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Australian Road Cycling Championships - NE
Sunshine Coast, Australia, September 3-11, 2005
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Day 6 - September 10: Road races: under 19 women; under 19 men; under 23 men; elite women; elite men
University of Queensland cleans up
By John Flynn
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University of Queensland cyclists Peter Herzig and Emma Mackie completed a rare double at the Australian Club Road Cycling Championships on Queensland's Sunshine Coast today when they claimed the men's and women's Open Road Race Championships.
"How are those apples?" Herzig asked his support team (a reference to Lance Armstrong's famous quote) after out-pursuiting the main bunch near the finish of today's 169 kilometre elite men's road race.
It was a victory which might not have been, but for the ultimate demise of a daring breakaway involving Thursday's National Time Trial winner Troy Glennan (Sutherland Shire C.C.) and Queensland's Jaaron Poad (Ffast - Velo) which fell desperately short of its final objective.
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"I was a little bit worried earlier with a couple of guys (Poad & Glennan) going up the road," an ecstatic Herzig told Cyclingnews.
"Got a good group together and started getting them back, then as always on this course, the final hill sorts it out."
Herzig's University of Queensland team-mate Mackie was just as delighted to win the Open Women's elite road race.
The "awesome" result, coming just one-day late as the perfect 21st birthday gift.
The road race championships were contested on a generally undulating course around the village of Yandina in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. The only exception to that 'undulation' being what might be termed a 'killer pinch climb', of no more than four hundred metres in length, yet steep enough (13 degree gradient) to be leg sapping.
Elite Men's Race
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It was a classic 'suicide breakaway'.
For Troy Glennan and Jarron Poad, their decision to go up the road would bring no glorious ending, only incredible pain, absolute exhaustion, and in the case of Poad, the dreaded 'DNF' next to his name on the results sheet.
Still, if it could be said there is any honour in 'DNFing', then for Poad at least, today was the day.
With the race being contested over a 13 kilometre loop course which the riders would have to complete 13 times, the repeat efforts of climbing the 13 degree gradient of Old Coach Road were bound to take a toll.
"I couldn't think straight up the hill there, that's why I stopped," Poad told Cyclingnews after his legs gave way on the penultimate climb.
"You have to race from the front eh."
Poad's decision to attack almost from the gun was motivated by a Cyclingnews preview to the race, which questioned how the powerhouse New Zealander (who resides in Brisbane) would handle undertaking the pinch climb of Old Coach road, time and time again over a series of fourteen laps.
In the end, reality would hit home.
"On the internet it says that I can't climb so I thought I'd give it a nudge," the Velo Cycles rider said of his effort.
"It's truth though, I can't climb like front guys, when I'm fit I can climb probably like front group in Australia, but not overseas."
The race was an important hit-out for Poad, a highly respected rider in his new home state, who is preparing for the Tour of Queensland and the National Championships in his native New Zealand.
An equally shattered Troy Glennan struggled on to the finish line of today's race after exploding on the same hill as his breakaway partner.
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The Sutherland Shire cyclist, who won the National Club Time Trial title on Thursday gave it everything in today's early move, but in the end, he simply ran out of steam.
"It was a bit ambitious kind of thing but, I don't know, could have worked," said Glennan.
"I was shot, absolutely nothing, so cramped with about 3 to go. It was more a case of when not if, but I gave it a go, I was fairly happy."
Not nearly as happy as the University Cycling Club's Herzig, who waited until the final few hundred metres of the race before making his move.
"About five hundred out I thought I didn't want to sprint against these boys, so I hit out and held on for the win," Herzig said.
His winning time of 4:11:24, just good enough to stave off the fast finishing Joe McDonnell of Sutherlannd Shire Cycling Club and Peter McDonald of Colnago-Caravello, who claimed the minor medals.
High attrition in Women's Road Race
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Contested over a distance of 91 kilometres, the Elite Women's Road Race turned into a long distance battle of attrition.
It was one in which the Queensland University Club held many of the aces. Eventual winner Emma Mackie, joined on course by ten team-mates, thanks to the club's links with the elite program at the Queensland Academy of Sport.
