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Results and Reports for May 11-17, 2002

Australia

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Carnegie Caulfield CC - Jack McGowan Handicap

Modella, May 11, 2002

A strong and eager field greeted the Handicappers for the first of Carnegie Caulfield's road races for 2002. Named after long serving past President and current committee man (who gets sick of explaining to people that it's not a Memorial Handicap, he hasn't died yet!) Jack McGowan, the 100km race is run over two laps of a fairly flat and unsheltered course. Like the year before, the weather delivered a ideal introduction to winter - sunny skies, no wind and a temperature in the mid 20's; better conditions than for most of Melbourne's dismal pseudo summer.

145 riders for the main race caused havoc for the new handicapping panel trying to get the race underway on time, with a number of first time riders entering causing some extra head scratching and just a bit of guess work to arrive at nine bunches spread over 30 minutes. There were a few notable absences from last weekend's record field of 170 at the Crib Point Regional race hosted by the Chelsea & Peninsula Club. Obviously the thought of being compelled to do a regular turn of pace, on which the handicap format depends, sends the pretenders back to the safety of the Hell Ride where they can sit on the café racers all day and come from nowhere at the finish to impress their mates!

Experienced riders know there's nothing like a couple of tough handicap races to build up your strength and endurance in a big hurry. It's worth suffering like a dog (effectively doing intervals for over two hours) for the long term gain over the rest of the season, and with prize money over $1000 it has to be worth a go, but you can't tell some people!

After the first 50km of racing, the two front bunches had amalgamated, and under the guidance of Ivan Collings and Ray Smith, were doing their to preserve their rapidly shrinking advantage. Third Limit had made up nearly the whole of their nine minute handicap, while the fourth bunch was only a couple of minutes further back.

The three back groups were still separate as they crossed the finish line with one lap to go, but with Scratch having made up 20 minutes of their handicap things looked very promising for the backmarkers. Hardly a turn was missed as the riders off the mark of honor charged to the finish, but as they caught the 2nd and 3rd scratch groups early in the second lap their momentum seemed to drop slightly.

Perhaps the riders they caught were overawed by their speed and rhythm, or maybe they had nothing left after the first lap, but few of the riders caught were able to lend a hand to the pursuit. Out front the first four groups were together with 30 riders surviving and now looking like holding off the back markers.

2km from home, visiting Albury-Wondonga rider Jeremy Ross burst from the lead pack but was pegged back as the bunch came in sight of the finish line judges in the long, straight finishing straight. David Buntin (City Cycles)emerged at the head of the pack 100 meters from the line and held on to take a good win from first year rider Rick Jones and Tyrin Simpson, with Ross having enough left to take fourth, and prevent a clean sweep of the top places by the host Club.

First Master's prize went to Tony Mason who also sprinted well to take fifth overall on the day, while Kirsty Bortolin was the only woman to remain with the leading bunch, coming in ahead of Audrey Quick and Rachel Rademaker who were both tailed off in the high speed run to the line, to take out the Women's prize.

Over 70 riders were with the Scratch bunch as they sprinted in for the fastest time prize a few minutes later. The pace had dropped a little at the Bayles turn when the time gap to the front runners seemed insurmountable, and some of the scratchies decided to save their legs a little for the final dash. James Taylor decided that the back of the now huge bunch wasn't the safest place to be and kept driving to the line and still had enough to unleash the sprint that won him the Victorian Criterium Title in 2000.

Matt Goold (ACR) had to settle for second fastest, ahead of Brendan 'just out of the money' Rowbotham (Fitzroy Cycles), and young track sensation Nick Sanderson, who claimed the first Junior rider prize.

In the junior support event, Chris Tassell was far too strong, clearing off as soon as the controlled part of the race was over. Alex Smyth was best of the rest from Kieran Murphy (CBD Cycles), with Tess Downing showing impressive recovery with a strong ride after her Birthday party the night before, with elder sister Erin equally impressive after being kept up most of the night by Tess & friends none too quiet partying!

Next weekends racing is at Yarra Junction, hosted by Blackburn - and it sounds like a hilly one.

Results - 100km, 145 starters

1 David Buntin (Carnegie Caulfield CC)          2.41.40
2 Rick Jones (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
3 Tyrin Simpson (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
4 Jeremy Ross (Albury-Wodonga CC)
5 Tony Mason (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
6 Davern White (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
7 Richard Cormick (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
8 Ian Johnson (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
9 Danny Ives (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
10 Phil Grant (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
 
First Masters: Tony Mason (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
First Woman: Kirsty Bortolin (Blackburn CC)
First Junior: Nick Sanderson (Ararat CC)
 
Juniors - 50km (9 starters)
 
1 Chris Tassell (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
2 Alex Smyth (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
3 Kieran Murphy (Carnegie Caulfield CC)