Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals

Tasmania, December 26, 2005 - January 1, 2006

Burnie Carnival - January 1, 2006

Main Results Other men's races Women's races Complete results

A fish named Burnie

By Anthony Tan in Burnie

Ben Kersten
Photo ©: Shane Goss

It must have been a welcome sight for organisers, riders, families and fans to see the sun rise over Burnie Athletic club Monday morning. Given less than ten percent of the riders down to ride yesterday's washed-out Burnie Carnival went back home, the effect on the standard of racing was negligible, if any.

In fact, a near-record number of seven scratch markers in the Burnie Wheel - the richest event of the entire Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals - said it all; a small pity more spectators weren't on hand earlier on to watch such brave racing in extremely challenging conditions.

2006 Burnie Wheel, 2000m

A VIS trio

Another triple

And a TIS trifecta

The seven grand, cash-rich Burnie Wheel saw five hotly-contested heats, and when nine out of the final 20 riders qualified from the three best-represented institutes - T.I.S./Cyclingnews, V.I.S. and the W.A.I.S. - the knowledgeable crowd began licking their laps. Either that or their lips were chapped from the frosty wind that gathered intensity as the day wore on.

Seven scratch markers - Ben Kersten (NSW), Matt Goss, Mark Jamieson, Nathan Clarke (all T.I.S.), Todd Wilksch, Darren Young (both Vic) and Jame Carney (USA) - in the final was close to a record (although one year there was 10!). And the other 13 - Joel Leonard, Simon Clarke, Gareth Atkins, Bobby Lea, Leigh Howard, Travis and Cameron Meyer, Duane Johansen, Dave Oliver, John Raynor, Aaron Jones, Alex Holden and Kaiden Homan - were no slouches, either, ensuring a true battle royale between track cycling's top guns.

"I've had a good series," said Kersten, "but everyone comes to watch the handicaps on the days [of the carnivals]. And I've been in crashes, missing out on finals not through my own fault - so it's been pretty disappointing in that respect, because all the emphasis is on the handicap.

"So the pressure is on tonight - my last race. This is my last opportunity in Tassie to pick up a handicap."

Mark Jamieson

Ben Kersten (L)

Ben Kersten

Temperatures were truly freezing come final time just before 8:30pm. But with so much expectation, there was an added chill in the air, as the chosen 20 were held in place by the officials, waiting for the start gun to be fired.

As the shot rang loud through the air, the seven scratchies bolted out of the blocks, quickly catching the back-markers just ahead of them, a stunning image of grace and power not dissimilar to that seen in the team time trial at the Tour de France. Realistically, the front markers had not a hope in hell of staying clear, and with four laps remaining, it was four in front, three in the middle and eleven at the rear.

At three to go, the middle trio was eaten for dinner by the back-markers; a lap later, the front four became a late-night snack and the groups were one. Around that infamous turn two on the bell lap, just five were left, and although Nathan Clarke lead the group home with some serious speed, Oh Benny Boy never looked like losing as he sailed past Tasmanians Clarke and Darren Young at the line, fist pumped, job done, well done.

"We had the some of best riders in the world off that [scratch] line, so if we didn't get up, there's a problem with Australian cycling... thankfully there's not, and that is fantastic," gasped Kersten, exhausted though elated, the latter no doubt fuelled by the fact he was now three and a half grand richer.

"I really wanted to honour what the scratch markers did - they deserved to get the minor places. So I was really going to just leave it to the last minute and not bring anyone else around the outside with me, because they did such a great job. Everyone was a winner, I think."

(Note: Although the Burnie Carnival was postponed to January 2, 2006, due to rain, the weather did hold out long enough for a series of street criteriums to be held on New Year's Eve - see full results, report & photos.)

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com

Ryan Innes takes out the Advocate Lightning Handicap over 1000 metres.
Matthew Atkins gently warms up on the rollers in Burnie.
Ben Kersten is training hard and on the right track for a berth at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Sarah Eaves wins the women's B Grade scratch race at Burnie.
Just hanging 'round in Burnie!
They're going cheap in Argentina!
Ben Kersten holds out Joel Leonard to win a heat of the Motors International Match Race.
A rider is attended to after falling in the women's B Grade points score race.
Jessica McLean from the Australian Capital Territory into the wind during the women's A Grade points score.
Matt Goss leads the backmarkers into the headwind in the home straight in Burnie during the final of the Top of the Town Pharmacy 2000m Handicap.
Local boy Aaron Jones takes the Top of the Town Pharmacy 2000m Handicap final ahead of Ben Laskey from Launceston.
Aaron Jones takes it easy after his first major win on the track in the 2000m Top of the Town Pharmacy Handicap.
Riders in the C Grade scratch race make their way towards the home straight and finish line at West Park in Burnie.
A VIS trio in the Burnie Wheelrace final - (L-R) Leigh Howard, Simon Clarke and Joel Leonard.
Another triple: W.A.I.S. riders in the Burnie Wheelrace final - (L-R) Duane Johanson, Travis Meyer and Cameron Meyer.
And a TIS trifecta for the Burnie Wheelrace final - (L-R) Mark Jamieson, Darren Young and Matt Goss.
Riders in the final of the keirin are paced around West Park in Burnie.
Ben Kersten (L) takes out the keirin final just ahead of Sebastian Donadio.
High fives for the crowd from Ben Kersten.
The field in the women's wheelrace make their way into the headwind on the home straight.
Local girl Karissa Ling wins the women's wheelrace final.
Karissa Ling won't have far to carry her trophy home, being from Burnie.
John Forrest takes out the 2000m consolation wheelrace final.
Seven riders took their marks on scratch for the 2006 Tasmanian Banking Services wheelrace final.
Mark Jamieson (TIS/Cyclingnews.com) leads the backmarkers around in the final of the Burnie Wheel.
John Raynor leads Alex Holden around with two laps to go in the Burnie wheelrace final.
Ben Kersten (L) takes out the Tasmanian Banking Services Burnie wheelrace ahead of Nathan Clarke.
Ben Kersten from New South Wales acknowledges the crowd after winning the Burnie wheelrace for 2006.
Burnie wheelrace winner Ben Kersten is interviewed by carnival commentator and former Austral wheel winner Craig Price.
The field in the A Grade scratch race line up beneath the finish line lights at Burnie.
Simon Clarke (Jayco/VIS) wins the final event of the 2005/06 Tasmanian Christmas Carnival series, the A Grade scratch race.

Results

Event 66: 2006 Burnie Wheel - Heat 1
 
1 Travis Meyer
2 Cameron Meyer
3 Gareth Atkins
4 Kaiden Homan
 
Event 67: 2006 Burnie Wheel - Heat 2
 
1 Duane Johansen
2 David Oliver
3 John Raynor
4 Aaron Jones
 
Event 68: 2006 Burnie Wheel - Heat 3
 
1 Matthew Goss
2 Nathan Clarke
3 Mark Jamieson
4 Jame Carney
 
Event 69: 2006 Burnie Wheel - Heat 4
 
1 Todd Wilksch
2 Simon Clarke
3 Joel Leonard
4 Bobby Lea
 
Event 70: 2006 Burnie Wheel - Heat 5
 
1 Darren Young
2 Ben Kersten
3 Leigh Howard
4 Alex Holden
 
Event 114: McGrath & Co. Consolation Wheel Race, 2000m - Final
 
1 John Forrest                              2.21.08
2 Ryan Innes
3 Dean Stewart
  
Event 119 - 2006 Burnie Wheel
 
1 Ben Kersten                               3.29.52
2 Nathan Clarke
3 Darren Young
 
Complete results