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Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals
Tasmania, December 20, 2008 - January 17, 2009
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Launceston Carnival - December 28, 2008
Malaysian Olympian takes Tassie glory
By Rod Morris
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Malaysian Olympian Rizal Tisin justified the interest shown in him by organisers of the Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals when he captured the Launceston Carnival held on the indoor Silverdome velodrome. The 24 year-old, riding from a 70 metre handicap for the 2000 metre final, defeated emerging Ulverstone junior Luke Ockerby (90m) and 2006 Launceston Wheel champion Ben Grenda (90m).
Scratchman Glenn O'Shea from Victoria flashed home for fourth, but could not get around the trio of riders in front of him over the closing stages.
Earlier this year Tisin represented Malaysia at the Beijing Olympic Games where he and teammates, Azizulhasni Awang and Josiah Ng were knockout by France in the opening round of the team's sprint. Malaysia had finished seventh overall. Earlier in the year at the UCI World Track Championships in Manchester, England, Tisin finished fifth in the one kilometre time trial.
The Launceston Wheelrace featured six qualifying heats and Tisin was the last of those to advance to the final. In his heat, Tisin captured the imagination of everyone trackside with a classy win over Grenda, local Launceston rider Clay Murfett (120m) and the luckless Tom Robinson, who just missed a finals berth.
Other heat winners included O'Shea, Ockerby, Australian Olympian Mark Jamieson (scratch), Jonathon Dunlop (120m) and Peter Loft (120m).
Joining O'Shea and Jamieson on scratch in the final was popular Tasmanian Nathan Clarke, who finished second in his heat behind Jamieson.
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Former scratchman Jame Carney from USA has returned for another assault on the Tasmanian Carnivals, but handicapper Gareth Atkins has lifted the dual Olympian out to 50m over 2000m. Carney qualified for the final through the fourth heat and is in obvious good form after also qualifying for the Latrobe Wheel final on Boxing Day.
Once the field of 18 finalists had been determined, word from knowledgeable tracksiders leaned towards Clay Murfett, Ben Grenda, Victorian Adrian Hanson and Luke Ockerby as the new champion. But they underestimated the sprinting ability of Tisin, who is a rider of pure class...and speed.
Tisin had finished third in the AJ Clarke & Sons Handicap, the main support race to the Latrobe Wheelrace on Boxing Day, while his teammates Edris Yunos and Azizulhasni Awang were beaten into third place in the tri-country team's sprint against New Zealand and Australia.
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At Launceston Tisin was replaced by Junaldi Nasir, while Josiah Ng came in at the expense of Yunos and the team improved its rating to second behind the Aussie trio of Scott Sunderland, Shane Perkins and Jason Niblett.
Awang - who was second in the AJ Clarke two days prior - won the Launceston Lightning Handicap over 1000m, while scratch race winners included Glenn O'Shea, Peter Loft, Jeremy Hills, Joel Stearnes and Dean Benedetti. O'Shea continued that winning form into the A Grade elimination final.
The Women's Launceston Wheelrace produced yet another classy winner in Harriet Kossman, riding from a 130m handicap. Kossman held off the challenge from Janelle Smith (140m) and Miranda Laidlaw (150m).
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Ace Victorian Shane Perkins is proving to be the best sprinter at the carnivals, winning his second consecutive race in the UCI Series. He beat Scott Sunderland and Jason Niblett on Boxing Day and at Launceston on Sunday night he relegated Azizulhasni Awang and Sunderland to the minor placings.
Malaysian sprinting specialist Fatehah Mustapa (19) showed her versatility by winning the women's A Grade Scratch and finishing fourth in the points score.
Junior cycling also has a strong presence at the Launceston Carnival and wheelrace winners included Mitchell Benson (Under 17), Nathan Hinkley (Under 15) and Riley Hart (Under 13).
Victorian Jackson Law, younger brother of 2007 Latrobe Wheelrace winner Scott Law, was second to Benson in the Launceston Wheelrace, but won the 1000 m Lightning Handicap and both A Grade Scratch races in his age group.
The Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals continues over the next two nights in Devonport Carnival before the time honoured Burnie New Year's Carnival and then the Hobart on Sunday and St Helens on January 17.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- New Zealand’s Penny Day in action during the women's points score race in Launceston.
- The big…
- …and the small.
- The Jayco-VIS team in action during the men's UCI Sprint race.
- Malaysia’s Azizulhasni Awang pulls his customary mono on the line in the men's sprint.
- David Cripps in action during the Launceston Carnival at the Silverdome.
- American carnival regular Jame Carney giving his all on the boards at the Silverdome.
- Shane Perkins (left) returns the mono favour on Malaysia’s Azizulhasni Awang to win the men's sprint final.
- Shane Perkins salutes the crowd after winning the men's sprint final.
- Riders on the in-field await the next race as a bunch speeds by at the Silverdome.
- Pushers release riders during the action from Launceston's carnival.
- The in-field at Launceston's Silverdome during the Christmas Carnival.
- Riders warm-up prior to another race on the boards.
- Scott Sunderland from Western Australia straps himself in prior to another race.
- Sprint star Shane Perkins warms up beneath the International flags on show at the Silverdome.
- Junior riders leave the in-field ready for battle on the boards.
- A heavy load: A junior rider at Launceston carries his bike after his race.
- A section of the crowd at Launceston's Silverdome.
- A good crowd once again attended the Launceston carnival.
- A bit of argy-bargy on the boards at the Silverdome.
- Action from the final of the 2008 Launceston Wheelrace.
- James Langedyk from Victoria powers the back markers towards the front of the race during the final of the Launceston Wheelrace.
- Mark Jamieson from Tasmania leads the back markers around the Silverdome in search of the leading pack in the Launceston Wheelrace final.
- Rizal Tisin (left in black) from Malaysia prepares to snatch the Launceston Wheelrace from the rest with one lap to go.
- The Launceston Wheelrace podium (L-R): Luke Ockerby (Tasmania), Rizal Tisin (Malaysia), and Ben Grenda (Tasmania).
- Launceston Wheelrace winner Rizal Tisin from Malaysia dances on the boards and throws his flowers into the crowd.
- How good is this: Malaysian Rizal Tisin was more at home on the indoor track and comfortably took-out the Launceston Wheelrace.
- Action from the final of the 2008 Women's Launceston Wheelrace at the Silverdome.
- Harriet Kossman (left) takes out the final of the 2008 women's Launceston Wheelrace.
- The women's Wheelrace podium (L-R): Janelle Smith (Tasmania), Harriet Kossman (Tasmania), and Miranda Laidlaw (Victoria).
- Wan Yiu Wong (centre) from Hong Kong on the podium after winning the women's points score race in Launceston.
- Action from the men's keirin final in Launceston.
- Matt Goss from Tasmania in action during the A Grade Scratch race.
- Victorian pair James Langedyk (left) and eventual winner Glen O'Shea stole the show in the A Grade Scratch race.
- Sometimes cycling is a numbers game.
Results
Launceston Men's Wheelrace 1 Rizal Tisin (Malaysia) 2 Luke Ockerby (Tasmania) 3 Ben Grenda (Tasmania) Launceston Women's Wheelrace 1 Harriet Kossman (Tasmania) 2 Janelle Smith (Tasmania) 3 Miranda Laidlaw (Victoria)
