28/01/2007
Constant drizzle during Sunday’s Warragul Cycling Club criterium race made conditions on the tricky hot dog turns even more treacherous than usual.
In A grade all riders managed to stay upright for the whole race. BMX specialist and renowned bike handler Chris Beales was showing the boys how to get around the wet corners but the chasing group always managed to close any gaps that opened up. Brett Miller sat quietly in the middle of field and was looking forward to a bunch sprint. Kane Walker was also conserving energy at the tail of the field as the usual workers, Mark Oakley Brown and Jason Kruger did the majority of turns into the strong head wind. With two laps to go a bunch sprint seemed likely but as the bell rang for the final lap Kane Walker took off. No-one reacted as a hard chase in the last lap normally means the rider has little left for the final sprint. Miller waited for Kruger or Oakley-Brown or Beales to chase but no-one was really that keen. Around the top turn Kane had a 100 meter lead and he managed to hold this all the way along the back straight. He managed to maintain speed and stay upright around the final bend and headed for home. Brett Miller led the chasers out of the bottom corner and made up ground on Kane all the way to the finish but he came up about 10 meters short. Kane first, Brett second and Mark third.
B and C combined and the bunch circulated at a constant rate for the first 15 minutes. Paul Yeatman was keen to force the pace but Geoff Gatt and Steffi Hoffa worked well to bring Paul back each time. Rob Monk attacked into the wind and Yeatman managed to get across to him. The pair was willing to share the work and establish a lead but Yeatman fell rounding the top turn ending what looked like a promising break. After a lap out to recover he rejoined the field. Monk again took off and a more tentative Yeatman followed. These accelerations proved the undoing of Gatty and Steffi who were dropped. Steffi chased hard but crashed on a corner and her race was over. Neil Walker and Steve Muggeridge battled on and refused to let Monk and Yeatman establish any sort of a winning break. In the final lap a bunch sprint was inevitable. Neil Walker found himself on the front in the final straight, pulling the bunch into a howling head wind. In a move not seen before, and hopefully never to be repeated, Walker rode up onto the footpath to force Monk to lead out the sprint. This caused confusion in the bunch, with Yeatman thinking Walker had pulled the pin. A quick return to the road indicated that was not the case.. Monk headed for home with Yeatman in pursuit. Both riders pulled out everything but Paul managed to get a tire in front on the line to take out the win in a perfectly timed lunge. Steve was a close third with Walker in fourth place.
In D grade Karen Munro, Tammy Patrick and Brian Munro started together but Brian decided to leave the girls behind and go it alone. He won easily. Tammy and Karen battled it out in a sprint for second with Tammy just taking the honors.
WCC members are reminded that track racing continues on Thursday nights at the velodrome starting at 7.00pm. So far over 20 members have taken part with very competitive racing for all ability levels guaranteed. The bush crits series continues next week on Sunday Morning starting at 10.30am.
