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Mildura-Coomealla Cycling Club
Riverside circuit, Mildura, March 21, 2004
Akkerman fends off the chasers
By Peter Winton
Just excuse me for a minute while I kick that Irish usurper out of my chair! There, that's better, there's only room for one at a time.
Seriously though, I do thank Mr Doody for his excellent contribution. For his Irish friends information, he didn't turn green on March 17, no, he turned green on the morning of the 18th instead, if you know what I mean.
Autumn is the best time of the year in most places in this country of ours and today was no exception to that climactic statement although I do wish David Tozer would pull a blanket over that southerly air flow way down there in Port Fairy. Can you organize that for us Toz?
Sunny skies in Sunraysia saw to it that 24 riders slipped on the lycra and the clip-clop shoes for an hour and a half of sweaty exercise and serious fun. Good numbers again with another newcomer in Dave Digby having his first taste of road racing. Will he come back I wonder?
Robyn Doyle, Sam Priest and Dave Digby slipped out some 5 minutes ahead of the serious C grade group of Rob Akkermans, Adrian Lloyd and Peter Doody. This trio had a personal little battle of their own going on with the leaders jersey points so close and with only 3 events (all next week) to go in the Summer Series. 5 minutes further out trudged the older blokes in Arthur "selley's No More Gaps" Anderson , Barry Pollock, Jack Lokan, Peter Winton, Richard Hale and the not so old Sean Gallagher. Could the winner come from this solid sextuplet, stay tuned.
Chopping block is now the crucial element in our Club's membership with the likes of Steve Fenwick, Brendan Liddle, that man Peter Mills, Dion Bassi-Anstee, Ian Beruldsen and the trump card in Scott Giles. This is some awesome line up in our ranks, which is not meant to take anything away from the scratchies but it's been quite a few years since our Club has enjoyed the depth of strength it is currently experiencing. This group were giving us 5 minutes and they had a break of 300 seconds from the riders from hell. Scratch comprised Kevin Tankard, Rob McNally, Mark Busch, Nathan Summerhayes and Errol Schmidt. There we go, the scene is set, the breeze has sprung up just like it always does and the plans were made and all that needs to happen is for each to play their part.
So what happened? Why didn't the second limit group wait up for the 10 minute riders? What went wrong? Obviously we older ones are now yesterday's newspapers and not commanding the required respect from the up and comers. Things will need to change, and I believe they will boys!
Scratch caught chopping block on lap 4 of 7 whilst the 10 minute group continued on in the belief they would swamp the 5 minute riders late in the order of things. Time gaps provided by the "Mayor of Werrimull" indicated there was still a deal of chasing to be done and each rider maintained their rhythm in a well orchestrated bunch. Onwards and ever upwards, just like in Toy Story.
The bell was rung by the "Mayor" and it all became very clear the 10 minute bunch would fail in its quest to swamp the trio of Doody, Lloyd and Akkermans. Idle thoughts were turning to dark forbodings of secret training and the masking of true abilities, woooh, you waskily wabbits.
With a last ditch effort to stay away from the descending hordes from the rear, Pollock gee'd up his colleagues with his grunting commands and the tiring legs of all pushed hard for the cause of the B grade leader (Hale) to stay away. Lokan dug deep and found plenty, whilst Winton dragged Hale up and over the cemetery rise (he was moaning like a basking walrus at doing 45 kliks) but into the last kilometre he went with a 70 metre buffer and the hungry pack behind would not now catch him, barring a puncture.
Into the sprint zone we went with the Anderson Bianchi frame leading the remnants now that Hale was safe into 4th place overall. A desperate late lunge saw Mark Busch get over the line in front of Kevin Tankard to take fastest time but they failed to catch the 10 minute riders. Did I care? Not really coz that cramp in my right calf was biting hard and I just knew I should have 2 more stubbies at the Ross Wilson concert last night, "doin' the eagle rock, rock, rock"!
Tuesday coming is an 8km time trial followed by the Lunarfest Criterium at Red Cliffs on Saturday evening and the season finale next Sunday morning at Gol Gol.
Results, 56km handicap road race
1 R Akkermans 1.32.08 2 A Lloyd 0.02 3 P Doody 0.04 4 R Hale 5 J Lokan 6 S Gallagher 7 A Anderson 8 P Winton 9 B Pollock 10 M Busch 11 K Tankard 12 N Sumerhayes 13 R McNally 14 E Schmidt 15 I Beruldsen 16 B Liddle 17 S Giles 18 D Bassi-Anstee 19 S Fenwick 20 P Mulhearn 21 P Mills DNF R Doyle DNF D Digby Fastest time: M Busch 1.18.56 Juniors (5 laps) 1 S Priest
