Post date: Dec 12, 2016 8:19:27 PM
Hello Vets,
In the Bleat this week;
• Registration Renewal for 2017
• Racing this Week
• Race Reports
Please send me your contributions at: TheBleat@actvets.cc
Ian Morton
2017 membership renewals are due by 31 December 2016. To renew, go to https://memberdesq.sportstg.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=main&OrgID=10244 or follow the prompts via our website www.actvets.cc. Click on the Login link and enter the username and password from last year. If you have forgotten your login and password , after clicking on ‘login’ - go to the tab at the top right hand side of the screen and click on ‘Username & Password’ - then forward your email address as requested in the box that will appear. SportsTG will then forward you the information.
You need to renew your membership prior to 31 December or prior to your first race in 2017.
It is preferable to renew prior to the end of December if you intend to race in 2017. Before each race, a check has to be done of all those registered to race to ensure they are financial members and covered by insurance. As a courtesy to those committee members who work hard to ensure the club complies with the terms of our insurance cover and also produce the race results, please renew your membership at least 2 days prior to racing. Membership costs are:
A full competitive membership for 2017 is $110
A full competitive membership for a sight impaired tandem cyclist for 2017 is $95
Non competitive membership for 2016 is $5
Please note that membership fees for 2017 have increased in line with a $10 increase in the Australian Veteran Cycling Council’s component of membership fees.
Upon renewal, your 2017 licence will be emailed to you direct from SportsTG. Please print out a copy and it is suggested that you laminate it or place it in plastic for future reference during the year ahead. You will need to show this licence if you enter events run by other Veteran Cycling Clubs or the AVCC.
Please ensure that your personal particulars are always kept up to date, in particular your emergency contact details. For those members with First Aid qualifications please also update the site. It is a member’s responsibility to keep these updated via the SportsTG website.
Kirsti McVay
Membership Secretary
There will be the traditional wheelrace format, annual presentations, plus the club will be providing soft drinks and snacks.
Where: Stromlo Forest Park
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Wheel Race Heats:
E/F/G 5:50 25 m + 2 laps
A/C 6:20 A 30m+2, C 25m+2
E/F 6:50 B 30m+2, D 25m+2
Wheel Race Final:
Top 5 qualifiers in each grade from heats 7:30 - 4 laps
Race Director: Mick Donaldson
Contact: Email: mdonaldson@netspeed.com.au Ph 0418486367
The Program for Wednesday is as follows:
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice;
6.00pm – 6.20pm: 8-lap graded scratch race;
6.20pm – 6.40pm: 6-lap Xmas Wheel race (handicap);
6.40 pm – : Xmas party
Please note: The club will provide free beer, soft drink and a small range of nibbles for the Xmas party. Anyone bringing a plate will be most welcome. Party is open to all club members and partners.
There will be no track racing on 21 or 28 December. Racing will resume on 4 January.
Where: Dairy Rd, Fyshwick
When: 8:00 am (Grade start times to be advised)
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description: Dairy Flat Scratch Race
Note the earlier start time.
Race Director:Nick Boylan
Contact: Email paddlepower@grapevine.com.au Ph: 0406379973
Nick requires 2 volunteers to assist. Please let Nick know if you can help out.
A perfect early summer evening greeted the riders, with clear skies, pleasant temperatures and little wind. A strong field of E graders headed off and we were surprised to see the tandem off the back of the pack from the first corner. We quickly worked out there had been a change of pilot, so obviously not quite the usual driving force of Steve Isbel, and maybe some nerves. They chased well but never quite got back on with the pack setting a fast but steady pace. E grade caught F/G after 12 minutes and showed the other grades how to complete a quick and clean overtake. At the 15 minute mark there was a flurry of attacks but all were quickly closed down. Mark Partridge finally made a break stick and got out to a 200m lead, but the pack decided they were not going to let him have it and chased back. In the end a fast bunch sprint resulted in Kirsty Cummin taking the win from Dale Dummett and Alex Sommariva,
A steady pace was set the whole race with no huge action. After about 10 minutes Bernie and Bruce decided they would have their own G grade race and worked together. We had one new rider, Theresa McLachlan, who had some pre-race instructions from Dougal and sat in nicely the whole race. She then showed that she was not just there for a ride and sprinted for the win. Dennis Punniard and Robert Miller were a close 2nd and 3rd.
