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33rd Bendigo Madison - IM
Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, March 7-9, 2003
Preview 2002 results Results Day 2 results Past winners
Day 3 - March 9, 2003
Wooldridge, McGee win Bendigo Madison
Weispfennig plays bridesmaid again
By Karen Forman In Bendigo
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New South Wales Institute of Sport riders Rod McGee and Steve Wooldridge realised a dream they had first hatched 10 months ago when they won the 2003 Bendigo International Madison in very cold conditions in country Victoria tonight.
The pair won seven and placed in most of the rest of the 34 sprints to beat the Daikin/McCaig Air-conditioning team of Erik Weispfennig (Germany) and Darren Young (Tasmania) 65 points to 60. The two teams had been fighting it out throughout the event, taking sprint for sprint and only four points separated them with 11 laps, or two sprints, to go.
A huge and very enthusiastic crowd was on hand to cheer the 17 teams in wintry conditions. The rain that had looked threatening earlier in the day held off n and the event, despite lacking any major attacks, proved to be exciting for spectators, decided more or less completely on points gained through the sprints.
While McGee and world team pursuit champion Wooldridge were jubilant in their victory, a disappointed Weispfennig was relegated to being bridesmaid for the third time.
He had been hoping that after two second places in as many years, 2003 might be his year.
However, it was not to be. McGee and Wooldridge were just too fast in the sprints; too tactical in their changes. And, as the German said: "Too strong in the end."
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While Weispfennig, who flies home to Europe early tomorrow morning, said he didn't have the power at the end of the race, "perhaps arriving in Australia too late to prepare", he conceded he had "done everything I could do."
He wasn't the only one to have suffered from the relentless pace. Victorian Leigh Egan, who finished third on 58 points with Brett Dawson of NSW, said he "didn't know where I was with 50 to go or what was happening."
He said he had suffered in the fast pace early in the race, but had seemed to get better the further he went.
McGee and Wooldridge, were full of compliments for each other and said they would more than likely return in a year to defend their new title.
"We started talking about doing it 10 months ago," Wooldridge, 25, who has raced in the last five Bendigo Madisons, said. "It was a cold windy day and I didn't really have anyone to train with in Sydney, so I went over to Macca's and we starting going for a few rides together. Then we started talking about doing this.
"Now everything we wanted has happened. It's a dream come true. "
He said the key to their success was "believing in ourselves."
"I could honestly say that if I retired now I would be happy. I mean, I'm a track rider and this is really the icing on the cake."
(For the record, he's not planning to retire anytime soon. He's back to Adelaide with the AIS then to Mexico for the World Cup in two weeks. "I'm not looking forward to it, at 18,000 metres". From there he goes to the US for a roadblock then Europe to prepare for the worlds, with the Olympics "the big picture".)
Twenty eight year old McGee, meanwhile, who returns to Sydney to help coach Gary Sutton prepare the NSW team for the nationals and hope for World Cup selection himself, said he had been a bit nervous during the race.
"I was keeping my eye on the scoreboard," he said.
"The end was perfect for us, with a couple of teams off the front and taking some points for us."
How it unfolded
The team of German Erik Weispfennig and Tasmania Darren Young started 5/4 favourites just ahead of eventual winners Steve Wooldridge and Rod McGee at 2/1 and it didn't take long for the action to start thanks to a new innovation - a $250 "supersprint" right at the start.
McGee was off to a flying start and led out at the whistle but Egan, whose original partner Johno Davis had to withdraw last week after being hit by a car, pipped him at the post.
Egan and Dawson won the sprint ahead of Bendigo Relocatable Homes (Chris Sutton and Steve Fitzpatrick), BMW Bendigo (Chris Pascoe and Warren Scott of NSW) and Bendigo Party Hire (Simon Clarke and Robert Wilson).
The second sprint was taken by Tim Decker of Valentini Financial Planning Service ahead of Weispfennig and Young, with Egan third and the Innes Motors/VIS team of Sean Finning and Michael Ford fourth.
