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Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club
Sandown Raceway, Melbourne, January 18, 2005
By Mal Sawford
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Back to near perfect weather after last week's scorcher, and a big turnout in all grades was the result. Swiss Olympian Priska Doppmann (Univega) made her first appearance for the season with team mate Christiane Soeder - Doppmann regularly spends the Australian summer doing her pre-season training miles around Port Phillip Bay, also doing plenty of local racing.
As usual, the attacks began in earnest on lap one for A Grade. Aaron Salisbury (HLP/Ridewiser), Geordan Murray (Lloyd Morgan) and Anthony Smith started the split, but when Salisbury's team mate Rob Crowe powered across there was a little too much horsepower up front and the field chased back into contention. Things regrouped at the fifteen minute mark, and despite a number of attacks, the bunch was still intact at the mid point of the race. Grant Matthews and Sean Finning (VIS) attacked in the home straight - there was no immediate response, allowing the strong pair to pull twenty seconds clear.
The response from the main pack came on the climb, with Crowe setting a fierce tempo and splitting the bunch. Fitzroy Cycles riders Tommy Nankervis and Brendan Rowbotham made the split, along with Matt Lloyd (Kathy Watt's Personal Training), and Warren Knevitt (O'Mara Cycles). The chasers made contact with the two leaders, and combined well to put the rest of the bunch out of contention. Finning made his bid for the win at the bell, but was caught before the final climb, allowing Crowe, Nankervis, Rowbotham and Lloyd to open a small gap, which they were able to hold to the finish. Nankervis led the sprint out, with Crowe hard on his wheel, but had the speed to hold big Huey off, with Sun Tour Mt Baw Baw Stage winner Lloyd sprinting well for third.
The huge B Grade field stayed intact for three quarters of the distance, before Cam Winton and Boon Chia (Team Alex) opened a gap. When regular break away protagonist Peter McWeeney chased across with David Buntin (Team Alex) things looked very dangerous, and the addition of former rower Julian Dutton (BikeNOW) proved the winning combination. In the five up sprint, Dutton pulled three lengths clear to record the win in only his second race. Buntin held off Winton by inches for second, with the bunch led home ten seconds later by Belinda Goss (TIS/Cyclingnews).
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C Grade defied the break away trend, with their fast-paced race decided with a field sprint. Geelong rider Luke Jones (100% Cycles) ran out a clear winner, from Sascha Roszak and Andrew Rolland. Lisa Friend (Bianchi) showed great strength and technique, and was the only woman to survive the full distance to earn maximum points in the Inexa - Team Alex series. First timer Steve Brooks ran away with the win in the D Grade race, breaking away midway with Canberra visitor Kerry Knowler. Brooks left Knowler behind in the final fifteen minutes, to take the win nearly two minutes ahead of the bunch. Knowler also showed impressive strength to solo home for second, and also took out the Women's division. Echuca veteran Brian Dew led the bunch home for the minor places, with Andrea Bishop's second place enough to extend her lead in the Inexa series.
Tom Walker is closing in on the hundred point barrier as he continues to lead the $7000 Inexa - Team Alex series. Tommy Nankervis' A Grade win rocketed him back up the leader board to third position, just behind Wayne Andrew. Carnegie Caulfield Criteriums continue Sundays at Glenvale Crescent (Melways map 80B2). C, D and E Grades start at 9am, while A and B Grade ride at 10am. Tuesday night Twilight Racing at Sandown start at 6.30pm for all grades, with access to the circuit via Sandown Road from 6pm. All holders of Cycling Australia licenses are welcome (don't forget to bring your license or receipt!) and non-members can have a go by taking out a day license for $20. 2005 licenses are also now available. For first time competitors and the younger juniors, Tokyo Olympian Mick Hollingsworth conducts novice racing clinics at Glenvale Crescent. For further details, go to www.carnegiecycling.com.au.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Mal Sawford
- A Grade use the full width of the road on the climb
- Belinda Goss leads the B Grade bunch
- C Grade sweep through the chicane
- A quick wave -not all the D Grade racers take themselves too seriously!
A Grade 1 hour + 2 laps, 36 Starters 1 Tommy Nankervis (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Robert Crowe (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Matt Lloyd (St Kilda) 4 Brendan Rowbotham (Carnegie Caulfield) 5 Warren Knevitt (Carnegie Caulfield) 6 Sean Finning (Castlemaine) B Grade 55 minutes + 2 laps, 63 Starters 1 Julian Dutton (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 David Buntin (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Cameron Winton (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Peter McWeeney (Carnegie Caulfield) 5 Boon Chia (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Belinda Goss (Tasmania) 2 Priska Doppmann (Switzerland) 3 Nikki Matthews (Carnegie Caulfield) C Grade 50 minutes + 2 laps, 39 Starters 1 Luke Jones (Geelong West) 2 Sacha Roszak (Mornington) 3 Andrew Rolland (Blackburn) 4 Gordon Minty (Mornington) Women Lisa Friend (Carnegie Caulfield) D Grade 45 minutes + 2 laps, 24 Starters 1 Steve Brooks (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Kerry Knowler (Canberra) 3 Brian Dew (Echuca) 4 Andrew Rose (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Kerry Knowler (Canberra) 2 Andrea Bishop (Carnegie Caulfield)
