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Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club
Jack McGowan Handicap, Modella, Sunday June 11, 2006
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Carnegie Caulfield’s first open road handicap for the winter season saw determined efforts from five man groups off both Limit and Scratch unable to combat the strength in numbers from the middle marks, with Rick Jones (Burnley Finance) eventually taking an impressive solo win. The Jack McGowan Handicap is held to recognise the continuing efforts of one of the club’s stalwarts: Jack was a long serving past President, and although into his seventies acts as a corner steward every week through CCCC’s popular summer criterium series.
The Limit riders, with a 29 ½ minute advantage over Scratch, combined perfectly during the first lap, with old hands Ike Collings, Michael Boyce and Blackburn Vice President Alan Barnes showing newcomers Brent Tomlinson and Marty Elsum the ropes so effectively that they actually extended their lead on the 24 ½ minute bunch by over a minute!
The third bunch away (17 ½ minutes) had thrown caution to the wind with an insanely quick start, and were down to only four riders by Ripplebrook, as Nick Robinson (O’Mara Cycles), David Heatley, Neil Sturt and Joe Siklic dropped the hammer. There was a little more respect for the tough course shown by the wiser heads off 12 ½ minutes, with Jenny Macpherson (AIS) and Peta Mullens (VIS) mixing it with the guys and setting a more sustainable pace.
The biggest gains in the first lap were made by the 5 ½ minute bunch. Quickly chasing down the group three minutes ahead, veterans Ken Ford, Chris Hunt (Kennedy Cycle Fit) and Roy Clark (Croydon Cycleworks) kept in touch with Cam Winton (Doherty’s), Alister Stuart (Croydon Cycleworks), Scott Arnold (Fitzroy Cycles) and big Clint Van Beveren as they halved their deficit to the leaders by the summit of the Ripplebrook climb.
Although down to four riders early on, scratch bunch SHM team mates Brendan Rowbotham and Peter Barnett combined well with Guy Green and Murray Spink (Giant), and had the second scratch bunch in their sights once they hit the hills. Early in the second lap however, it looked like the Limit riders could steal the race, before a untimely puncture to Barnes saw their pace drop dramatically.
Boyce and Collings survived over the long climb at Heath Hill, before being swept up and left behind by the combined 5 ½ and 8 ½ minute bunches. Of the women, only Macpherson had been able to stay with this group when it roared past, but she lost contact on the rolling hills between Heath Hill and Ripplebrook, as the new lead group was whittled down to ten by the cracking pace set by Ford and Winton.
In the lead with Ford, Hunt, Clark, Winton, Stuart, Arnold and Van Beveren were eventual winner Jones, Brady Whittaker (Richmond Cyclery) and Sturt. Arnold lost contact on the final steep pinch up Ripplebrook, with Hunt also in difficulty – but the Australian Masters Time Trial Champion was able to chase back on before the final descent.
Jones shot out of the lead group rounding the final corner, two kilometres from home, and powered to home to hold off the group by ten seconds. In a tight sprint for second, Whittaker held off the fast finishing Van Beveren from Winton and Sturt.
With the added impetus of most of the second scratch bunch, Barnett, Rowbotham and Spink closed to within three minutes of the leaders on the final climb, but with the final ten kilometres mostly downhill or flat were left to race for the fastest time honours. The SHM pair attacked Spink relentlessly on the run home, and the MTB specialist finally cracked, allowing Barnett to take the prestigious prize.
Macpherson finished well clear of Mullens, who is in heavy training ahead of her trip to both the track and road Junior Worlds, to take the women’s prize, while Pete Johnstone (Inexa) was the first under 17 rider to complete the testing course.
Carnegie Caulfield’s next road race is on the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit, on Sunday June 18. Entry is via gate 7 off Back Beach Road from 9.30am. All Cycling Australia license holders are welcome, and day permits are available for newcomers. For further details, go to www.carnegiecycling.com.au.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Mal Sawford
- Rick Jones takes out the 2006 Jack McGowan Handicap
- Peter Barnett (centre) catches the outmarkers as he claims fastest time honours
- Ike Collings leads the Limit bunch
- Too many happy faces in the second bunch to start – no wonder they lost time to Limit!
- Mal Hart leads the 12 ½ minute bunch on the Ripplebrook climb
- Cam Winton pushes the pace at the head of third scratch
- Matt Davis and Mark Kelly knew Scratch weren’t far behind
- Brendan Rowbotham and Murray Spink worked hard all day in the Scratch bunch
- Jenny Macpherson on her way to the women’s prize
- Brendan Rowbotham leads the pursuit through the rain
- Michael Boyce was the last Limit rider to succumb to the relentless chase
Results, 78km
1 Rick Jones (Carnegie Caulfield) (8 1/2 mins) 2 Brady Whittaker (Mornington) (8 1/2 mins) 3 Clint Van Beveren (Carnegie Caulfield) (6 1/2 mins) 4 Cam Winton (Carnegie Caulfield) (6 1/2 mins) 5 Neale Sturt (Carnegie Caulfield) (17 1/2 mins) 6 Roy Clark (Carnegie Caulfield) (6 1/2 mins) 7 Ken Ford (Carnegie Caulfield) (6 1/2 mins) 8 Alister Stuart (Carnegie Caulfield) (6 1/2 mins) 9 Chris Hunt (Waaragul) (6 1/2 mins) 10 Scott Arnold (St Kilda) (6 1/2 mins) Fastest Time: Peter Barnett (Carnegie Caulfield) (Scratch) Unplaced Women: Jenny Macpherson (Carnegie Caulfield) (12 1/2 mins) Unplaced Junior: Peter Johnstone (Chelsea & Peninsula) (2 1/2 mins) Juniors 39km sealed handicap 1 Dale Reith (Blackburn) (Scratch) 2 Vaughan Allan (Blackburn) (Scratch) 3 Jacob Schmid (Carnegie Caulfield) (12 mins) 4 Peter Vlahos (Carnegie Caulfield) (6 mins) 5 Jack Cummings (Carnegie Caulfield) (4 mins)