Sprint three was taken out by Wooldridge/McGee ahead of Finning/Ford, Bendigo Sheetmetal (Brad Norton/Richard England and Giant (Nick Sanderson/Mark Jamieson). At this point the Japanese team of Go Ogasawara and Masanari Yoshida withdrew. They had managed just seven laps.
Norton/England won the fourth sprint, Wooldridge/McGee the fifth, Sanderson/Jamieson the sixth and Wooldridge/McGee the seventh.
By this time the NSW riders had amassed 19 points. Finning and Ford were attacking hard but not managing to achieve much ground.
Weispfennig and Young won the eighth sprint with a perfectly timed sling by Weispfennig, which shot Young across the line first by about 10 bike lengths.
They then took the ninth sprint ahead of Wooldridge and McGee, but remained a point behind them 22-21. The Wooldridge/McGee combination then added to their score by winning the tenth sprint. Finning and Ford won the 11th.
A 15-lap chase with no sprints didn't result in any of the expected attacks and the 12th sprint went to Sutton and Fitzpatrick.
The German and Young picked up the 13th sprint with another impressive and well-timed sling, but NSW was still leading by two points.
With 116 laps of the 416-metre track to go, Wooldridge and McGee took the 14th sprint, gaining at 34-27 lead. It became obviously at this point that the race would come down to the two top teams.
Next sprint was Weispfennig/Young's turn and the pace started to really hot up. Two points separated the two teams, but NSW was still in front.
Neither figured in a sprint then until Wooldridge and McGee won the 19th sprint. A 20 lap chase followed, with both teams of 39 points and again, no breakaways or major action.
The NSW boys attacked after the 20th sprint and Weispfennig was caught out in fifth wheel. He recovered to win the 24th sprint ahead of Wooldridge and McGee. The score was 51 to NSW and 47 to Weispfennig/Young. He and Young won the 26th sprint ahead of Wooldridge and McGee and so the game of cat and mouse continued until Egan really found his power and started leading out sprints and attacking off the front.
By the 30th sprint NSW led with 59 ahead of Weispfennig-Young on 57 and Egan on 50.
Finning and Ford attacked off the front with 11 laps to go and managed to get 150 metres ahead of the chasing bunch. They were still ahead with eight laps and two sprints to go and by the final sprint, it was obvious that Weispfennig, caught back in the chasing bunch, had no hope of picking up more points.
Deafness no problem for Golden Mile winner Van Beek
By Karen Forman In Bendigo
Not being able to hear the starter's gun might be a major disadvantage for some competitive cyclists, but such a minor hiccup didn't seem to affect young Melbourne rider Reece-Emerson Van Beek's chances of winning one of the feature events at this weekend's Bendigo International Madison Carnival, the Golden Mile handicap.
Riding off 375 metres, chef in training Van Beek, 20, who lives in Melbourne but rides with the Geelong Cycling Club, beat esteemed scratch markers, Mark French, Shane Kelly and Darren Young to pick up the $3000 first prize money. Now he has his sights set on the Austral Wheelrace at Melbourne's Vodafone Arena next Saturday and the Deaf Olympics in Melbourne in 2005.
Van Beek has been deaf since birth and relies on vibration to 'hear' the gun - and the movement of his fellow competitors.
He's a handy rider, but not quite yet in the ranks of some of the esteemed scratch markers he was up against.
Until three years ago, he might never had had the opportunity to ride in the prestigious Goldn Mile event, which has been around since 1956.
A new system was introduced three years ago to give lower graded riders the opportunity to earn a berth in the final.
It works by having riders race preliminary scratch races in grades, with the first three going into a handicap final.
The event was won last year by Brett Aitken. Stephen Pate won five times.
Van Beeke managed to hold off the scratch markers to win the 3000 metre final in 3.09.90 ahead of under 19 rider Brenton Crawley (160) and scratch markers Rod McGee and Shane Kelly.
