Post date: Jan 09, 2017 8:27:11 PM
Hello Vets,
In the Bleat this week;
• Registration Renewal for 2017
• Update on Mark Gillett
• From the desk of the handicapper
• Vets out and about
• Racing this Week
• Race Reports
Please send me your contributions at: TheBleat@actvets.cc
Ian Morton
Another reminder that 2017 membership renewals are now due. To renew, go to https://memberdesq.sportstg.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=main&OrgID=10244 or follow the prompts via the 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 your first 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
I can confirm that Mark’s health appears to be improving. He has no short term memory but we had an entirely lucid conversation this morning. I think I envy him the fact he can’t remember anything about the race or crash.
He mentioned that he’s going to go buy a better, more stable bike. and a new helmet. He’s getting really annoyed at the hospital conspiracy that’s keeping him in hospital when he is perfectly well enough to go home.
He doesn’t believe his wife’s explanation that he’s being kept in the neurosurgery ward because he may have another bleed from the clot on his brain. He says he has no pain at all so I don't know if he’s being drugged to mask the pain from all the broken bones that remain to be fixed.
The joys of being a cyclist.
David McCook
The following members have come to the attention of the handicapper this week;
- Michael Fawke C to B
- Henry Thomson C to B
- Bruce Griffin F to E
- Gillian Lugg F to D
- Dennis Puniard F to E
Brendan Byatt continues to be one of the club's most successful traveling racers. Brendan was 5th in his age group for the Australian gran fondo nationals held on the weekend at Buninyong.
Please ensure you are registered before commencing racing. If you have renewed your membership in the last 24 hours, please ensure that you have a copy of your registration receipt when signing on.
Where: Stromlo Forest Park
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
E/F/G 5:50 30 min + 2 laps
A/C 6:30 A 45m+2, C 40m+2
B/D 7:20 B 45m+2, D 40m+2
Race Director: Alain Arbaut
Contact: Email: arbaut@grapevine.net.au Ph 0400493148
2 x marshals required for this event, please let Alain know if you can assist.
Please ensure you are registered before commencing racing.
The Program for Wednesday is as follows:
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice;
6.00pm – 6.20pm: 10-lap graded scratch race;
6.20pm – 6.50pm: 200m fly;
6.50pm – 7.10pm: Mystery race;
7.10pm – 7.30pm: Italian pursuit.
Will resume in February.
On a windy and fresh afternoon we had a good turn up for the first Crit 2017.
A grade was the largest bunch to start, this do not last as on the first lap the attacks started, this was fast and furious for few laps until a group of four riders were away and did work very well together, meanwhile the rest of the bunch got fragmented in three groups. The second group was working hard but to no avail the final sprint was won by Ben Morrison closely followed by Nicholas Stewart, Stephen Blackburn and Michael Brice.
C grade saw the return to racing of Michael Fawke and Henry Thomson after few years of absence….they must have done some good training as after few laps Michael putting some pressure at the front and got away followed by Henry, they worked together very well and keep putting time on the bunch which did not get organize for the chase and end up fighting for third. At some stage during the race A grade lapped C grade and some C riders decided to jump at the end of A bunch.. This is not permitted, one rider did stay with A to the end (maybe He should not be C?) And got disqualified! This is frustrating for everyone, the riders and the marshals.
B grade was a fast affair, Douglas Torrance got away on the first lap the bunch happy to leave him there…at a short distance, few laps later Doug, back in the bunch by then went away again…and again , this time he was not alone and they started to work together , the bunch saw the danger and did chase them down . This was repeated few more time, couple riders goes and the bunch close down the attack… no slacking off in B grade.
At two laps to go the pace picked up greatly on bell lap the bunch got blow apart , Jason Parkes won the sprint very easily…too easy?? (How can you stop pedalling with 15 metres to go and still win?) Dave Mullens came second holding off a fast finishing Al Bontjer.
D grade had a good number of riders, there were few surges but got closed very quickly by a fast bunch where we saw Don Desmet doing a lot of work at the front.
The bunch did stay together until two laps to go when some pressure at the front broke it apart, the sprint was fast and close and Andrew Hislop won it followed by Matt Dyne and Darren Garnon.
E grade with seven riders we expected a dull race but is was not going to be, Des Brown put on a great display of cycling as he kept attacking, at some stage he had good gap but by then the bunch was chasing hard. With few minutes to go Graham Wilson went away followed by none less that Des and latter Alex Sommariva did bridge the gap. Des did a lot of work at the front of the group and tried to get away again but to no avail, Graham Wilson was finishing fast to win the sprint but Alex put in an impressive turn of speed in the last 50 metres to claim the first place followed closely by Graham and Des came third.
F grade was a steady race with few surges but the bunch stayed together to the end, it was a close sprint with Graham Hendrie taking the win followed by Dennis Puniard and a fast finishing Mike Hayes.
