Results and Reports for February 13

Austral Wheelrace

Northcote Velodrome, Australia, February 12, 2000

Big finish for Neiwand

The 102nd Austral Wheelrace was run for the final time at Melbourne's Northcote Velodrome last night. The 2000m Handicap race is the oldest of its type on the world, and has been won by many of Australia's top track riders. Last night, 36 year-old Stephen Pate was looking at winning an unprecedented 5th title, but it was not to be when he could make it through the heats.

Neiwand had the advantage in the final, when he rode off the 70 meter mark, considered generous by many. However, he had his work cut out chasing the front markers who had a large lead coming into the final lap. Assisted by riders such as Tim Decker, Mark Roach and Luc Gilmore he was able to close the gap, using his powerful sprint to take the win. This was the first time that the 33-year old had won the race.

In the inaugural women's Austral, Helen Ingpen rode off 210 meters to win her first ever track race. The backmarkers Karen Barrow, Rahna Demarte and Rochelle Gilmore could not close the gap, allowing the ex-triathlete to win comfortably.

Results

Men 

1 Gary Neiwand (Vic, 70m)		2.07.24
2 Ben Jackson (145m)
3 John Madden (145m)

Women

1 Helen Ingpen (Vic)

Carnegie-Caulfield Criterium

Melbourne, Australia, February 13, 2000

Courtesy of Mark Chadwick

A strong field of 175 assembled at Glenvale Crescent in Mulgrave on the morning after the Austral. Many of last weeks absent trackies were back trying to capitalize on their peaking form. Fine, cool conditions with a stiff easterly breeze resulting in a tail wind finish.

A grade’s 42 starters were aggressive from the gun with constant attacking resulting in a series of ill-fated breaks forming, dissolving then reappearing as the next group went away. The hour saw over 48 km covered and notable among the finishers was Swiss Priska Doppman (Master-Molteni) in her A grade debut, coming into form before the Tour de Snowy and Canberra World Cup races. Prominent among the attackers was VIS duo Simon Gerrans and BJ McIntosh along with Matt Tuck and Matt Jackson. All the attempts at escape came to nothing and the big bunch sprint saw Hilton Clarke jnr take the money from Robert Tighello with a well-timed throw at the line. Third placed Matt Tuck, off to Belgium Tuesday, left Luke Weir in fourth after a hotly contested sprint. "Weiry" is flying out Monday on his way back to Spain to ride for Saunier-Duval in the Basque region.

A grand escape in B grade where four men slipped the bunch in the early stages of the race. Never achieving more than a 40 second lead the four became three as the pressure was maintained. Many among the remainder of the 58 strong group seemed unaware of the trio up the road, and no organised chase was evident. With five laps remaining Dave Sturt got the train together and promptly reduced the gap to 20 seconds in the space of one lap. The chasing bunch then fell into attacking each other, rather than completing the capture allowing Nick Witkamp to lead home the escapees. Nick Sheard and Leo DiMartino trailed in without concerning themselves with sprinting. The bunch sprint for fourth was a closely run thing as Shane Mills, who had ridden off the front in the last two laps, was caught on the line by the hard-charging bunch led by the Colombian Mauro Alvarez. In his effort to "get out of the way" Mills ran Alvarez across the road and held on for an administratively lightened fourth place envelope.

C grade seemed to be conserving energy today. 48 riders rode tempo throughout save for a couple of ill-fated attempts to enliven the bunch with little attacks in the early part of the race. Most of the 48 were still there as the bunch rounded the last corner and the gallop home was "gutter to gutter" with Adam Clark victorious from Russell Johnston, Matt Dowling and Mark Kensitt.

D grade, with 27 in the bunch, took to racing after the traditional ten minute neutral like men (and women) possessed. The pace went on and seemed to increase with each passing lap. Eventually the rising tempo saw a group of seven form soon after C grade went by, the escapees then set about re-passing the somnolent C graders whilst trying not to get mixed up with them! The sudden appearance of D grade’s break in their midst caused a spurt from the C grade leaders which cleared the way for the seven to settle into tempo to the finish. Marshall Keith held a small lead into the last corner that was sufficient to allow him his final win in D grade. Leading home the rest was Brett "YoYo" Barnard with a major effort just failing to close the gap, third was Lyndon Watts from Ben Serpell.

Results

A GRADE 42 Starters 60 minutes + 3 laps

1 Hilton Clarke jnr
2 Robert Tighello
3 Matt Tuck
4 Luke Weir

B GRADE 58 Starters 60 minutes + 3 laps

1 Nick Witkamp
2 Nick Sheard
3 Leo DiMartino
4 Shane Mills

C GRADE 48 Starters 40 minutes + 3 laps

1 Adam Clark
2 Russell Johnston
3 Matt Dowling
4 Mark Kensitt

D GRADE 27 Starters 35 minutes + 3 laps

1 Marshall Keith
2 Brett Barnard
3 Lyndon Watts
4 Ben Serpell