Main Page Men Women Men B Grade Kristjan's Diary Race 4 - Geelong, January 8, 2000Courtesy of Jenny Kisler Today's absentees included those forced out by yesterdays crash as well as Shane Kelly (attending a wedding!) and Henk Vogels (a slight injury - should be riding tomorrow). An early attack by Magnus Backstedt showed his strength. This was followed by a crash in the bunch involving six riders (including Scott Sunderland) but all rejoined the race. Stuart O'Grady was the next to attack and really strung the bunch out down the long straights. Phil Liggett was joined in commentary by Henk Vogels, who had some very interesting things to say (tip for a future career?). The first sprint was won by Chris Carr from Gene Bates and Luke Stockwell. This was followed by another attack containing Magnus Backstedt, Corey Sweet, Scott Davis and Luke Stockwell. For a while this move looked threatening, but was brought back by Scott Sunderland (testing his legs out after the crash!). The next attack came again from Corey Sweet with a major chase coming from Stuart O'Grady. Corey Sweet won the second sprint with Mildara riders Hilton Clarke and Chris Carr leading in the rest. Corey Sweet was eventually brought back. The next break contained Peter Milostic, Chris Carr, Manuel Mori and Caleb Manion. Paul Redenbach was able to jump across the gap with some determined riding. Several others tried but were unsuccessful. The bunch attempted to close the gap but weren't gaining any ground. With three laps to go the breakaways looked home (despite Henk Vogels earlier prediction that they would be caught!). The field poured on the effort and closed the gap considerably but were unable to reach the breakaways. Paul Redenbach, after his great effort to get across the gap, had enough energy left to take the win. Peter Milostic finished in second with Manuel Mori edging out Chris Carr in the photo for third. Brett Aitken retained his overall lead and also his lead in the sprint competition. Results: 1 Paul Redenbach (Skilled D'vment Squad - Vic) 12 pts 2 Peter Milostic (Skilled NSW) 9 3 Manuel Mori (Crown Casino -It) 7 4 Chris Carr (Mildara Blass -Vic) 6 5 Caleb Manion (Nortas - Tas) 5 6 Brett Aitken (Jayco-VIS - SA) 4 7 Rik McCaig (Limerick Arms Hotel Vic) 3 8 Stephen Pate (Peugeot Vic) 2 9 Corey Sweet (Crash Bang Wallop - SA) 1 10 Graeme Brown (Pura Milk NSW) 1 Sprint Results: Chris Carr (Milldara Blass - Vic) 7 pts Corey Sweet (Crash Bang Wallop -SA) 3 Peter Milostic (Skilled NSW) 2 Gene Bates (Herald Sun-AIS - SA) 2 Hilton Clarke (Mildara Blass - Vic) 2 Luke Stockwell (Crown Casino - Qld) 1 Paul Redenbach (Skilled Development Squad - Vic) 1 Men's International A Grade Overall Standings (after day 4): 1 Brett Aitken (Jayco-VIS SA) 27.5pts 2 Rik McCaig (Limerick Arms Hotel Vic) 22 3 Peter Milostic (Skilled - NSW) 18 4 Pele Kil (Brumby's Bakeries NL) 17 4 Graeme Brown (Pura Milk NSW) 17 6 Stephen Pate (Puegeot Vic) 15.5 7 Peter Redenbach (Skilled Development Squad -Vic) 12 8 Andrew Stalder (Bicycle Superstore WA) 11 9 Manuel Mori (Crown Casino - It) 10 10 Suart O'Grady (Skilled - SA) 9 11 Corey Sweet (Crash Bang Wallop SA) 7 12 Chris Carr (Mildara Blass - Vic) 6 12 Nic Brown (Woolmark-AIS NSW) 6 14 Hilton Clarke (Mildara Blass Vic) 5 14 Caleb Manion (Nortas - Tas) 5 14 Brent Dawson (Pura Milk - NSW) 5 14 Simon Guerrans (Skilled Development Squad Vic) 5 18 Henk Vogels (Bicycle Superstore WA) 1 19 Brad Davidson (Jayco-VIS Vic) 1 Men's International A Grade Sprint Overall Standings (after day 4): 1 Brett Aitken (Jayco-VIS SA) 16 pts 2 Corey Sweet (Crash Bang Wallop - SA) 8 3 Peter Milostic (Skilled - NSW) 7 3 Chris Carr (Mildara Blass - Vic) 7 5 Baden Burke (Peugeot NSW) 6 6 Hilton Clarke (Mildara Blass - Vic) 4 6 Henk Vogels (Bicycle Superstore WA) 4 8 Scott Sunderland (Peugeot NSW) 3 8 Brad Davidson (Jayco-VIS Vic) 3 10 Pele Kil 2 10 Luke Stockwell (Crown Casino - Qld) 2 Teams Overall (After Day 4): 1 Jayco-VIS 28.5 pts 2 Skilled 27 3 Pura Milk 22 4 Limerick Arms Hotel 22 5 Brumby's