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SENIORS
A Grade, 36km
1 David
Stewart (Eastern Suburbs)
2 John Kenny (Eastern
Suburbs)
3 Chris
Jenkins (Randwick Botany)
B Grade, 32km,
1 David
Watkinson
(North Sydney)
2 Craig
Dempsey (Eastern Suburbs)
3 Brad Lane (Randwick Botany)
C Grade, 32km,
1 Matthew
Tabone (Randwick Botany)
2 Andrew
Hudson
3 Bruce
Watkins
D Grade, 20km
1 John Harrs
2 Melanie
Hassan (BRATS)
3 Mark Murdoch
(Randwick Botany)
E Grade, 14km
1. Norman Jew (Randwick
Botany)
JUNIORS
A Grade Individual
Time Trial, 8km
1 Andy Powell,
14.34
2. Thomas
Murdoch, 14.37
3. Andrew
Young, 14.50
4. Michael
Murdoch, 15.06
5. Belinda
Angwin, 15.26
6. Pita Vea,
15.49
A Grade
Scratch 8km
1
Michael
Murdoch
2 Thomas
Murdoch
3 Andy
Powell
Prime:
Michael Murdoch
B Grade
Individual
Time Trial, 4km
1 Adriano
Maradini, 9.11
2 Nicolas Mellick,
10.51
3 James Warne,
11.21
4 Taylor
Aitchison, 12.16
Junior B Grade, 6km
1 Adriano Maradini
2 Taylor Aitchison
3 Nicholas Mellick
4
James Warne
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REPORT
Thanks to
our Commissaire on
the day, Mrs Helen Vella and Joanne & John Buckton assisting. Thanks also
to our race Marshalls, Paul Helmrich, Scott Buckton
during Senior racing and Ken Woodhouse and John Buckton during junior
racing. Thanks also to Roy Magill, R.J. Lagunday and David
('The General') Steveson of the St John
Ambulance. Thanks to Richard Jenkins for deploying all the warning
signs and witches hats and to Scott Buckton and Paul Helmrich for bringing
them all in and packing them away. Without these volunteers, racing
would not be possible. Thanks to Peter Zala, the club Junior
Development Officer for conducting the Junior
program. Thanks to Fred Vella for managing the canteen.
The overcast and windy conditions saw a reduced field on the starting line
today. To further test the riders skills rain commenced to fall half
way through the race program adding another demanding dimension to the already demanding conditions. These conditions saw quite a few retirements.
The stalwarts however battled on regardless. The seven man A Grade
bunch stayed largely together till about 4 to go when David Stewart from
Eastern Suburbs Club hit out and obtained a sizeable gap on the peleton.
Randwick Botany junior rider, Chris Jenkins who is only just coming back
from injury, took off from the peleton in an attempt to get across to
Stewart. Chris didn't quite make it and found himself in no man's
land. John Kenny tried the same thing about a lap later and was able
to get across to Chris Jenkins but not quite able to make it across to
Stewart. Chris Jenkins, tired by this stage backed off and came back
into the chasing peleton. Both David Stewart and John Kenny were
able to maintain their respective gaps in front of the peleton and as a
result finished first and second respectively. Third place came down
to a bunch sprint of the peleton and Jenkins's tactics paid off as, after
he had his little rest at the back, he was able to take the sprint for
third place.
B Grade stayed largely together. There were a few early attacks
which saw Dave Mackey and Craig Dempsey get a break from the field but
they were quickly reeled back in. Jason Webb put in a concerted
effort about 4 to go which saw him get away from the bunch for about 2
laps by himself. The bunch worked well together however and
managed to get Jason back. The race came down to a bunch sprint with
David Watkinson first, Craig Dempsey second and newcomer to B grade, Brad
Lane, third.
The C grade bunch stayed largely
together, the conditions testing many of the riders.
Michael Murdoch was not so lucky when he moved sharply to make way for the
passing A grade and his wheels lost traction sending him for a bit of a
slide. Luckily, a few band aides and some new handlebar tape is all
that will be needed for Michael to be stirring up the C grade field again
next week. The bunch sprint was very close and a huge scream at the
finish left no doubt in everyone's mind that Randwick Botany's Matthew
Tabone had finally won his first C grade race narrowly from Andrew Hudson
and Bruce Watkins.
D grade stayed largely together in
the demanding conditions. About 5 to go however, John Harrs rode off the front of
the bunch and just kept going for an easy ride away victory (The
handicapper has asked me to welcome you to C Grade by the way, John). Melanie Hassan chased for 2 laps in an effort to chase Harrs down but never quite
got across to him. Melanie then backed off and rejoined the peleton
for the bunch sprint. Melanie was successful in holding on to her
second place with Mark Murdoch coming in third in his first ever placing
in a bike race.
There was plenty of jockeying for
position in E grade with Norman Jew finally winning out and claiming 1st
place.
Four events were conducted by the
Junior Development Officer, Peter Zala, in the Junior program. A
grade had an 8km individual time trial and 8 km scratch race. The B
graders had a 4km individual time trial and a 6km scratch race.
Randwick Botany Cycling Club
conducts racing at Heffron Park, Maroubra NSW each Saturday throughout the
year. Juniors start at 1.00pm and Seniors 2.30pm.
For more information please contact the club secretary Helen Vella on 02
9667 3307.
Race report prepared by:
John Buckton
Webmaster & RBCC President
Randwick Botany Cycling Club
president@randwickbotanycc.com
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