Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Mt Hood Classic Photo ©: Swift |
Results and Reports from Australia
Promoters wishing to submit results should send them to Cyclingnews
Footscray Cycling Club
Cram Memorial, April 29, 2006
Andrew Dick who has been riding for the Footscray Cycling club since 1978 finally won his first Memorial, the Cram. This race is named after the late Peter, his sons Alex and Harry. Andrew was delighted and a bit overcome with winning a Memorial but more so because Andrew has raced against and is a good friend of Huey Cram who is very ill and his son Barry Cram, who tried desperately to win but ended up coming home in 6th. Andrew was also delighted with the win as he was a late inclusion into the race and took his opportunity with both hands,
Footscray Cycling Club also welcomed two special guests for the memorial, Zac Dempster who rides for the Porsche/Drapac team and is the recent winner of the Bendigo Madison, and Simon Gerrans, who rode the Tour de France finishing third on Stage 17, winner of the Herald Sun Tour and Tour Down Under. Simon was recovering from an infection that occurred after breaking his collarbone and is preparing himself for a return to racing in Europe in a couple of weeks.
The interest was whether the Scratch riders could catch the limit markers who started 25mins in front. At the halfway point all 5 groups were intact and working well and scratch were now only 12minutes behind the leaders.
In the next 10kms, the two front groups joined and suddenly the pace lifted at the front. With 20kms left to race no time had been made on the leaders from any of the chasers except for the scratch group which had cut the deficit to 9mins. Even with a Tour de France rider the Scratch group were going to struggle to catch the outmarkers.
A bunch of 15 riders rounded the final bend and David Lucid and Peter McQuade decided togo for glory and looked like they were going to fight it out between them but they misjudged how far the finishing line was and started to slow considerably. Andrew Dick and Jim Brennan saw their chance and made a final dash to the line, with Andrew coming home with the bouquet!. David Lucid hung on for 3rd, Peter McQuade finished 4th, with Brett Rallings and Barry Cram filling the last placings .
The last lap saw the Scratch riders attack each other to see who would get fastest time. This time Simon Gerrans showed how good he really was as he powered away in the last 8kms to cross the line solo with Zac Dempster taking the sprint for second ahead of Ben O'Leary.
