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THANK YOU:
Thanks to Helen Vella our Chief Commissaire
on the day, and Principal Commissaire, Joanne Buckton. Thanks to
our safety marshals,
Scott Buckton and Erol Ozdrik.
Thanks
to Richard
Jenkins who deployed and retrieved all the safety equipment. Thanks
to Tony Horneman who ensured all glass and debris was blown off the track.
Thanks to Roy
of the St John Ambulance. Thanks to Fred Vella who manned the
canteen
REPORT
After last weeks sweltering 39DegC heat, mild and sunny conditions
greeted eighty-four senior and junior riders for the weekly Randwick
Botany Criterium races at Heffron Park, Maroubra on Saturday 25
January 2003.
Randwick Botany’s Liam Kelly stormed home to win the A-Grade 32km race
in a time of 49min 46sec and an average speed of 39kph. Only a bike
length behind was Eastern Suburbs rider Dave Stewart. Randwick Botany
star Robert Cater finished third followed by Todd Sinclair (North
Sydney). Simon Price from the Hobart Wheelers Cycling Club competed
in his first A-Grade race at Heffron Park and finished just out of the
placings. “It was a pretty hard race” Price said after the race.
Price recently moved from Hobart to Sydney and is looking forward to
participating in Randwick Botany Cycling Club training rides.
The thirteen-rider B-Grade race was conducted over 28km.
Keegan Aitchison blasted off the line and in doing so dispelled any
thoughts of some of the B grade bunch of a nice steady warm up to race
pace. The bunch was forced to react quickly and to step up the pace
from the start and Keegan was reeled back in by about half way through
the first lap
.
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On lap 3 Randwick Botany's Clive Hammerson launched off the front
of the bunch with Simon Kenny of Sydney Club hot on his wheel.
There was clear confusion as to who was going to chase down this
break with a number of
Sydney
riders and several Randwick Botany riders not willing to chase
down their club mates. |
On lap 4, John Buckton launched an attack from the back of the bunch
on the first pimple of Heffron and managed to break free from the
peleton and set about getting across to the two away. It took him a
full lap to get across and by that time he was a very tired
individual. The threesome stayed away from the B grade peleton until
RBCC strongman, Clive Hammerson again turned up the wick and started
to ride away from the other two. Another couple of laps, and although
they worked hard together to stay away, the breakaway of Kenny and
Buckton was reeled in by the bunch. The bunch then set about trying
to reel in Hammerson but he had put too much distance between he and
the bunch. Hammerson crossed the line first and the bunch sprinted
for the minor placings.
Final placings were Randwick Botany’s Clive Hammerson first in a time
of 47min 15sec and an average speed of 36kph. Second was Murray Walsh
(Sutherland) and third David Jackson (Randwick Botany).
A 20-rider field lined up for the C-Grade 24km event. Thomas Murdoch
and Wayne Goold went up the road with 3 laps to go, and was 150m ahead
of the main bunch by the last lap. Murdoch crossed first in a time of
42min 55sec and an average speed of 34kph just ahead of Goold.
Randwick Botany Club Captain Janelle Lindsay won the bunch sprint for
third place. Simon Ross from Sydney Cycling Club enjoyed his first
race at Heffron Park, but finished out of the placings.
D-Grader Stephen Dean, from Slough near Windsor, England is on a
working holiday in Australia and recently joined the Randwick Botany
Cycling Club. Dean has never raced a bike before, but managed to win
the 25-rider D-Grade 20km race in a time of
36min 5sec and an average speed of 33.5kph. Second was Jonathon
Hogard (Randwick Botany) with Luke Davison (Southern Cross) third.
The E-Grade 12km race was won by Julia Guinan in 29min 30sec followed
by Norman Jew and Rodney Wagner (Caravello)
Eight junior riders competed in Time Trial and an all-in 10km handicap
race. Placings and times are listed in the column at the end of this
report.
Coverage of local cycling
results can be heard on Sydney’s Eastside Radio 89.7FM “GAME ON”
program, hosted by Brad Cooke, each Saturday morning from 10am.
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 email
secretary@randwickbotanycc.com
Race report prepared by:
Tony Horneman & John Buckton
Photos by Tony
Horneman
Web page layout & editing
by John Buckton
Webmaster
Randwick Botany Cycling Club
Tony:
communications@randwickbotanycc.com
John:
webmaster@randwickbotanycc.com
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