z12.3 Dec 15 Bleat

Post date: Dec 14, 2014 9:32:51 PM

Hello Vets,

In this week's Bleat;

• 2015 Registration due by the end of the month

• End of Year BBQ and Presentation

• Tour of Bright result

• Interstate Events

• Racing this Week

• Race Reports

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

Ian Morton

Archived copies of the Bleat

You can find archived copies of the Bleat: here.

Registration due by the end of the month

A reminder that your 2014 Registration will expire at the end of this month and you will not be able to race next year until you have registered for the 2015 season.

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.

If you have forgotten your password, go to top right hand corner and click on username and password. That will enable IMG to send you another password to your email address. To ensure you transfer the numbers and letters correctly it is advised to cut and paste.

Any queries please direct them to membership@actvets.cc and not the contact on the password retrieval page.

End of Year BBQ and Presentation

Firstly, we had pleasure in presenting an award to the Club Member of the year, an annual award to recognise a major contribution to the ACT Vets Cycling Club. This year's award was presented to our club Secretary, Phill Coulton, in recognition of the magnificent work he has done with the ACT Government, the AFP and NSW Shires and NSW Police in securing our continued ability to race on roads in these jurisdictions particularly when their requirements have changed enormously over the year.

Secondly, we made a presentation to Henry Beaverstock, one of the club stalwarts for his contribution as club timekeeper. Henry has barely missed an event, whether a road race or a criterium and has given great guidance to countless race directors in the finer points of running a race.

For the 2013-14 summer season points champions, a competition which aggregates points gained in races, marshalling and race directing, our points champions are:

Women:

1st. Barbara Bayliss

2nd. Linda Stals

3rd. Liz Lowe

Men:

1st. James Meredith

2nd. Tom Hartley

3rd. Bruce Jones

Points champions for the 2014 winter season are:

Women:

1st. Mary Lovett

2nd. Linda Stals

3rd. Rosemary Robinson

Men:

1st. Robert Langridge

2nd. James Meredith

3rd. Terry Merrigan

Congratulations to our Points Champions, a competition which recognises race participation as well as race prowess, topped up with service to the club with points gained from race directing and marshalling.

Many thanks to the Hartley Volunteers who ran the BBQ for us on Tuesday. The Club appreciates your efforts in support of people in the ACT region with disabilities.

Tour of Bright result

Guys,

I along with a large number of other Canberra Cyclist, from Vets, Vikings and CCC, went down and raced Tour of Bright over the weekend just gone. It involved much tough racing against some of the best amateur cyclists from NSW, ACT and Vic. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that Vets' very own Steve Crispin, in the form of his life, won the Elite B grade race. Not Masters grade, but open B!

I suspect I was the oldest in the grade, with Steve only a few years younger, and the other 75 competitors in the prime of their riding lives.

Without a TT bike, Steve was 31st after the stage 1 time trial, but then stamped his name to come 1st and then 2nd in the next 2 mountain stages, to win the KOM jersey and the General Classification, by just 5 seconds.

This achievement may be worth mentioning in the next bleat, so that others, like me, don't continue to feel inadequate every time we get thumped in local races by Steve. I now feel that we are in good company.

The only unanswered challenge for Steve, that I can see, is a showdown between him and Ian Downing, who unfortunately have not raced in recent times. That would be a contest best enjoyed from the sidelines I'd suggest.

Charlie Nicoll

Interstate Events

• 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

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 16th December: Christmas Wheel Race

Where: Stromlo Forrest Park

Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.

Race Description:

G Grade@ 5:45 - 10min + 2 laps; E/F Grade@ 6:04 - 15min + 2 laps; C/D Grade@ 6:27 - 20min + 2 laps; A/B Grade@ 6:55 - 25min + 2 laps;

The 5 top riders from each grade will then participate in the Wheel Race, a 5 lap handicap.

Note: Visitors are welcome to participate in the lead up races but are not eligible for the Wheel race.

Race Director: Alain Arbaut

Contact: Email: arbaut@grapevine.net.au Ph 0400493148

The nominated marshals for this event are;

• Kathryn Passalis

• Dom Rideaux

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.

Wednesday, 17th December: Track Racing

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 – 7.10pm: 8 Lap Christmas Wheel Race (Handicap);

7.10pm – 7.20pm: 6 Lap Team Pursuit;

Note that the night’s events include a major trophy race. As many trackies as possible should attend. Come as spectators if you do not intend riding.

Please stay awhile after the racing as drinks and nibbles will be provided to celebrate our first Bundadome track season and the upcoming Christmas season.

Sunday, 21th December – No Race

Road Racing has concluded for the year.

RACE REPORTS:

Stromlo Crierium – 9th December

A cool afternoon, with cloudy skies and a stiff Easterly cross wind. For those wondering how much of a step it is to go up a grade, or what times do you need to ride to be competitive in X Grade, I present some original research here. This might also be of some use to those planning the handicaps for the Christmas Wheel Race.

The following are the average and fastest lap times in each grade from last Tuesday evening. I did not time the last two laps, so these are typical lap times, not the final sprint laps. There was also a strong cross wind that will have slowed riders especially in the smaller fields. The wind was 39kph from the East when A/B Grade started at 6PM and still 32kph from the East when E/F Grade finished at 8PM.

