Brunswick Cycling Club

What a day for a bike race. When I picked up young Tyson in Melbourne, it was sunny with but a zephyr of a breeze.

As we neared Gisborne the Mount was cloaked in fog, headlights were turned on and we drove a lap of the challenging Bald Hill circuit to check for any debris from the winds of the week before.

10am saw the limit bunch of 26 minutes set sail with the fog lifting but the cloud refusing to budge.

This years event had two previous winners saddle up for another crack, 3 time winner Richard McCorkell 2009, 1986, 1981, Richard has been in fine form this Winter having success last week at the Rob Vernon Open and was riding off block which was set at 5 mins and Andrew Gannon, 2007, with a mere two minute advantage off 7 minutes.

Scratch looked strong and were in good spirits as they set off with the clouds beginning to break, allowing the sun to try its best to raise the mercury.

This years event was also the testing ground for the C.S.V. transponders. Nathan had the electronics set up in a jiffy and every rider was successfully tracked and timed each time they passed the sensors. These transponders will be phased in to assist in the running of the Victorian Open Calender in 2011.

At the completion of the first of four laps it appeared that the handicaping was on track to provide a nail biting finish with all bunches gaining equal time on each other.

The clouds were distant and sun shining as they started the second lap and at the back section of the course around Pipers Creek, the wind had picked up and it appeared that it would play a part in the outcome, there was a lot of “talking” going on in the bunches, organising themselves to gain the maximum advantage against the winds and the scratchmen had halved the advantage the limit group had enjoyed at the start.

Lap three and it was shaping up to be one of the closest finishes yet, the race had become three main groups spread over less than 5 minutes.

The Bald Hill climb was taking its toll on the riders as one by one the groups thinned.

With less than 20km remaining the scratchmen were less than sixty seconds in arrears as the toughest section of the circuit lay in wait.

As the lead group came into view two of them had jumped the bunch and it was evident that the winner would be one of them, in the long downhill sprint David Novak, Hawthorn 10 min, had time to salute the judges from the evergreen Tom McDonough, Coburg 10 min, and young Nathan Clinnick, Sunbury 18min.

It was only forty two seconds after David had crossed the line that Brad Davies, St Kilda (scratch), crossed the line to claim fastest time.

I think it would be fair to say that every member of each group gave their all to keep the advantage given by the handicapper and with only forty two seconds seperating them after a gruelling 86 kilometers I believe that the great Jack “pop” Stewart would be proud.

The Trophy of course goes to the first Brunswick member to finish and for the second time Andrew Gannon accepted the Trophy from Pop’s daughter Norma.

In the Junior event it was a very happy and excited Grace Mazzerella who joined Andrew on the podium with her trophy.

After the race Andrew commented that on the second and third lap Bald Hill broke him but he recalled what Richard had said about his win last year, how he just kept hanging on and the final time up the climb he probably had a little help from above courtesy of “Pop”.

Andrew joins less than a handfull of riders who have their names emblazoned on the trophy more than once.

Three time winners are Richard McCorkell, 1981, 1986, 2009 and Mark Heintz, 1985, 1993, 2003.

Two time winners are Andrew Gannon, 2007, 2010 and P Peatling 1983, 1990.

Thak you to all who volunteered their time to help make the day happen, I don’t get out to the races all that often these days but when I was approached by Andrew to assist on the day there was only one possible way I could respond and that was “I would be honoured”.

Indeed I was.

Cam

Full results on the Combine web site.

This entry was posted by C. McFarlane on Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 at 4:20 pm and is filed under Reports, Road.