Archive for the Race Results Category

A Grade

A grade was an interesting and super competitive affair that had many attacks and breakaway attempts that were covered.

Main protagonist breakaway specialist was the inform Phil Cartledge whom lit the race up from the outset and let the group know it wasn’t going to be a nice roll around with a sprint at the finish.

Cartledge jumped out of the blocks and attacked up the first hill and quickly opened up a 300 metre lead. Generally this is not a problem but, such has been Cartledge’s form of late, his disappearing off the front could not be ignored.

Experienced gun, Adam Smith, was the first to try and jump across but found himself in no-mans landed he was absorbed by the field.

Former Pro Doug Garley attempted to cross as well but the result was the same. Tony Mirrabella was successful in getting across but as soon as anybody got to Cartledge he would attack again to test the mettle of the chasers. This was the pattern and the frenetic change of pace saw the demise of Ken Heres and Brad Fry.

Richard Taylor and Rick Calvert were off the pace at some stages but fought to get back on. Only the strong could survive Cartledge’s repeated efforts.

The race came together and it was going to be a contest to see who could survive the long climb up the Windfarm Hill. Tony Mirrabella the renowned climber was still there. The rangy Adam Smith was in contention. Peter Kiel was there as well.

Kiel has, over the years turned himself into a top rider, with precise preparation and attention to detail. But you cannot discount the toughness of this sporting legend. Just out of interest I entered the phrase “small frame but huge ticker” into Google Images, and the following image came up. No surprise really.

Doug Garley was still there along with Cartledge and Calvert. It was on for the long slog to the top. Mirrabella prevailed as one would expect but he didn’t have it all his way. Doug Garley was a close second. Rick Calvert was a surprise third. Nobody would have begrudged Phil Cartledge the race and he was fourth with Peter Kiel was fifth.

Great race in the spirit of what a scratch race can be and should be.

 

1-Tony Mirrabella 2-Doug Garley 3-Rick Calvert 4-Phil Cartledge

 

B Grade

 

Darren Terry was the Black Caviar of the field and was an unbackable pre race favourite.

He showed his strength on the second lap when he opened up a gap on the uphill run on Weatherboad road. No- one could go with him and it took until the left hand turn after the chicane that the field came back together. Brett caddy was well off the back and he looked like he was gone. But through determined riding, he re attached to the field in the avenue.

Terry was looking comfortable, and to use a motoring analogy he was ticking over like a slow revving V8. To continue the analogy, you would have to say that Brian Lee and Pete Livitsanis were rotarys. Brett Caddy could be described as a badly tuned V6 and Bob Morley could be likened to a 202.

Thing settled down and Darren Terry was looking ominous but behaving himself. That was until the hill on the fourth lap whereby he rode off the front and easily pulled a gap of 200 metres and he looked like he was going to go on with it in a solo effort. But he pulled up beside D Grade rider Ray Hodgson and slowed for a chat and a rest. The bunch regrouped and Pete Livi though it would be a good idea to counter attack. Yes it was a good idea-it just didn’t work.

The main bunch turned the corner to take on the long climb to the top. Darren Terry led the way with the diminutive Brian Lee stuck to him like glue. They quickly opened up a gap to Bob Morley and Pete Livitsanis who was on his comeback ride.

Darren Terry as expected pulled away from Brian Lee to take a deserved win.

The only interest in the race was the race for third and fourth. Leading to the last hill Bob Morley thought he had third place sorted and was enjoying the cheering and urgings of the crowd. What he didn’t realize that the cheering was recognising the late attack from Livitsanis. Pete Livi willed himself up the hill to take third place from the hapless Morley.

 

1-Darren Terry 2-Brian Lee 3-Peter Livitsanis 4-Bob Morley

 

C Grade

 

A field of six very in form riders contested the C grade event. Gary Blood rode very strongly for the entire race even over shooting a corner and managing to get back onto a field that was not waiting for anybody. Kevin “Popeye” Lee was being closely watched by his opponents as he had the ability to ride away from the group if not kept in check. The smooth as silk Alan Barnett was another contender who appeared to be cruising amongst the field. The bunch rode at a solid pace with everybody sharing the work and all looking lively. The cat mouse games started as the hill climb approached with Gary Blood and Kevin Lee out in front and the more experience Ron Larkin sheltering at the rear. As the group turned into the hill climb section Kevin Lee exploded out of the corner and up the hill winning by a several hundred meters. Ron Larkin followed him for a long lonely climb and finished very happily in second place.  Jacinta Welch pulled away from the remaining field for third place ahead of Graeme Parker.

