Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Mont Ventoux Photo ©: Sirotti |
34th Bendigo Madison - IM
Australia, March 10-12, 2006
Day 1 - March 10: Bendigo Criterium, 50 laps
Clarke completes double one year on
By Les Clarke in Bendigo
|
Despite an AFL pre-season match being the sporting highlight of Bendigo on Friday night, a healthy crowd gathered to see Simon Clarke (SA.com-AIS) complete a double of sorts by winning the Bendigo International Criterium. Having won the Bendigo International Madison with Nic Sanderson a year earlier, Clarke returned to take the honours in what was a fast race dominated by the gun Under 23 SA.com outfit.
Held on a tight street circuit within Bendigo's CBD, the race became a story of attack after attack, with Scottish rider Evan Oliphant, Englishman Kristian House and Clarke being the protagonists in many of the moves that were happening. Supported by teammates Michael Ford and Miles Olman, Clarke was able to try his luck in several attacks before placing himself perfectly within the pack to contest the finale, which was a clean but very competitive bunch sprint. I had a big go early on and almost cooked myself," said Clarke after the finish, "But I just went back to the bunch and tried to recover, and made my way to the front at the end." It then came down to Clarke's superior positioning which placed him in the middle of the pack and allowed him to accelerate confidently to the finish - with a big whoop at the finish, it was clear the young Victorian was happy to get the win.
With $1250 in sprint prizes on offer as well as a $1000 cash prize for first place, riders were keen to try their luck, especially on the prime laps, which provided plenty of motivation to lift the pace. Most of the attacking moves were made on the lap following a prime, and with riders keeping one eye on the big prize, they tried to make hay while the sun shone.
|
The pace was poured on early, and after only three laps riders were beginning to drop off the back - part of this was due to Marcus Wettenhall riding off the front in an attempt to get away early. He was chased down by Patrick Shaw before Great Britains' Kristian House had a go off the front of the field. He quickly established a four second lead, which on the tight fast circuit was commendable, but not enough to provide a comfort barrier so early in the race.
Simon Clarke bridged to House two laps before the first sprint prime, with 40 laps remaining, and the Victorian went on to take that opening prime, much to House's disappointment. Back in the pack, Nic Sanderson was driving at the head of the field, along with Clarke's teammate Michael Ford, both riders showing their class as they dragged the field round the approixmately 800m retangular circuit, causing it to stretch down both main straights.
|
After the second sprint the race became a series of attacks, with four of five riders getting clear every few laps - the configuration of each attack changed slightly, but several riders constantly popped their heads up in the breaks. These riders included Oliphant, House, Clarke, Olman and Shaw, and at the halfway point it was becoming clear who the protagonists in the finish were going to be.
The predictable break went clear after the third sprint prime, but with 16 laps remaining it too was caught. As the race moved into the final 10 laps, Oliphant made one last roll of the dice with an attack following his sprint prime win, but he too was caught with six laps remaining. It was then time for the SA.com-AIS crew to set one of their men up for the bunch sprint, and with Michael Ford continuing to work hard it was no surprise that in the finale Clarke crossed the line ahead of Olman and Victorian Leigh De Luca.
Clarke praised his team after the finish, saying, "Our team has the best under 23 riders in Australia, and we couldn't come to a race and not expect to perform well when you're the cream of the crop." In the finish his teammates tried to work something out, but it wasn't quite possible, something noted by Clarke. "We tried to work something out, but everyone was going for it, so it was a bit hard to go for it as a team," he said. Looking ahead, Clarke is confident of more good results for the young squad, saying after the finish, "Our main challenge is overseas, but before we get over there we'll be going to all the Australian races with full force."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- Riders wait for the start in Bendigo
- Michael Ford (SA.com) looks relaxed before the start
- Nic Sanderson in a contemplative mood before the start
- Simon Clarke (SA.com) focusses before the gun in Bendigo
- Heading round the pub in the afternoon sun
- Nic Sanderson corners perfectly as he drove the field
- Miles Olman (SA.com) finished the day in second
- Riders complete a perfect afternoon in Bendigo
- Mail, anyone? Riders wizz through the streets of Bendigo
- Bendigo Town Hall provided a great backdrop for the criterium
- As the sun went down the action got hotter
- Michael Ford (SA.com) did a bucket load of work throughout the race
- Kristian House (Recycling.co.uk) was prominent in the race
- Tasmanian Stephen Rossendell heads along the main straight
- Scotsman Evan Oliphant pushed it hard in the final stages
- Warren Scott was prominent throughout the race and in the chases
- Warren Scott (St George CC) does it hard in the final laps
- Simon Clarke wins in Bendigo to complete a Bendigo double
- Kristian House was the sprint king and took home some extra cash as a result
- Teammates Olman (l) and Clarke (r) on the podium in first and second
- A yellow jersey for Simon Clarke... and it won't be his last
- The Bendigo criterium podium (l-r): Miles Olman, Simon Clarke and Leigh De Luca
- Simon Clarke wins the Bendigo criterium
Results
1 Simon Clarke (Aus) SA.com-AIS 2 Miles Olman (Aus) SA.com-AIS 3 Nic Sanderson (Aus) Sprint King Kristian House (GBr) Recycling.co.uk-Litespeed Sprint prime 1 1 Simon Clarke (Aus) SA.com-AIS 2 Kristian House (GBr) Recycling.co.uk-Litespeed 3 Michael Ford (Aus) SA.com-AIS Sprint prime 2 1 Miles Olman (Aus) SA.com-AIS 2 Nathan Clarke (Aus) 3 Cameron Meyer (Aus) WAIS Sprint prime 3 1 Kristian House (GBr) Recycling.co.uk-Litespeed 2 Simon Clarke (Aus) SA.com-AIS 3 Patrick Shaw (Aus) Sprint prime 4 1 Peter Fitzpatrick (Aus) St George CC 2 Evan Oliphant (Sco) Scottish National Team 3 Kristian House (GBr) Recycling.co.uk-Litespeed
