24/08/2013
By Rob Monk
NOTE: after an informal discussion at a coffee shop in the week after the race, it was decided to scrap this race due to a small group of riders drafting a motorized vehicle for a lap or two. Rather than penalize the cheats, everyone else’s effort has been negated.
The Warragul cycling club resumed racing for the spring handicap series at Darnum on Saturday. Getting the handicaps right was always going to be tough. Some riders have held their form through the winter months. Graeme Parker and George Tambassis have been in good form. Others, like Paul Kennedy, had clearly been in a good pasture and would need the run.
Frank Bensted and Adele Whelan were the limit pair starting with the scratch group but only riding 4 laps.
The group of first time racer Ron Lombardo, Dune McDonald, Mark Oakley Brown, Colin Manintveld and John Davine struggled to stay together were soon strung out over half a lap.
In no-mans land were Alan McCulloch, Bruce Staben and Col Brown. Col resisted the “urge to surge” for a couple of laps then blew up the others up, one by one.
The experienced quartet of Rob Monk, Geoff Thompson, Paul Yeatman and Pete Whelan had only a miserly two minutes on the large scratch bunch so they were never a chance. They rolled around conservatively and were caught on lap 2 of 5.
The largest group of the day consisting of Pete Finlayson, Brenton Jones, Jayden Manintveld, Jack Walk, Colin Aitkin, George Tambassis and Graeme Parker were aided on lap one by the camera motorbike that paced them along at over 50km/h at times. When the motorbike left Cy Monk arrived adding to the firepower of the scratch bunch meaning the chances of all others were non-existent.
The scratch men had caught all but Mark Oakley Brown by the bell and the race would clearly be a sprint with the winner coming from this group.
Col Aitken attacked hard on the final hill and managed to shake all but the original scratch group from his wheel. Cy Monk took on the lead out duties and really set up the race for the fast finishing Jack Walk. Brenton Jones let the young blokes fight out the finish. Jack was too quick for Jayden Manintveld with Graeme Parker in third. Then followed George Tambassis, Cy Monk, Pete Finlayson and Col Aitken.
The series continues next week where surely the scratch group will be giving the others more of a head start. Racing commences at 2.00pm.
