Results and Reports for November 4-5

Australia

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Carnegie-Caulfield Criterium

Glenvale Crescent, Mulgrave, Vic, November 5, 2000

Excellent conditions, cool and sunny with only a slight breeze, drew a combined field of 170 starters to this week's edition of the Carnegie-Caulfield Cycling Club's Sunday Criterium. The 1000 metre Glenvale Crescent Mulgrave course is wide and relatively flat leading to high speeds that caused some problems among the large early season bunches. Skills dulled by a winter of long road races with few corners were sadly lacking. Some spell checkers will offer "carnage" as an alternative to Carnegie, now I understand the logic.

A grade's sprint went unobserved as your correspondent was busy treating casualties from falls in both A and B grades. Mark French, the new VIS U17 prodigy, was reported to be fifth wheel with ten metres to go. His last lunge took him ahead of Robert Wilson (John Beasley Cycles), James Taylor (Ashburton Cycles) and teammate David Salton (VIS). The A grade crash occurred on the back straight inside three laps to go with a roadside tree sporting a nasty bruise after one of the boys from Warragul met with disaster and mounted the gutter.

Entering the last turn of the penultimate laps, a substantial group of B grader's left the road as well. Alan Schnable (Fitzroy Cycles) managed to land on the street side waste bin. No major wounds here, all scrapes and bent bikes. The experience of ex-Sportscover pro Guy Green and 1970's six-day rider Chris Boone kicked home ahead of Darren Cathie. Fourth place went unclaimed with the confusion surrounding the falls. Green and Boone rejoin A grade after this performance.

Another race, another spill - this the most serious. The 54 C grade riders endured repeated attacks and surging throughout. On the third last lap an unexpected movement within the bunch saw five riders on the road. The injuries to four were superficial, the worst of the day requiring the services of the Metropolitan Ambulance Service as facial and neck injuries were involved. A good argument for taking a subscription with the service. Again the finale went unobserved, Sean Hanneberry the winner ahead of Katrina Purcell veterans Tim Nuttal and Quentin Frayne

D grade "welcomed" back Simon Walker and his dad John. Despite the claims of no training for eight months the duo cleared out with five minutes remaining to win by 25 seconds, promoted to B grade for their next starts. In the last lap April Eppinger managed to secure a gap and fought hard to lead home Tony Gill for the minor placings.

Sunday's racing is a great opportunity for the midgets to have a race too! Nine juniors rode out their 30 minutes + 3 with Peter Johnstone winning from Michael Downing, Tess Downing and Sherie Wood.

Results

A GRADE     33  Starters -  1 hour + 3 laps

1 Mark French (VIS)
2 Robert Wilson (John Beasley Cycles)
3 James Taylor (Ashburton Cycles)
4 David Salton (VIS)

B GRADE     49  Starters -  1 hour + 3 laps 

1 Guy Green
2 Chris Boone
3 Darren Cathie
4 Unclaimed

C GRADE    54  Starters -  45 minutes + 3 laps

1 Sean Hanneberry
2 Katrina Purcell
3 Tim Nuttal
4 Quentin Frayne

D GRADE    25  Starters -  45 minutes + 3 laps

1 Simon Walker
2 John Walker
3 April Eppinger
4 Tony Gill

E GRADE    9   Starters -  30 minutes + 3 laps

1 Peter Johnstone
2 Michael Downing
3 Tess Downing
4 Sherie Wood
Report and results courtesy of Mark Chadwick