Archive for the Race Results Category

Windmill Handicap

 Gary “Rambo” Blood, armed and dangerous with a new bike, went one better from his second last week to win on the Windmill circuit, and this week he reckons he did use his gears, at least once.

A small field of 13 starters were spread between scratch and limit off 19 minutes. Gary’s first task was to bridge the 2 minutes to the limit riders by himself. This mission accomplished, he then powered the combined bunch of Gary, Shirley Hetherington, and new racers Tony Herbert and Matt Kaess, which remained unseen until very late in the race. Matt succumbed on the final lap, and Shirley was popped just a km or so from the finish. She hung on desperately to finish third with the marauding backmarkers bearing down on her. But it was Gary and Tony that saw the job through, with the now seasoned veteran Gary taking the final kill.

The rest of the field were roughly arranged in small groups of two or three, good handicapping ensuring that there was less than a minute on the line between the winner and fastest time. The scratch pairing of Phil Cartledge and Guy Falla, shook off tired legs from the previous days ordeal in the Melbourne-Ballarat to methodically round up the field and accelerate to the finish.

First to be collected was the two minute bunch of Rob Phillips, Dean Griffin and Richard Taylor. Both Rob and Richard were able to hang on as Guy wound it up, riding at least two gears larger than anyone else up the back stretch, the ask proving too much for Dean today.

The new foursome of Phillips, Taylor, Falla and Cartledge continued to share the work around and at the Donovans Rd corner for the second time they had picked up the odd couple of Peter Livitsanis and John Creek. John was suffering by then as Livitsanis isn’t much of a sit. The corner marshall, Rod Hetherington, was very amused with the lanky John appearing to try to get as low as he could behind his diminutive partner.

Guy worked up the Donovan’s Rd rise with the field hanging on for what they were worth. Into the last lap, Robbie Kinna and Kevin Lee, appeared on the horizon, providing enough incentive for Falla, Cartledge, Taylor and Phillips to continue to chase. Creek and Livitsanis offering only occasional support, taking the opportunity to recover before the inevitable final onslaught.

Robbie and Kevin rode well to stay clear until the final turn at Coghills Creek, Robbie managed to hang onto the combined scratch bunch as they attacked out of the Donovan’s Road corner to feature in the final sprint. Livitsanis also made this final selection but Creek and Lee got caught out on the corner.

The pace of the bunch diminished somewhat until Shirley was spotted just cresting the top of the final rise. Livitsanis, Taylor and Cartledge still believed in a victory, each trying to lift the pace, Guy, Robbie and Rob were less convinced.

Shirley was coming back to the chasers quickly with Tony and Gary 200m further up the road. Phil was stuck on the front and had no choice but to lead out the sprint. With 250m to go Rob and Robbie attacked instantaneously with Livitsanis and Taylor in pursuit. Rob’s turbo kicked in late and he missed Shirley by less than a wheel.

For fastest time Guy had enough left to account for the courageous Phil.

Results

1^st                              Gary Blood (17 minutes)

2^nd                              Tony Herbert (19 Minutes)

3^rd                              Shirley Hetherington (19 minutes)

4^th                              Rob Phillips (2 minutes)

5^th                         Peter Livitsanis (6 minutes)

Fastest                        Guy Falla (scratch)

Matt Ritchie took out his first handicap race with an impressive sprint in a bunch finish. Ritchie was part of bunch of seven that had a 15 minute advantage over Scratch. There was plenty of talent in the 15 minute bunch and they were lumped together because most of the “inquiries” tend to come from this group.

Shirley Hetherington and big John Faulkner were first away with a 21 minute break over scratch. Faulkner didn’t last long and his previously injured back was giving him trouble. He pulled out and Shirley kept going, keeping her personal average up around the 30kpm mark.

The Ritchie bunch was next away and it included Graeme Parker, Ron Larkin, Garry Blood Terry Collie and the two, in form girls, Mandy and Jacinta.

They had a 5 minute break over Kevin Lee, Craig Lightfoot, and Rob Parker.

