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Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals
Tasmania, December 20, 2008 - January 19, 2008
Burnie Carnival - January 1, 2009
Loyalty Rewarded
By Rod Morris in Burnie, Australia
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The loyalty and persistence of emerging West Australian rider Doug Repacholi was rewarded when he won the lucrative Burnie New Year's Day Wheelrace.
Despite the presence of four scratchmen in the 3000m final, Repacholi off the middle mark handicap of 120m, held on for a gutsy win from newly-crowned Mersey Wheel winner, Glen O'Shea (scratch) and defending Burnie Wheelrace champ, Mark Jamieson (scratch).
Repacholi, a member of the WA Cycling Federation's elite squad, has been a regular visitor to the Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals in recent years and until now, a major victory had eluded him. His victory in Burnie's showcase event means he became the first West Australian-based rider to win since Ian Campbell in 1967.
Campbell, who also won the time-honoured Latrobe Wheel in 1964, now resides in Launceston, Tasmania, and maintains a keen interest in track cycling.
The scratchmen - O'Shea, Jamieson, Matt Goss and Nathan Clarke - were able to bridge the gap to the main bunch with three laps remaining, and at the bell looked almost certain of claiming victory. But Repacholi was able to dig deep into his steely resolve and find something extra special in the final sprint to the line on the tight egg-shaped West Park track.
"We had a good group in the middle and we knew we would have to work hard to hold the scratchies out," said Repacholi. "We made them work to catch us and then I had the legs to get over them. The wind in the final wasn't as strong as it had been in the heats, so it was probably a good thing for us," he added.
Repacholi said the victory was the biggest win of his career and his race went according to plan, although he explained that, "We had to really keep it humming to keep them at bay." Repacholi qualified for the Latrobe Wheel earlier in these Christmas Carnivals, and at the two-night Devonport Carnival finished third in both of the two 2000m handicap wheelraces. "It's been a bit quiet until now, so this is definitely the highlight of my week and my career," said Repacholi.
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In mid-2008, Repacholi raced in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, where he was named rider-of-the-year and in 2007 he was a member of the West Australian 4000m pursuit team - along with Peter Dawson, Benjamin King and Cameron Meyer - which finished with the bronze medal at the Australian Track Championships.
Windy conditions helped the back markers in most of the heats, making it a tough day on the track for any lightly built or inexperienced rider. The final was much the same and it was Aussie international Matt Goss and former Latrobe Wheel champ, Nathan Clarke, who helped Jamieson and O'Shea bridge the gap. O'Shea and Jamieson made their final move on the back straight during the final lap, but Repacholi was able to resist their attack over the closing 200m.
Repacholi justified his Burnie Wheelrace win by coming out later in the carnival program to finish second to Nathan Clarke in the 16,000m A grade scratch race.
The support handicap events at Burnie saw Victorian Adrian Hanson win the 2000m race and former Tasmanian, now Victoria-based, Michael Maine win the lightning over the 1000m sprint distance. In the UCI series, conducted at all of the Christmas Carnivals, Jason Niblett continued his dominance of the sprints, while he also claimed victory in the keirin.
Laura McCaughey, who had suffered a nasty fall at the opening night of the Devonport Carnival returned to the track to win the UCI women's points score, while the women's Burnie Wheel was won by front marker Kayla Salopek (240m) from Briannon Maloney (250m) and Isabella King (170m). Cari Higgins won the A Grade Scratch.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- It was a blue sky for New Years day and the 2009 Burnie carnival
- But a strong wind coming from the west would make life difficult for riders on the track at Burnie
- There may have been blue skies but the wind was cool and spectators rugged up to watch the action
- Riders from Hong Kong found shelter in a shed away from the cold and brief showers
- Matt Goss from Tasmania was the sole scratchman in the 2000 metre handicap final
- Western Australian Douglas Repacholi in actionduring the 2000 metre handicap final. Repacholi would go on to bigger things later in the day
- The bunch with a lap to go in the final of the 2000 metre handicap
- Adrian Hanson from Victoria (l)gets the better of American Jame Carney to win the 2000 metre handicap final
