24/04/2004
By Monique Hanley
Geelong West’s Chris Fry became the fourth to conquer the grueling finale to Australia’s toughest one-day road race, the Baw Baw Classic on Saturday. Rain, sleet and freezing winds played havoc for the largest rider field ever to contest the 4-year-old Classic, causing many to withdraw in the final stages from hypothermia and exhaustion. The under 23yr old Fry, forming an early five-man breakaway with two other Geelong West club riders shortly after Jindivick, surprised race favorites by building on their break and remaining clear of any chase attempts until reaching the Mt Baw Baw tollgate – the start of one of the toughest stretches of road anywhere in the world – a six km climb to the Village carpark with an average gradient of 13%. A natural climber, Fry was able to pull clear of his Geelong teammates when the race turned its agonising steepest, holding off a late attack courtesy of St Kilda’s Matt Lloyd to clench victory by completing the final 6km in the fastest time ever.
The 97km Classic was rescheduled this year from the usual end of the road racing season in October to the start of the season in April to avoid past snow, rain and snow-storm finishes on Mt Baw Baw. Unfortunately, the rescheduling was to no avail, as last week’s threat of bushfires seemed a world away from the rain and strong south-westerly winds welcoming riders to the start of the race in Queen Street, Warragul. While local farmers blessed the three and a half inches of rain received over the past 12 hours, Ride Director Chris Beales’ chief concern was that the deluge hadn’t turned into snow on the southern Alpine region. This caused a rise in last-minute sales for the local outdoor adventure store and Bike Land from under-dressed spectators and riders.
Baw Baw Shire Mayor Ruth MacDonald officially began proceedings for each grade, which was ridden under race control through Warragul before racing formally commenced on the outskirts of town.
The A grade field which had allowed the five-man breakaway early in the race were surprised to realise the time gap had blown out to five and a half minutes by the end of the King of the Mountain (KOM) points claim on top of Vespers Hill, outside of Noojee. Third placed in 2003, Nigel Dunstone (Caravello Joinery), initiated the chase alongside Matt Lloyd (St Kilda), leading the peloton up Ballantynes Saddle. However, the charge was too late to reel in Fry, who despite numb hands and feet recorded one of the fastest ascents seen in the final 6km from the toll gate to the Village carpark to claim the win. Matt Lloyd rode strongly and with a steady cadence passed the remaining breakaway riders to finish in second place. Following Lloyd were Geelong West riders Ryan Moody and Peter Pape. Local rider John Mackenzie tried hard early in the race to bridge the breakaway gap but the effort cost him dearly as he tired on the tough climbs.
Changes to the B, C, Masters and Womens course in 2004 meant all riders now follow the A grade course out to Jindivick from Rokeby, returning to Main Neerim Road at Neerim South. The change adds a further 10km of climbing to the course. From early on, the B grade field was controlled by a handful of their youngest riders – under 19 competitors Nathan Wise (Caulfield Carnegie), John Walker (Brunswick) and Mark O’Brien (Horsham). Nathan Wise took the Noojee sprint and KOM on Vespers Hill, but Mark O’Brien was able to overcome Wise on the final climb to take out the B grade win. Warragul Cycling Club rider Jason Kruger was happy to improve on his efforts from last year’s Classic, but was even happier to head home to a hot bath.
The C grade field seemed intent to attack each other from the outskirts of Warragul, and by the first town on route, Rokeby, the field had already begun to splinter. Lavington Panthers rider Brendan Washington powered over Vespers Hill and continued on a solo effort for the remaining 35km. He took the win comfortably after passing much of the B grade field. Second place was Brenton Slotegraaf from Bendigo, followed by Jordan Sutherland from Brunswick. Warragul’s Tim Lee suffered an untimely mechanical on the descent from Vespers Hill, causing him to crash on the wet road at around 60km/h. Fortunately he came away from the crash relatively unscathed. Fellow local David Mills enjoyed his first successful attempt up the Baw Baw – despite cramping in the first stage of the final 6 kms, he returned to the bike to power up the remainder of the course.
The Masters division is known for having Ken Ford’s name written all over it – literally. The three-time winner, whose efforts earned the naming of the perpetual trophy after him in 2003, felt both the pressure of defending his title and the determination of others to claim the category crown. In one of the closest finishes ever seen on Baw Baw, Ararat’s Ian Blackie challenged the Carnegie Caulfield rider to the very last km as the lead continuously changed. The determination of both riders could be seen over the last few hundred metres, as Ford found something to push past Blackie to roll across the finish first, and for the fourth consecutive year claim victory. It was a very emotional moment for Ford, who rated the win as one of his best ever. A tough day on the bike was had by Warragul’s Thomas Sandner, who found the conditions and additional distance through Jindivick to be taxing. Still, he finished in 6th place, winning the Masters 4 division. Geoff Thomson finished in 8th place, closely followed by Gerard Donnelly. Wayne Chester also conquered the mountain, a terrific effort in such trying conditions.
The small women’s field was dominated by race favorites Claire Baxter (Hawthorn Citizens) and Cristine Foster (St Kilda). Baxter rolled strongly into Noojee to claim the sprint prize, but Foster was too strong on Vesper’s Hill, claiming the QOM. From Vespers it was a solo effort as she powered away to take the win in what she described as one of her toughest races ever. Kerryn Charman (Geelong West), managed to pass a tiring Baxter to claim second place, rounding off a very successful day for the Bayside club.
Many thanks to strong community support of this race, including sponsors Bike Land, Mt Baw Baw Resort Management, and Baw Baw Shire Council; and support from members of the Warragul Cycling Club, SES and St Johns Volunteers, local police, the Gippsland Logging Syndicate and Queen Street traders.