Lightfoot turned up looking like an unshaven vagrant in an attempt to gain a soft mark. It worked like a treat, and the ten minute bunch suited him just fine.

Two minutes behind them was the 8 minute bunch led by the maestro time trialler John Rhook. It was a comeback ride for Rhook as he has had a running hiatus. He was joined by Mal ”What’s he going to do this week” Rock, Bob Morley and the rangy John Creek.

The question was soon answered as the bunch crested the first hill and Mal was off the back and away for another solo ride. The 90 kms he did the day before certainly didn’t help. But ,oh well, winning the coffee shop sprint, comes with training bunch kudos.

Rhook’s running hasn’t hurt his aerobic capacity and his co- riders got a good look at the Saxo Bank sign on his rear end as he dropped into position and put in some long turns on the front. This bunch had to catch the Lightfoot bunch in front before being caught by Bob Braszell Dean Griffin and Dave Peters.

This they did on the last lap and then set off after the Ritchie group.

They could see them ahead as they rounded the tough climb into the Avenue. Larkin was showing them the way, as he pulled 20 metres clear on the climb, showing he was clearly in good form.

As the combined bunch approached quickly from behind, Lightfoot lit it up and attacked them with Morley, Rhook and Creek on his wheel. This stirred the pace up considerably and the relaxed serenity of the 15 minute bunch was interrupted.

The tempo lifted and then lifted again when Morley attacked on the Avenue rise to see if they could shed some riders. He made a good break and was soon joined by Lightfoot and together they stormed through the Henderson’s road corner.

The bunch behind was brought back mainly by John Rhook.

The pelaton come back together and Lightfoot wasn’t letting the grass grow under his feet attacked again. And coincidently Morley was on his wheel as if he knew what he was going to do!!

They kept it going and still had a break into the final head wind home straight. But once again it was the generosity of John Rhook brought the field back together.

Just as things settled, Popeye Lee thought he would attack off the front. He opened up a good gap as everyone waited for someone else to chase. Mandy Rhook must have been delirious as she turned to Bob Morley and said “You are not going to let Morley win are you, hang on, you are Bob Morley”!!!

Terry Collie collected the flock, like a good Collie does, and sacrificed his race to take the bunch back up to the muscular Lee.

The group bunched up after the catch was made and were hoping for a short sharp sprint but this changed as Lightfoot attacked 500 out and Ritchie grabbed his wheel and that was the spot to be. Lightfoot faded and Ritchie committed and went for it. He pulled a race winning lead and it was only a matter of who would fill the placings.

Larkin confirmed his good form by finishing strongly taking second. Kevin Lee rode well to take third. Bob Morley and John Creek took out third and fourth respectively,

The 6 minute bunch rode well to be only 200 metres off the winning bunch.

Fastest time was an interesting duel as Phil Cartledge decided that the only way he could beat the mercurial Mirrabella was to continually attacking him 5 kay from home. The only one that didn’t pay a price for that was Mirrabella, as Kiel was shelled and Tony took fastest time by only a couple of lengths from the determined Cartledge.

Results

1^st Matt Ritchie-15 minutes

2^nd-Ron Larkin-15 minutes

3^rd-Kevin Lee-10 minutes

4^th-Bob Morley-8 Minutes

5^th-John Creek-8 minutes

Fastest time.

Tony Mirrabella-Scratch

Considering the amount of racing on TV at the moment including the TDF you would have thought that the numbers would be high for racing, but not so.

On the morning of the race we had 18 willing to give it a go, but with the weather turning in, we had our first scratching not wanting to get wet followed by another one due to illness then the 3^rd with another appointment we were left with 15 starters for the day.

Shirley Hetherington had the unenviable task of being the first lone rider away on 21min limit, the next chasing bunch was that of 3 riders off 17mins containing Gary Blood, Matt Ritchie and Terry Collie.

Next to go was the 9 min bunch of Bob Morley hot off his B grade win, Mal Rock, Kevin Lee and Terry Constable hot off his C grade win last week. This group was looking a favourite from the off, what with recent winners and Mal Rock who was very chirpy earlier in the changing rooms after a few weeks of average form, got everyone thinking he knew he was feeling good.