G grade with three riders was a good ride for all of them, it was the first Crit for Polly Templeton and it seems Bernie and Bruce were quite happy to let Polly doing all the work at the front; it might have been a bit lonely for Polly? Any way Bernie did show some speed in the last 50 metres to claim the sprint by a ¼ of a wheel followed by Polly and Bruce came third.
I would like to thanks Philip Anderson for his help on the line regardless of the cold weather which did made us shivering and to Polly Templeton who
came to see us for some tips …how to race a Crit ?… and ended up doing the chute, and of course Graham Hendrie for his help to set up the registration.
Cheers
Alain Arbaut
Session 11 for the track racing season provided good conditions for racing. The evening was warm with a stiff headwind in the back straight. Attendance was nineteen riders with a big roll up in A grade.
The 10-lap A grade scratch race started at a solid pace. The pack held together for six laps before Michael Langdon ventured off the front. Ben Robey initially went with Michael, then decided it might be more comfortable in the pack. The bunch wisely left Michael hanging off the front and slowly closed the gap. Michael was caught a few laps from the finish. However, his enterprise was undiminished. As the bell lap approached, Michael took off with Paul Connor and Alec Millett hot on his heels. Paul Managed to come round in the final sprint, so the finish order was Paul Connor, Michael Langdon and Alec Millett. Peta Brill and John Paul De Sousa rode well to pick up fourth and fifth places respectively.
In B grade, the bunch held together for six laps at a good pace. Paul Robey dropped of at this point, followed, a lap later, by Graeme O’Neill. The remaining bunch cranked up the pace and held together for the final laps. The bell lap was torrid, with a final sprint taken by Steve Hirsler, Tony Beasley and Phil Anderson, in that order.
The second event of the evening was a 2-lap handicap race. The A grade race was hotly contested. However, Peta Brill sensed that she had a good handicap and made the most of it by streaming out of the pack to gain and hold an unbeatable lead. Alec Millett and John Paul De Sousa rode well from the back half of the pack to take second and third places. The limit markers, Michael Langdon and Paul Connor struggled to catch the pack and had to settle for mid-field finishes.
In B grade, Paul Robey surprised the field with better than expected form. Paul made the most of a good handicap and led throughout the race. Phil Anderson, Steve Hirsler and Dougal Torrence overcame the second rider in the final turn and took second to fourth places respectively.
The third event of the evening was a 12-lap snowball points race. There were three sprints for points with the points allocated for each sprint increasing as the race progressed. In A grade, Martin Graham decided to capture early points and streamed from the pack on lap 3. Martin took the first sprint and held a good lead for several further laps. However, with Michael Langdon, Alec Millett and Paul Connor driving the pack towards the second sprint, Martin was out of luck. The lead trio finished the second sprint in that order. The pack was loosely bunched for the final laps. It consolidated as riders jockeyed for a good position into the bell lap. The final sprint was hotly contested, with Michael Langdon holding of Paul Connor and Alec Millett in that order. The final points were Michael Langdon (9), Alec Millett (8), Paul Connor (7) and Martin Graham (3).
In B grade, Steve Hirsler bounded out to take the first sprint from Tony Beasley and Phil Anderson. As the race progressed, Tony Beasley and Ross Scutts dominated the remaining sprints. The final points were Tony Beasley (10), Ross Scutts & Steve Hirsler (8 each), Dougal Torrance (3).
The final event was an all-in Italian Pursuit. There were seven pursuit riders on each team. The pursuit was, as usual, an extremely close contest. Team 1 got off to a good start and gained a few metres initially. However, the gap soon closed with both teams being near equal as the laps ticked off. In the end, it came down to a contest between the anchor riders Alec Millett and Paul Connor. Alec dug deep on the final lap and managed to find a burst of energy from somewhere. Paul could not match this form and had to concede the win to Team 2. It was a great contest by both teams.
Major place getters were as follows:
10-Lap Scratch: (A Grade): Paul Connor, Michael Langdon, Alec Millett (B Grade) Steve Hirsler, Tony Beasley, Phil Anderson.
2-Lap Handicap: (A Grade): Peta Brill, Alec Millett, John Paul De Sousa (B Grade) Paul Robey, Phil Anderson, Steve Hirsler.
12-Lap Showball: (A Grade): Michael Langdon (9), Alec Millett (8), Paul Connor (7) (B Grade) Tony Beasley (10), Ross Scutts & Steve Hirsler (8), Dougal Torrance (3)
Combined Italian Pursuit: Winner Team 2 (Alec Millett, Martin Graham, Dominic Rideaux, John Paul De Sousa, Ed Garnett, Ross Scutts, Phil Anderson).
Current Points Score Leaders: Michael Langdon (171), Steve Jones (166), Phil Anderson (159), Ross Scutts (158), Alec Millett (151), Steve Hirsler (115), Kerry Knowler (110), Ben Robey & Tony Beasley (107).
Graeme O'Neill