04/05/2013

By Rob Monk

Warragul and Latrobe City Cycling Club combined for a race at Willow Grove on Saturday. Forty nine riders turned out in great conditions.

A grade had the largest field of the day with 14 starters. The race was delayed as a replacement bike arrived for Brenton Jones as he stripped one on his cranks on his ride to the race. The rest of the field should have started without him. Jones was too good in the sprint and took the money in a tight contest. 1st Brenton Jones (WCC), 2nd Will Livesay, 3rd Darren Spiteri (LCCC)

B Grade had 10 starters and Paul Yeatman was on a mission from the start taking off down the hill. Yeatman is obsessed with training data and his TSB number was perfect. If he raced so his heart rate and power output were within his acceptable tolerances he would win. Even after setting the pace for nearly the entire length of Old Sale Road on lap 2, after being dropped on the hills after Tanjil South on lap 2 and chasing down a late break by Rolan Elison, he did.  Rob Monk lead the charge up the last hill and over the top, Peter Whelan intiated an early sprint and seeing a gap on the inside with 400m to go, Yeatman took off to win by 5 lengths. 1st Paul Yeatman, 2nd Pete Finlayson, 3rd George Tambassis.

The 10 starters in C grade stayed together well for their one lap. Col Brown is in a rare vein of form and took the win again. It was a combine so Col has still not won a WCC C grade race. 1st Colin Brown, 2nd Graeme Patrick, 3rd Bruce Staben.

D grade had five starters and the girls sat on Col Manintveld for most of the race then sprinted by in in the finish. 1st Lou Clark, 2nd Michele Scurr, 3rd Colin Manintveld.

Racing returns to Shady Creek next Saturday at 2.00pm.

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Tags: combine, latrobe city cc, scratch, willow grove

24/11/2012

By Rob Monk

Warragul took on Leongatha cycling club in a combine at the tough Poowong East circuit on Saturday. It was hills, hills and more hills and the hot conditions meant there were some tired riders at the end of the race.

In A grade Leongatha dominated. Brett Franklin and Nick Youngs made the initial break on the first climb into Poowong. Stuart Smith was patient but eventually decided he’d ride across the gap to them. This trio rode the rest of lap one together off the front of the chasers. Turning left to the finish on lap 2 Smith put the pressure on and immediately had Franklin in trouble. Youngs proved a harder nut to crack though. Nick stayed with Stuart nearly all the way to the finish. Smith had to dig deep to break Youngs spirit within sight of the finish. Smith went away to take a strong win. Youngs second with Franklin not far away in third. The race for fourth was hotly contested. On the climb into Poowong the second time Jayden Manintveld broke from the chasing pack to go after the 3 leaders. Ron Purtle and Glen Marriott chased as well. Purtle broke away and Marriott and Manintveld worked together to bring him back. Manintveld blew up and Marriott rode on. On the final climb to the finish Marriott and Purtle were locked together. Marriott was just too quick in the sprint to take fourth.

The B graders stayed together for most of lap one. As usual Paul Yeatman struggled on the hills but ground his way back on when the road levelled out. Yeatman was forced to withdraw at the end of lap one with a mechanical problem. The race blew apart on the climb up to Poowong on lap 2. Roland Elstrom and Graeme Parker rode away and worked well together to maintain and even extend their break on the flats. Neil Walker and Stuart Battley gave chase but could not catch. Parker was too quick in the sprint for Roland. Walker just beat Battley in the sprint for third about 4 minutes later. Pete Whelan and Pete Finlayson looked hot and bothered when they rolled in for fifth and sixth place a further 3 minutes back.

The C grade race broke up on lap one as Peter Sorenson, Graeme Patrick and Shane Pettingill showed their strength. Going with them for much of lap one was soon to be promoted D Grader Shane Wakkar. Sorenson Patrick and Pettingill were together at the end of lap one but a long way apart by the finish. Shane rode away from Graeme and Peter on lap 2. He went on to win by over a minute from Graeme who was two minutes in front of Peter. The hills can take their toll.

Shane Wakkar was a clear winner in D grade with Pete O’Donnell in second. Pete believes the flats of Cloverlea next week will suit his physiology better next week.

A highlight next week will be O’Donnell taking on Bill Frew in his long awaited return to racing. This battle will be worth turning up for.

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Tags: combine, hills, leongatha cc, Poowong

Brenton Jones took out the tour for the third year in a row in what began as a wet tour and ended in sunny conditions.

