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Mildura-Coomealla CC
Etiwanda Av. and 19th St, August 28, 2004
Flozza first (again!)
By Peter Winton
Another warm and windy day for Mildura's competitive cyclists on Saturday, August 28 still did not deter a good field of 29 from seeking their weekly habit. 2 visitors this week, Geoff Marshall "home" again from his wanderings and Dave Tozer, in town early for the Tour of Sunraysia, as he completes his preparation for that event.
Nathan Floramo cashed in on the big effort of Scott Giles to outsprint Michael Shipsides in a great finish. Floramos time was 1:22:39.
Today's proceedings got underway slightly behind time but, given the way the groups nearly all combined at the end, it was a handicapping triumph.
Limit went out at 21 minutes and taking up this position were Tom Athorn, Robyn Doyle, Joe Monteleone, Dave Digby and Cam Crothers. Crothers was away from his bunch before the first lap was done and that's where he stayed for most of the day. At 12 minutes were Harry Robbins, Dave Priest, Kev Gregory and Andrew Twaddle. Two minutes further back we had Adam Wightwick, Jack Lokan, Peter Mills and Arthur Anderson. At first glance one could be excused for thinking this bunch had been set up for the win however, the signs of disintegration started soon after the capture of the earlier group with Mills (dnf - lap 5) the first off the back and then Wightwick (dnf - lap 6) and Lokan in trouble. Anderson soon the only rider to remain in the mix of the 10 minute bunch with the 12's after the early capture. With the "Doc" showing some strong form of late would he carve these riders up and go on to record his first Club win for more than 8 years?
At 8 minutes the seriousness started with the likes of Geoff Marshall, Rob Akkermans, Peter Doody, Richard Hale, Sean Gallagher and Dion Bassi-Anstee. Any of these riders are more than capable of being "chopping-block" riders in our Club.
One lap prior to the capture of the "Doc's" bunch Akkermans (dnf - lap7) suffered a fall from a touch of wheels. Right in front of the spectator group, an ungracious dismount accompanied by the metallic clang and shrill scrapping sound occurred. Game over for that rider.
At 6 minutes and raring to go were Nathan Floramo, Michael Shipsides, Ian Beruldsen, Ian Brade and Scott Giles. An interesting union of potential scratch riders, good sprinting finishers and powerhouses. Beruldsen soon found out where he wasn't at by suddenly dropping off the back and having to work away on his own, lap after lap. He didn't quit though. All the while Cameron Crothers was putting lap after lap away on his own. Were we looking at another limit riders win today?
After having to witness the field, bar the 6 minute group, go round once the scratch bunch of Club Champion Errol Schmidt, Kev Tankard, Rob McNally, Mark Busch and Tour of Sunraysia debutante Dave Tozer finally got to unleash their pent up energies. Look out turkey's, were away!
Away they may have been but disintegration also occurred amongst the Club's elite. Busch in trouble mid race and by lap 7 Tankard was no longer inextricably linked to the Tozer, Schmidt, McNally train. Hard times for that surviving trio.
As it turned out Peter Mills offered the reason for the uncharacteristic flops for several die-hards. Dave Tozer had taken a few of the riders on a 3 hour "warm-up". I think Mills' words went something, "we just sat-on him as he blasted us". They must have forgotten about the cycling appetite of the little blue engine!
"Racing officials" Scott and Winton were wiping their collective brows as they rushed to change lap counting boards up and down to cater for the individual bunches and lone riders out there. Electrolyte drink was required to replace the loss of fluids from the scribbling of notes and ticking off numbers at each passing lap (it's only 5.3kms round this little number). Put me back on my bike, and soon please, I can't stand the pressure of administrative failure.
Cam Crothers was finally wound back in by the pulsating force of 6, 8, 10 and 12 minute groups (the limit bunch was strangulated as you'd expect apart from Robyn Doyle) at approximately the 43km mark. Anyone's guess as to what might eventuate now. Would Scotty Giles draw on his significant muscle mass to put the lesser humans to the torch or would Floramo, Brade and Anderson form an axis of evil and commence attacking their former friends?
Meanwhile, scratch rode on in the hope of sneaking up on a large bunch of riders that may have taken the easy option to play "foxes and hounds". Not today blokes!
Entering the final straight a lone rider approached. 30 metres in arrears, the rest of the field (minus scratch and limit) followed. It's a long way to the end if ya wanna win! Bassi-Anstee it was and still leading, but dying, 150m out, a top effort seeing he'd attacked 2 kilometres further back. Then that unflustered rider Nathan Floramo crept to the front with a big burly frame on his outside challenging him.
Wheel for wheel they went at it and only in the last metres did "Flozza" do just enough to take the maximum points from a hard riding Shipsides. Flashing home late for third was Ian Brade with Peter Doody a comfortable 4th then a flurry of colour and wheels after that.
Fastest time of 1:19:30 was recorded by David Tozer from TdS colleague Errol Schmidt.
Results, 53 km handicap
1 N Floramo 1.22.39 2 M Shipsides 3 I Brade 0.01 4 P Doody 5 R Hale 6 S Giles 7 H Robbins 8 A Twaddle 9 A Anderson 10 D Bassi-Anstee 11 S Gallagher
