THANK YOU:

Commissaire John Buckton D & E grades. Richard Jenkins A, B & C grades

Thanks to Richard Jenkins who deployed and retrieved all the witches hats and signs. Thanks to Bob Bykerk and Lauren Mourad on the registration table.  Thanks to Anna Fortuna for manning the canteen.  Thanks to Leeann Emery for being our First Aid Officer.  Thanks to our safety marshals

CLUB SPONSORS (see logos right)

Randwick Botany Cycling Club is proudly sponsored by FRF Couriers, parent company of Excelpro.  Excelpro is the distributor of products including BH bicycles, Argon 18 bicycles,  Cinelli bicycle accessories, Colnago bicycles & accessories, 3T cycling assessories, Vittoria shoes and Speedplay pedals.  Bike Bug carries all our major sponsors bikes and products such as Colnago, Cinelli and Argon 18.  Tony "the Bug" is offering all Randwick Botany members a 15% discount off parts and accessories.  Go to cyclebits.com for all your cycling consumable needs like tyres, tubes, bar tape, etc, etc.  Order online from an Australian company, and have your cyclebits arrive at your door a day or two later Long term RBCC sponosr DS Labels – Marrackville. Sponsors of our club jersey include Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers,  Tenpoint, Vantage Freight, Sydney Morning Herald.

REPORT

The usual, a force 10 gale at Heffron Park made the going tough.

Average speeds in some cases were identical to the last time we raced at Heffron.

A Open:  39.5kph

A Club:    not recorded

B grade:   36.7kph

C grade:   35.4kph

D Grade:  33.1kph

E grade:  30.1kph

Well A Club you have no one to blame but yourselves.  With many A Opens away and only a handful competing, and on the request of a couple of the A clubies, I asked the combined A whether they wanted the usual handicap or all in.  Of course after the race I had a few who had a little cry on my shoulder that I should not have combined the grades.  In my defense however, when I asked the question, "Do you want to ride together? hands up those who do."  About 7 arms went up in the air.  Then I said, "Those who don't?"  and 1 went up in the air.  Astonishingly, the one objector was Spurge (an A Open rider) who added, "No let's chase".  Anyway a majority opinion was taken into account and the decision was made to race all in.  Of course after about 5 laps, the A opens rode off the front and almost lapped the field.  At the conclusion of the race I listened to several friendly comments afforded me and I can tell you that the "all in" thing won't happen again.  A Open will be chasing and if you want to mix it with the big boys, start with them.

Well no such drama in B grade and two RBCC old blokes (Master's 4 & 5) got on the podium. 

Yes Dave "Jacko" Jackson took out the event with Big Bazza (Masters 5) narrowly pipped out of second place by Chris Garrard from the Central Coast.  Being also a Masters 5, I would like to think that my little bit of work on the front helped the boys as well.  Suffice to say, where were the young ones????????

Well it was "Team Sicily" in C grade with 2 of my Sicily Tour team mates getting up on the podium.  Finally after years of trying Dave "Knuckles" Crampton got on the podium for third.  After years of telling him that he can't win by riding on the front for 14 laps of a 14 lap race, the penny finally dropped.  Well not really, Richard had to wrestle a couple of turns away from him which was an achievement in itself as they reckon if you come around Knuckles to do a turn, he comes around and passes you again.  Anyway Dave reckons he has learnt all he can from C grade now and is going to mix it with the B Graders.  No complaints here.  I will happily suck your wheel Knuckles.  You can be my personal Domestique.  It was an RBCC trifecta with Brett Douglas first, Team Sicily Richard Heath 2nd and Knuckles third.

Good to see Tanya Bosch back racing.  Welcome back Tanya.  Well E Grade was an all girls result with three on the podium.  Congratulations to Geraldine, Dion and Tanya.

PRIZE MONEY

Handicap winner receiving $150.  A grade winner on normal day is $120 and we now have a first A club prize of $50.

START TIMES

Randwick Botany Cycling Club conducts racing at Heffron Park, Maroubra NSW each Saturday throughout the year. Juniors start at 12.30pm. Seniors D, E, & F grades will start at 2pm and A, B & C grades will start at 3pm.

RACING SHEDULE

A handicap race for A B & C grades will be conducted on the first Saturday of every month.  Second,  fourth & fifth Saturdays will be normal scratch races.  On the Third Saturday of every month racing will be longer and conducted in reverse direction.  A grade 25 laps (50 kilometres), B grade 23 laps and C grade 20 laps.  D, E & F will be normal distance

For more information please contact the club secretary Joanne Buckton on 02 9315 7801 or email: secretary@randwickbotanycc.com

Web page layout & editing by: John Buckton

Photos by: Rocky "Snaps" Fortuna  and apprentice Antonio Fortuna

Report by John Buckton

Contact:
John:   webmaster@randwickbotanycc.com