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Introduction to Track Racing - What's a Wheelrace? - Introduction to Six Day racing
Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals
Tasmania, December 26, 2005 - January 1, 2006
Burnie Carnival - January 1, 2006
Main Results Men's wheelrace Other men's races Complete results
Women's races
By Anthony Tan in Burnie
McDonalds Burnie Ladies A Scratch Race, 3000m
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A smaller than usual field contested the women's A grade scratch race. With dominant scratch rider of the Tassie Carnivals, Jessica Berry, on her way back home to Bendigo, it was time for a new face and a new race.
The atypically contoured track combined with a tight field saw the few breakaway attempts shut down within seconds, setting the stage for a bunch sprint on the bell lap. And as the headwind turned on its tail around the back straight with 200 metres to go, self-confessed speed machine Laura McCaughey hit out hard, doing enough to put another feather in the cap for the Launceston City Cycle Club, the 24 year-old holding off Kate Cullen and Tiffany Cromwell for the win.
"There were a few efforts, probably two or three attacks, but it is pretty windy. Where I hit out, the wind is behind you and it's a downhill," Cromwell explained, adding, "it's a funny track, so going downhill also helps whoever's got the speed. When I hit the wind, I thought, 'Oh, bugger!', but I was okay in the end."
The smiling blonde (invariably a lethal combination, particularly among males...) said she was all ready to go yesterday and felt a bit sluggish this morning, but a few turns at the front woke up her legs. "I tried to do some work myself; I'm more of a sprinter, but I don't like people that sit in!" she said with a grin, making one think she enjoys seeing her opponents in the hurt bag.
Asked if it was one event she was gunning for, Cromwell replied: "It's always good to win. I need to buy a new bike and get to nationals somehow, so I need all the money I can get!" A typical up-and-coming rider's conundrum: balancing training, racing, work and a social life.
Said Cromwell about her prospects for the rest of the day, "I don't know if I'll be entering the points score today, because I don't have a lot of endurance and I'm meant to be a speed machine, so I don't know... I'll see how I go."
Subway Ladies A Grade Points Score, 12 laps
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Well, scratch race winner Laura McCaughey did end up riding the points race, but after winning the first sprint at nine laps to go, the Launceston unexpectedly pulled out of the race, most likely saving herself for sprint events later in the day.
Shortly before the race's midway point, Jessie McLean decided to take her chances and quickly built a quarter-lap lead on her own - significant on a track almost half a kilometre long. "We were really hoping for a tough race, and the wind makes it a lot harder," she said. "A lot of the girls did pull out, so I loved the wind - it made it a lot harder for everybody!
"My legs have been feeling the week of racing, but so have everybody's, so when it's hard for me, sometimes it's good to hurt yourself so much more [in front], because at least you're in control of the pain and not somebody else," McLean said with a devilish smile. TIS/Cyclingnews' Grace Sulzberger hesitated before going after her, also flying solo, which is the way things stayed with three laps remaining, McLean enjoying a four-point advantage over Sulzberger and Tiffany Cromwell.
By the bell lap, Sulzberger and Cromwell had bridged to McLean with the former attacking at the top of the back straight to cross the line first - but by then, it was too little, too late... McLean's 20 year-old legs had given her the race, and a very welcome win indeed. Sulzberger finished second on points, with Kate Cullen's consistency placing her in third.
"I felt good on the rollers when I first got on, but after the scratch race I didn't feel so good - sometimes it takes me a while to warm up," said the clearly delighted winner. "I'm really happy, because I finished on a really good note. Some of the girls and I worked well together to get up there - Grace Sulzberger and Tiffany Cromwell - so the race pretty much panned out perfectly for us.
McLean, who rides for the ACT Academy of Sport, believes her future lies on the road, but being so young, she says she doesn't have the strength to match it with the best women road riders. "I'll concentrate on the track until I built up a bit more strength," she said.
Serena Lodge Alpacas Ladies' Wheel Race, 2000m
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With the two heats cancelled due to a reduced field and rolled into a one-off final, the women's wheel race riders were fresh and fidgety - and it showed. Right from the get-go, the entire field took off like bats out of hell, and throughout the four-and-a-half lap race, a lack of firepower at the rear worked in the front-markers' favour.
With things as they were, the ladies' wheel was won by 230 metre girl Karissa Ling, with Sarah Cure taking second (180m) and previous A grade scratch winner Laura McCaughey (off scratch) third, getting herself that much closer to the nationals and a new bike.
"Pretty much when the bell went, I thought, 'I better get out of [the saddle]', but to hold it all the way to finish, it was a bit of a surprise to win here," said Ling, looking a little caught-out with all the attention. The 14 year-old victor - the day's second major prizewinner from Burnie - added her legs were feeling good in her warm-up, mentioning not having to ride a qualification race made the arduous conditions more bearable.
In fact, like her older Burnie club-mate and Top of The Town Pharmacy Handicap winner Aaron Jones, Ling appeared undaunted with who she was up against, adopting very much a 'Just do it' mentality to secure her place on the top of the podium. That plug will cost you 1,000 dollars, thanks Nike...
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 32: Corporate Express Ladies B Grade Scratch Race, 3000m 1 Sarah Eaves 4.35.09 2 Karissa Ling 3 Adele Gee Event 33: McDonalds Burnie Ladies A Grade Scratch Race, 3000m 1 Laura McCaughey 4.14.32 2 Kate Cullen 3 Grace Sulzberger 4 Tiffany Cromwell Event 40: Contel Ladies B Grade Points Score, 12 laps 1 Karissa Ling 2 Kate Warren 3 Emma Smith Event 44: Subway Ladies A Grade Points Score, 12 laps 1 Jessie McLean 13 pts 2 Grace Sulzberger 11 3 Kate Cullen 10 Event 113: Serena Lodge Alpacas Ladies' Wheel Race, 2000m - Final 1 Karissa Ling 2 Sarah Cure 3 Laura McCaughey Complete results
