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34th Bendigo Madison - IM
Australia, March 10-12, 2006
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Day 2 - March 11: Bendigo Wheelrace, 2000m
The boy loves Bendigo!
Clarke wins another in 2006 International Madison
By Les Clarke in Bendigo
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Young Victorian Simon Clarke (SA.com-AIS) has shown that he's enjoying sizzling form with another win during night one on the track at the Bendigo International Madison. Clarke hit the line first in the Gold and Opal wheelrace, the night's big race, after excellent work from his SA.com-AIS team-mates Miles Olman, Sean Finning and Michael Ford. Clarke paid tribute to the excellent work done by his partner for tomorrow's Madison, Olman. "Last year, Sando and I came here super motivated, gave it everything on the crit and the first day, and that boosted our confidence knowing that either one of us were going just as well as each other," said Clarke after the finish before adding, "I think that's exactly the same as Miles and I this year, and I couldn't ask for anything more."
The backmarkers, dominated by the SA.com-AIS crew, made their way quickly to the front in the Gold and Opal final; they swapped off turns with precision and speed to engulf the middle and frontmarkers and leave them with no choice other than to settle for the minor placings - the crack Under 23 outfit were out for a win. Sean Finning was the first to do his work before Michael Ford took over for a powerful stint and Miles Olman dragged Clarke very willingly to the front of the pack for the final sprint. From there Clarke had the poise, speed and endurance to easily finish off the race with a victory salute over the line. Olman was terrific in the race, and although he's had months off the bike through illness he has been able to perform with the best over the course of the national championships and now here in Bendigo.
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The night's other form rider was undoubtedly local rider Jessica Berry, who took out the women's A grade scratch race, the women's pursuit scratch race and the women's wheelrace final. In the wheelrace final she was definitely the strongest rider in the race, easily coming around the outside of the field after helping drive the backmarkers to the front with half a lap remaining. Once there she showed her true colours, being virtually untouchable in the final sprint to win ahead of Michelle King and Tess Downing. Following her third win for the night, Berry was definitely happy with her form on the night and the track season in general, something she had built towards throughout last winter. "I had a fairly good road season and was in the gym all winter," said Berry. "I just wanted to do well at the Australian titles - so I needed the form. I've just been doing heaps of racing down in Melbourne each weekend and it's paid off."
Tonight I've had the home ground advantage. It's a tricky track here; a kind of D shape, and you can go too early and lose it. But I know where to kick, and it works." But Berry would've preferred to see several more elite women entering tonight's races, saying, "I try and get the girls to come up every year, but it's hard being the last race on the calendar - next year we'll try and get the women's crit happening, which may attract a few more riders." Looking ahead the young Victorian is, "pretty keen to have a big road season - I'll try and do a few opens and get in the gym some more.
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In the night's final race it was all on for young and old in the 5 mile scratch race, with Horsham's Todd Wilksch getting up for the win in a bunch sprint after no fewer than six attacks dictated the race's complexion. It all began when Sean Finning made his way off the front in the opening metres - he was joined soon after by Mitchell Docker, and although they worked well together they were caught several laps later by a charging pack that included the likes of Nic Sanderson, Michael Ford, Joel Leonard and Travis Meyer.
With 13 laps remaining it was time for a four-man attack, with Phil Stokes, Christian Lademann, Steve Fitzpatrick and Miles Olman breaking off the front - but that only lasted one lap before the field came together again for another two laps and Sanderson, James McCallum and Evan Oliphant tried their luck. They too were unsuccessful and were dragged back with nine laps remaining. A lap later it was time for Kristian House to join a charging Anthony Chapman and try to achieve what others hadn't; they were also joined by Oliphant but the trio remained away for a lap before the sprinters caught back on and eyed off the finish within the final five laps. Coming into the final lap Finning found himself leading the pack before Zak Dempster showed great speed to fly into the final bend - it looked like the Victorian would take the win before Wilksch showed up out of nowhere to secure a tight win in the sprint. Wilksch said after the race he was confident of featuring in the finish despite the speed of Dempster, deciding to stay within the bunch and try his luck. "I bumped the gear up and had a 98 [inch] on which is a pretty big gear, but it's been a beautiful day here and the track's pretty fast," said Wilksch after the finish. "My aim was to sit in and have a go at the end. I was a bit far back with about three laps to go and I had to get up the front because there were some pretty fast guys up there, so I got up there and ended up winning it in the final straight."
