04/02/2012
A record 46 riders participated in 5 separate scratch races on Saturday. Cycling continues to grow in popularity in the Warragul District and with the implementation of a women’s only grade the club continues to expand opportunities for cyclists who would like to have a race.
A grade finally had enough numbers for a separate race. Visitors from Melbourne meant club supremo Shane Stiles would have to be on top of his game. He had some new blokes to smash. The field of eight stayed together on lap one with only Stiles venturing off the front. On lap two visitor Nick Young jumped off the front on Sthurs Rd.. Stiles let him go for a while and then jumped across to him. Thomas Sandner, Justin Gravett, Evan Williams, Jimmy Lalor and Jarryd Jones were forced to give chase. First Lalor then Jones found the going too tough and were tailed off on Lap 2. It was not a good day for muppets. The bunch stayed together on lap 3 but Sandner’s race was nearly brought undone by a mechanical mishap. He had to chase hard to catch on after stopping for running repairs.
After the third time up the hill Young again rolled off the front and Stiles was the only one able to get across to him. The two strongest riders in the race were now off the front and they would not be caught. In the “two up” sprint Young jumped for home first but Stiles rode up to him with ease and put the power down to take the win. Micheal Brand took the sprint for third from Thomas Sandner with Gravett in fifth.
Cy Monk started the B grade race with a plan. He decided that with four ascents of the Shady Creek hill on the menu he would make sure the larger “Sit on Sprinters” would not be there at the finish. The race was uneventful except on the climb. On lap one Cy rode off the front on his own and was not caught till Sthurs Rd.. On lap two Pete Whelan and Cy put the pace on again on the climb. Jayman Prestidge found the going too hard and was dropped. Lap three Cy eliminated another sprinter. Charlie Davine. Charlie had been off the front before the hill trying to get a head start but he was caught and then dropped well before the top and his race was done. The fireworks on the final climb were again instigated by Cy but Roland Eldstrom chimed in with an attack of his own. Rob Monk was the casualty this time. Cy had eliminated Davine, Prestidge and Monk so his chances in the sprint were improving. In the run to the line Greame Parker was allowed to slide off the front 500 meters from home. Sensing a gap he jumped for home and established a winning break. Cy sprinted after him but he’d left it too late. Thommo who hadn’t been near the front for all the final lap finished over the top of Cy to take second. Cy finished third with Rob Preston in fourth.
There were 14 riders in the C grade at the start of the race but unfortunately the race was not without incidence. Paul Yeatman had to stop after the first turn to adjust some badly skipping gears and had a long chase to regain contact along the back straight. After Justin Prestidge and James Blythe came together at towards the end of lap one, Prestige lost a number of spokes from his front wheel and had was forced to retire. Race captain and commisaire, Ross Henry called a halt to proceedings. He gave the riders a lecture on bike handling and duty of care and then the race resumed.
The bunch stayed together for lap two.
On the third of three times up the hill George Tambassis and Glen Marriot got away. The bunch was fine with letting them go up the hill and despite their small lead, they were caught before the slight bump along the back straight.
The attack caused the bunch to thin to seven riders.
There were a few cat and mouse tactics developing before the sprint with the bunch crawling along at 25km/h with one km to go. Trudy Gallagher ceased the initiative and tried to catch the boys napping. In the sprint Marriot timed it to perfection. He allowed Yeatman to drag him up to Trudy and was able to just pass him near the line. Yeatman, limited to a 53×13 and some exploding legs 10m from the finish, just held off the fast finishing George Tambassis for second. Simon Baxter was fourth with Trudy fifth and the first female rider to finish.
In D grade Kate Prestidge and new rider Leigh Hauxwell dropped the rest of the field on the hill on lap 3. The pair worked together to the finish where Leigh proved too strong in the sprint taking his maiden victory. Kate is racing consistently without winning but a win is not too far away. John Davine was third and Terry Kelly fourth.
In a first for the Warragul Cycling Club E grade was an all Female race. The girls raced over two laps. Louise Clarke took the win after a solo breakaway on lap two. In a close sprint for second, Monique Hanley, making a welcome return to Warragul CC, just defeated Adele Whelan with Annie Pryjmak in fourth. This will hopefully be the start of a long “race cycling” career for the girls. Any other female cyclists who would like to try racing are welcome to come along and give it a go.
Next week’s race is at Cloverlea.
