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Results and Reports for April 13-14, 2002

Australia

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Carnegie Caulfield Criterium

Glenvale Crescent, Mulgrave, April 14, 2002

Slightly smaller fields than normal this morning, with a few riders (and officials) sporting sore heads from the previous nights Club Celebration Dinner, or taking the morning off in preparation for the Victorian Criterium Championships.

In the absence of Chris Carr, Martin Bole got the A Grade race underway with an attack off the start line seeing him open up a big gap over the seemingly disinterested bunch. Pursued unsuccessfully by Ian Johnson, he was quickly out of sight and riding strongly. Some half hearted attacks from the bunch finally lifted the pace 15 minutes in, and Bole's lead started to be pegged back.

David 'Steggles' Sturt (Terry Hammond Cycles), Murray Spink (Jones Cycles) and Fast Eddy Perez bridged to the lone leader at the 20 minute mark, with the bunch only a few seconds behind. The quartet combined well and dangled off the front until just past the halfway mark, when for the first time the entire bunch regrouped.

The windy conditions, and the hesitance from some of the newly promoted riders in the field saw a few gaps start to appear, and many turns to be shirked! The stronger and wiser riders saw the writing on the wall, and when the Big Happy Horse, Robert Crowe (BikeNOW) blasted past some tiring front runners at the 40 minute mark, everyone else who had good legs jumped across the gap. Within seconds, nine riders had combined at the front, and began to pull away from the bunch.

Less than ten minutes later, the escapees had lapped the field, who had never been able to organize any sort of chase. David Sturt, who was having a very good day, tried to go alone five minutes from the end, and Crowe, riding without the plaster cast he sported last week, tried at three to go, but was quickly pegged back. Steggles went again down the back straight, and held a 50 meter advantage at the bell.

He held on to record a good win, ahead of Crowe who came up 20 meters short in his last lap dash to peg back the winner. Guy Green led the rest of the lead group home, from Spink, Ray Turner (Repco/Park Tools/Diamond Back) and Geoff Whiter. Adam Bonney, Warren Nelson (Mainline Cycles) and Shane Mills (O'Mara Cycles) were the unlucky unplaced riders from the break.

B Grade raced fairly sedately until the attacks began to take hold around the 25 minute mark. Jeremy Gough, Jeremy Dunning, Brad Alcock, Justin Davis (O'Mara Cycles), Justin Foster and Stuart Bendall all went on the attack, with Anna Millward (Saturn) keeping every one honest and testing her legs also.

None of the combinations succeeded in staying away for much more than a lap, and a bunch sprint looked likely. Anna Millward tried again twice in the closing stages, finally being wound in the last two laps. She stayed on the front, keeping the pace high for her fast finishing husband, David, who lived up to his end of the bargain, taking out a close sprint win.

Jeremy Gough, Jeremy Dunning and Luke Doherty filled the minor placings, with the consistent Miyoko Karami taking the honours from Delys Franke in the Women's event.

A mid race breakaway threatened to end the sprinters dominance of the C Grade event. Rick Jones, Doug Stewart, Craig Getson and Peter Ballas went clear at the 30 minute mark, and held their advantage for the best part of 15 minutes before the bunch finally got on terms, just in time for the traditional mass finish.

Neil Johnson took the win, from Daniel Young, David Scott and Peter Ballas. Visiting South Australian Renee Heinreich, stationed at the HMAS Cerberus Naval Base, continued her stranglehold on the C Grade Women's event, recording another good win.

Under 17 rider Greg Nicholson scored his first win after only a few week racing, sprinting well at the end of a tough D Grade race. Matt Davies, who had stretched the bunch out throughout the race had to be content with second, ahead of Richard Gabler and Matt Jensen. All the miles Meaghan Godfrey has been doing during her racing layoff are starting to pay off; she was prominent at the front of the bunch, and still there at the finish to take out a good win in the Women's event.

Racing continues on next Sunday morning, before the first of the road races is held in the last weekend of April. Check the Club website for up to the minute details of the road fixture at www.carnegiecycling.com.au.

Results

A Grade - 1 hour+ 3 laps, 22 starters
 
1 David Sturt (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
2 Robert Crowe (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
3 Guy Green (Blackburn CC)
4 Murray Spink (Dirt Riders CC)
5 Ray Turner (Footscray Caulfield CC)
6 Geoff Whiter (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
 
B Grade - 1 hour+ 3 laps, 34 Starters
 
1 David Millward (Melton CC)
2 Jeremy Gough (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
3 Jeremy Dunning (Coburg CC)
4 Luke Doherty (Blackburn CC)
Women:
1 Miyoko Karami (Japan)
2 Delys Franke (VIS)
 
C Grade - 45 mins + 3 laps, 35 starters
 
1 Neil Johnson (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
2 Daniel Young (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
3 David Scott (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
4 Peter Ballas (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
1st Woman: Renee Heinreich (SA)
 
D Grade - 45 mins + 3 laps, 16 starters
 
1 Greg Nicholson (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
2 Matt Davies (SKCC)
3 Richard Gabler (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
4 Matt Jensen
1st Woman: Meaghan Godfrey (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
 
E Grade - 45 mins + 3 laps
 
1 Gareth Verberne (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
2 Melissa Nicholls (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)
3 Veeral Patel (Balance Carnegie Caulfield CC)