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Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club Sandown Twilight Criteriums
Sandown Raceway, Victoria, January 15, 2008
Top pros dominate racing
By Mal Sawford
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A picture perfect day brought the biggest field of the year - 216 riders - to Sandown. There were however a few anxious looking faces amongst the local A Graders when Henk Vogels and Johnny Clarke (Toyota United), Chris Jongewaard (Avanti/SASI) and Nic Sanderson (Jelly Belly) added their names to the start list.
It didn’t take long for the pro’s to make their mark either, with Vogels and Jongewaard joined by David Kemp (Merida) and Andrew Stalder (Promains/Richmond Cyclery) in a high powered break. Stalder, who has been handicapped by back problems since Christmas, dropped off the pace at the twenty minute mark, but the 65 strong chasing bunch made little impression on the leaders. Clarke attacked strongly on the climb just before half way, with Pete Johnstone (Inexa Race Frames) glued to his wheel, and the pair bridged to the leaders: once they were there, the margin back to the bunch quickly ballooned to over forty seconds.
In the final fifteen minutes, a chase group containing Danny Kah (CCCC/SHM Elite), Pat Shaw (Jayco VIS), the newly engaged Tommy Nankervis (Fitzroy Cycles), Chris Tymms (O2 Networks), Guy Green (Great Doherty’s), Murray Spink (Giant), Warren Knevitt (O’Mara Cycles), Matt Shea (Inexa) and Stalder halved the gap, but were never really in danger of reaching the break.
Clarke attacked the break soon after the start of the final two laps and rode to a well deserved win in what is his final race before heading to the US for his first season with Toyota United. 17 year old Johnstone upset his more fancied companions with a good sprint to hold off Vogels, Jongewaard and Kemp, with Pat Shaw outsprinting the chasers to take the final prize.
After an early break by Steve Brooks (Hampton Cycles), Steve Morrow, Russell Newnham (Pro-Motion Bicycles), Mark Ferguson and Ken Ford was chased down, the B Grade looked like they were determined to chase down every break.
The big bunch did just that until the final ten minutes when Luke Fetch (Torq) and Bruce Trew powered away, initially chased unsuccessfully by Doug Reynolds (Great Doherty’s) and Ferguson. Strong solo efforts by Darren Sayers (Top Gear) and Clint Van Beveren (Power Bar) couldn’t reach the hard working leaders either, who eventually finished ten seconds clear.
Fetch was too strong for Trew and took an uncontested sprint, with the bunch led home by Sean Hanneberry, Gary Chamberlain (Bicycle Superstore) and Pat Lane (TCR). Burnie Criterium winner Shannon McCurley risked an ‘excessive sock height fine’ but took out the women’s division ahead of Michelle Murrell.
C and D Grades both finished with bunch sprints. Martin Lavery sprinted to a clear win in C Grade in his first ride since promotion from D Grade, so will now have the opportunity to test his legs in B Grade. Nick Murray was next home, ahead of Canadian visitor David Beggs and Seton Macleod, while a closely contested women’s division saw Kerrie Howard (Fitzroy Cycles) take the cash ahead of Myra Moller (Kathy Watt Cycling) and Lisa Rosan.
Roger Lancaster (Cadbury) came close to topping the podium in D Grade, as he sprinted well clear out of the final corner, but hit the wall hard in the final twenty metres and was just overhauled by Imre Szeredi and had to settle for second. Third went to Eric Shepherd and fourth to Mark Aspinall, and the women’s section saw Zoe Bloore with her second successive win ahead of Annette Curnow (The Freedom Machine) and Sue Cox.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Mal Sawford
- David Kemp leads Chris Jongewaard and Henk Vogels.
- Johnny Clarke and Pete Johnstone were the last to reach the break, but ended up first and second on the night.
- Ken Ford leads B Grade into the final corner.
- Steve Brooks leads an unsuccesful B Grade break.
- John Pritchard leads C Grade ladies winner Kerrie Howard over the crest.
- Andrea Bishop stands out in the D Grade bunch.
Results
A Grade - 60 mins + 3 laps (69 starters) 1 Johnny Clarke (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Pete Johnstone (Chelsea & Peninsula) 3 Henk Vogels (Western Australia) 4 Chris Jongewaard (South Australia) 5 David Kemp (Queensland) 6 Pat Shaw (Ballarat/Sebastapol) B Grade - 60 mins + 3 laps (50 Starters) 1 Luke Fetch (Mornington) 2 Bruce Trew (Mornington) 3 Sean Hanneberry (St Kilda) 4 Gary Chamberlain (Blackburn) 5 Pat Lane (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Shannon McCurley (Latrobe City) 2 Michelle Murrell (Carnegie Caulfield) C Grade - 50 mins + 3 laps (45 Starters) 1 Martin Lavery (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Nick Murray (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 David Beggs (Canada) 4 Seton Macleod (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Kerrie Howard (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Myra Moller (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Lisa Rosan (Hawthorn) D Grade - 45 mins + 3 laps (49 Starters) 1 Imre Szeredi (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Roger Lancaster (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Eric Shepherd (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Mark Aspinall (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Zoe Bloore (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Annette Curnow (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Sue Cox (Carnegie Caulfield)