"I am very happy," he said after the event, which he won by riding away from his handicap group and staying at the front alone for much of the race.
"This is my best result."
He has been riding for five years and said he had been starting to go quite well until he was hit by a car while training and suffered damage to his ear, which caused vertigo for two years.
"My balance was going up and down," he said.
Then he managed to get his fitness up to the point where he could go to Rome to contest the deaf Olympics, but in the end had to decline, due to lack of funds.
Now his new goal is the 2005 Deaf Olympics in Melbourne but he doesn't intend to limit his competition to events for people with disabilities.
"All my schooling was hearing, regular, hearing, regular schools in Ballarat and Melbourne," he said.
He said he isn't sure what he will do with his prize money for tonight, but that it would come in handy for his cycling career.
"I wasn't sure if I could win and the group I was in was slow so I had no choice but to leave them and go alone," he said.
Photos
Images by Bendigo Advertiser
- After the change, the race is on
- Riders passing off is always exciting
- Rod McGee and Steve Wooldridge in action
- New South Wales Institute of Sport riders Rod McGee and Steve Wooldridge on the podium
- One slip here, and it is all over
Results
Bendigo madison 1 Steve Wooldridge (NSW)/Rodney McGee (NSW) NSW Institute of Sport 65 pts 2 Erik Weispfennig (Ger)/Darren Young (Tas) Daikin/McCain Airconditioning 60 3 Leigh Egan (Vic)/Brett Dawson (NSW) Cafe Kryptonite 58 4 Brad Norton (Vic)/Richard England (Vic) Bendigo Sheetmetal 41 5 Chris Sutton (NSW)/Steve Fitzpatrick (NSW) Bendigo Relocatable Homes 36 6 Sean Finning (Vic)/Michael Ford (Vic) Innes Motors/VIS 36 7 Simon Clarke (Vic)/Robert Wilson (Vic) Bendigo Party Hire 21 8 Nick Sanderson (Vic)/Mark Jamieson (Tas) Giant 20 9 Chris Pascoe (NSW)/Warren Scott (NSW) BMW Bendigo 12 10 Todd Wilksch (Vic)/Tim Decker (Vic) Valentini Financial Planning Service 11 11 Wil Walker (Vic)/Peter Fitzpatrick (NSW) Peter Lehmann Wines 8 12 Steve Rossendell (Tas)/Leigh Deluca (Vic) B and D Insurance Brokers 6 DNF Justin Evans (Vic)/Damien Ladd (Vic) Shamrock Hotel DNF Michael Gill (Vic)/Tommy Nankervis (Vic) Floreton Homes DNF Andrew Steele (Vic)/Steve Martin (Vic) Intervet DNF Warren Knevitt (Vic)/Mitchell Docker (Vic) Australian Abalone Exports DNF Go Ogasawara (Jpn)/Masanari Yoshida (Jpn) Morey and Hurford Golden Mile 1 Reece-Emerson Van Beek (Aus) Geelong CC Preliminary session Women's scratch race (8 laps) 1 Kerrie Baumgartner 4.46.90 2 Jenny macPherson 3 Angela Dolan D Grade Scratch race (8 laps) 1 Evan Corey 4.29.67 2 Reece Va Beek 4 Gar Polack C Grade Scratch Race (8 laps) 1 Carl Cubitt 4.27.12 2 Daryl