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Mildura-Coomealla CC

February 23, 2003

By Peter Winton

On a very humid Mildura morning (97% at 8:00am), 14 club cyclists took part in a feature criterium, part of the Emergency Services Triathlon conducted by the Coomealla Triathlon Club.

Leading club rider, Kevin Tankard, took out the short course triathlon in his usual style. Harvey Dwyer also saw fit to hurt himself some more by backing up in our event as well.

In our event today we had two bunches, based on placings at our most recent crit. Stand-in handicapper, Jack Lokan, coping a spray from Mr Liddle for his elevated starting position ! This saw, Brendan Liddle and Geoff Marshall join the scratch group of Kevin Tankard, Rob McNally, Ian Brade and Ian Beruldsen. Damien Wells, the star of last summers' races, made a welcome return to club racing with a late entry and started off scratch, just where all mountain bike riders oughta be.

Enjoying the one minute's grace included Richard Hale, Arthur Anderson, Jack Lokan, Dion Basse-Anstee, Les Jordan and Peter Winton. The course, in front of Mildura's Rowing Club lawns, approximately 800m long with hot-dog turns each end, is a tough little critter and in todays humid conditions fluid loss was big time (Yes, I had more shiraz last night). Interrupting your rhythm mid-course is a couple of speed humps. Tour of Sunraysia riders know them well as this course forms part of the final stage of that event held in September each year.

Liddle was first to wilt in stuffy conditions, being dropped by the chasers before they caught limit. Hale was next to go as the scratchies elevated the race speed upon claiming the limit markers. Geoff Marshall was also a casualty of crit speed à la Tankard.

At approximately the 20 minute mark Ian Brade lost control on one of the turns and put "bum on bitumen". The pack was tight and fortunately no others came down. This spill saw Wells and Tankard scoot away to a lead of some 50 metres or more. McNally chased hard, getting back on but leaving the balance of the riders struggling. Dwyer, Jordan and Winton kicking away from Anderson, Lokan (flat tyre and tumble) and Basse-Anstee. Liddle, Hale and Marshall all struggling in the humidity. Ian Beruldsen had called it a day by this stage and returned to child minding duties of his 2 kids.

Tankard proving his strength and speed by keeping Wells under control and bursting away at the final turn. McNally did well to be well clear of the remainders with a clear third.

Next Tuesday is a 32km, 2 man time trial at Riverside.

Results, 30 minutes + 2 laps

1 K Tankard
2 D Wells
3 R McNally
4 I Brade
5 H Dwyer
6 P Winton
7 L Jordan
8 D Basse-Anstee
9 A Anderson
10 J Lokan
11 G Marshall
12 R Hale
13 B Liddle