19/10/2013
By Rob Monk
Saturday’s race was a case study of how riders can resume from a layoff in different states of physical condition.
On the comeback trail were Leigh Hauxwell and Shane Stiles. Hauxwell has hardly raced this year with knee problems keeping him off the bike. The rumour mill was rife with reports that he was in solid training but racing is different. Haxuwell turned up to race on Saturday looking hard fit. Axes could be sharpened on his calves. Muscle definition clearly showed he was long way forward in his preparation compared to Stiles. Hauxwell started in A grade and by the top of the Shady Creek Climb on lap one he and Jayden Manintveld had made short work of the rest of the field. George Tambassis and Matt Parkinson held them for a lap but could not cope after that. Hauxwell went on to defeat Jayden easily in the sprint. His comeback race a triumph. He will be off scratch in the Tim McArdle Handicap next week. Maybe he should have kept that form hidden for a week longer.
In the B grade race Shane Stiles, a former unbeatable leviathan of the A grade peleton was returning to racing. Stiles had let himself go over winter. Illness and Injury had taken their toll and Stiles had put little time in on the bike but clearly had spent plenty of time in the kitchen. Slow and overweight he intends to race, rather than train, his way back to form. On Saturday his “race only” comeback resulted in a 6th place finish in B grade, beaten by riders who this time last year could not hold his wheel for half a lap.
Stiles still bounced around like a peanut as he did in his heyday but tell-tale attacks off the front before the hill on lap one and two were clearly just to ensure he didn’t get dropped before the top. On lap three Zvonko Maric and Col Brown establish a small break and when Rob Monk jumped across to them the chase was on. Brown, Monk and Maric were being chased by Stiles, Neil Walker, Geoff Thompson and Grant Neilsen. The chased gave it everything and try as they might the Stiles led chasers could not catch. Monk went on to the take the sprint from Zvonko with Col hanging on for third.
The C grade race featured Shane Wakker trying everything to break the race up on the hills but the rest of the group working together to bring him back. Bruce Staben is gaining race smarts with every week or racing. He kept enough energy in reserve to win the sprint easily from Wakker with Rob Waddel in third.
Frank Bensted continues to improve in D grade. He was clearly the strongest on the day beating Ted Williams and Terry Kelly. Adele Whelan rode well to stay with the main field for most of the race and take out the first Female finisher prize.
Next weeks race is the club’s major handicap of the season, the Tim McArdle Memorial Handicap at Darum 2.00pm on Saturday.