As could be expected, any team driven by coaches the calibre of Liz Hepple and James Victor was bound to play its cards well in the tactical department. A combination of sending riders up the road, and keeping moves from key rivals in check, ensured the Uni girls always had the race in their balance.
At the front end of the women's bunch, track pursuit world champion Katie Mactier (Carnegie Caulfied) and Sally Cowman (Victor Cycles) ensured the pace was always strong.
The wily veteran of Australian Women's Cycling and winner of Thursday's time trial, Kathy Watt, also waiting for opportunities to pounce.
But it was Mackie who prevailed after hanging on over the top of Old Coach road during each of the seven laps and closing it out in a sprint finish.
"That hill is a killer," a beaming Mackie said as she was swarmed by girls in the blue and white jerseys of the Queensland University club.
"Yere it was, I just knew I had to stay at the front of the pack. Stayed at the front just tried to recover."
The victory, a much needed boost for the just turned 21 year old, who came to Queensland Academy of Sport program to improve herself as a rider
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"Hey it's just been awesome honestly and the team worked really well," QAS coach Liz Hepple said while evaluating Mackie's win.
"You never know and I knew that she could do it if she did everything intelligently and it was a great result."
Watt, who claimed the silver medal just ahead of Jennifer Manefield, philosophical about the result.
"Quite tough because there was like ten Queenslanders there,"
"I think they were enjoying the heat today, they seemed to be coping better than everyone else, it's hard one out against all of them."
Under 23 Men
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Earlier, the under 23 men's road race saw competitors embark on an eleven lap, one hundred and forty three kilometre test of toughness.
Australian Institute of Sport development rider Simon Clarke (Carnegie Caulfield) breaking through for his first solo National Title.
"Yere really good, pretty long day out there the race was really negative and I just went out there and got in a little group and paced it to the finish," Clarke told Cyclingnews.
Recently returned from China where he had been racing and training at altitude, Clarke was involved in several moves during the 143 kilometre race, but it was the final attack which also involved Thursday's time trial winner Shaun Higgerson which proved decisive.
"I just attacked and Sean Higgerson come with me down the tailwind straight, we just rode away it was pretty cruisy," Clarke said of the race winning move.
"I know sean pretty well and we get on pretty well so I knew we could trust each other."
Clarke proved too strong for Higgerson in the final dash down the finishing straight, Toowoomba's David Kemp, who worked hard throughout the race and was involved in a key early attack, claimed bronze.
Under 19 Men
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In the Under 19 men's race, John Rayner's fist pumping as he crossed the line to win a much sought after National Title told the story of a rider who had battled long and hard to achieve his dream.
And there were plenty of tears as the Tasmanian's mother, overjoyed by the win, bear hugged her son.
"Really wasn't expecting that," Rayner said, unable to wipe the smile from his face.
"Second last chance I've probably ever got of doing it and wasn't expecting it at all.
"I go out after Nineteens this year and with uni and all that I probably won't have much time to train."
The silver medal went the way of Hayden Josefski from the strong Brisbane Broncos club with Bradley Clark of Albury Wodonga winning bronze.
Under 19 Women
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The Under 19 Women's event saw a return to the podium once again for the red jersey's of Melbourne's Drapac Porsche development squad.
The gold medal winning performance of Tess Downing, a taste of things to come perhaps for a rider who is showing great potential at this early stage of her cycling career.
The cheery Melbourne girl, who won Thursday's time trial, made it back to back wins with a sprint victory in the 52 kilometre road race. Overcoming along the way another great talent in Norwood's Tiffany Cromwell who was unable to establish a break on her rivals over the short pinch climb.
"Pretty hammered, but now I've got two golds I'm rapt," Downing told Cyclingnews.
"It was really tough I think the hill was really hard, it a real tester, we've had hills in other road races but never ones like this."
New South Wales rider Jessica Hume who won the silver medal ahead of Tasmanian Grace Sulzberger, inflicting plenty of hurt on her rivals over the climb.
"It was pretty good like we dropped most of the girls in the second lap and then we were just working to keep away and I managed to get up in the sprint," the Wagga Wagga club rider said.
