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Jim Fawcett Memorial Handicap
Macedon Ranges, May 6, 2006
Coburg Cycling Club report
Seventy-eight riders took to the start of the Coburg Cycling Club Jim Fawcett Memorial Handicap road race under cool, windy conditions at Newham in the Macedon Ranges. The race was won by Chris Steffanoni (Sunbury) off second scratch with fastest time honours to Jake Sutherland (Brunswick). First Coburg rider home (7th) was Andrew Ward.
Most riders where still intact until the second lap of the three that made up the race. At this stage second scratch was 19 minutes down and scratch 22 minutes down. The 20 minute bunch was 10 minutes down and not able to make any inroads to the 20 minute bunch with the gap constant at 3 minutes. The 6 minute bunch and the 12 minute bunch merged at the end of the second lap with 15 minutes capturing the 20 minute bunch at the 58km mark. The second scratch group caught the 15 and 20 bunches at the 70km mark and with second and third scratch working turns it was only a matter of time before they caught the outmarkers. This capture occurred with 5 kilometres to go. Scratch, after the early inroads, only had 6 riders left and they failed by two minutes from catching the leading bunch.
Chris Steffanoni made his move 5km out taking Andrew Gannon (Brunswick) with him with Peter O’Callaghan (Brunswick) attacking shortly after and bridging the gap. The 3 continued to work well together opening the gap on the bunch. They managed to hold off the bunch until near the finish when Gannon could no longer sustain the pace and dropped back to the bunch. In the sprint for the line Steffanoni opened up a small gap and took the victory. In the bunch kick to the line Phil Indivino took the minor placing. Jake Sutherland (Brunswick) took out fastest time for the second week in a row riding away from the scratch bunch, 1:37 down.
Coburg would like to thank corner marshalls Gordon Shaw (Sunbury), Hugh Shultz (Preston), Simon Perry (Coburg), Laurie Lovelock (Hawthorn), John Morrison (Brunswick) and commissaries Jamie Hanson (Coburg), Gary Jennings (Coburg) Klaus Mueller (Brunswick), Tom Probert prefaced the presentation by speaking about the shock the death of Jim Fawcett caused to the Coburg Cycling Club, with many riders hanging up their wheels and the obvious shock to the Fawcett family. Matt Keenan from SEN 1116’s radio program First Off the Bike also had a personal connection to Jim Fawcett and was on hand to assist with presentations. Matt was the fastest time in the 1993 edition of the Jim Fawcett Memorial Handicap with Coburg’s spunky president Luke McDonough being that year’s winner.
Josh Ferrie (J15) took out 2nd place in the junior race in only his second race backing up from fastest time the week prior.
Results, 96km
1 Chris Steffanoni (Sunbury) 6 min 2.17.55 2 Peter O’Callaghan (Brunswick) 6 min 3 Phil Indivino (Italo) 6 min 4 Rick Jones (Carnegie) 12 min 5 Aaron Wilson (Brunswick) 6 min 6 Danny Cohen (SKCC) 6 min 7 Andrew Ward (COBURG) 6 min 8 John Lovelock (Hawthorn) 12 min
