4.3 April 23 Bleat

Post date: Apr 23, 2012 11:51:29 AM

Hello Vets, welcome to another issue of The Bleat. In this week’s issue;

· Racing this Week – Uriarra Homestead.

· Dalton – Race Director’s report

· In this week’s Member Profile we look at Angie Wren.

Please send me your contributions at: TheBleat@actvets.cc

Ian Morton.

RACING THIS WEEK:

Saturday, 28^th April: Uriarra Homestead Graded Scratch

Where: Uriarra Homestead

Time: 1:30 pm

Sign-on: At least 15 minutes before scheduled race time. Numbers must be worn on the bottom left of your jersey.

Race Description: Uriarra Homestead - Blue Range Spur - Crossing - Blue Range Spur - Crossing - Finish.

Race Director: Mick Donaldson

Contact:; Email: mdonaldson@netspeed.com.au Ph 62418294

Help Needed on Saturday: We will require road marshals and at least two others to help at the start/finish. Please advise if you can help.

New Rules

To meet new AVCC rules, the club will be required to meet the following conditions for racing;

· Helmets – All members must wear helmets that meet Australian Standards. Competitors must present their helmet for inspection prior to the race to confirm it has an Australian Standards approval label (shown below) and is in good condition.

· Bikes – Bikes must be roadworthy. Bikes will be checked for independent front and rear brakes and fitted with handlebar plugs.

· Racing Jerseys must cover upper arms and shoulders.

Dalton Race Report

The day got off to a bad start. Designated Race Referee, Rob Diamond was on a training ride that morning and was involved in an accident and ended up in hospital. I don’t have any reports on his condition. James Meredith stepped up to fill the Race Referee position.

There were 72 starters lined up for the race on a day that was probably the best conditions ever at Dalton. The NSW RTA's paint job with new double lines on the road meant that we had to shorten the course by a couple of kilometres so timings on previous outings will be a bit different. Thanks to turn marshals Reinhardt Mauch and Ian Shaw on the radios and Michael Fawke with text messages ensured that the comings and goings of the grades were known at the finish line. Steve Schwenke and Wayne Gregson in the lead and trail cars helped ensure everyone's safe passage over the track.

Special thanks to Aurelio “Leo” Biurra who turned out to help marshal. This was his first time back at the club since his crash last year. Good to see you again Leo.

Thanks also to Henry Beaverstock for help organising and finish line duties.

As can be seen in the finish times, most grades had close finishes.

Observations from the start/finish line indicated that there was plenty of competition in each of the grades and there were some good sprint finishes up the devilish little incline.

The "referee" would like to thank all riders for riding safely and helping to make the event a resounding success by not having accidents.

Thanks to James for stepping in a short notice to run the race.

Full race results on the RMS: http://rms.actvets.cc/

ACT Veterans Member Profile

In our next member profile we look at we look at Angie Wren;

How long have you been a member of ACT Vets?

I joined in December 2009 when one of my sisters and I thought we would take our cycling-for-fitness one step further and dabble in some racing. I had ridden in a few crits with the Vikings club a couple of years earlier, but found the larger mixed-gender Vets crits more fun from the outset.

What is your favourite course in the ACT Vets racing calendar and why?

I like the terrain of the Dogtrap Rd course at Murrumbateman - it has a little bit of everything in it. Gunning is nice too as the traffic doesn’t feel so threatening (less 4-wheel drives carrying motor bikes). I also like any race where we have vehicle support – safety always comes first in my mind.

What Grade did you start in with the Vets?

I started with F grade. Similar to the experiences of others, my first road race was laughable; being dropped early in the race and spending the rest of the race wondering what the hell just happened and why on earth am I doing this. But I easily came back for more, mainly because the club made things feel so inviting.

I moved up to E grade in the middle of last year along with a handful of other F graders. It was a good way to move up as it was less intimidating to start in a new grade when you know that you can at least match the strength of a couple of other riders you have been racing against for a while.

How long have you been cycling?

