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Cunningham Classic 2004
August 8, 2004
Mann triumphs by a tyre
Dinmore, 20km out of Brisbane, saw the start on what is a well favoured race for Queensland's elite Male cyclists. 160 km of undulating, windblown roads awaited the riders as they set off for the spoils of victory. Hard fought it would be as the field would include the State ITT and RR champion, State pursuit champion and track names competing to place this coveted scalp in their palmares.
Lining up for the classic was Team Healthworks, Team Flight Centre, Lifecycle and University Clubs. Team Zipp was fielding two of their best to contest the event with riders from Toowoomba and the Gold Coast, namely the BMW- Gold stars squad rounding out the field.
At 9am the field rolled out against the breezy westerly, with Tony Mann (Team Healthworks) lighting it up from the get go. Putting over a minute into the field in just over 10km, Mann continued on another 13km before being brought back by a committed Ben Van der Kamp (Team Zipp) and North Brisbane hard man Nathan Waddell (Team Flight Centre)
Not content with the speed of the bunch, Mann attacked again to be joined by Lifecycle's Jeremy Betts. Working well together and still into an ever increasing headwind, the duo drove it toward the Gatton Turn off indicating 100km to go. With a minute thirty to the Group, Betts and Mann would contest the prize sprint at Gatton un interrupted by the leisurely peleton. Betts, arguably Brisbane's fastest when pointed at the coveted white line of victory, set about leading it out and winning by the narrowest of margins- confirming his sprinting class.
Approaching the first of two feeds, the duo would put out a Gentleman's tempo being collected by the main peleton just 3 km after the feed. Adding to the spirit of the race was the agreed nature stop and having collected themselves, the riders would then tackle the second phase of the race. Known to be quite decisive, the dead undulations would take the riders to the K.O.M. about 20km after the first feed. The exposed and rocky terrain of the area, slowly stamping fatigue into the riders would have no say in the attack of Kurt Dutton (Team Healthworks). Dutton was able to quickly assert himself to a slim 10 seconds and then soon joined by Brendan Hill (Lifecycle) and Matthew Smith (Team Flight Centre). Team leader of the Lifecycle squad today, an eager Hill set about putting an ever increasing time gap into the field with Smith and Dutton making equal contributions
Later joined by the current 4000m pursuit Champion, Peter Herzig and a frisky Nathan Waddell, the quintet hit the climb of 2km with Smith (Flight Centre) riding tempo on the front. It would be Peter Herzig to take honours for the King of the Mountain, 570m elevation on the Great Dividing Range. Crossing the line and taking the honour, Herzig glared at his ever increasing thickets of Leg hair and took solace in his confirmation as a " Mountain Man " and thoughts of his mentor, Ben Litchfield calmed him.
By the top of the climb, a selection would see newly engaged Matthew Newlands (possibly the best looking man in Brisbane if not the world); Grant Gaston, Tony Mann (Team Healthworks) Anthony Kellen (Team Flight Centre) Brad Nightingale (Lifecycle) Chris Thompson (BMW) and sundry join the front group of Herzig.
The undulations would begin to take further casualties and over the next 15km, those racing for the top spot on the podium would be reduced to 15 and coming into the second feed it was Waddell that set tempo up the feeding station climb and the retirement of Jeremy Betts. Over the top of the feed would see Gaston out the back with Hill, Nightingale, Austin, Herzig, Kellen, Smith, Waddell, Newlands, Dutton, Mann, Van Der Kamp, Stanley, Frendo, and Thompson now the selection. Facing a stiffer headwind, with 40km to go, the left turn toward the township of Warwick would prove to be the battle ground. Gaps being left, one-two attack from differing teams would se splits and hooping synonymous with World Cup events- well, maybe. With only 10km to go Mann, Waddell, Stanley, Smith, Newlands and ever present Chris Thompson would contest for Victory.
With 2 km to go a freight train like Waddell smacked out an incredible pace that would see him dropped from the group. Tony Stanley angrily flexed his MacPherson machine toward the line only to have his hopes brought back by an in form Mann. Watching each other and with the threat of another three joining in festivities, again the pace would rapidly increase. In the final, it would see Tony Mann, Class act Brad Nightingale and Matthew Smith with Matthew Newlands playing frantic to the spoils of the white Line. Mann came in first a tyre in front of Nightingale and a flying Smith edging Newlands into 4th. Chris Thompson would be awarded 5th followed by Tony Stanley then the freight train of Nathan Waddell.
