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Midland Cycling Club
Multiplex crit #4 - Perth, Western Australia, December 6, 2005
A Grade
By 'Lord Byron'
"On a colder evening than previously, the fourth instalment of the Midland Cycle Club's summer crit series was held last night out at the AHG centre. In fact it was noticeably colder, and the armwarmers were even bought out from the mothballs. However, the racing was red hot and again it was a great spectacle for those who turned up to watch.
A grade again had a big turn out of approximately 30 riders, with a few new faces this week. You know that the race is becoming popular when the great GP (Gavin Parsonage), winner of the 1994 Melbourne to Warrnambool, takes time out of his schedule to inflict his V12 engine on the rest of us!
This course, with the screaming westerly terrorising the back section of the course, rewards those who are prepared to make the effort to establish a break, and from the start it was exactly that on many minds. Many attacks came from the start and early on Brad Hall and Russell Brooks broke away, but the wind was taking its toll and within a few laps they had been reeled back in.
Now the group became twitchy as Peter Dawson was champing at the bit to break away. He tried numerous times but was covered every time, most noticeably by Phil Reimann of Riders Choice. The continuous surging had paid its price on the group though, and quite a few riders were dropped early.
After about 15 minutes the attacks were coming fast and furiously, and the group began to split up with small gaps forming throughout the line. On this course 5 metres can seem like 50 into that headwind and after the commotion had calmed down there were two groups. A front group of 8 and a chasing group of about 15-17 riders. The breakaway group got a quick 100 metres on the group but weren't working well, and after too much foxing and a couple of huge turns by Steve Mouritz in the chasing group it was all back together.
Again the opportunistic attacking began but all were covered until Jason Rigg and Cameron Meyer got away. These two are on great form at the moment and quickly established 100 metres on the group. Back in the group, everyone was looking at each other, wondering who was going to do the chasing. Brad Hall jumped to the front and did a lot of work but without his twin engine in Rhys Sherbourne, was always going to find it hard to drag back Meyer and Riggy. It was amazing watching Riggy and Meyer working together, putting a huge gap into a group of 20 people. This course is tough for the solo or duo breakaway and these two were making a meal of it.
With two laps to go Cameron began attacking Riggy and on the third attempt he got away, winning in a similar fashion to that of last week. Obviously he is in amazing form and is unbeatable at the moment on that circuit. Congrats to Riggy also, who worked damn hard for his second place. Further back, Dawson, Travis Meyer and Michael Fitzgerald broke away with one to go and filled the remaining prize places, just outpacing a fast finishing Gavin Parsonage. Again, it was a great night of racing and as mentioned last week, keeps every one honest. Nowhere to hide out here!
If you haven't come down head down for a couple of nights racing before Christmas and give yourself a midweek tune-up for Sunday racing.
B Grade
By Audrey Hendricks
We were missing a few of the regulars from the past three weeks, perhaps getting ready for the holiday season, and chasing a few turkeys and hams...However we gained new virgins to the AHG track, with Brett Russell, Simon ribarich, David Rawlings, Marc Sprod, Joseph Carreno, Scott Tulk, Josh Dawkins and Brian Simmond.
B Grade started their ride of well in a organised bunch - working well, and doing turns to make a go of it into a westerly. Jason Pelham always looking the goods in the bunch, working with Shayne Dutzmann, Daniel O'Donoghue, Michael Freiberg, Graham Gardiner, David Shailer; Simon Mattiaccio, having enjoyed his ride last week, returned for more of the same.
The majority of these riders formed a solid group of atheletes and the ferocity of the wind took its toll on most others. The junior riders falling off the back, with van der Togt, Anderson, Jakelski, Pallett-Jones, MacPherson having to have a rethink and regroup to stay on the course together. Taking turns to save valuable energy and using this session as a great training race.
The race took on a definitive shape with a smaller stronger bunch emerging, one of the consistent riders at this crit series there, Jason Pelham, and Michael Freiberg another emerging Midland Junior only in his second season. Who was going to bloom at the right time, as the winner was anybody's guess. With time running out and the race wore, the weary eliminated themselves through sheer exhaustion.
The winner emerging from the group of 8 riders...finishing the sprint well ...we saw the young rider in Ben King, beating the strong finishing Simon Mattiachio, Jason Pelham, and David Rawlings. Michael Freiberg was unfortunate again to finish just out of the place getters in 5th Spot...Hopefully he will get some returns for his investment in racing this rather competivetive series in the future...
Great safe riding by all the GUYS.
Results
A Grade 1 Cameron Meyer (WAIS/MidlandCC) 2 Jason Rigg ( Northern Dist) 3 Peter Dawson (Peel CC) 4 Travis Meyer (WAIS/Midland CC) 5 Michael Fitzgerald (WAIS/ NDCC) B Grade 1 Ben King (Southern D CC) 2 Simon Mattiaccio (Melv/Freo) 3 Jason Pelham 4 David Rawlings (Southern D CC) 5 Michael Freiberg (Midland CC)
