The 6min handicap group of Leigh and David as they start the course. (39 event images)
Club racing was held on Sunday this past weekend with racing starting and finishing at the Woolamai Race track entry. The course involved a run around the Bass flats, through Glen Forbes, out to the Bass highway before a return run to Glen Forbes and then up through the gorge road toward Dalyston before another right turn into Mill Rd for the run back to the race track. It is a tough course and luckily for the riders conditions were good but with a north wind increasing over the morning.
This season there have been a number of Sunday morning race days scheduled as it was hoped this time slot may elicit more starters but it does not seemed to have helped. The A grade field had 10 starters with Austin Timmins alone on scratch chasing 2 riders on 4 minutes, 2 on 6 minutes, a lone rider on 8 minutes, 2 riders on 10 min with further lone riders at 18 minute and 22 minutes. By the time the field returned to the climb at Glen Forbes it was Dane Herbert (18) in front with Rod Cheyne (11min) moving away from his co-marker. Meanwhile behind the back-markers had closed in and Leigh Stott(6min) and Oliver McLean(4min) were starting to move away from the others. The scratch rider had also closed in. The long descent from the top of the climb back to Mill Rd was a problem for Oliver as he is on restricted junior gears and could not get the speed needed. Back up the 4 climbs along Mill Rd and it was Leigh Stott who rounded up the leaders just before the top of the climbs and who was then able to solo in for the win. Next in was Rod Cheyne followed by Dane Herbert. Alex Welsh was 4th, then Austin Timmins in 5th and fastest (1hr8min55sec), Oliver McLean was 6th, Kevin Feely 7th, Brad Bouquet 8th, Damien King 9th and visiting Carnegie-Caulfield rider David Wereszczuk was 10 th.
Thomas and Josh as they head-out through Glen Forbes.
The B grade field raced out to the Highway and back and had to negotiate a small climb at Glen Forbes in the otherwise flat course. Thomas Fitzgerald had the visiting rider Josh Wereszczuk riding off scratch with him as they chased 2.30min to Kaleb Jans and 6 min to Harry Herbert. The extra rider on scratch meant they moved through the field and had the leaders caught by the turn. At the finish Josh was too quick for Thomas in the sprint and took first and fastest time in 43min 54 sec. Next in was Kaleb in 3rd and Harry in 4th.
Next week the racing will be on Saturday with the start at Dumbalk. There is a club meeting on Tuesday night with the club needing to decide on whether to run the junior road weekend again next year and also whether to run the Individual time trial series weekend again. Members are invited to attend the RSL rooms at 7.30pm to input into these decisions.
Lindsay
updated 8am 2nd June