Keirl 3 Paul Kelly B Grade Scratch Race (8 laps) 1 Sam Witmitz 4.13.60 2 Adrian Salter 3 Daniel Burtt A Grade Scratch Race (8 laps) 1 Ben Rix 4.11.23 2 Damien Keirl 4 Scott Moller Under 11 Scratch Race (3 laps) 1 Giulian Drapac 2.19.62 2 Thomas Thorsen 3 Tyson McCaig Under 13 Scratch race (3 laps) 1 Patrick Drapac 2.05.23 2 Patrick Lane 3 Joshua Tepper Under 13 girls scratch race (3 laps) 1 Carly McCoombe 2.06.37 2 Shelly Flood 3 Anna Mathews Under 15/17 Womens Scratch Race (5 laps) 1 Jessica Tanner 3.07.04 2 Tess Downing 3 Melissa Waite Under 11 Handicap (600m) 1 Ciulian Drapac (scr) 51.96 2 Hamish Kelly (25) 3 Tyson McCaig (15) Under 13 Handicap (600m) 1 Joshua Tepper (55) 45.28 2 Troy Huthins (80) 3 Nicholas Rix (55) Under 15/17 Womens Handicap (1000 metre) 1 Melissa Waite (90) 1.15.07 2 Megan Bury (110) 3 Jessica Thomas (85) Under 15 Handicap (2000m) 1 Mark Flood (90) 1.16.57 2 Trevor Griffiths (70) 3 Ashley Warton (140) Under 13 Girls Handicap (600m) 1 Shelly Flood (30) 52.20 2 Anna Mathews (45) 3 Carly McCoombe (5) D Grade Elimination Race (12 laps) 1 Evan Corey 6.52.75 2 Lawrie Naughton 3 David Fairburn C Grade elimination Race (12 laps) 1 Carl Cubitt 6.30.25 2 Brad O’Nial 4 Peter Ladd B Grade Elimination Race (12 laps) 1 Sam Witmitz 6.35.55 2 Courteney Dean 3 Tery Harrington Womens Elimination (8 laps) 1 Jessica Berry 4.56.31 2 Jenny Macpherson 3 Kerrie Baumgartner Under 17 Handicap Final (2000m) 1 Travis Hull (80) 2.31.75 2 Joshua Gunory (100) 3 John Walker (100) Wheelrace Handicap (1000m) Heat 1 1 Paul Dalton (110) 1.06.2 2 David Fairburn (125) 3 Michael Teggelove (95) Heat 2 1 Daniel Burtt (80) 1.04.8 2 Phil Saywer (75( 3 Gary Polack (110) Heat 3 1 Ben Rix (55) 1.05.63 2 Brenton Crawley (75 3 Nicholas Shipp (85) Heat 4 1 Carl Cubitt (95) 1.04.76 2 Courteney Dean (75) 3 Trenton Dean (85) Heat 5 1 Joel Leonard (15) 1.04.22 2 Damien Keirl (25) 3 Ben Jackson (55) Heat 6 1 Jason Niblett (20) 1.05.96 2 Shane Kelly (Scr) 3 Shaun Hopkins (10) Under 15 B grade scratch race (6 laps) 1 Ashley Warton 4.00.80 2 Mark Flood 3 Jamie Leeche Under 14 A grade scratch race (7 laps) 1 Glenn O’Sheat 4.33.75 2 Anthony Rix 3 Peter Johnstone Handicap Wheelrace final (1000m) 1 C Cubitt (95) 1.04.66 2 S Hopkins (10) 3 J Leonard (15) Under 17 B grade scratch race (8 laps) 1 Ricky Curran 4.59.50 2 Mathew Edmunds 3 Damion Drapac Under 17 A Grade Scratch race (10 laps) 1 Ryan Worn 6.22.18 2 Simon Barkla 3 Abe Hastwell A Grade Elimination 1 Mark French 6.14.64 2 2 Scott Moller 3 Kirk Eddy Keirin Heat 1 1 Shaun Hopkins 11.77 2 Justin Evans 3 Brad Norton Heat 2 1 Mark French 11.66 2 Damiel Keirl 3 Rod McGee Heat 3 1 Jason Niblett 11.16 2 Chris Pascoe Michael Ford Heat 4 1 Shane Kelly 11.28 2 Joel Leonard 3 Daniel Thorson Keirin final 1 Shane Kelly
