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SENIORS
A Grade, 36km
1 Clive Hammerson
(Randwick Botany)
2 Matthew
Lucas (Randwick Botany)
3 Aaron
Castles (Randwick Botany)
B Grade, 32km,
1 Dean Preddy
(Randwick Botany)
2 Joseph Sorby
(Randwick Botany)
3 David
Watkinson (Manly Waringah)
C Grade, 32km,
1 Shaun Bloch (Randwick Botany)
2 Neil Morris (Randwick Botany)
3 Brad Lane (Randwick
Botany)
D Grade, 20km
1 David
Jenkins-Flint
(Randwick Botany)
2 Melissa
Clarence (Dulwich Hill)
3 Ron Sproule
(Randwick Botany)
E Grade, 14km
1
Norman Jew (Randwick
Botany)
2 Kevin Blanchfield (Randwick Botany)
JUNIORS
U17 Time Trial, 10km
1 Keegan
Aitchison, 19.22
2 Michael
Murdoch, 19.23
U15 Time Trial, 8km
1 Andrew
Powell, 15.19
2 Mark
Woodhouse,
15.52
3 Belinda
Angwin 15.58
U13 Time Trial, 6km
1 Max
Gueniev, 13.54
U11 Time Trial, 4km
1 Adriano
Maradini, 9.17
3 Nicolas
Mellick, 11.03
Junior A Grade, 10km
1
Keegan Aitchison
2 Mark
Woodhouse
3 Michael
Murdoch
Junior B Grade, 6km
1 Adriano Maradini
2 Nicholas Mellick |
REPORT
Seventy senior and junior riders registered for the Randwick
Botany Cycling Club Criterium races at Heffron Park, Maroubra on Saturday
13 April 2002. Firstly a big thanks must go to our Commissaire on
the day, Mrs Helen Vella and Marshalls, Wayne Goold, Scott Buckton, Ken
Woodhouse and Dale Rockel. Thanks also to Roy Magill of the St John
Ambulance. Without these volunteers racing would not be possible.
A magnificent sunny day at
Heffron Park greeted what must be described as a fantastic turnout of
Randwick Botany riders as they lined up for action. As with just about
every other Saturday in the year the wind blew like nowhere else in Sydney
but whilst we sometimes curse it, it does helps to make the racing so much
closer as riders find it extremely hard to get away from the peleton in
the windy conditions. A grade consisted for the first time in living
memory of a entire field of Randwick Botany riders, some 7 in all. Shaun
Higgerson our resident time trial specialist powered along not letting any
of the others do a turn. In fact Shaun did the first 32km of the 36
kilometre race at the front battling the windy conditions. This huge
effort must have taken a bit of a toll on Shaun because with two laps to
go, Robbie Cater, our Under 17 star, came past Shaun, spinning like a blur
in his restricted gearing, and picked up the tempo. He was followed
closely by Aaron Castles, Matthew Lucas and Clive Hammerson. These four
managed to get a break on the tiring Higgerson and our resident under 19
rider, Chris Jenkins, found himself in the wrong place at the right time.
As the four picked up the pace, Shaun tired and suddenly Chris who was on
Shaun's wheel, suddenly found a massive gap that he had to attempt to
bridge. Chris gave his all and actually got across to the bunch but he had
expended so much energy to chase he had nothing left in the tank to
continue at their pace. This left the four to battle it out over the last
couple of laps of the race. Aaron Castles led out the sprint. As he
started to fade, Robbie Cater pounced but unfortunately for Robbie the
wind was behind the riders in the sprint allowing them to select the big
gears and travel at much higher speeds than Robbie could muster in his
little 40/13 configuration gearing. After Matthew Lucas, who was third
wheel, realised that Robbie had topped out in the speed department, he
suddenly swung into action those huge, AIS developed, elite speed skating
legs of his and made his move. Matthew thought he had it won, but forgot
about resident strongman, Clive Hammerson who had been sitting on his
wheel, waiting to pounce. Clive moved alongside Matthew, at a perfectly
timed to the centimetre sprint, and was able to come over the top of
Matthew and snatch victory from him in the narrowest of margins.
The B grade field stayed largely together but with 3 laps to go, Joseph
Sorby in his first B grade race, attacked as we have seen him do so
sucessfully during his short C Grade career, and blasted off the front to
about 100 metres in front of the peleton. Most of the B graders didn't get
overly concerned as they thought there was little chance that this brand
new B grader could maintain the gap especially in the windy conditions. On
the bell lap it suddenly became apparent that Sorby had a little more in
the tank than everyone thought. Dean Preddy, with a huge effort hit out
after Sorby and eventually got across the gap. He was then able to sit on
Sorby for a while and regain his breath. Sorby led the sprint out but
Preddy had recovered sufficiently to beat Sorby in the final sprint to the
line. The peleton then sprinted for third place with Manly rider, David
Watkinson narrowly beating a pack of Randwick Botany riders.
There were several small attacks in the C grade bunch until Paul Kelly
from Sydney Club got away on his own. Kelly was out there for about 4 laps
before the Peleton reeled him back in. Randwick Botany featured heavily in
the final sprint with new member Shaun Bloch taking first place, Neil
Morris second and Brad Lane third.
The girls featured prominently in the D grade race with Mellissa Clarence
from the Dulwich Hill club doing much of the work at the front. Kate Rowe
from Sydney club also rode very well, as did Leanne Koh from Randwick
Botany. In the end however it was David Jenkins-Flint that won the race
with Melissa second and veteran Randwick Botany member Ron Sproule third.
Six Junior events were
conducted, starting with the U17 Time Trial over 10km. It was
extremely close with only one second separating Keegan Aitchison and
Michael Murdoch.
The
Junior A Grade scratch race over 10km was won by
Keegan Aitchison followed by
Mark Woodhouse and Michael Murdoch. The Junior
B Grade race over 6km was won by Adriano Maradini, with Nicholas Mellick
second.
Randwick Botany Cycling Club
conducts racing at Heffron Park, Maroubra NSW each Saturday throughout the
year. Juniors start at 1.00pm and Seniors 2.30pm.
For more information please contact the club secretary Helen Vella on 02
9667 3307 or website
www.randwickbotanycc.com.
Race report prepared by:
John Buckton
Webmaster
Randwick Botany Cycling Club
webmaster@randwickbotanycc.com
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