A Grade: 21 Riders; Ave Lap Time 1:42; Fastest Lap 1:40

B Grade: 31 Riders; Ave Lap Time 1:54; Fastest Lap 1:50

C Grade: 16 Riders; Ave Lap 1:58; Fastest Lap 1:54

D Grade: 18 Riders; Ave Lap 2:01; Fastest Lap 1:58

E Grade: 20 Riders; Ave Lap 2:07; Fastest Lap 2:03

F Grade: 3 Riders only; Ave Lap 2:20; Fastest Lap 2:16

G Grade: 8 Riders; One lap only was timed at 2:43.

A Grade split into many groups very early on and the lap times shown here were recorded by a bunch of 5 break-away riders making the times they recorded very impressive. Under still conditions times would be faster. The times here indicate that it’s a big step from B Grade to A Grade. They also indicate a big step from F to E but this is probably because there were only 3 riders in F.

There was some confusion when I decided to give A Grade 3 laps and B Grade 2 laps to go. The reason was that A was right on the back of B at the time. However, I make no apology for decisions designed to ensure a safe race. Because A was exploded all over the track, with the leader right behind B it was difficult to communicate to all riders clearly. My apologies to anyone adversely affected. A Grade winner Stephen Isbel though he had finished but was informed he had another lap to go; fortunately his break was big enough for him to hold on.

Thanks to Marshalls Lynne Prentice, Jan Koehler, Ben Davis, Henry Beaverstock, Alex O’Shea and special thanks to Phill Coulton who stood in as First Aid as Stu was not available.

Steve Schwenke

Uriarra Homestead – 14th December

Was it really a "Goldilocks day" at the race on Sunday the 14th? It was not too hot, not too cold, the course was not too hilly, not too flat and the wind was not too strong or not there at all ...

So 56 fronted the start line for an abbreviated course [please see below for some comments ...] of 3 laps of the homestead to the short term, down to the top of the crossing and back to the homestead for A to D grade, while the other grades did 2 laps.. As expected there were a number of bunch sprint finishes as the "non climber brigade" fancied their chances.

The only grade without a bunch sprint finish was G grade, where Tony Sheehan (surely F grade for the next race) rode the field of his wheel pretty early and soloed to a comfortable victory over Angelika Maulch and Bernie Crowe. Bad luck to Bruce Jones who had a wheel lock on the final turn while sitting comfortably in 2nd place and so had the dreaded DNF recorded against his name (and presumably a repair bill of some sort). F grade had the almost obligatory sprint finish with Ian Morton edging out Brahm Hart and Luke McGowan. While in E grade, despite Mike Hayes insisting on the start line that he was going to set a steady pace on the front until the finish, James Curran and John Barnes rolled Mike on the line in a sprint finish.

D grade had a very tight finish with Warwick Wilson just edging out Terry Merrigan for 3rd with Ian Shaw chasing down the winner in Craig Kentwell.

A very pleased Dale Kleeman was the winner in C grade, commenting after the event that "... I don't win many ..." - so apparently Christmas did come early this year. Alain Arbaut swapped RD duties so he could finish 2nd ahead of Ian McVay who rounded out the podium.

B grade was won by a fast finishing Chris Short - who on the final run past the start finish line on the way back to the final turn attacked off the front. Not sure if he was away for the whole last part of the race but he was a worthy winner for at least attempting to get away on a day when the chances of a break succeeding was minimal. Mark Langman held off Reinhard Maulch for 2nd place.

Of course A grade had a final sprint as the chances of anyone soloing away on a course like this one was remote. In a very tight finish Paul Scherl just got the better of Steve Crispin and Mark Vroomens.

Many thanks to the helpers on the day, Alex Sommerava, Alex O'Shea, Clinton Porteous, Owain Tilley, Rob Langridge (who decided that he would be of more use standing on a corner than battling illness on the road) and Henry Beaverstock for the results and entries.

However, there are a couple of things club riders should be aware of ...

1. the demands on the club caused by the traffic control arrangements are imposing a huge load on a number of key club members. On arriving at 7:30 club stalwarts Henry, Ian and Graham were already there starting the set up. Each turn point now requires about 9-10 signs to comply with TAMS' requirements. If you are down to marshal on an upcoming event please try and arrive nice and early to help these guys out by setting up your turn point.

2. if you are nominated to marshal please turn up - yes, somewhat obvious I know ... but it needs saying again. We had to take the Mt McDonald leg out of the race on Sunday as a number of marshals didn't turn up. This was particularly unfortunate as the turn had been set up in expectation of being used. It also compromised the event as the course was changed from the TAMS approved course - which was not too much of a problem at the homestead but could be more troublesome at other courses.

3. we had a number of riders not going through the chute after the finish - including some of the more "experienced" riders. The chute list is important for the results system, so please ensure your number is recorded as finishing and that you roll through the chute in finishing order.

Finally, as this is the last road race for the year on behalf of all club members I would like to extend a big thanks to the committee who keep the club racing throughout the year.

Malcolm Paterson, Race Director