Bakeries 17 5 Skilled Development Squad 17 7 Peugeot 15.5 8 Bicycle Superstore 12 9 Mildara Blass 11 10 Crown Casino 10 11 Crash Bang Wallop 7 12 Woolmark AIS 6 13 Nortas 5 WomenCourtesy of Jenny Kisler Yesterday's winner, Karen Barrow (Vic) sat quietly in the main field for most of the race allowing other people to make the moves. Several groups attempted to get clear but none succeeded. There was also a crash involving both the yellow (Rochelle Gilmore) and green (Katherine Bates) jersey wearers, but both regained the field after their lap out. An attack by mountain biker, Dellys Franke in the closing laps was allowed to go by the field. Margaret Hemsley went with her and sat on her wheel doing no work, allowing her to easily win the sprint for the line. Dellys Franke took second with Karen Barrow leading in the field (and Gilmore) for third. Results: 1 Margaret Hemsley (NSW) 12 pts 2 Dellys Franke (Vic) 9 3 Karen Barrow (Vic) 7 4 Rochelle Gilmore (NSW) 6 5 Alison Wright (ACT) 5 6 Sandra Smith (WA) 4 7 Hayley Rutherford (WA) 3 8 Bridget Evans(Qld) 2 9 Sally Smalley (Vic) 1 10 Katie Mactier (Vic) 1 Sprint Results: Alayna Burns (SA) 4 pts Katherine Bates (NSW) 3 Kristy Scrymgeour (NSW) 3 Hayley Rutherford (WA) 1 Sara Carrigan (Qld) 1 Women's Race Overall Standings (after day 4): 1 Rochelle Gilmore (NSW) 33 pts 2 Karen Barrow (Vic) 31 3 Sandra Smith (WA) 20 4 Alison Wright (ACT) 18 4 Anna Wilson (Vic) 18 6 Katherine Bates (NSW) 16 7 Alison Wright (ACT) 13 8 Margaret Hemsley (NSW) 11 9 Brigid Evans (Qld) 10 10 Elizabeth Tadich (Vic) 9 10 Dellys Franke (Vic) 9 Sprint Overall Standings (after day 4): 1 Katherine Bates (NSW) 14 pts 2 Alayna Burns (SA) 7 3 Karen Barrow (Vic) 6 4 Kristy Scrymgeur (NSW) 5 5 Anna Wilson (Vic) 4 6 Katie Mactier (Vic) 3 6 Margaret Hemsley (NSW) 3 8 Kristy Scrymgeour (NSW) 2 8 Elizabeth Tadich (Vic) 2 10 Hayley Rutherford (WA) 1 10 Sara Carrigan (Qld) 1 10 Rochelle Gilmore (NSW) 1 10 Sandra Smith (WA) 1 Men - B GradeResults: 1 Tim Bennett (Vic) 12 pts 2 Bill Nickson (UK) 9 3 Brodie Cullen (WA) 7 4 Bernard Sulzbergern (Tas) 6 5 Franco Malvuli (Switz) 5 6 Peter Dawson (WA) 4 7 Cameron Jennings (Qld) 3 8 Brian Appleyard (NSW) 2 9 Damien Crange (Vic) 1 9 Ben Lindsay (SA) 1 Sprint Results: Paul Kenny (Vic) 4 Tyson Lawrence (WA) 4 Jerone Walters (Vic) 3 Robert Wilson (Vic) 1 Men's B Grade Overall Standings (after day 4): 1 Tim Bennett (Vic) 40 pts 2 Jeff Hopkins (NSW) 21 3 Bill Nickson (UK) 20 4 Cameron Jennings (Qld) 14 5 Brian Appleyard (NSW) 13 6 Mark Roach (Vic) 12 7 Duncan Kidd (NSW) 10 7 Peter Dawson (WA) 10 7 Franco Malvuli (Switz) 10 7 Damien Crange (Vic) 10 Men's B Grade Sprint Overall Standings (after day 4): 1 Paul Kenny (Vic) 10 pts 2 Tyson Lawrence (WA) 9 3 Adrian Sansonetti (Vic) 7 4 Tim Bennett (Vic) 4 5 Robert Wilson (Vic) 4 6 Jerome Walters (Vic) 3 7 Rory Sutherland (ACT) 3 8 Duncan Kidd (NSW) 3 9 John Madden (Vic) 2 10 Simon Bishop (Vic) 2 Kristjan's DiaryCourtesy of Kristjan Snorrason Well what a change 24 hours can bring. Today, racing was awesome. Team Mildara Blass had it's best day thus far. We were what was described as "a great display of team riding". Here is how it went: Geelong, Eastern Beach. Pancake flat carpark. Hotdog/Rectangle course, around a median strip. Great Venue. Wide corners. [I like these short sentences, Snoz] The desperate struggle for position on the starting grid for the past three days was not to be seen. Today's sensational weather provided the perfect opportunity for some publicity photos and footage to be taken, so each team was given the opportunity to parade down the finishing straight on their own, teammate to teammate. This didn't help us much as we were called up to the line with 50 riders in front of us! Ahh well, I've been in worst positions. The gun went and I managed to get a good run at the first corner and after a few laps was in the front 15 or so riders. Going round one of the corners, someone on the outside of the pack came down and several riders either came down with him or