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Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club
Sandown Twilight Series, Tuesday, February 6, 2007
By Mal Sawford
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Numbers continue to grow at Sandown, with close to 250 riders signing on to race under overcast skies last night. The traditional southerly wind was blowing, and helped keep most bunches together allowing the sprinters to dominate, but making things tough for the judges!
Two early breaks went clear in A Grade without representation from the SHM crew: the first saw three Promains riders, Damon De Angelis, Anthony Smith and Andrew Stalder join Warren Knevitt (O’Mara Cycles), and the next Tom Crebbin (Pro-Motion Bicycles) and Sam Salter (Salter Cycles) clear, but the long drag down the finishing straight into the head wind allowed the bunch to reform each time.
In the final fifteen minutes of racing, the bunch split, with fifteen riders holding a ten second advantage on the rest of the huge bunch. Two laps later, Aiden McInerney (Fitzroy Cycles), Peter Barnett (SHM), Pat Shaw (VIS), Stalder, Guy Green and Vaughan Bowman (Le Tour Cycles) still survived, and had been joined by Matt Chessum, Nathan Wise and Danny Kah (SHM). The bunch raced back into contention at two to go, with only Kah strong enough to elude the chase until midway through the final lap, before the lead out men took over.
Dylan Boone set things up perfectly for Todd Wilksch to take his first win in the Richmond Cyclery colours, with Wilksch followed home by the bronze medallist from the 1986 Commonwealth Games, Max Rainsford (SHM), runaway Inexa Race Frames series leader Brendan Rowbotham (SHM) and Dale Woonton.
The B Grade race always looked like coming down to a bunch sprint, which played perfectly into the hands of big Michael Benham (Kennedy Cycle Fit), who powered along the right hand barriers to win convincingly over Andrew Harrigan, Jarrad Anderson (Melbourne Bicycle Centre) and Daniel Lewis-Toakley. Peta Mullens (VIS/Inexa) was the quickest of a large women’s contingent, taking the win ahead of long term Irish visitor Jenny Fay (Gran Prix Bicycles) and Mary Rogers (Kathy Watt Cycling).
Glen Janetzki finally claimed his elusive win in C Grade after a long breakaway with up and coming junior Brent Tomlinson (Hampton Cycles). Janetzki has consistently been clearly the strongest rider in C Grade over recent weeks, but has previously been very heavily marked and unable to get clear of the bunch for long.
Hamilton Mack worked with the winning pair in the early stages, before losing contact, and retuning to the bunch which would eventually finish over thirty seconds adrift. Janetzki unloaded Tomlinson on the final climb to solo home for the win, with the bunch sprint for third taken by Russell Johnson and Melissa Kah the women’s winner.
Will Rathgeber (BikeNOW) sprinted to the D Grade win ahead of Ben Hibbs and Nathanial Collard - who handled the step up in class from his debut race in E Grade very well. Robert Railton showed that Priska Doppman’s 2006 team bike has lost none of its’ speed by sprinting home in fourth place in front of his personal cheer squad - the Raleigh - Lifeforce women’s pro team! Sarah Riley took the women’s in, ahead of Anni Jensen (Kathy Watt Cycling) and Leesa McDonnell (Melbourne Bicycle Centre).
Carnegie Caulfield Criteriums continue next Tuesday evening at Sandown Raceway is held on at Sandown International Raceway. Entry is via the Sandown Road gate from 6pm (Melways map 80 B6), with racing starting at 6.30pm for all grades. Sunday morning races at Glenvale Crescent (Melways map 80B2) resume on February 4th, with B, D and E Grades starting at 9am, while A and C Grade ride at 10am.
All holders of current Cycling Australia licenses are welcome (don't forget to bring your license or receipt - there is a strict no licence no race policy in effect!) and non-members can have a go by taking out a day license for $20. 2007 licenses are now available at all CCCC events. Returning riders must resume in the grade in which they last raced, unless prior arrangements are made with the handicapper.
For first time competitors and the younger juniors, Tokyo Olympian Mick Hollingsworth conducts novice racing clinics within the E Grade race at Glenvale Crescent. For further details, go to www.carnegiecycling.com.au.
Results
A Grade (1 hour, 79 Starters) 1 Todd Wilksch (Horsham) 2 Max Rainsford (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Brendan Rowbotham (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Dale Woonton (Carnegie Caulfield) 5 Guy Green (Blackburn) 6 Nathan Wise (Carnegie Caulfield) B Grade (55 minutes, 67 Starters) 1 Michael Benham (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Andrew Harrigan (Wellington) 3 Jarrad Anderson (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Daniel Lewis-Toakley (Carnegie Caulfield) 5 John Hollingworth (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Peta Mullens (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Jenny Fay (Ireland) 3 Mary Rogers (Carnegie Caulfield) C Grade (50 minutes, 51 Starters) 1 Glen Janetzki (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Brent Tomlinson (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Russell Johnson (Chelsea & Peninsula) 4 Chris Harney (Great Britain) Women 1 Melissa Kah (Carnegie Caulfield) D Grade (45 minutes, 46 Starters) 1 Will Rathgeber (St Kilda) 2 Ben Hibbs (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Nathaniel Collard (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Robert Railton (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Sarah Riley (MTBA) 2 Anni Jensen (Chelsea & Peninsula) 3 Leesa McDonnell (Carnegie Caulfield)