Once again it was on for young and old from the get go. This was evidenced by a B grader who decided to ride up a grade so as to get home earlier only to pull out after 4 laps saying "screw that! I’ll race B grade instead". After 5 mins Aaron Thomson and Stephen Isbel had formed a break of two which suited Stephen who has been riding tandem for a few weeks. These two riders worked beautifully and in the blink of an eye they were ½ lap in front of the main peloton, helped by the their teams killing off any real chase. There was even a market on the sidelines for whether they would keep going and lap A grade. This was prevented with a second break of 3 riders forming with 10 minutes to go, getting some speed going again. With 2 laps to go they were home and hosed and started to position for the sprint only for Stephen having to navigate some dawdling C graders. Get off the track as quickly as possible once you finish C grade! On the final lap it was literally a David vs Goliath battle with most thinking the sprinting power of Aaron would prevail. However Stephen positioned Aaron perfectly as a lead out man and sprinted home for a very impressive win ahead of Aaron in 2nd place. Daylight to 3rd which was Ben Carmody.
A fairly tame start compared to A grade however when A passed C grade a few riders from C took it upon themselves to jump onto the back of A and form a break. Reminder that when being overtaken the race is at this stage neutral. You cannot use the power of the passing grade to sneak away and the Race referee will come down on you if you try this trick. After a warning the few breakaway riders got the drift and stayed off the back of A but as predicted such an effort to stay with A grade will usually hurt and those that did join in on the sneaky break quickly found their legs replaced with a set of bricks and were reeled in by the chasing C grade pack. In the end it all came together and was whittled down to just a few riders in a very closely fought sprint with Graham Tanton edging out Radi Kovacevic and Warwick Wilson.
B grade had obviously been watching the successful tactics of A grade with Mark Taylor and Dougal Torrance leaping off the front on lap 1 establishing a 200m lead. Unfortunately for them the advantage of team tactics did not apply and the bunch kept them at a steady gap and then closed them down after 8 minutes. Dougal launched an immediate counter attack with Andrew Murrel and Michael Foulds, but again were closed down after 5 minutes. Things steadied a bit with a few minor attacks but all quickly closed until with 13 minutes to go Al Bontjer (obviously starting to find some form), Jas Parkes, Dougal and Mark Taylor established a four man break. I thought they may have made the winning move but again the strength in the bunch came through and reeled them in after a couple of laps. Nick Boylan tried his usual flyer with 7 minutes to go and was joined by Brendan Savage but the bunch was having none of it. While Dougal wins the award for most attacking ride of the night his efforts were to no avail. The bunch sprint ended up going in a tightly fought win to Ian Mongan followed by Al Bontjer and Brendan Savage.
D grade decided to put a good race on too, with Michael Hanbury launching an early attack. His legs weren’t quite agreeing with the tactic though and he was soon caught. A few laps later a 6 rider group formed and they tried to set up a good working rhythm but the bunch sensed the danger and put the effort in to close them down quickly. With 10 minutes to go the pace was put on and caused some splits with 10 riders getting away. Matt Dyne attempted a solo and established a 50m lead but again the bunched closed it down. At this point it was obvious they were headed to a bunch sprint and with B grade catching we had to neutralise the race for a little while to ensure a safe pass and enough gap that they could then safely sprint. Another good clean bunch sprint resulted in Michael Hannaford coming in for a win, closely followed by Matt Dyne and James Curran.