I rode a lot as a kid as it was a wonderful source of freedom. I then took up running to keep fit as an adult. But due to constant knee pain, one day in 1999 I pulled out my husband’s old rusty bike from the shed and took it for a whirl. I instantly remembered why I had loved cycling so much as a child and took up where I left off.

What got you interested in cycling?

Soon realising that my husband’s bike was a bit of a clunker, in early 2000 I bought a good quality aluminium racing bike. I was lucky to have a great sales assistant in one of the local bike shops that spent a lot of time teaching me the fundamentals of what to do with my new purchase from how to change gears, to how to clip in, to what cadence I should use to stop my knees from hurting, to how to change a tyre. The most valuable thing he told me, however, was that there was a good club I should join - Females in Training (FIT). Again, I was on a dramatic learning curve when I joined FIT but it was a wonderful experience to be riding with up to 30 women some mornings.

I then spent the following 10 years building my family through adoption, studying and living overseas. So I came and went from cycling a number of times. Finally by the time the youngest child was 5, and I actually started getting some proper sleep, I got serious about cycling again and now it’s a permanent fixture in my life that I can’t imagine ever giving up.

What was your most memorable ride?

The ACE250 in January this year. The day was hot and the terrain was hilly testing the mind and body in many ways, but at no point did I think I wouldn’t make the distance. That was thanks to all the encouragement and memorable training rides I had with my fellow Vets in the months leading up to the big day.

What is/was your favourite bike?

The one I have at the moment – my SCOTT ADDICT R1. It’s a beautiful piece of fine machinery at the same time as being a work horse that I use it for all forms of riding – training, racing, long distance events. It’s taken me a long time to get the fit just right so I feel like it’s a part of me now.

Where do you work?

First and foremost I am a very busy mother of three wonderful children and secondly I work for DFAT.

How do you find the time to train?

I have a terrific husband that supports my cycling 100%. Without him I couldn’t do the endurance training or go to races on the weekend. On weekdays I do most of my training in the very early mornings so I can be back in the house in time to get the family sorted for school and work. Needless to say, I’m pretty unsociable at night time.

Do you have a special training regime?

Yes – most definitely. Unfortunately I am not one of those gifted cyclists that can “just ride” and still perform well at each race. I have to be more strategic to see any kind of real improvement. Also, I like to follow a program written by someone with more experience than me as it means one less thing to think about in my busy days – it’s a no-brainer, I just get up and do what the program says.

What does your family think of your cycling?

My family is fantastic. They all realise how much I love cycling and how important it is for my physical and emotional well-being. My husband keeps my bike in tip top condition and always encourages me to take on new challenges with my cycling. My son always cheers the loudest at races when the family comes to watch. My daughters are currently completing a novice cycling course with CCC and have become hooked themselves. So, there’s no going back now!!

An interesting fact about yourself;

My passion for cycling is what makes me interesting to my friends and work colleagues (not to my family – because fortunately my sisters are just as addicted). In the general community it appears to be highly unusual for a ‘mature’ woman like myself to commit so much time to cycling. Lucky I have the fit, fast and fabulous women in the Vets club (you know who you are!) to make me feel normal.

Race Referees

The other change required by the AVCC is that all future racing must be conducted by club registered Race Referees. The race committee is asking for volunteers to take on the role. The Referee should be knowledgeable in the rules of the AVCC, and the club, and be willing to enforce those rules to the benefit of the club and its members.

These members will be put on a rotating roster to undertake their duties throughout the year, with consideration given to obligations. Each referee will receive their membership for the year that they are roster at the clubs expense.

As everyone has already joined for this year we will wave all future race fees for the rest of the year for all this years rostered referees in lieu. The need for volunteers is a matter of urgency and we must be able to meet this requirement before the start of the winter season when the new policy will take effect.

The important question to be asked is what happens if we don’t get the minimum number of referees. The race committee will be forced to reassess the calendar and reduce the number of races.

If you are prepared to take on this role, please contact James at handicapper@actvets.cc