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Coburg CC Club Championships

Romsey, Sunday September 28, 2003

By Luke McDonough

Carl Cubitt won the 2003 Coburg Cycling Club championships at Romsey on Sunday 28 September, 2003. Cubitt outsprinted Garry Clively in a repeat performance of last year's championship result.

Riders got under way in sunny but extremely windy conditions for two laps of the tough 45km circuit. With $600 in prize money and paying to tenth, the riders watched each other for the first 30km before flatlander Mussie Akgun put in the first serious attack at the bottom of the first climb.

With a roaring headwind, Akgun did not spend long in front before Tom McDonough attacked on the second climb, forcing a break with Carl Cubitt, Garry Clively, Andrew Ward, Paul Logan and Darren Lapthorn. The five riders stayed together until the base of "The Wall", a brutal climb on which Andrew Ward attacked and immediately gapped the bunch.

Over the top of "the wall" Ward led by 30 seconds, with Cubitt, McDonough, Clively and Lapthorn in pursuit. With speeds of 60km/h, Ward got the break out to 45 seconds along Lancefield Road, but with 30km remaining the pursuing bunch held Ward at 30 seconds again, and were content to let him sit in front in the wind. Back in the bunch, several of the riders found the going too tough and climbed into the warmth of their cars after the completion of the first lap.

Up "The Wall" the second time, Ward dug in and got the break out to 35 seconds. Once over the wall Clively encouraged the break to dig in deep, resulting in Ward's lead being shut down to 18 seconds almost immediately. The increased pace took its toll on McDonough and then Lapthorn and with only a few kilometers remaining Ward dangled off the front and seemingly had the option of continuing in his attacking solo style, or waiting for the pursuers.

Ward was caught on the last climb into the Romsey finishing straight. Clively aggressively attacked up the climb with Cubitt sticking to his wheel. Ward was unable to respond, and the duo quickly established a considerable gap that enabled Cubitt and Clively time to slow the pace to 15km/h as they played cat and mouse in the final kilometer. With both riders hugging the left hand gutter, Cubitt hit out from behind into the crosswind and prevailed in the sprint for the second year in a row.

Results, 90 km

1 Carl Cubitt (Nemesis)         2.39.54
2 Garry Clively (Nemesis)          0.01
3 Andrew Ward (MBC)                0.42
4 Darren Lapthorn                  1.12
5 Tom McDonough                    2.04
6 Paul Logan                      12.41
7 Gerard Glennon                  19.58
8 Mick Skerritt                   20.03
9 Andre Pudebat                   20.06