Thanks to the supporters with Rob our first aider also backing up to assist with results, Dougal Torrance helping out before his race, then Paul Robey coming in to do some first aid training and assist. Ben Davis stood in for me while I raced A grade and then a quick tag team effort let him get out for his B grade race.
Paul Connor
Race Referee
Session 9 for the track racing season provided excellent conditions for racing. The evening was clear, warm to hot, with a slight headwind in the back straight. Attendance was eighteen riders with a big roll up in A grade.
The 8-lap A grade scratch race started at moderate pace. However, the pack held together for just three laps before things became interesting. First to attack was Ed Garnett. Ed’s attack was covered by Alec Millett and Ben Davis. The trio opened a 7 metre gap and splintered the pack for a few laps. However, by lap 5, the pack had consolidated. With 2 laps to go, Ben Robey made a break with Ben Davis in tow. At this stage the bunch was just winding up and soon streamed past the lead pair to set up for the bell lap. Steve Jones took the win from Michael Langdon with an excellent ride by John Paul De Sousa for third place.
In B grade, Sue Powell joined the track group for her first race this season. The 8-lap B grade scratch race settled into a solid pace with no attacks until the penultimate lap. As the bell lap approached the pace cranked up, splintering the group and spitting out two riders. From a torrid final lap, Sue Powell emerged with a victory over Tony Beasley and Phil Anderson in that order.
The second event of the evening was a taxing, 24-lap points race. The race rules permitted lapped riders to participate in sprints and allowed a bonus if any rider could gain a lap on the field. In the event, no rider in A or B grade managed to lap the field.
In the A grade points race there were four sprints. Ed Garnett and Ben Robey ventured out early for the first sprint. However, they were overcome by Alec Millett and Steve Jones with Ben holding on for third place points. As the second sprint approached, Rowan McMurray, Michael Langdon and Kerry Knowler ventured out early. This was a good move as they crossed the line in that order. When further laps ticked by, the stronger riders held front positions and cranked up for the sprint points. The order for the final two sprints was Steve Jones, Michael Langdon, Andrew Peel then Michael Langdon, Steve Jones and Ben Davis. The overall points wash up put Steve Jones and Michael on top points (19). Next places were Kerry Knowler and Ben Davis (6 each) and Alec Millett, Andrew Peel and Ben Robey (5 each).
There were three sprints in the B grade points race. The first two sprints provided an identical result with the order being Sue Powell, Tony Beasley, Phil Anderson, Ross Scutts and Phil Coulton. As the final laps approached, Ross Scutts put in an effective attack. However, Tony Beasley soon followed Ross’s wheel and easily overtook him at the finish. Phil Coulton held on for third in the final sprint. The overall points result saw Tony Beasley (18) take first placing followed by Ross Scutts and Sue Powell (12) then Phil Anderson (10).
The final event was an all-in Italian Pursuit. There were initially eight pursuit riders on each team. However, a miscount required adjustment in the initial laps for Team 2. The pursuit was one of the closest to date. Each team had a good run with riders coordinating well and putting in their best effort. As the laps ticked by, the teams were holding within 1 – 2 metres each lap. For the final lap, anchor riders Steve Jones (Team 2) and Michael Langdon (Team 1) were matched up. Michael had about 1 metre initial advantage. Steve put in a good lap but could not gain at all on Michael. At the finish the margin was around 1.5 metres for Team 1 – a great contest.
Major place getters were as follows:
8-Lap Scratch: (A Grade): Steve Jones, Michael Langdon, John Paul De Sousa (B Grade) Sue Powell, Tony Beasley, Phil Anderson.
24-Lap Points Race: (A Grade): Steve Jones & Michael Langdon (19), Kerry Knowler & Ben Davis (6), Andrew Peel & Ben Robey (5) (B Grade) Tony Beasley (18), Ross Scutts & Sue Powell (12), Phil Anderson (10).
