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Mildura-Coomealla Cycling Club

Mildura, Victoria, August 13, 2005

Jeff 'Major' Mitchell no galah!

By Peter Winton

Marvellous (in Richie Benaud tone) it is how the new riders of two years ago have blossomed in Mildura's competitive cycling scene. This week it was Jeff Mitchell demonstrating, to all those that would care to witness, his ability to maintain a 38km average for 64kms of handicap racing. From my position in the winning bunch (two weeks in a row and still without a podium finish!) Jeff was the dominant rider but more than capably supported by Ian Japp and Adrian Lloyd. The 'vet' has now had two strong rides in a row and clearly is targeted for an elevation. Lloydy, the boy in blue, brought fresh legs to the second limit bunch and the team time trial riding strategy adopted by this bunch again is right up his alley. These riders went 1-2-3 today. Winton folding at the 60km mark and Kev Gregory a kilo later.

Limit rider Gary Pitt had extricated himself from his colleagues, Tom Athorn and Joe Monteleone reasonably early from their 16 minute handicap (short changed they were apparently) and by lap 4 the early explorer (Jeff 'Major' Mitchell) group at 10 minutes had two thirds of limit in their sights. Pitt, however, had taken off and would be a difficult escapee to capture. Capture was his fate and although he endeavoured to get involved in TTT turns he found the expectation jar empty of expectations and full of perspiration (lovely that, thanks to Mr P Doody).

Some race tactical errors occurred behind the front end as the middle bunch of Ian Beruldsen, Arthur Anderson, Michael Shipsides and Greg Scott (7 minute mark) had chosen to sit-up and wait for chopping block upon their sighting. There was no doubt this amalgamation was foretold in any prophecy you care to entertain but, had they (7min bunch) kept driving the pace, the steam-rolling Mitchell express may have been roped in and soon after the chopping block of Sean Gallagher, Pete Doody (40.1 km/h avg.), Richard Hale, Jack Lokan Rob Akkermans (Bassi-Anstee had retired) would have reeled in their prey, evidenced by the very narrow finishing time gap. The race would have been that much closer if all this theory had come into play and we would have had a alternate finishing order, no doubt.

Ok, not to take take anything away from the 10 minute group's effort, as it worked extremely smoothly and the podium finishers all deserved their placings. The scratchies must be getting a little jaded by all this as they have seen a lot of rear ends of bike riders in the last month. Kev Tankard, Michael Murdoch, Scott Giles and Pete Mulhearn (yes, he forced his way back in there by presidential decree) finished in a flurry of wheels with Murdoch taking fastest time again of 1:37:00.

Noted good races from Garry Pitt, the 1-2-3 riders and Sean Gallaghers 4th placing.

All this augurs well for next weeks 64km h/cap at the Merbein cemetery circuit. A circuit with a history favouring scratch riders and the "graveyard" for everyone else.

Results

1 J Mitchell    1.39.30
2 I Japp               
3 A Lloyd              
4 S Gallagher          
5 J Lokan              
6 R Hale               
7 M Shipsides          
8 I Beruldsen          
9 G Scott              
10 P Winton            
 
Fastest Time
 
 M Murdoch             

Local results 2004

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