15/09/2012
By Rob Monk
Many riders find it difficult to ever win a race. They turn up most weeks but rarely ever reach the top spot of the podium. Paul Kennedy, Jason Dastey, Justin Prestidge, Matt Malacarne and Col Brown race haven’t won three races between them in over a year. When Glen Marriott wins three races in seven days they must wonder what he’s doing right and they are they are doing wrong.
Three laps of Shady Creek was on the menu again. First away with 17 minutes on scratch were Adele Whelan, Ray York, Colin Manitveld and Michelle Scurr. Adele lost contact by the top of the climb on lap one and joined in with the 9 minute group as they came past. Colin, Ray and Michelle combined well for the first two laps and at the bell were still 4 minutes and 12 seconds in front of the chasers.
The 9 minute group of Paul Kennedy, Zvonko Maric, Graeme Patrick, Rod Cheyne and Andrew Jackson managed to stay clear of the chasers for all of lap one but were caught midway through lap 2. Cheyne was the only one who managed to stay with the fast men till just near the top of the Shady Creek climb.
Col Brown and Justin Prestidge faced a tough task of staying in front of the chasers. With 6 minutes on scratch but only two minutes in front of the group of Brett Rollinson, Pete Whelan, Stuart Battley and Paul Yeatman they would struggle to stay away. They were caught not far after the exit from Sthurs Road on lap one by this group and combined well.
Two and a half minutes in front of scratch were Scott Keeble, Geoff Thomson, Rob Monk and Jayden Maninitveld. They struggled to catch the group in front and soon Thommo stopped rolling though as he decided to save energy and wait for the chasers.
He didn’t have to wait long. The chopping block bunch were flying. Clem Fries, Jack Walk, Matt Malacarne, Graeme Parker, Glen Marriot and Pete Finlayson were on a mission. They had only one minute head start on scratch and were determined they would not be caught.
The scratch trio of Shane Stiles, Leigh Hauxwell and Cy Monk were in for a tough day at the office. A good day for scratch is when they continually reel in bunches in front gaining speed and numbers as the race goes on. A bad day is when they don’t quite get the chopping block before the chopping block pick up groups in front. Try as they might then, scratch just can’t catch the larger group in front. At the top of the hill on lap 2 the scratchies were 14 seconds off the chopping block group which now had 10 riders. That was as close as they would get. The combined chopping block and 2.5 minute group worked well together with only Rob Monk and Thommo not rolling though regularly. Thommo saw the scratchies were in trouble and started to roll though as well. That was the final nail in the scratch coffin. In the end Scratch blew up and lost 5 minutes on lap 3. Zvonko Maric ended up towing them to the finish.
The chopping block group charged on in the final lap. They had caught everyone but Ray York and Colin Maninitveld before the turn into the home straight. These two were passed 5km from the finish.
A big bunch sprint was on the cards.
Pete Finlayson was feeling good and tried “a flyer” at the bunch with a kilometre to go. He lasted about 200 meters then realised he wasn’t feeling that good after all. Clem Freis took over for a while then Scott Keeble launched his sprint from the bottom of the hill. Keeble remembers fondly the days when he could go from the bottom of the hill and hold off the bunch. Those days may have passed him by. He appeared to ride into a patch of quicksand with 100 meters to go and Glen Marriot flew past him. Thommo was locked on his wheel and Rob Monk was gaining on them both. Marriot had enough left to take the win from Thommo and Rob. Justin Prestidge finished strongly over the more fancied riders to take forth. Then followed Keeble, Parker, Yeatman, Walk, Whelan and Jayden Maninitveld rounded out the top ten.
Glen Marriott made it two from two for the weekend on Sunday when he won the Masters 1,2,3,4 section of the Gippsland Road Championship. Leigh Hauxwell was third. Other Warragul Riders did well. In the elite section our junior riders were prominent. Joe Patrick Finished second, Cy Monk third, Jack Walk forth and Jayden Maninitveld 6th in the open road race. Thommo was second in the masters 5+ section.
Racing moves back to Cloverlea next week. Hopefully the alternating weeks of good/bad weather disappear and it’ll be a calm sunny day.
Podium
- Glen Marriot
- Geoff Thomson
- Rob Monk
- Fastest time Glen Marriot.
Thommo moves to first place in the series.