1-Kevin Lee 2-Ron Larkin 2-Jacinta Welch 4-Graeme Parker

D Grade

Ray Hodgson rode well to take out the D grade event. He rode strongly mostly by himself to take a well deserved victory

Phil Cartledge took the up challenge of the chase and was rewarded with victory. Cartledge was set the tantalising challenge of a solo minute and a half chase to Ken Heres and Darren Terry. Heres and Terry are both in the excavation game and both were digging in and making it as difficult as possible. Cartledge was having nothing of it, and rode hard and picked them up in the first lap in an example of tenacious and talented riding. His low riding style and  big gear pumping, was ideal in the high wind that the field was subjected to.

Once this trio got together there was every chance they would ride though the field. The out markers however had other ideas. The limit rider Nick Verhagen was making the most of his 25 minute advantage and was going for it.

The glimmer twins, Greg Curnow and Garry Blood, were working beautifully trying to take time out of the big limit marker. They succeeded in only taking one minute out of him on the first lap and they were hoping the wind would take its toll.

The middle bunches were aspirational as well with the Lee Brothers and Bob Morley quickly rounding up Ron Larkin, Graeme Parker, Jacinta Welch and the bewildering Malcolm Rock.

They were more than surprised when Cartledge, Heres and Terry hit them near the end of the second lap.

Cartledge was on the front and he lifted the pace and put it down the road to put the blow torch to the field.

Riders shot out the back left right and centre and it was only Popeye Lee that survived the Cartledge onslaught. So it was Cartledge Heres Terry and Lee that set off to haul in the unsighted limit riders.

Verhagen was still holding off team Gaz and Greg by 500 metres when he punctured putting him out of the race. Gary Blood rode away from Greg Curnow in an attempt to greet the chequered flag. The eventual winner had ridden away from Heres and Lee and it was he and Darren Terry that rounded Blood up in the final straight.

Phil Cartledge put paid to all competition by riding away from the gutsy Darren Terry in the final kilometre to take one of his best wins yet.

Gary blood wasn’t far behind Darren Terry for a meritorious third. President Ken Heres was fourth with Greg Curnow a deserving fifth.

 

First and fastest- Phil Cartledge

Second- Darren terry

Third-Garry Blood

Fourth – Ken Heres

Fifth- Greg Curnow.

Rob Phillips pulverised a small but talented field on Sunday. Phillips is easing himself back into the racing scene after a break but he showed no signs of rustiness. One of the genuine hard men of the veteran fabric and can be mentioned in the same sentence as other hard men, Ken Heres and Guy Fella.

Phillips was off a generous seven minutes and he was ably assisted by last week’s winner Tim Oliver.

Once again the scratch bunch was a bunch of four chasing a bunch of three with a gap of four minutes.

Doug Garley Tony Mirrabella, Scott Townsend, and Phil Cartledge dropped straight into a rhythm and started the chase.

What they didn’t factor in was the riding of Darrell Stewart off second. The man is a machine. He was on the front for most of the race and was holding 40 kay an hour INTO the wind. He was helped out occasionally by Rod Hetherington and Richard Taylor who are no shrinking violets in the “having a go” stakes.

Even with that sort of power at their disposal they were luck to take time out of the steam train that was Phillips and Oliver.

Phillips and Oliver started with Bob Morley and Michael Veal but Morley was gone early in the piece not able to handle the massive Phillips downwind turns.

They caught Popeye Lee and Dave Peters and added Dave to their ranks and dispatched Lee to obscurity. The brave Dr Veal was next to go as they caught and crushed bunches in their wake.