But it all comes down to tomorrow night's racing, with the final of the Golden Mile wheelrace and the big one, the Bendigo International Madison. Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for all the action from country Victoria.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- The junior men give it some stick in the afternoon session
- The junior women provided the crowd with some great racing
- After an accident you'll use what you can to get the job done - even a wheelbarrow
- Micahel Bourke required an abulance after a big fall in the F grade scratch race
- The local Bendigo club enjoyed success in the junir ranks
- The heats of the Gold and Opal provided some exciting racing to get the crowd fired up
- AAPT are big supporters of the Bendigo International Madison
- Checking out the racing was a good idea for a Saturday night
- The three pronged attack of the SA.com-AIS team, including Simon Clarke, Michael Ford and Miles Olman
- Sean Finning (SA.com-AIS) looks relaxed while racing
- Mark French enjoyed a mixed night in Bendigo
- Scotsman Evan Oliphant has enjoyed his time in Australia
- Jessica Berry wins the women's wheelrace
- Jessica Berry is the in-form woman of this meet
- Simon Clarke takes another win, this time in the Gold and Opal wheelrace
- Todd Wilksch takes out the night's final race, the 5 mile scratch
Results
Under 13 women A scratch 1 G Hooper 2 K Payne 3 S Bush Under 13 men B scratch 1 D Mansfield 2 R Oakenfull 3 E Jackson Under 13 men A scratch 1 B Mapson 2 M Kelly Women's Under 17 scratch 1 G Freeland 2 C McCoombe 3 L Hooper Under 15 women scratch 1 S Wood 2 S Verlin 3 M Kelly Under 15 men's B scratch 1 J Butler 2 T Hutchins 3 K Potelandolfo Under 15 men's A scratch 1 T Gooley 2 N Rix 3 W Moore Under 17 men's B scratch 1 M Leske 2 J Kelly 3 E Feely Under 17 men's A scratch 1 M Downing 2 R Newby 3 J King Under 15 men handicap 1 X Gstrein 2 K Pontelandolfo 3 B May Under 17 men handicap 1 J Crass 2 B Sanders 3 W Edwards Under 13 women's handicap 1 1 C Butler 2 A Abbisogni 3 Under 13 women's handicap 2 1 E Asplin 2 G Hooper 3 J White Under 13 men's handicap 1 1 J Schmid 2 S O'Dea 3 R Lucas Under 13 men's handicap 2 1 M Elmer 2 E Jackson 3 D Mansfield Under 15/17 women's handicap 1 L Hooper 2 G Freeland 3 S Wood F Grade scratch race 1 D Fairburn 2 - 3 - E Grade scratch race 1 C Robinson 2 D Mannix 3 D Stallan D Grade scratch race 1 T Ralton 2 D Stewart 3 E Williams C Grade scratch race 1 A Rix 2 J Moroni 3 K Marwood B Grade women's scratch race 1 H Bush 2 N Holt 3 T Cole A Grade women's scratch race 1 J Berry 2 M King 3 T Downing Women's pursuit scratch race 1 J Berry 2 T Downing 3 T Cole Golden Mile Wheelrace qualifying Heat 1 1 T Hucker 2 A Rix 3 J Gundry Heat 2 1 A Hanson 2 D Taylor 3 S Cunneen Heat 3 1 W Scott 2 G O'Shea 3 A Swatton Heat 4 1 J Tomlinson 2 T Meyer 3 S Potelandolfo Heat 5 1 P Shaw 2 T Bastian 3 D Pell Heat 6 1 G Mueller 2 S Clarke 3 J Moroni Heat 7 1 J Leonard 2 T Wilksch 3 T Kunihiro Women's wheelrace final 1 J Berry 2 M King 3 T Downing Gold and Opal wheelrace 1 S Clarke 2 D Pell 3 M Olman B Grade scratch race 1 P Shaw 2 A James 3 G O'Shea 5 mile scratch race 1 T Wilksch 2 Z Dempster
