UCI codes explained

Results and Reports for June 1-7, 2002

Australia

Promoters wishing to submit results should send them to cyclingnews

Murwillumbah Cycle Club

Tyalgum, June 1, 2002.

The full Tyalgum course was on the agenda for this month. This course is some 62 kilometres long and goes out to Chillingham and across to Tyalgum, before returning to Dulguigan via Bray Park and Boat Harbour. The big challenges on this course are its length and the steep climbs of Bald Mountain and Tyalgum Hill which are encountered before the half way point in the race.

Overcast skies and a gusty southerly wind greeted the 50 plus riders who were divided into six groups for this event. The limit riders were given 32 minutes with subsequent groups off at 26 minutes, 19 minutes and 17 minutes with chopping block off at 5 minutes before the scratchies.

The weather conditions made the going tough on the outward leg of the race for all the groups. The limit riders worked well until Bald Mountain where their group broke up. Brian Porter rode away at this point while the remaining riders were picked up by the front riders in the 26 minute bunch, which had also broken up over the steep climbs.

By Tyalgum Porter had a lead of several minutes over the next group of four riders which included Gail Zinn, Ros Powley and Phil Ruge from the 26 minute group and Dennis Burger from limit. These riders settled in and worked well together swapping turn for turn on the long run in to Bray Park and on to Boat Harbour. Despite their efforts Porter remained away although his lead was being gradually diminished with each passing kilometre.

Meanwhile the other groups had also splintered over the hills with riders scattered out in smaller groups along the road. A group of riders from the 5 minute group were away by Tyalgum, and set to at a fast pace to catch the front runners. This group included Paul Matthews, Jeff Collier, Graeme Harvey and Ian Agnew.

Their efforts were rewarded when they caught and quickly dropped the remanets of the 19 and 17 minute groups before Bray Park. Only Stuart Ellick from this group could go with them as they drove on towards Boat Harbour and the dwindling number of riders still in front of them.

However, Brian Porter was not going to be caught as he rode solo across the flats towards the finish line. Behind him Zinn, Powley and Ruge kept up their efforts to maintain a small gap over Kevin Brindle who had previously broken away from the 17 minute group. Brindle finally got the Zinn group in sight with a few kilometres to go but seeing another rider coming they picked up the pace and stayed clear to finish just on a minute ahead of Kevin Brindle.

The Matthews group had worked extremely well but just could not make up the time advantage of the front runners and finished a further minute or so behind Brindle. In the sprint for the line Paul Matthews got up over Graeme Harvey with Ian Agnew next home.

The final results were Brian Porter first followed by Phil Ruge, Gail Zinn, Ros Powley, Kevin Brindle, Paul Matthews, Graeme Harvey and Ian Agnew in that order. Fastest time went to Ashley Bryant from the scratch group at 1 hour 36 minutes with an average speed of 38.75 km/hr.

Racing next week is over the Upper Crystal Creek course. Start time is 2.00 pm from Pat Smith Park, Dulguigan.

Results, 62km handicap

1 Brian Porter (Canada)
2 Phil Ruge (Murwillumbah)
3 Gail Zinn (GoldStars)
4 Ros Powley (Goldstars)
5 Kevin Brindle (CATS)
6 Paul Matthews (Murwillumbah)
7 Graeme Harvey (Murwillumbah)
8 Ian Agnew (Brisbane)
 
Fastest time: Ashley Bryant - 1:36 (38.75 km/h)