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Mildura-Coomealla Cycling Club
Kulkyne Way, Red Cliffs, Vic, April, 29, 2006
Big turn-out for handicap
By Peter Winton
One of the largest fields for more than a decade lined up for Saturday’s 75km handicap event conducted by the Mildura-Coomealla Cycling Club. 38 riders milled at the Barndeet Road (Red Cliffs) starting point as Club President, Richard Hale, welcomed 5 new members, Kate Bourchier, Jess Butler, Ken Dean, Chris Westwood and Andrew Pennington to the local cycle racing scene.
In monetary terms, this number of bikes equated to approximately $200,000 worth of road racing bicycles, all purchased locally, involved in the weekends activity.
The large field of riders and healthy influx of new members enabled the Club handicapper, Michael Murdoch, to conduct a separate race for the first-timers. Jess Butler, Andrew Pennington, Ken Dean along with regulars Gary Schurr and Ryan Digby contested a 30 kilometre scratch event. Kate Bouchier and Chris Westwood lined up in the main event.
Overcast skies provided a perfect backdrop for the Kulkyne Way handicap, coupled with light winds and no rain Dave Digby rode off the limit mark of 22 minutes as a solo competitor and managed to stay away from his immediate pursuers until almost the half-way point at Colignan. The first chasing bunch from a mark of 15 minutes, included Kevin Gregory, Barry Pollock, Harry Robbins, Ian Japp, Kate Bouchier, Tom Athorn and Peter Winton. It wasn’t to be Tom Athorn’s day however, as he punctured before Lindeman’s winery. Kate Bouchier had found the start-up pace of 41kms/hr a bit much for her first race and she dropped off moments before Athorn’s puncture. The “Dad’s Army” bunch was then down to a steady group of 5 but kept tapping out a relentless cadence in silent mode, maintaining a 36kms/hr average.
The next bunch out at 11 minutes were hard on the heels of the well-oiled dad’s army troupe at the end of the bitumen turn-around. Less than a minute separating the two with a bonding of the two bunches imminent. Tom Sutcliffe and Jeff Mitchell had Peter Sargent, Adrian Richardson, Garry Pitt and Greg Scott on a 40km/hr average to Colignan but Scott fell away prior to the capture. The re-set bunch speed of 42kms/hr caused Dave Digby some major trouble and he too, fell away at this point.
Once heading home on the return leg it is plain for all to see just what the positions and compositions of the chasing bunches are. Once passed by the scratch markers however it’s “game-over” unfortunately. There were numerous solo riders appearing, Arthur Anderson had been dumped by his bunch, as was Ian Beruldsen and Chris Westwood. Michael Shipsides had suffered two punctures to ruin his day and the hapless Athorn had endured the same fate. These riders eventually all connected and worked together to finish their race off in stoic fashion.
At 6 minutes and 45 seconds were Dave Priest, Peter Mills, Brendan Liddle, Steph Frawley and Michael Shipsides. Shipsides was to suffer successive punctures to ruin his race. This bunch was caught before the half way mark by the 3:30 group of Arthur Anderson, Chris Westwood, Peter Doody and Rob Akkermans although Anderson had been dropped. The “war cry” emanating from Doody when the groups passed each other on opposite sides of the road failed to amount to anything as his combined bunch did not trouble the strong formation led by Sutcliffe and Mitchell. Dave Priest had a spot of bother at the marshalled turn-around by getting slightly off-road and coming to grief. He soon regained his composure and completed the race without further incident.
The chopping block riders of this race were off at 1 minute 15 seconds from scratch. Ian Beruldsen, Rob McNally, Ben Nicholson, Ian Brade and Errol Schmidt had a most unenviable task to avoid the scratch group of Kevin Tankard, Scott Giles, Richard Hale and Michael Murdoch. Ben Nicholson riding extremely well to take fastest time of the race in 1:49:54 for the 75 kilometres.
Kevin Tankard had the scratch bunch at 47kms/hr for extended periods in his effort to chase down the chopping block group to no avail.
Most riders were elated (and exhausted at the same time) with the fast times of their respective groups and a word of warning issued from the handicapper of impending reviews of several riders handicap positions, both up and down.
For the new riders and juniors a 30km scratch race was arranged. Ryan Digby had a distinct advantage over his challengers courtesy of his higher fitness level from recent racing experience. Ryan beat home another regular in Gary Schurr from Ken Dean in third place. Jess Butler proved herself worthy of being a racing cyclist by relegating Andrew Pennington to the “lantern rouge” position. The Club is pleased to see some more junior participants to it’s ranks. Ken Dean will soon find out all about road racing in the coming weeks as the events start to reach up to and over the 80km distance as Club members put the hard yards in preparing for this years Berri Open. No doubt the smile on Ken’s face will grow, but it may be just a grimace by another name?
Results, 75km
1 T Sutcliffe 2 P Robbins 3 B Pollock 4 J Mitchell 5 P Sargent 6 G Pitt 7 K Gregory 8 P Winton 9 S Gallagher 10 R Akkermans 11 B Nicholson (fastest time, 1:49:54) 12 P Doody 13 B Liddle 14 D Priest 15 R McNally 16 E Schmidt 17 P Mills 18 S Frawley 19 I Brade 20 M Murdoch 21 S Giles 22 K Tankard 23 R Hale 24 A Anderson 25 D Digby 26 G Scott 27 A Richardson 28 C Westwood (first race) 29 I Beruldsen 30 M Shipsides ) 31 T Athorn I Japp – didn’t claim placing DNF K Bourchier (first race) 30km scratch race 1 R Digby 0.59.10 2 Gary Schurr 3 K Dean (first race) 4 J Butler 2.00 5 A Pennington 3.29