"Pretty steep but me and Emma (Sonnerson - Tamworth) the other New South Wales girl we were climbing pretty well and second at nationals - best result."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by John Flynn
- Tess Downing wins the sprint in the Women's Under 19 race
- Tough competitor Tiffany Cromwell beaten on the day
- Tess Downing gets a hung from mum
- Fist raised - Tasmanian John Rayner wins the men's under 19 race
- The U19 men's podium - John Rayner (centre), Hayden Josefski (right) and Bradley Clark
- Plenty of tears as John Rayner gets a hug from mum
- Simon Clark wins the mens under 23 road race
- Troy Glennan before the men's elite road race
- Anyone for a cold one on a hot spring day?
- Jaaron Poad (front) gets the break going
- Tough work on the ascent for Grant Webster
- The Queensland University team watching Katie Mactier's every move
- Sally Cowman and Katie Mactier sharing the work on the climb
- University of Queensland sends another rider off the front
- University of Queensland riders watch Katie Mactier's every move
- A University of Queensland rider struggles to keep the cranks ticking over
- The women's peloton stretched out across the road
- Katie Mactier still in the race flanked by opponents
- Sally Cowman at the front as always
- Emily Yorkston of uni cycling club on the climb
- Emma Mackie wins another title for the University Club
- Partners in crime - the University of Queensland team
- Injured AIS cyclist Lorian Graham hands out the elite women's medals to Emma Mackie (University), Kathy Watt (Blackburn Cycling Club) and Jennifer Manefield (Parramatta Cycling Club)
- Jaaron Poad slugging it out on Old Coach Road
- Time Trial winner Troy Glennan shows his climbing skills
- Andrew Naylor (Blackburn cycling club)
- Andrew Naylor working hard on the climb
- Drapac Porsche team rider on the ascent
- Troy Glennan still way off the front on the climb
- Troy Glennan straining under power
- Jaaron Poad doing his share of hard yakka
- Glennan and Poad reach the drink station
- Glennan and Poad - 'it's starting to hurt'
- Peter Herzig on the climb
- climbing the roads of the Sunshine Coast
- Glennan and Poad struggling
- The bunch catches Poad
- All over - Jaaron Poad is spent!
- University's Peter Herzig crosses the finish line
- Silver medallist Joe Macdonnell
- How good is that - gold to Peter Herzig
- The men's podium - Peter Herzig (University) Gold, Joe McDonnell (Sutherland Shire) silver, Peter McDonald - (Colnago Caravello) Bronze
- Peter Herzig with the gold
Results
Elite men 1 Peter Herzig (Uni Cycle Club) 4.11.24 2 Joe McDonnell (Sutherland Shire CC) 3 Peter McDonald (Colnago-Caravello CC) 4 Joshua Collingwood (Adelaide CC) 5 Klayten Smith (Clarence St CCC) 6 Glenn Stojanow (Clarence St CCC) 7 Jonathan Cantwell (Lifecycle Cycling Club) 8 Aaron Salisbury (Carnegie Caulfield CC) 9 Adam Murchie (Footscray Cycling Club Inc) 10 Luis Trueba (Macarthur Collegians CC) 11 Troy Glennan (Sutherland Shire CC) 12 Peter Garrone (Uni Cycle Club) DNF Andrew Naylor (Blackburn Cycling Club Inc) DNF Jeremy Betts (Lifecycle Cycling Club) DNF Shaun Leggate (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Brad Glennan (Sutherland Shire CC) DNF Alistair Hartley (Kangaroo Point C C) DNF Christoper Williams (Victor Cycle Club) DNF Giuseppe Cirella (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Mark