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Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club
Sandown Twilight Series, Tuesday, February 13, 2007
By Mal Sawford
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Dark clouds rolled in towards Sandown during the afternoon, but the wind eased as race time approached providing a rare opportunity to tackle the 3.5km motor racing circuit in still conditions for well over 200 riders.
The first break in A Grade saw Aiden McInernay (Fitzroy Cycles) joined by Trevor Hutchings, Nathan Wise (Richmond Cyclery) and Frank Cipriano (Datacom/Burnley Finance), but their effort was short lived. With the field lined out for a number of laps, the pace proved too hot for some and at the half way mark a very strong group containing Vaughan Bowman (Le Tour Cycles), Pat Shaw (VIS), Justin Davis (O'Mara Cycles), Paul Mason, Danny Kah (SHM Cycles), Dale Wooton, Nick Palecek (Richmond Cyclery), Simon Bone, Wise, Andrew Stalder and Anthony Smith (Promains), Robert Crowe (BikeNOW), Andrew Nicholls (Croydon Cycleworks) and Japanese riders Toru Yuasa, Masharo Watanabe and Kazuya Nagae rode away.
Only a small chase group led by the number one ranked woman in world cycling, Nicole Cooke (Raleigh - Lifeforce Creations), Luke Pledger (O'Mara) and Matt Chessum (SHM) made contact as the split grew to twenty seconds. It looked like the bunch was out of contention until a bit of indecision in the lead group saw their pace drop, and the two groups came back together.
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Bowman continued the effort alone for another lap, before a counter attack at the bell by Stalder, Wise, Kah and mountain biker Scott Liston. Their ten second gap never looked like being enough, but although the chasers closed the gap rounding the final corner, Stalder, Wise and Kah had done enough to claim the top three places, with Matt Chessum (SHM), Bowman and Jamie Kelly (Terry Hammond Cycles) crossing the finish line hard on their heels.
On the still night, few riders escaped the attentive B Grade bunch for long. Newly promoted Glen Janetzki had a dip in the early stages, and Russell Newnham (Pro-Motion Bicycles) combined with Paul Weymouth with fifteen minutes remaining, but a bunch sprint always looked likely.
Steve Brooks (Hampton Cycles) sprinted to the line well clear of Footscray veteran Colin Morris, with Adrian Vlok (Richmond Cyclery), Jarred Anderson (Melbourne Bicycle Centre) and Doug Reynolds (Doherty's) just ahead of a wall of riders for the minor places. Raleigh team mates Patricia Schwager and Tanya Slater were split by new CCCC member Nicole Whitburn (Mainline Cycles) at the head of a strong women's contingent sharpening up for the first round of the World Cup just a few weeks away.
Russell Johnston took the C Grade win after an attacking ride, escaping briefly on the first lap with Paul Yeatman and Brett Cope. Brent Tomlinson (Hampton Cycles) attacked repeatedly in the closing stages, and actually overtook a lethargic B Grade bunch as the finish approached before the faster finishers took control.
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Johnston earned his way to B Grade with a good win ahead of Jason Swackhammer, up and coming junior rider Oliver Le Grice (O'Mara) and Chris Broeren (Gold Cross Cycles), with Melissa Kah too strong for Karen McPherson in the women's section.
New rider Jason Spencer took a first up win in D Grade in a bunch sprint ahead of Roger Lancaster (Cadbury Schweppes), Daniel Petrovic and David Ward, while a very close women's sprint saw Anni Jensen (Kathy Watt Cycling) just hold off Beata Janetzki.
CJ Farquharson was hard at work again capturing all the action from the night's racing. Check out her latest gallery at www.Velophoto.net.
Carnegie Caulfield Criteriums continue next Tuesday evening at Sandown Raceway is held on at Sandown International Raceway. Entry is via the Sandown Road gate from 6pm (Melways map 80 B6), with racing starting at 6.30pm for all grades. Sunday morning races at Glenvale Crescent (Melways map 80B2) resume on February 4th, with B, D and E Grades starting at 9am, while A and C Grade ride at 10am.
All holders of current Cycling Australia licenses are welcome (don't forget to bring your license or receipt - there is a strict no licence no race policy in effect!) and non-members can have a go by taking out a day license for $20. 2007 licenses are now available at all CCCC events. Returning riders must resume in the grade in which they last raced, unless prior arrangements are made with the handicapper.
For first time competitors and the younger juniors, Tokyo Olympian Mick Hollingsworth conducts novice racing clinics within the E Grade race at Glenvale Crescent. For further details, go to www.carnegiecycling.com.au
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by CJ Farquharson/www.Velophoto.net
- Michelle Rowe flies through the chicane
- B Grade through the chicane
- Groups all came together on the back straight
- Attacking on the climb
- Greg Lane leads D grade into the final corner
- B grade through the final corner
- Scott Liston attacked in the final lap of the A Grade race
- A long, long line of riders
- Jason Spencer holds off Roger Lancaster to win D Gradet
- A wall of riders swarms to the line in the B Grade sprint
- Andrew Stalder wins A Grade ahead of Nathan Wise
Results
A Grade (1 hour + 2 laps, 65 starters) 1 Andrew Stalder (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Nathan Wise (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Danny Kah (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Matt Chesum (Carnegie Caulfield) 5 Vaughan Bowman (Blackburn) 6 Jamie Kelly (Carnegie Caulfield) B Grade (55 minutes + 2 laps, 64 starters) 1 Steve Brooks (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Colin Morris (Footscray) 3 Adrian Vlok (St Kilda) 4 Jarrod Anderson (Carnegie Caulfield) 5 Doug Reynolds (Blackburn) Women 1 Patricia Schwager (Switzerland) 2 Nicole Whitburn (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Tanya Slater (Great Britain) C Grade (50 minutes + 2 laps, 45 starters) 1 Russell Johnson (Chelsea & Peninsula) 2 Jason Swackhammer (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Oliver Le Grice (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Chris Broeren (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Melissa Kah (Carnegie Caulfield) D Grade (45 minutes + 2 laps, 41 starters) 1 Jason Spencer (Blackburn) 2 Roger Lancaster (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Daniel Petrovic (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 David Ward (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Anni Jensen (Chelsea & Peninsula) 2 Beata Janetzki (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Melissa Nicholls (Carnegie Caulfield)