1^st  and 2^nd scratch looked like they had a bit of work to do with the low numbers, Cartledge ended up being the lone scratch rider after his fellow scratchy had called in sick and with a minute to chase the next group of two Andrew Rushton and Rod Hetherington place getters from a couple of weeks earlier.

This left the 3^rd scratch bunch of Dean Griffin, Brian Lee, John Creek who was already a bit damp after his ride out from Ballarat to the race venue and Dave Peters who has been noticeable by his absence of late after his recent trip to the States and following the Green Edge Team around.

Now Dean had got his thinking hat on and advised his bunch to go out hard as the three 1^st and 2^nd scratch lads would be pulling themselves inside out for the chase and if they worked hard and well together they should be able to stay clear.

Cartledge set off as hard as he could to set about reeling in the race which was threatening rain and wind picking up. Ken Heres who was marshalling the first corner thought Cartledge was in with a chance of a catch when he saw how he rounded the first corner and he must have been pushing hard as he had rounded up the two within thirteen minutes, the three of them then set about rounding up the group of four.

On the first lap u turn at Pickfords road the group were pushing hard only to realise when Cartledge pulled off from a turn that Rod was already gone, on the climb up Donavans Road Andrew was struggling and let Cartledge know he had better go it alone, for a moment Cartledge thought that he was now in an impossible chase but head down and wind picking up he gave it a go.

On the second lap he knew the odds were stacked a bit more in his favour when half way down Coghills Creek road he saw Brian Lee at the side of the road with a puncture, then back along Pickfords Road for the second time he saw Terry Collie with a puncture, turned out it was Bob Morley’s puncture but Terry must have been feeling rather generous (or just stuffed) and was happy to oblige and Morley was in no mood for an argument. Cartledge had now got the remaining group of three 3^rd scratch riders in sight who were in turn rounding up the unfortunate/fortunate Morley.

Climbing the Donovans Road for the second time Creeky must have found the surge to reel in Morley a bit too much and popped off the back. Cartledge rounded up Creeky and for a moment thought the others were going to pull away but with a big surge managed to jump on the back of the train.

Now the job was on to reel in the front markers, Shirley had already gone as she had been caught on the first lap and had decided to call it a day at the end of the first lap and now there was a good sized bunch to try to bring in the final two.  Peters, Griffin and Cartledge were now driving the bunch and on the start finish corner the gap of four and a half minutes was heard from the marshal.

The hard push from the realisation that this was an achievable catch proved a bit too much for some of this bunch and soon Griffin and Cartledge found themselves on their own. Griffin asked Cartledge to get him over the quarry and said he would help in the chase but on the climb Cartledge found himself struggling to hang on to Dean’s wheel. (editors note, only a bit more work and I reckon we will see Dean back on form and maybe back off scratch) the chase was still well and truly on as the two rounded the quarry Coghills corner and could just see the two disappearing in the distance.

Giving up was never an option for the chasing two greyhounds and were starting to get the two rabbits in sight. Rounding the corner at Donovans for the last time, Cartledge hit the corner hard and pulled clear of Griffin as they started the climb. At the top of the climb and with the finish line in sight Ritchie had already dispensed Blood and was pushing hard for the win. Cartledge picked off Blood first and was digging deep to reel in Ritchie and within the last kilometre Cartledge had a clear road and was convinced that Ritchie was a dead set for second but Blood had other ideas and was charging hard, as the two got back together it looked for a moment like they could still reel in Cartledge but Phil managed to hold on for the win and Blood with his hard charge got a well earned second and was only about 10 seconds down from the win, Matt hung in for third and inside a minute Dean Griffin was across the line for a respectable fourth place.

The wait was then on to see who could pick up the final point scoring position from the chasing bunch, answer,  Mal Rock and with ease, he pulled well clear of the bunch in the sprint, no wonder he was chirpy in the changing rooms, maybe this is the start of the return of form from Rock???

Result

1^st  & Fastest Phil Cartledge

2^nd Gary Blood

3^rd Matt Ritchie

4^th Dean Griffin

5^th Malcolm Rock