Dipplesman (Murwillumbah Cycle Club) DNF Gilbert Gutowski (Broncos) DNF Brendan Hill (Lifecycle Cycling Club) DNF Tristan Ius (Murwillumbah Cycle Club) DNF Anthony Kellen (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Craig Mackie (Murwillumbah Cycle Club) DNF Nicholas Mason (Maryborough & District CC) DNF Stephen Palomba (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Adrian Salter (Footscray Cycling Club Inc) DNF David Wadsworth (Hamilton Pine River Wheelers) DNF Mark Wall (Sutherland Shire CC) DNF Grant Webster (Echuca/Moama Cycling Club) DNF Leighton Jefferson (Victor Cycle Club) DNF Aaron Little (Tamworth CC) DNF Matthew Newlands (Victor Cycle Club) DNF Greg Rossiter (Southern Districts CC) DNF Simon Walker (Carnegie Caulfield CC) DNF Allan Sieper (Canberra Cycling Club) DNF Peter Dawson (Peel Districts Cycle Club) DNF Stephen Blair (Canberra Cycling Club) DNF Ross Cattle (Sunshine Coast CC) DNF Steven George (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Shem Guthrie (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Jonathan Laue (Gold Coast Goldstars C C) DNF Nicholas Lawson (St George CC) DNF Nicholas Ockhuisen (Sunshine Coast CC) DNF Chris Pryor (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Daniel San Martin (Broncos) DNF Ben Vanderkamp (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Damian Copeland (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Kurt Dutton (Victor Cycle Club) DNF Jaaron Poad (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Mark Ledgerwood (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Steve Rankin (Cairns CC) DNF Jonathan Coulter (Victor Cycle Club) Elite women 1 Emma Mackie (Uni Cycle Club) 2.33.46 2 Kathryn Watt (Blackburn Cycling Club Inc) 3 Jennifer Manefield (Parramatta CC) 4 Sally Cowman (Victor Cycle Club) 5 Kate Mercer (Uni Cycle Club) 6 Kelly Harry (Peel Districts Cycle Club) 7 Kate Charge (Lidcombe Auburn CC) 8 Vicki Eustace (Tuggeranong Vikings CC) 9 Laura Bortolozzi (Randwick Botany CC) 10 Hannah Banks (Uni Cycle Club) 11 Jemma O'brien (Eurobodalla CTC) 12 Charlotte Warren (Uni Cycle Club) 13 Elizabeth Hayman (Canberra Cycling Club) 14 Louise Kerr (Uni Cycle Club) 15 Nathalie Laurendeau (Midland CC) 16 Kelly Furey (Hunter District CC) 17 Anouska Edwards (Rockhampton Cycle Club) 18 Kristy Gablonski (Uni Cycle Club) 19 Toireasa Gallagher (Bathurst CC) 20 Bridie O'Donnell (Brunswick Cycling Club Inc) 21 Bridget Evans (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Jessie Maclean (Canberra Cycling Club) DNF Zoe Southwell (Parramatta CC) DNF Rahna Demarte (Northcote Cycling Club Inc) DNF Emily Yorkston (Uni Cycle Club) DNF Lisa Payne (Norwood C.C.) DNF Nicole Magner (Uni Cycle Club) DNF Carly Hibberd (Victor Cycle Club) DNF Jess Haynes (Uni Cycle Club) DNF Carol De Jong (Uni Cycle Club) DNF Katie Mactier (Carnegie Caulfield CC) DNF Theresa Elmes (Ffast Cycle Club) DNF Julia Clark (Northern Sydney CC) DNS Carla Ryan (Uni Cycle Club) DNS Candice Sullivan (C.A.T.S.) U23 Men 1 Simon Clarke (Carnegie Caulfield CC) 3.32.17 2 Shaun Higgerson (Randwick Botany CC) 3 David Kemp (Toowoomba Cycling Club Inc.) 4 Mitchell Docker (Brunswick Cycling Club Inc) 5 Tommy Nankervis (Carnegie Caulfield CC) 6 Mark Frendo (Uni Cycle Club) 7 Matthew Lloyd (St Kilda Cycling Club Inc) 8 Casey Munro (Brunswick Cycling Club Inc) 9 Wesley Sulzberger (West Tamar CC) 10 Joshua Wilson (Launceston City CC) 11 Brendan Brooks (Colnago-Caravello CC) 12 Kai Rothlisberger (Lifecycle Cycling Club) 13 Jai Crawford (Hobart Wheelers) 14 Michael England (Rockhampton Cycle Club) 15 Daniel Furmston (Hobart Wheelers) DNF Sean Finning (Castlemaine Cycling Club Inc) DNF Peter Ladd (Bendigo) DNF Bernard Sulzberger (West Tamar CC) DNF Scott Peoples (Shepparton Cycling Club Inc) DNF Matthew Wood (Kangaroo Point C C) DNF Peter Thompson (Ipswich Amateur C C) DNF Nathan Silleto (Canberra Cycling Club) DNF Patrick Shaw (Ballarat/Sebastopol C C) DNF Warren Scott (St George CC) DNF Jared Rowney (C.A.T.S.) DNF Ben Rix (Bendigo & District CC) DNF Morgan Pilley (Byron Bay Freeriders) DNF Simon Pearson (Norwood C.C.) DNF Bradley Payne (C.A.T.S.) DNF Brendan O'Connell (Lifecycle Cycling Club) DNF Bradley Norton (Shepparton Cycling Club Inc) DNF Kyle Marwood (Bendigo & District CC) DNF Brendan Jones (Parramatta CC) DNF Jeremy Davis (Lifecycle CC) DNF Brendan Kay (Victor Cycle Club) DNF Stephen Rossendell (Hobart Wheelers) DNF Mathew Rex (Norwood C.C.) DNF Dean Windsor (Bathurst CC) DNF Grant Irwin (Rockhampton Cycle Club) DNF Matthew Goss (West Tamar CC) DNF Sam Brown (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
U19 Men 1 John Rayner (Mersey Valley Devonport CC) 2.14.10 2 Hayden Josefski (Broncos) 3 Bradley Clark (Albury-Wodonga CC) 4 Adam O'Connor (Midland CC) 5 Damion Drapac (Brunswick Cycling Club) 0.53 6 Mitch Chapman (Orange CTC) 7 Fabio Calabria (Canberra Cycling Club) 8 Cameron Meyer (Midland CC) 9 Chris Jory (Port Macquarie) 10 Benjamin Phillips (Broncos) 11 Pip Grinter (Bendigo & District CC) 12 Jack Anderson (Balmoral Cycle Club) 1.04 13 Michael Mellish (Central Coast CC) 14 Jarrod Harman (Mersey Valley Devonport CC) 15 Jayden Veljacich (Midland CC) 16 Darcy Rosenlund (Broncos) 17 Joel Davis (Kangaroo Point C C) 18 Aaron Jones (City of Burnie CC) 19 Joshua Gundry (Bendigo & District CC) 20 Tarquin Wallace (Balmoral Cycle Club) 21 Shaun Morris (Shepparton Cycling Club Inc) 22 Luke Cridland (Southern Cross CC) 23 Jarrad Tremayne (South West CC) 24 Luke Barrett (St George CC) 4.07 25 Russell Gill (Norwood C.C.) 26 Kyle Bateson (C.A.T.S.) 27 Mathew Wild (Southern Cross CC) 7.49 28 John Polson (C.A.T.S.) 10.45.00 29 Matt King (Darwin Cycling Club) 12.43 DNF Ryan Gittins (Toowoomba Cycling Club Inc.) DNF William Robinson (Launceston City CC) DNF Alexander Lyons (Launceston City CC) DNF Jack Hudson (Colnago-Caravello CC) DNF Mario Giramondo (Carnegie Caulfield CC) DNF Benjamin Fleming (Hamilton Pine River Wheelers) DNF Todd Dawson (C.A.T.S.) DNF Matthew Curnow (Carnegie Caulfield CC) DNF Alfred Cook (Canberra Cycling Club) DNF Anthony Bennett (Lidcombe Auburn CC) U19 Women 1 Tess Downing (Carnegie Caulfield CC) 1.29.32 2 Jessica Hume (Wagga Wagga CC) 3 Grace Sulzberger (West Tamar CC) 4 Peta Mullens (Latrobe City Cycling Club) 5 Tiffany Cromwell (Norwood C.C.) 6 Emma Sonerson (Tamworth CC) 7 Loren Rowney (C.A.T.S.) 2.21 8 Belinda Thompson (Canberra Cycling Club) 9 Philippa Martin (Midland CC) 10 Joanna Von Berky (Hamilton Pine River Wheelers) 11 Skye-Lee Armstrong (Parramatta CC) 4.13 12 Tiffany Manion (West Tamar CC) 5.38 DNF Katie Smith (Rockhampton Cycle Club) DNF Jessica Lane (Carnegie Caulfield CC) DNF Tahlia Clayton (Ararat&District Cycling Club) DNS Jessica Mccallum (Midland CC)
