20/09/2003
Clear blue skies and the slightest breeze greeted riders for one of the longest and hilliest circuits on the WCC calendar with a 30 km circuit starting at picnic point and heading straight up to Jindivick.
With Collingwood in the footy finals and some other social commitments, numbers were down on previous weeks with 20 riders competing in the senior scratch races. While the numbers may have been down, the customary pre-race excuses were as common as ever.
In A-grade, Thomas Sandner was riding his favorite circuit and still on a high from the masters time trial victory the week before. As a result, the rest of the A grade field were dreading his likely attacks on the climb up to Jindivick.
Scott Keeble and Thomas Sandner took extra turns while Shane Stiles and Geoff Thomson sat on for the start of lap one. The first climb up to Jindivick was relatively subdued until Thomas, apparently saving himself for lap 2, couldn’t help himself and surged over the top. Shane Stiles followed through for a look up front, liked what he saw and showed the bunch how to get back down the hill. The bunch of 5 stayed together for the bell into the final lap.
Lap 2 got interesting when Shane Stiles countered one of Thomas’s attacks and rode clear up the road. A keen John Salton let Thomas do most of the chasing before initiating a fast climb that brought Shane back to the bunch. Thomas crunched the big gears and rode away up the last climb into Jindivick whilst Shane Stiles struggled (apparently cramping) and lost touch out the back.
By the bottom of the descent Thomas had been reeled in by the fast moving chasers and Shane Stiles had regained contact. With everyone back together and flat road to the finish, the race was now in the sprinters hands. John Salton led out the sprint and won by half a bike over Shane Stiles, a few bikes back Thomas Sandner, Scott Keeble and Geoff Thomson.
Six riders lined up in B grade for what would turn out to be a race of mechanical attrition. Tim Lee clearly had not completed bike maintenance 101 as a loose head stem, open front skewer and 60km/hr descents forced him to slow. Tim managed some quick repairs and continued a lap of Fishers Rd with C grade.
Chris Beales’ bike sounded like a chaff cutter and any hopes of him stealing some points from the absent Ross were lost with his subsequent retirement. Gavin Lane struggled and was dropped on the climb into Jindivick. Determined to get back on, Gavin rode his biggest gear down the hill, sprinting on the small rises. Gavin’s efforts paid off, regaining the bunch well before the flats. The remaining 4 riders crossed the line for lap 1 in a respectable 53:45, less than two minutes behind A grade.
During lap two, Peter Bailey pulled up to put air in his slowly leaking tire and watched the bunch ride off in the distance.
The group stuck together through the hills and all seemed settled for a sprint to the line. It was big Brett Miller who rode away from his assailants to win in a 3 way sprint over Gavin Lane closely followed by Wayne Chester.
C grade had the delight of riding one lap of Jindivick and a second lap of Fishers Rd (The Wall). A leaner and pumped looking Ian Walk pulled on the bars and towed Michael Pridmore away from the bunch on the climb into Jindivick. The pair worked together as the bunch of 4 tried to pull them back. Ian and Michael were still 30 seconds clear at the bell.
It was like a Stuart O?Grady breakaway with the bunch gradually eating into the lead and getting set to swallow the riders on the finish. Ian Walk called for an inspired effort from his younger counterpart and the two maintained a lead.
With the bunch only 100 meters away Rob Monk decided to bridge but had spent all of his fuel before the sprint. Ian riding the big gears accounted for Michael on the line and Rob finished a strong third. A few seconds later Steve Evans squeezed out Glenn Fisher followed by Monique Hanley.
3 riders competed in D grade, completing one 30km lap of Jindivick. The three riders put in a solid effort through the testing climbs without any significant breakaways occurring. Like all grades before them the end finished in a sprint. Kym Fisher wound up his legs faster than Rod Atkinson whilst Brendon Pridmore watched the finish from behind.
