to Paul Robey and the faithful marshals who came irrespective of the weather.
Rob Langridge