16/03/2013
The first scratch race of 2013 ended with some messy sprints and a pile up in C grade. The wind, weather and mixed race tempo made for some gnarly sprints at the end of races. 39 Riders competed in four grades.
First to finish was D grade. Despite instructions from race chaperone Geoff Thomson the field split up on the first ascent of the Shady Creek hill. Pete O’Donnell, Adele Whelan and Bec Whelan were tailed off going over the top. The girls could not hold Pete on the decent but when he punctured Pete retired to the coffee machine for the rest of the day. Adele, Bec and Thommo chased hard, laughing at punctured Pete on the side of the road as they went past him, but could not catch the leaders. Lou Clark and Andrew Jackson dropped Michelle on the climb on lap two. Lou let Andrew do the majority of the work on the way home then sprinted past him to take the win. He won’t do that again. Michelle Scurr was third. Adele Whelan was forth and Bec Whelan fifth.
The B grade race was a stop start affair. Rob Monk, George Tambassis, Jack Walk and Pete Finlayson were not keen to do much pacemaking so this was left to Paul Yeatman, Ross Henry and Shane Pettingill. Yeatman spent most of lap one off the front but when Finlayson and Leigh Hauxwell decided to see if they could drop some sprinters on the way up the hill he was always going to struggle. They got rid of Yeatman but the rest hung on – just. Prestidge rolled off the front on the decent and soloed for half of lap 2. The third time up the hill was uneventful and some short lived attacks were all reeled in before the finish. The sprint got messy when Jack Walk pulled his foot and wobbled all over the road. He managed to baulk Jayman Prestidge and create a break for George Tambassis. Tambassis used the confusion to his advantage and sprinted to victory. Walk clipped back in and flew home for second. Prestidge took up half the road making it impossible for anyone else to come from behind. He was third.
C Grade nearly caught B grade on Lap 1 but the rapid B grade ascent on lap 2 opened the gap so only Yeatman was caught (within 200m of the finish). Only Mick Blackwood, Col Manintveld and Shane Wakker were detached from the bunch. At the finish a bunch of 12 riders started the sprint together. Neil Edwards clipped a wheel falling heavily. Graeme Patrick also came down. In front of the fall Col Brown was going for home but Zvonko Maric put in a huge effort and just got over the top of him. Grant Neilson was finishing fast in third spot.
The A grade finish had to be rearranged as damaged C graders still lay on the road. Shane Stiles had grown bored of racing by lap 2 so he turned back spectate the B grade race. Cy Monk took off at the bottom of the hill on the final lap and managed to establish a good break. He stayed away until Sturs Rd. before the concerted chase of Brett Rollinson, Justin Gravett and Graeme Parker dragged him back. Now the weather was truly foul and the rain was driving in horizontally. Rollinson strung out the field as the approached the finish and through the gloom the new finish line appeared quickly. Aaron Vague took out the win from Cy Monk and Justin Gravett but the A graders were just keen to get out of the rain.
Next week there is a team’s race at Cloverlea at 2.00pm.