narrowly avoided the crash. Needless to say the last half of the field were held up and took the now mandatory lap out. Great, where did I say I was? 15th wheel, make that 50th! I started to make my way up the field, and as I did so, the first prime of the day went by, this is where we started pulling out all the stops. Chris broke away to win the sprint comfortably as Hilton, Michael and myself used each other to move up and stay inside the top 15. At about 25 minutes into the race, Corey Sweet (Team Crash Bang Wallop) launched himself off the front and there was little reaction from the bunch. It wasn't until we received the whistle signalling that the next lap would be another prime did anything happen. Mildara Blass now had Hilton and Chris with enough points in the Sprints Classification to warrant hunting some more. I was on the front of the bunch with Chris safely tucked on my wheel, I was praying that Hilton was within reach. I drove on, reaching the turn into the finishing straight. I knew that we probably wouldn't catch Corey before the line but I knew I could guarantee Chris 2nd but where was Hilt's ???? As I peeled off giving Chris an almost perfect run at the line, I heard Hilt's "I'm coming, I'm here, slow down!!!" I slowed to ensure he got the points for third, but so did Chris! The second sprint result was Sweet 1st, Hilton 2nd, Chris 3rd, me out of the points in fourth. Immediately after the sprint the bunch started attacking and with both Chris and myself up in the front of the bunch we were able to cover everything. At this stage I had no idea of what teammates I had left in the field, all I could see was Chris. At under 20mins to go the team was left with just that: Brendan had started, but succumbed to his wounds from the day before and pulled out, Michael pulled out after 30min helping Hilton get up for the sprint before leaving and Hilton departed not long after taking 2nd in the second prime. It was just down to Chris and I. A break of a few of the strong riders went off the front and Chris reacted to go with them. I was fortunate to be on his wheel at the time so I did what I had to do - let him go and then try to slow the bunch down into the next corner. I managed this. For the next 15 minutes I chased attempt after attempt, dragging myself to the front and marshalling the movement and speed of the bunch. All the while the break of Redenbach (Skilled Development, VIC) Milostic (Skilled, NSW), Mori (Crown Casino, Italy), Manion (Nortas, TAS), and Chris were slowly edging further away. I was praying that Chris could get up in the sprint, if it came to that! With 5 laps to go my work was done: I could no longer stem the tide of teams willing to bring the break back for their sprinters. Once again the train of the Puegeot team rallied at the front and reduced the gap to less than 80m with one lap to go. It wasn't enough. Chris lead the field for into the last turn and then kicked home - Ohh soo close. The break all crossed the line together and for a while we thought Chris had managed to do it. It came down to the camera. Unfortunately, we may never know who crossed the line first as the camera wasn't fast enough. The frame before the line shows Chris a wheel's width in front, whilst the frame after the line shows Redenbach in front. In the end the judges awarded the win to Redenbach with Milostic 2nd, Mori 3rd, and Chris an amazing 4th. The team had been aggressive all week with today an accumulation of this work. Phil Liggett has commented endlessly about the aggressiveness of the Mildara Blass team, and on Thursday Chris was rewarded with The Ambassador Most Aggressive Rider award. Today, he was awarded it again. It may just be that he can walk away after tomorrow's stage with the series award! St.Kilda is the venue of tomorrow's race, our teams backyard! The course is a true hotdog. The forecast is for a hot day of 30 plus degrees. The action should be just as hot in the saddle.
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