Combined Italian Pursuit: Winner Team 1 (Phil Anderson, Graeme O’Neill, Ross Scutts, John Paul De Sousa, Antony O’Connor, Ben Robey, Andrew Peel, Michael Langdon).
Current Points Score Leaders: Steve Jones (166), Michael Langdon (157), Phil Anderson (136), Ross Scutts (131), Alec Millett (121), Kerry Knowler (110) Graeme O’Neill (90), Ben Robey (89).
Graeme O'Neill
A somewhat overcast morning greeted the riders for Dairy Flat Criterium racing on Sunday morning. Along with many people out running, riding and walking their dogs this was the perfect venue for Sunday morning racing and worth getting out of bed for. The format for the racing was individual points racing with points available every 2nd lap with double sprint points for the final lap.
First up was E, F & G grade. These are the early risers because although the racing started at 8:00am, there were already a few around at 7:15 warming up. The first and eager on the scene was newcomer John Lowe. Welcome to the club John! A first time racer he decided to join the more experienced riders in G grade. After about 1 lap he decided to go it alone and tried chasing down E & F grade who had started earlier. As a result he scooped up all sprint points on offer and was never headed. However not to be outdone Bernie and Bruce put on a good sprint each and every time for the minor points with Bernie edging out Bruce by half a wheel length each time.
F Grade was a two rider head-to-head clash with Lindsay Graham taking on Garry Moffitt. Lindsay took the first sprint with Garry taking the 2nd sprint. This looked to be a good race until disaster struck Garry with a rear flat tyre. This left Lindsay having to ride the remaining 16 minutes at any pace he wanted to secure the F grade win.
In E grade we had 4 riders with Phil Anderson rolling on a pair of beautiful Zipps meaning he was ready for business. Each sprint was tightly contested with James Tonkin taking honors each time just ahead of Phil Anderson. Not to be outdone Rosemary and Lyn kept the men honest and claimed minor sprint placing. 1st- James Tonkin (15 points), 2nd- Phil Anderson (10 points), 3rd- Lyn Vasudeva (3 points).
C & D Grade- You had obviously had some pretty big xmas parties the night before because we got no D graders turn up and only 2 C graders. Either that or Santa needs to get you new alarm clocks this year.
B Grade- The 2 x C graders took the plunge and decided to join the 7 other B graders on the line. Full credit to Ian & Rico as lesser mortals would have been daunted by such a task and went off for a training ride. After the first two sprints things were pretty even. Then Peter Merrick decided to hit accelerate button and attacked. He subsequently took the next 2 sprints out on the front with Rob Langridge and Ian Preston chasing hard. The rest tried the catch but were unsuccessful. After the 4th sprint Peter Merrick then showed some sprinters tactics by joining up with Rob and Ian and forming a 3 man breakaway. In each of the sprints following Peter outfoxed his two amigos in the break to take maximum points. 2nd and 3rd were well rewarded by joining the break. 1st- Peter Merrick (19 points), 2nd- Ian Preston (9 points), 3rd-Robert Langridge (8 points).
A Grade- 5 of the best presented at the line ready for 40 minutes of fun. This was the closest racing all day with each sprint being hard fought by all 5 riders. It was a see-saw points race as Christophe Barberet, Mark Harris & Marc Vroomans all accumulated the 3’s & 2’s. There were some minor attacks throughout the race but nothing was successful. On the final sprint lap we had Marc on 12 points, Christophe on 11 and Mark Harris on 10, the double points were going to be the decider. Coming round past the final tree once again all 5 were battling it out with Mark Harris just edging out Christophe who was flying home just ahead of Marc Vroomans. 1st- Mark Harris (16 points), 2nd- Christophe Barberet (15 points), 3rd-Marc Vroomans (14 points).
Thanks to Marc Vroomans for helping at the finish line in the early part of racing before donning the helmet for his race and Simon the sports medic for ensuring help was on hand in case there was an accident which fortunately didn’t occur.
Ben Davis