This year the race began and ended on the same course at Willow Grove – great for the climbers, not so much for the flat road lovers.

Warragul again won the teams classification. We had a over 20 riders contesting the tour across all the grades.

A Grade Wrap

Brenton Jones won all four stages, though he had to share with Daniel Gaffa on stage four due to a dead heat. Jarryd Jones came 2nd in stage three and four.

BJ won the sprint comp and the KOM. JJ came 3rd in the sprint comp.

Only 15 minutes separated first from last overall.

For a more complete A Grade summation, check out BJ’s blog.

B Grade Wrap

Had B grade been decided on time rather than points, things would have been interesting with breaks winning all mass starts. The bunch was happy for one or two riders to set the pace for the most part and only perked up when sprint or KOM points were on offer. No one appears willing to do much in the way of chasing until the final stage.

Cyrus Monk was the best performed, coming in second place overall. Cy also bagged the sprint and KOM competitions. Leigh Hauxwell claimed third overall and in the KOM. Paul Yeatman came second in the sprint comp.

Hauxwell came second in stage one. Paul Yeatman was the best Warragul time trialist, but could only manage a third. In stage three, a two man break saw Warragul bag some points and a late four rider break allowed Yeatman to claim first from Rob Monk.

Stage four was a little slower than stage one and here, Charles Davine claimed second.

For a stage by stage review of B grade, check out Paul’s blog.

C Grade Wrap

Jayden Manintveld is one to watch out for with a second overall and a second in the KOM.

Stage one saw Graeme Patrick claim third. Manintveld came second in the TT and also in the final stage.

D Grade Wrap

Clint Wilson lead the Warragul charge with a first overall and second in the sprint and KOM points. He also won stage two and four and came third in stage three.

Andrew Gordon won the opening stage from Paul Kennedy.

Race Program

Stage 2 Time Trial Results

2012 3 Day Tour Results (pdf) – 2012 3 Day Tour Results (MS excel)

Photos

Stage 1 (Jaymar Imaging)

Stage 2 (Actionpactpix)

Stage 2 and 3 (Jenn Davies)

Stage 3 (Actionpactpix)

Stage 4 (Jenn Davies)

With some fine performances over the weekend, the handicaper will have fun with this weekend’s Cloverlea handicap.

Tags: 3 day tour, combine

12/02/2012

WCC does well at the LaTrobe City CC’s track carnival.

Jack Walk won the Bob Whitford Wheelrace off 200m.

Tags: combine, velodrome

Joel Pearson, our very own European cyclist came 11th in a time of 0:13:36.  Shane Stiles won C grade and came 20th over all, (0:25:01 down) in the Melbourne to Warrnambool.

Read about it all here.

Shane had this to say about the world’s longest one day race:

“8 Gatorade

4 power bars

5 gels

250g of snakes

1 honey sandwich

… is not enough food!!!

Up

Tags: combine

14/06/2011

Congratulations to Brenton Jones who won the A grade event for the 2nd year in a row.

Congratulations to the following place getters in 2011 Gippsland 3-Day Tour:

A Grade:
1st: Brenton Jones (Warragul Cycling Club) in 6:50:06
2nd: Daryl Anderson (Warragul CC) +3:27
3rd: Kane Walker (Warragul City CC) +3:40

B Grade:
1st: Jarryd Jones (Warragul CC) with 77 points
2nd: Gerome Bechez (Latrobe City CC) with 56 points
3rd: Stuary Derham (Bairnsdale & Riviera CC) with 46 points

C Grade:
1st: Cyrus Monk (Warragul CC) with 63 pts
2nd: Aaron Wain (Wellington CC) with 54 pts
3rd: George Tambassis (Warragul CC) with 49 pts

D Grade:
1st: John Taylor (Latrobe City CC) with 95 pts
2nd: Benjamin Stein (Warragul CC) with 85 pts
3rd: Mathieson Jenkin (Warragul CC) with 61 pts

Teams:
1st: Warragul CC with 67 pts
2nd: Latrobe City CC with 37 pts
3rd: Leongatha CC) with 21 pts

Thanks to those who voluntered. Full race results here.

Manflu saw the early retirement of Jayman Prestidge, and tonsilitis took our Paul Yeatman.

Photos by the LCCC here.

2011 3 Day Tour Guide (pdf)

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Tags: 3 day tour, combine