- An exhausted Matthew Gurr after competing in the A Grade tree felling competition at Burnie
- Former carnivals commentator and legend Harold 'Tiger' Dowling was back behind the microphone to officially open the carnival for 2009
- Jason Niblett from Victoria took out the UCI Skilled Sprint final
- Victorian Tess Downing gives her all during the women's UCI Points Score race. Downing finished second behind Tasmanian Laura McCaughey
- Up with the birds... Champion axeman Dale Beams from Tasmania in action during the teams relay chop at the Burnie carnival. Woodchopping is another popular sport at the carnivals
- The New South Wales sprint trio of Andrew Taylor,Paul Fellows and Peter Lewis in action during the final of the UCI Olympic Sprint
- Axemen high up in the tree-felling competition in the middle of West Park Oval in Burnie
- Where are these riders? Pushers await the field for the UCI Keirin final
- Here they are! The field get set for the final of the UCI Keirin in Burnie
- Riders follow closely behind the motorbike in the final of the UCI Keirin
- Scott Sunderland (yellow) from Western Australia leads the charge with a lap to go in the UCI Keirin final
- Jason Niblett (centre) from Victoria takes out the final of the UCI Keirin ahead of Scott Sunderland (right) and Joel Leonard
- Keirin final winner Jason Niblett receives some high-fives from fans at West Park
- A patched-up Laura McCaughey after a nasty fall at Devonport in action during the final of the women's Burnie Wheelrace
- Kayla Salopek and Briannon Moloney get some encouragement with a lap to go in the final of the $4,000 women's 2000 metre Burnie Wheelrace
- Miranda Laidlaw from Victoria has only been track racing for one year and already a finalist in a Burnie wheelrace
- Kayla Salopek from New South Wales easily wins the 2009 women's Burnie Wheelrace
- Briannon Moloney from New South Wales crosses the line in second place ahead of Western Australian Isabella King in the Burnie women's wheelrace
- The four scratchmen in the Burnie wheelrace final (l-r):Mark Jamieson, Glen O'Shea, Matt Goss and Nathan Clarke
- Victorian Glen O'Shea was judged the carnival series best rider and was unlucky not to have won one of the four major wheelraces on offer
- Gang Xu from Hong Kong leads the field in the final of the 3000 metre (7 1/4 laps) Burnie Wheelrace
- The field approach one lap to go in the final of the 2009 Burnie Wheelrace
- Justin Tomlinson from New South Wales follows eventual winner Douglas Repacholi from Western Australia with a lap to go in the Burnie Wheelrace final
- Douglas Repacholi (centre) from Western Australia takes out the $3,500 (first place) Burnie Wheelrace ahead of Glen O'Shea (right) and Mark Jamieson
- The seagulls fly low as the sun begins to drop on West Park in Burnie during their 2009 New Years Day carnival
- Kayla Salpoek from New South Wales pocketed $2,640 and a sash for her win in the women's Burnie wheelrace
- Western Australian Douglas Repacholi adds his name to the illustrious list of Burnie wheel winners which includes Sid Patterson (1963); Graeme Gilmore (1964); Danny Clark (1974,77,79) and Neil Stephens (1982)
Results
Men's 1000m handicap 1 Michael Maine 2 Aaron Cooper 3 Roy Martin 4 Maddisson Hammond Men's 2000m wheelrace 1 Adrian Hanson 2 Jame Carney 3 Will Robinson 4 Andrew Dolan Men's 3000m wheelrace 1 Douglas Repacholi (120m) 2 Glen O’Shea (Scratch) 3 Mark Jamieson (Scratch) 4 Adrian Hanson (75m) Men's A grade scratch race 1 Nathan Clarke 2 Douglas Repacholi 3 Luke Davison Men's B grade scratch race 1 Andrew Dolan 2 Brandon Stewart 3 Will Robinson 4 John Rayner Men's C grade scratch race 1 Aaron Box 2 Aaron Cooper 3 James Joshua Men's D grade scratch race 1 Justin McMullen 2 Michael Maine 3 Steve Martini 4 David Abraham Men's E grade scratch race 1 Jason Bounday 2 Darrel Galpin 3 Nick Morgan 4 Roy Martin Elite men's sprint 1 Jason Niblett 2 Andrew Taylor 3 Joel Leonard 4 Ben Sanders Elite men's keiren 1 Jason Niblett 2 Scott Sunderland 3 Joel Leonard 4 Paul Fellows Elite women's points race 1 Laura McCaughey 14 pts 2 Tess Downing 10 3 Isabella King 9 4 Fatehah Mustapa 6 Elite men's team sprint 1 Australia 2 NSW 3 Malaysia Women's 2000m wheelrace 1 Kayla Salopek 2 Briannon Moloney 3 Isabella King 4 Emma Lawson Women's A grade points race 1 Cari Higgins 2 Tess Downing 3 Laura McCaughey 4 Isabella King Women's A grade scratch 1 Cari Higgins 2 Laura McCaughey 3 Fatehah Mustapa 4 Isabella King Women's B grade points race 1 Janelle Smith 2 Rebecca Werner 3 Kate Depaoli 4 Emma Lawson Women's B grade scratch race 1 Janelle Smith 2 Holly Williams 3 Naomi Pinto 4 Emma Lawson Women's C grade points race 1 Bethany Coleman 2 Keira Hernandez 3 Kayla Salopek 4 Melzy Felthem Women's C grade scratch race 1 Kiera Hernandez 2 Kayla Salopek 3 Monica Bonasera 4 Melzy Felthem
