Chess on Wheels

Bike racing is sometimes referred to as Chess on wheels. The tactics and plans can be complicated and sometimes they don’t go to plan.

B Grade seemed to be a race of collusion and confusion. Groups formed before the race and discussed tactics. Allegiances were formed and plans were hatched. Some riders seemed to infiltrate multiple camps so the post-race post mortem was a confused mix of conspiracy theories. Graeme Parker was at least consistent. He did little all race but wait for the final sprint. Matt Malacarne seemed to have plenty of allies in the peloton who had agreed to not chase him. When Malacarn and Dylan Adams went off the front early they were allowed some latitude. They took the intermediate sprint and looked set to go the whole way. It was only the Drouin Cycles team of Mark Mason and Jason Fritzlaff who really chased hard but George Tambassis also assisted which was a mystery. As soon as Malacarn and Adams were caught Ollie McLean and Glenn Marriott attacked and it was race over. They quickly established a winning break. Marriott says he gifted the win to young Ollie but everyone watching could see Glenn had nothing left at the finish. McLean was first with Marriott second. Then followed the hardworking Dylan Adams who just managed to roll the economical Graeme Parker on the line. An angry George Tambassis was fifth. Tambassis was, at some stage. on everyone’s team. In the end he pleased no-one and made himself very unhappy.

The A grade race was the most obvious example of chess on wheels. The only hope for the locals of victory was making sure the young gun sprinter Tom McFarlane wasn’t at the finish with the rest of the field. Latrobe riders Craig Skinner and Daniel Furmston are also fast finishers. Shane Stiles managed to manufacture a breakaway that contained none of these fast men but did contain Warragul Trio Matt Parkinson, Brett Kennedy and Brett Rollinson. At this point after just 4 laps a Warragul victory should have been assured. Parkinson, Kennedy and Rollinson just needed to drive the breakaway while Stiles say back with the fast men and made them do the work to chase. It was all going according to the script and the break blew out to over 50 seconds. It looked like race over. But all of a sudden Stiles’s multiple personality disorder kicked in. With 3 laps to go Stiles became bored with the waiting game and decided it would be fun to see if he could get the sprinters back to the break. Skinner, Stiles, McFarlan and Furmston put the hammer down and roared back to the now floundering break. They caught the break before the finishing straight and McFarlan was too fast for Parkinson in the finishing sprint. Will Lumby was third with Daniel Furmston fourth and Craig skinner fifth. Stiles will need to explain to Parkinson, Kennedy and Parkinson why he thought it was a good idea to chase them down. No-one knows what Stiles will do in a race. Even Stiles doesn’t know.

Thomas Sandner was up to his usual tricks in C grade. He smashed it up the hill the first 5 laps and had everyone else struggling to hold on. Ryan McGregor, Leigh Jamieson and Connor Bagot had to work together to bring him back each time. Sandner and Bagot managed to take the points in the intermediate sprint but could not maintain their advantage. The sprint for victory was marred by a car pulling out of the caravan park causing some riders to have to hit the brakes. Connor Bagot was particularly hindered, Leigh Jamieson missed the carnage and went on to take the victory. Thomas was second with Connor third. The hard working Ryan MacGregor was fourth and Peter McDonald vindicated his promotion to C grade by taking fifth place.

Annie Pryjmac made her long awaited return to racing was was seen towing the B grade along for much of the race. She managed second in the intermediate sprint and fourth overall in the race. Well done Annie. Bernadette Fitzgerald continued her dominance in D grade and took the win in the intermediate sprint and the overall race. Lea McLean was second and Kristy Rollinson third. Pete McLean continues to improve and managed fifth.