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Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club
Glenvale Crescent Criteriums, Sunday, February 11, 2007
By Mal Sawford
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A wet start to the morning saw low entries early on, but the rain stopped in time for the circuit to be bone dry for all races. A gusting easterly wind made for a tough day all round, however, and all races had a much higher than usual attrition rate.
Whether it was the wind that was the deciding factor in the A Grade race, or the assumption that in a big field there is always someone else to do the chasing; for two thirds of the field the race was effectively over inside five minutes.
An opening lap attack by Peter Barnett (SHM Cycles) was chased down, only for his team mate Brendan Rowbotham and Pat Shaw (VIS) to counter attack, dragging fifteen other riders with them. By the end of the third lap, the split had blown out to thirty seconds, and only a couple of other riders had reached the strong lead group, which contained Pete Johnstone (Inexa Race Frames), Dylan Boone, Paul Groves, Andrew Stalder and Anthony Smith (Promains), Darren Young (Giant), Vaughan Bowman (Le Tour Cycles), Aiden McInerany (Fitzroy Cycles), Warren Knevitt (O'Mara Cycles), Danny Kah (SHM), Rowbotham, Todd Wilksch (Richmond Cyclery), Matt Shea (Inexa) and Scottish star Evan Oliphant (Sovereign Hill).
Most of the rest of the field were lapped and eliminated after only twenty minutes, with a few more holding on until the half way mark, leaving only sixteen riders on the circuit. With ten minutes remaining, Stalder and McInernay jumped away, and were joined on the following lap by Shaw. Seven more worked well to reach the trio at ‘three to go', with Kah, Johnstone, Smith, Knevitt, Young and Wilksch still in contention, before Oliphant and Shaw combined for an attack that could not be answered.
Oliphant fought off a brave effort in the finishing straight by Shaw, the day's most aggressive rider to take the win, with the chasers led home by Stalder, Johnstone and McInernay.
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The strong contingent from the Raleigh - Lifeforce Creations women's team was well represented at the front of the B Grade field in the early stages, before a freak accident took Emma Rickards out of the race. She was unable to avoid Glen Wright, whose chain jammed half way along the main straight, and hit the deck hard, with her bike bouncing away through the bunch - ripping a nasty gash in Nicole Whitburn's hand along the way.
Half way through the hour, five riders went clear with Irish visitor Jenny Fay (Gran Prix Bicycles) joining Paul Groves, Richard Cormick (Datacom - Burnley Finance), Ciaran Jones and Claudio Abreu. Ed Vawdrey bridged to the leading group and lifted the pace higher, with only Fay, Jones and Abreu able to follow, but the bunch was only ten seconds clear and made the capture with ten minutes to race.
Steve Morrow tried his had alone five minutes later, but was caught and passed by Gary Wishart the following lap. Matt Collins (CBD Cycles) bridged to Wishart and the pair combined to build a handy lead at the start of the final three laps. Rick Jones (Datacom - Burnley Finance) spent two of those laps in no-mans land, but was caught on the final lap, while the two leaders continued to extend their advantage.
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Collins overcooked the penultimate corner and hit the deck, allowing Wishart to cruise home for the win, while Pascale Schnider sprinted strongly from a long way out to lead the bunch home giving second place to the Raleigh - Lifeforce Creations girls. Fabio Angelini (Bicycle Superstore) was a close third, ahead of Wright and Vawdry, and Schnider's team mates Nicole Cooke and Sarah Duster filled the women's places.
John Pritchard (Bicycle Superstore) made a late attempt to steal the C Grade race, but in the end the sprinters prevailed, with Peter Ballas monstering a big gear to keep his nose in front of Russell Johnston, Peter Kotsiris and Chris Broeren. Christabel Prishcl (Elk Haus) took the women's section, sprinting home ahead of Stephanie Coulson.
Adam King led a vocal D Grade sprint home, just ahead of Steve, Collins, Stuart Anstee and Gary Doggett, with Shae Thomas continuing to impress with her win ahead of Leah Patterson in the women's division.
A great series of photos from all five races can be seen at www.Velophoto.net, courtesy of leading cycling photo journalist CJ Farquharson.
Carnegie Caulfield Criteriums continue every Tuesday evening at Sandown Raceway. Entry is via the Sandown Road entrance (Melways map 80 B6), from 6pm, with all grades racing at 6.30. Sundays are at Glenvale Crescent (Melways map 80 B2). B, D and E Grades start at 9am, while A and C Grade ride at 10am.
All holders of 2007 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. Licenses are now available at all CCCC events. All returning riders must resume in the grade they last raced in, unless prior arrangement has been made.
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.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by CJ Farquharson/www.Velophoto.net
- Emma Rickards, looking in good form, seconds before her accident.
- Pascale Schnider took 2nd in B Grade for Team Raleigh.
- E grade winner Josh Krause.
- Leading the D Grade bunch in the warmth of the morning.
- Ed Vawdry leads B Grade.
- Adam King takes the D Grade bunch sprint.
- B grade winner Gary Wishart nears the line as the bunch comes into sight.
- Wishart wins B Grade after a well timed late break.
- Paul Mason made the selection in A Grade.
- Peter Ballas, C Grade winner.
- Evan Oliphant wins A Grade ahead of Pat Shaw.
Results
A Grade (50 minutes + 3 laps, 56 starters) 1 Evan Oliphant (Scotland) 2 Pat Shaw (Ballarat/Sebastapol) 3 Andrew Stalder (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Peter Johnstone (Chelsea & Peninsula) 5 Aiden McInernay (Carnegie Caulfield) 6 Anthony Smith (Carnegie Caulfield) B Grade (1 hour + 3 laps, 42 starters) 1 Gary Wishart (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Pascale Schnider (Switzerland) 3 Fabio Angeline (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Glen Wright (Footscray) 5 Ed Vawdrey (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Pascale Schnider (Switzerland) 2 Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) 3 Sarah Duster (Germany) C Grade (45 minutes + 3 laps, 31 starters) 1 Peter Ballas (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Russell Johnston (Chelsea & Peninsula) 3 Peter Kotsiris (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Chris Broeren (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Chistabel Prischl (Austria) 2 Stephanie Coulson (Carnegie Caulfield) D Grade (45 minutes + 3 laps, 19 starters) 1 Adam King (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Steve Collins (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Stuart Anstee (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Gary Doggett (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Shae Thomas (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Leah Patterson (Brunswick) E Grade (45 minutes + 3 laps, 11 starters) 1 Joshua Krause (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Sam Crosbie (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Dimitri Vlahos (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Lloyd Dowling (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 1 Tania Sturt (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Stephanie Hansen (Carnegie Caulfield)
