Sprinters day at Cloverlea

01/12/2012

By Rob Monk

The flat Cloverlea circuit leads to close racing. The hills of Poowong last week favoured the antisocial workhorses and loners of the cycling world; the breakaway specialists and climbers.  Cloverlea favours the fast men who like to keep the race together until the final sprint. While the climbers are workhorses and loaners the sprinters tend to be the extroverts of the cycling world. Sometimes the sprinters get a little carried away; especially with themselves.

D grade had the smallest field of the day. A couple of weeks in Bali certainly had not done Col Manintveld’s form any harm. He set off at a solid clip, having all in the red zone before the halfway point of the first lap. He flew around the bend into Parkers Rd and gapped Bill Frew and Adele Whelan. Try as they might they were unable to close the gap into the strong head wind. Pete O’Donnell made it across and Frew and Whelan were doomed to a long chase. After another lap they conceded the chase was in vain and gave up. Pete and Col continued on lapping at good speed. In the final sprint Michelle Scurr who was a lap down led the boys out and got in the way. O’Donnell had just enough left to pass Col near the line and take the win. Col had done the majority of the work but had to be content with second.

In C grade Graeme Patrick worked hard all race to rid himself of the chasing bunch. Sprinting is not Graeme’s forte so a breakaway was his only hope. The bunch was encouraged to let him dangle by the experienced sprinter Andy Nichols. Andy knew that keeping him just off the front was ideal for his chances of victory. Terry Kelly tried to jump over to Graeme near the turn into Hazeldean Rd but Bruce Staben and Matt Kennelly chased him down. At the bell the bunch was back together. Patrick was cooked and Nichols was looking good. In the sprint Zvonko Maric would not make it easy for Andy. Zvonko sprinted for home with his knees and elbows out making it impossible for anyone to pass easily. The crowd at the line held their breath as Andy braved the inside line and lunged at the line to take victory by a tyre from Zvonko. Matt finished third.

B grade followed a similar pattern to C grade. This time Paul Yeatman took on the role of breakaway artist. Yeatman spent the first three laps off the front in time trial mode and was finally caught at the turn into Hazeldean Rd on lap four. Sprinters like Tambassis, Walker and Jayman Prestidge were happy enough to share the work for the majority race. Jayman was going so easily he was able to take a phone call mid race, earning the first of his three $50 fines for the race. In a rare show of unity the chasing bunch stopped at the end of lap 3 while Tambassis changed his front wheel due to a flat. They caught Yeatman by the bell and from then on a sprint finish was inevitable. The Prestidge boys then unleashed their team tactics. Justin would win in a breakaway or Jayman would be fresh for the sprint. Jayman didn’t get near the front of the race for the whole of the final lap. Justin rolled off the front on Parkers Rd then again in the finishing straight. Yeatman and Ross Henry towed the bunch back to him each time. With 400 meters to go Jayman sprinted for home and caught Tambassis and Walker napping. He surged clear and in an indecorous display seldom seen at the Warragul Cycling Club he screamed taunts at his rivals (fined $50 for unseemly behaviour) and crossed the line shaking his fist in the air (fined $50 for victory salute). Tambassis took second narrowly from Walker and Yeatman. The way Prestidge celebrated victory you could be excused for thinking he’d just won a world championship not a B grade scratch race at Cloverlea. Gracious in victory he was not.

The A grade field started with 8 riders but after 600 meters Pete Finlayson decided today was not going to be his day and decided to roll around with B grade. By lap 3 of 6 Jack Walk was off the back. Shane Stiles was on a new bike and was seeing what it could do on the attack. He’d continually surged to put the others into the red zone. Brett Rollinson was after some interval training for the track so was pleased to bring the bunch back to Stiles each time.  When Stiles put it in the gutter at the end of lap 4 Scott Keeble was separated from the bunch. The remaining five riders remained together until the final sprint. Parker went from a long way out and Stiles, in a Prestidge like display of arrogance, waited until the last few meters to flick him on the line. “I just wanted it to be close”, he was heard to comment post-race. Parker took second with Marrott third and daylight fourth.

Stiles and Jayman were still stroking each other’s egos hours after the race.

Racing is at Shady Creek next week at 2.00pm. It would be much appreciated by everybody if someone could turn up and beat Stiles and Prestidge.

Video of the grades finishing

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