The presentation would then take place at the Horse and Jockey Hotel, known for its hospitality, chips and gravy and one armed bandits. Awards were given to all who raced, from u19 and Masters, both Men and Women.
Triumphing on the day was cycling. Great thanks to the organisation of Cycling Queensland and Kangaroo Point Cycling Club for an awesome event. Thanks too, to the Police Service and State Emergency Service and all volunteers, the township of Warwick and the Horse and Jockey Hotel for all of their support for an excellent event.
Results
A Grade - 158km 1 Tony Mann (Caravello) 2 Bradley Nightingale (Lifecycle Cycling Club) 3 Mathew Smith (Ffast Cycle Club) 4 Matthew Newlands (Victor Cycle Club) 5 Chris Thompson (GoldCoast Goldstars Cycle Club) 6 Tony Stanley (Ffast Cycle Club) KOM Peter Herzig (Uni Cycle Club) Gatton Sprint Jeremy Betts (Lifecycle Cycling Club) B Grade - 158km 1 Gareth Davies (Lifecycle Cycle Club) 2 Will Grey (GoldCoast Goldstars Cycle Club) 3 Alan Schnable (Lifecycle Cycle Club) 4 Matthew Murray (Ffast Cycle Club) KOM Gareth Davies (Lifecycle) Gatton Sprint Matthew Wood (Kangaroo Point Cycling Club) C Grade - 96 1 Mark Brady (C.A.T.S.) 2 Michael Stager (Uni Cycle Club) 3 Mark Szylkarski (Uni Cycle Club) 4 William Evans (Uni Cycle Club) 5 Matthew Ryan (Ffast Cycle Club) 6 Luke Chippendale (Toowoomba Cycle Club) 7 Andrew Garnsworthy (Victor Cycle Club) 8 Mathew Spillane (Lifecycle Cycle Club) KOM Andrew Wegener (Uni Cycle Club) Junior U/19 - 96km 1 Joel Czislowski (Ffast Cycle Club) 2 Michael Sargeant (Ffast Cycle Club) 3 Kyle Bateson (Broncos ) KOM Kyle Bateson (Broncos ) Women - 96km 1 Hannah Banks (Uni Cycle Club) 2 Sally Cowman (Victor Cycle Club) 3 Jennifer Finlay (Hamilton Pine Rivers Wheelers) 4 Carly Hibberd (Victor Cycle Club) KOM Hannah Banks (Uni Cycle Club) Masters A - 96km 1 Gregory Pooley (C.A.T.S.) 2 Jeffery Harris (Gold Coast Goldstars CC) 3 Glenn Fordham (Logan City Cycling Cllub) 4 Brendan Egan (Murwillumbah Cycle Club) KOM Gregory Pooley (C.A.T.S.) Masters B - 96km 1 Paul Barton (Hamilton Pine Rivers Wheelers) 2 Darren Byers (Uni Cycle Club) 3 Graeme Smith (Victor Cycle Club) 4 Chris Neal (Ffast Cycle Club) 5 David Robertson (Ffast Cycle Club) 6 Graeme Harvey (Murwillumbah Cycle Club) KOM Darren Byers (Uni Cycle Club) Masters C - 96km 1 David Croswell (Victor Cycle Club) 2 Dennis Laing (Hamilton Pine Rivers Wheelers) 3 Rod Bailey (Murwillumbah Cycle Club) 4 David Carmen (Logan City Cycling Club) 5 Ashley Curtis (Balmoral Cycling Club) 6 Stuart Ellick (Murwillumbah Cycle Club) 7 Peter Jensen (Hamilton Pine Rivers Wheelers) 8 Peter Reaburn (Rockhampton Cycle Club) 9 Robert Eckel 10 Robert Malcolm (Northern Rivers Cycling Club) KOM David Croswell (Victor Cycle Club) Masters D - 96km 1 Andrew Tickner (Rockhampton Cycling Club) 2 Andrew Mathewson (Toowoomba Cycling Club) 3 Graeme Spender (Hamilton Pine Rivers Wheelers) 4 Ian McCallwy (NRCC) 5 Ross O'Meara (Sunshine Coast) 6 Tony Hooper (Toowoomba Cycling Club) 1st Woman Kristi Errey (Victor Cycle Club) KOM Ross O'Meara (Sunshine Coast Cycle Club)