The in form Ron Larkin was leading his bunch and making good time. Graeme Parker Ian Wallis and Jacinta Welsh rounded out a smooth moving group. Oliver Phillips and Peters smashed them on the tailwind straight with only Larkin managing to stay on momentarily.

Greg Curnow off 20 minutes and Shirley Hetherington off 25 were casualties as well. Shirley was amazed to be sitting on 60 kay an hour in the back straight and STILL got dropped. Once again, courtesy of Rob Phillips.

On the last rise they dropped Peters and the winning pair were left to fight it out. Predictably it was Phillips who rode away from Oliver to take a well earned victory. Peters had enough space on the rest of the field to hold third. Darrell Stewart and Richard Taylor fought it out for fourth and fifth with Taylor taking the honours.

Scratch, once again wee well back setting themselves for fastest time. Phil Cartledge attempted a break away to escape from the sprinters but Townsend brought them back up. Doug Garley and Tony Mirrabella went for it but it was Garley again who broke well clear for fastest time.

 

1-Rob Phillips 2-Tim Oliver 3-Dave Peters 4- Richard Taylor 5-Darrell Stewart.

Fastest time Doug Garley

Former scratch rider, Tim Oliver, had no problems dispatching the competition in a bunch sprint in a 48 kilometre handicap event on Sunday.

Twenty eight riders were met with bright sunshine accompanied by strong biting winds.

Shirley Hetherington was first away to face the Weatherboard magpie on her lonesome. Five minutes later Terry Collie Greg Curnow and Gary Blood gave chase.

It took them 30 kilometres to reel Shirley in which was great riding on her behalf.

The in form Ron Larkin, Ian Wallis, Graeme Parker and Malcolm rock were chasing five minutes further back.

An even scratch field were looking for success with Tony Mirrabella, Phil Cartledge Peter Keil, Dean Griffin and Doug Garley hopeful of bridging the 3 minute gap to second scratch. Dean Griffin is still somewhat underdone and lost touch after contributing some strong turns in the Avenue.

They chased hard, but history repeated itself, as they failed to catch second scratch.

The six minute bunch was loaded with power but it proved that power with no cooperation is worthless. President Ken Heres set the early tempo and was hopeful of some even turns from his group. However Richard Taylor and Darren Terry found themselves well off the front and the bunch was fragmented early. There was a 5 minute gap to the eventual winning group and they found themselves in no man’s land.

The most even group was the bunch being led by the talented and laconic Tim Oliver. He was ably supported by the experienced Bob Morley. John creek and Kevin Lee did not miss a turn and they quickly took time out of the Larkin group and made the capture in the Avenue on the third lap.

The two groups came together and it improved their chances as Larkin, Parker and Rock made strong contributions.

The same wasn’t happening at the back of the field when Cody, Calvert, Shaun Terry and Rod Hetherington picked up the remnants of the Heres led 6 minute bunch. To say that big Rodney was frustrated would be an understatement. What was supposed to happen was crystal clear in his mind, but to get it to happen was a different matter.

Meanwhile Tim Oliver was leading the new group and probably increased their speed, if anything, and they enveloped the outmarkers and headed for home. Gary Blood was hammering on the front for the last four kilometres and seemed comfortable. Malcolm Rock was giving a running commentary, with his football analogies, proving he was riding within himself.

The lead bunch got to the last hill and Tim Oliver tested the field and he increased his speed and put the bunch up the road. Half way up the hill he looked back and all were still there so he backed it off.

Gary Blood, once again, went to the front with some fearless power riding. Bob Morley came off his wheel 150 out with Oliver tucked in on his wheel. With fifty to go Oliver popped out and did just enough to win by a wheel. Kevin Lee rode well the whole race for third. John creek and the consistent Larkin were fourth and fifth respectively.

The only question to answer was fastest time. I came down to the two legends in Mirrabella and Garley. They both stormed up the hill leaving Peter Keil and Phil Cartledge in their wake. Garley was too strong and Mirrabella sat up as he realised he was beaten by a better man on the day.

 

1-Tim Oliver 2- Bob Morley 3-Kevin Lee 4- John Creek 4-Ron Larkin

Fastest time Doug Garley