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2004 Jayco Bay Cycling Classic
Victoria, Australia, January 7-11, 2004
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Mikkeli Godfree Diary
Cyclingnews contributor and rider in the MGZT team, Mikkeli Godfree, spends much of his year racing abroad. Like many Australian riders, he is back home at this time of year and racing in the Bay series in Victoria. He's also writing a diary while on the road, staying connected with assistance from local ISP Big Blue Internet. On day one in Hastings he survived the carnage to bring home a good result for his team and sponsors.
Bring back the rain
Race 2 - Thursday, January 8th - Portarlington
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We awoke to unstable weather: showers and a blisteringly strong wind. Many riders cared less about the weather than their sore limbs as the breakfast room was filled with bandaged and puss-weeping lads and lasses. That said, the room was filled with a few riders who were keen to make amends to a rained-out day at Hastings the day before.
Because Portarlington is such a different course to all the other Bay Crits, there are sets of riders who really try to make it their own. You only have to think of past winners like Dave McKenzie (Bicycle Superstore) and Simon Gerrans (Caulfield-Carnegie). After pulling the pin early at Hastings, McGee was also going to be hungry on such a challenging course too.
Thanks to our ride at Hastings, with two in the top ten, we were second on teams classification and right up there on GC which meant we got to start on the front row of the grid, which was nice. We were also pretty geed up because our A-grade Support rider, Paul Richards, had built on his second place at Hastings to take third at Portarlington. It was an impressive ride as, with two laps to go he crashed and with no chance of a lap out, had to remount and hold off the bunch.
Anyway, in our race, the pace was on from the gun with Renshaw leading around the first corner. With the sun out, the wind up and the rain gone, the motorbike cameraman decided that he would wet the course as he emptied his water bottle onto our tyres at the front of the race (thanks). The race began pretty quickly with attacks coming thick and fast. The break of the day came after the first sprint when McKenzie, McGee, House, McPartland and Sutherland went clear. They were followed by our strongman, Karl Menzies, who rode across with Gerrans, Libonatti and Renshaw. With McGee up the front, Renshaw happily took a free ride up to the front group, which then numbered nine. With that move going up the road, the rest of the bunch tried to organize a chase but not a dent was being put into the leader's margin.
With little to race for, quite a few riders (myself included) pulled the pin. Personally I made myself far more useful by the side of the track as I was called up to do a wheel-change for Karl. Our main man of the day was in the lead group when he punctured. His replacement wheel was fitted and he powered off only > to have cassette seize!
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Lucky I was still cruising around the course and I could give Karl my wheel and push him back into the race (in my cleats!) just in time for him to tack onto the back of the break and respond to the main attack of the day. With Karl safely in the break, I made myself useful behind the camera while the rest of the bunch hurt themselves racing for 10th place. Unfortunately for Karl, when Sutherland went with McGee they went away they went quickly and with Renshaw covering there was little chance of bringing the front two back.
The group did split though, and Karl found himself rid of Renshaw, chasing with McKenzie and House. It was too late though, and as McGee exited the last corner he made light work of beating Sutherland. Their two faces completely contrasted (see pic below). Behind, House cleaned up in the sprint for third as our man Karl took home a hard-fought fourth place. Notably behind, Baden Cooke took 10th to put himself one point ahead of his teammate McGee in the overall standings. As for the MGZT team, getting Karl up there meant that we had put three of us in the top ten in the general classification and held second in the teams classification. With the series heading back to the flat again in Geelong we look forward to starting on the front of the grid again and all things considered, we hope it rains again!!!
Stay tuned, Team MGZT
See Full Results
Images by MGZT (Richards/Godfree)
- Robbie McEwen tries to slip away but is closely marked by Godfree and Cooke.
- The field strung out around the last corner.
- Past winner at Portarlington, Gerrans (Carnegie CC), makes his bid for the win with Karl Menzies (MGZT) in tow.
- Rob Crowe (Bike Now TAC)
- The changing of the guard: the voice of cycling, Phil Ligget calls the race with Matt Keenan.
- Ex Junior MTB world champ, Trent Lowe (Carnegie CC), gives it some stick.
- Rory Sutherland (Vic State Home Loans) smiles as he goes up theroad with Brad McGee (Jayco
- Kristian House (700c Business Objects) chases the lead pair with Karl Menzies and David McKenzie (Bicycle Superstore) six laps from the finish.
- Karl Menzies (MGZT) rips up the bottom corner.
- Simon Gerrans follows Dave McPartland (FRF Couriers/Caravello)
- Joel Pearson (MGZT) takes the bottom corner.
- SBR's import, Greg Henderson feels the hurt.
- Menzies and McKenzie ended up fourth and fifth respectively.
- Renshaw, McPartland and Gerrans fight it out for 7th.
- Pearson puts the hammer down in the last few laps as Wilson(Jayco
- Sutherland leads McGee with one lap to go.
- McGee takes the win looking like he had just taken a stroll in the park.
- House takes third with Menzies in fourth.
- Cooke flew the coup in the closing laps to take 10th and retain his series lead by 1pt.
- The face of the voice of cycling.
- McGee and his daughter accept the victory spoils.
- House, Renshaw, Sutherland, Cooke and McGee, all smiles.
