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By Malcolm Sawford
A welcome return to sunny skies and warm weather this week brought good fields considering the 3 day holiday weekend and that the trackies were all in Bendigo for the Golden Mile and $20,000 Madison! Anna Milward made a welcome return to racing today, as part of her build up after a leg injury flared up at January's Australian Open Road Titles. The dual World Cup champ will certainly liven up the racing in B Grade for the next few weeks before joining her Saturn team-mates in April.
The A Grade field was blown to bits after 18 minutes, with the usual protagonist doing the damage. Robert Tighello (ACR) forced a group of 5 clear, with only Jamie Drew (iteamNOVA), Chris Carr (SBR), Under 19 MTB star Trent Lowe (Yeti) and another of the fat tire young guns Murray Spink (Jones Cycles) able to follow. A belated chase from Robert Boag (ACR) and Matt Chessum wasn't able to close the gap, and the leaders went on to lap the vastly diminished bunch with 15 minutes remaining.
Things stayed unchanged until bell lap, when 3 riders went clear hoping to pinch 6th place and some prizemoney. Chessum held off the challenge of Michael Bailey (Bicycle Superstore) and Tour of Tassie 'Lantern Rouge' Rob Licciardo.
The win went to Tighello, 2 lengths clear of Drew (only 2 weeks away from fatherhood), Carr (who had 2nd wrapped up but for an awesome 'throw' from Drew at the line), Lowe and Spink.
B Grade saw a very aggressive race, with the hot and windy conditions enticing the strong riders out to play. Damien Power, Jamie Nicholson, Shane Mills (O'Mara Cycles) and Garron Buckland were all away early, with Dellys Franke, Ian Johnstone and Danny Weatherley among the few willing to help bring them back.
The pace dropped noticeably in the middle part of the race, and only seemed to pick up after the A Grade break went past and gave the boys something to chase! With 10 minutes remaining, a dangerous group slipped clear containing Nicholson, Franke, Brett Buckland, Chris D'Amelio, Boon Chia, David Sturt and Graham Fisher, and the bunch was once again strung out trying to bring them back. The bunch regained contact, briefly, but some dropped wheels and a little father and son team work from the Buckland family saw Sturt, Garron Buckland, D'Amelio and Chia disappear up the road again. Nicholson was caught in no mans land, and the race seemed to be all over. Justin Davis (O'Mara Cycles) was unleashed in pursuit by Mick Hollingworth with 3 laps to go, but a rear wheel blow out saw him lucky to stay upright and ended any chance of a bunch finish.
The win went to Sturt from Buckland, D'Amelio and Chia, with the first 2 finishers certain to join A Grade next time round. Anna Milward held off Katrina Purcell (Drapac Property Group) to take women's line honors.
Rick Jones was doing most of the damage to the C Grade field, going clear before the half way mark with Cameron Rotter, Navy sailor Renee Heinreich and new club member Mark Kotzen. The fast pace saw only Kotzen stay with Jones before the bunch finally reeled them in with 10 minutes remaining.
In the bunch sprint to the line, Ben Phillips was fastest, from Ben Willey, Ian Wolfe and Russ Collins in a Carnegie Caulfield clean sweep. Renee Heinreich recovered well from her efforts in the break to claim women's line honors.
The smaller than usual D Grade field prevented any escapes, and as expected, swarmed to the line for an all in sprint. Mick Alder took the win, from Mark Spataro, Richard Gabler and Phil Doran.
A Grade - 1 hour + 3 laps - 21 starters 1 Robert Tighello (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC) 2 Jamie Drew (iteamNOVA) 3 Chris Carr (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC) 4 Trent Lowe (Dirt Riders CC) 5 Murray Spink (Dirt Riders CC) 6 Matt Chessum (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC) B Grade - 1 hour + 3 laps - 48 Starters 1 David Sturt (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC) 2 Garron Buckland (Dirt Riders CC) 3 Chris D'Amelio (Bairnsdale & Riviera CC) 4 Boon Chia (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC) Women 1 Anna Milward (Saturn) 2 Katrina Purcell (Northcote CC) C Grade - 45 mins + 3 laps - 23 starters 1 Ben Phillips (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC) 2 Ben Willey (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC) 3 Ian Wolfe (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC) 4 Russ Collins (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC) Women 1 Renee Heinreich (Norwood CC) D Grade - 45 mins + 3 laps - 11 starters 1 Mick Alder (Blackburn CC) 2 Mark Spataro (Blackburn CC) 3 Richard Gabler (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC) 4 Phil Doran (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC) E Grade - 45 mins + 3 laps 1 Pat Lane (Chelsea & Peninsula CC) 2 Dad Lane (Chelsea & Peninsula CC) 3 Nathan Sturt (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC) 4 Tim Gallagher (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
Australian results from the past week |
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