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Road: 2010-11 Small Dog Criterium ChampionshipsMarch 23 2011Official results: Small Dog 2010-11 senior criterium championships A Grade Criterium Championship, 25 min+2 laps Stuart Grigg reports (with photos by Kate Grigg): Senior A grade: Three in a row for Rhys A cool south-easterly wind greeted a field of around 15 riders for the belated start of the 2010-11 Small Dog A-grade criterium championship. There was some nervous tension in the air as the field realised track star Damien Keirl had entered the race after a long……. taper (reportedly 2 rides in the last 2 months), along with one of Ballarat’s best, Rhys Gillett, now a member of Australia’s newest pro cycling team, Jayco-2XU. It was going to be 25 minutes and 2 laps of pain. The field was allowed to cool their heels a little as Stuart Grigg, who somehow managed to arrive some 45 minutes before the start of the race, rather than the usual 45 seconds before, got a flat. Volker threatened to let the group off but managed to hold them back. Grigg made a quick front wheel change, and off we went. Gillett almost immediately rolled off the front, and the field attentively let him sit there. Gillett was not putting in a lot of work, rather warming the muscles in preparation. In the following few laps Gillett came back to the field and rolled off the front a number of times, gently increasing the pressure each time. After about 4 laps it was Jay Bourke’s time to put some pressure on. Jay’s attacks were more explosive, and the field reacted with more urgency as he has been in very good form during recent crits since his storming ride at Buninyong. John Polkinghorne put in a few big efforts to bring him back. Once Bourke was brought back it was Gillett’s turn to again attack. This time around he was more aggressive, and the field worked harder to close him down. The legs of the chasers were slowly being worn down. We were strung out along the home straight, where not much reprieve from the cross-wind was given, with those on the front driving it up the far side of the road. At about the half way mark it was time for young improver of the summer Liam White to try his luck off the front. He’d been known to test the group out regularly since Christmas. The attentive Phil Orr closed this one down. Finally the two big guns, Bourke and Gillett, had the legs of the field starting to soften, and regularly small groups got off the front, but again not far. The most threatening break of the evening got away with about 6 laps to go. It looked strong, with Gillett, Bourke, White, Sam Turley and Grigg all there. The chasers put in a big effort to bring them back. It was then Turley’s chance to go for it. He rode away for about 2 laps. The attackers were not going to close him down, wanting to force the sprinters into doing some work. Better for a break to succeed, they thought, than for one of the pesky sprinters to take it out again! Turley was back in the field and it was the relentless duo of Bourke and Gillett again hurting the field with 4 laps to go. The rubber band was stretching, with the group really strung out both along the home straight and down the back, as they used the cross winds to put some more sting in the legs of the rest. Polky was alert to this, and with two laps to go came to the front to increase the pace whilst giving some protection to those up front (thanks Polky). With a lap to go, the bell rang. Bourke hit it and put a gap into the field. Grigg responded and managed to make it across along the back straight. The field was right there. At the gentle left hander at the end of the back straight, the duo was caught. It was the ever-strong Ciaran Conaughton driving hard. Where the heck had he come from? Tight on his back wheel was sprinter and consistent high finisher in recent crits, Charles Martin, with Gillett, like glue, on Martin’s wheel. The trio were off, Orr and White were in chase but just missed the jump, Bourke was done, and Grigg had one last crack. Nup, nuthin! The trio rounded the last corner and shot up the finishing straight. It was a flat-out drag race; the sprint for the line was on. They were three abreast with 200 to go. Who was going to have the power to prevail? Gillett got it on the line by a wheel, for his third consecutive title. Martin was second, with Conaughton just a bike length behind.
Rhys on a rampage
Jay lines out the field
Jay Bourke and John Polkinghorne. Now, which one of these two is a former top footy player?
A momentary lull in hostilities
Stu Grigg will eat Liam White when he catches him. Joel and Phil look unconcerned.
Jay hits the gas.
This is starting to look very painful.
Rhys looks composed on Liam's wheel.
Rhys wins from Charles (right) and Ciaran. Thanks all - marshals, organisers and races- for a great season. Bring on the road calendar! Chris Liston writes: Senior B Grade U19 rider Lewis Piccoli took a hard bunch sprint to take a strong win in the B-grade championship. Stuart Brien did some hard turns up front in the opening but faded at the finish, relinquishing his title from last year. Jeremy Doolan, with strong youngster Aaron Blomely, looked in contention when they opened a gap mid-way through the race, but they were brought back. Paul Crack was among the favoured entries, but he was outdone by Piccoli in the sprint and took second place. Michael Veal, Thayne Turley, Don Stewart, Will Goer, and Dave Peters also rode strongly, but nobody stopped the flying Piccoli in the final dash to the line. Here's another perspective on the B-grade race from Michael Veal: Lewis Piccoli was a deserving winner of the 2010-11 Small Dog B-grade criterium championship. Whilst the older heads and legs are desperately trying not to let time pass on with a bewildering array of newer, better, more laterally stiff and vertically compliant uber bikes, one thing remains the same: there is always some kid who is going to be faster. Last year it was Liam White. This year we have all been cursing young Lewis "can't bat, can't bowl, can't throw" Piccoli. Some time during the season he learnt to sprint. Next year he will go on to terrorise A grade, and when he learns how to roll turns then look out! The club organization has done a great job of encouraging ever more juniors this year, and as we have seen, many have made it to state representative level. This is once again a great credit to all the regular marshals, flag bearers and permit seekers. Scott Denno writes: Senior C grade A solid bunch of 11 riders turned out for the “C” grade crit champs in what could only be described as blowy and cold conditions. Apparently this is better than warm and wet. Without any fuss the fun began. The pace was down due to the weather and the missing leg burner Josh Liston, with the experienced riders having a good hard look at each other. The kids in the field, Will Stewart and Jake Seers, wanted to get the pace going, and had to deliver for themselves. Joining in with the pace lifting was Gerard White, Vince Madder and Andrew Stinchcombe. Not to be outdone, and not seen until the second half of the race, were Gerard Cosgrove and Paul Pickersgill, lifting, settling back in, and lifting again. After we got the two lap call from the judges we were expecting to see a flyer from Cosgrove, but A grade put an end to that thought as the train passed us again to remind us how it should be done. The rest of that lap and the start of the bell lap were spent trying to get the best position possible. Some elbows were used! In the home straight, Paul Pickersgill tried to turn himself inside out while choosing the correct gearing. He did all he could do to throw himself off the bike, and I have no idea how he kept it upright. It must have been some super-sharp MTB skills. This took a bit off the sprint of the following riders. After the eventual place getters got though the carnage, the sprint was on, with Mark Czulij taking up as much of the road as he could Bob Morley hit the line first and came away with well-earned win, his second for the year. To his left and less than half a wheel away was Czulij, pinching second. To Bob’s right and half a bike back was Scott Denno in third. Behind that line was first placed woman, Melissa Keirl. Melissa has been getting stronger and more confident with each race, and was unlucky not to place. Chris Liston reports: Junior championships Cody brothers Bailey and Tyson took line honours in the Sub-Junior U7 and U9 championships respectively. In the U7 race, Ziggy Lee proved a formidable adversary to Bailey Cody in the absence of some regulars to finish runner up in the championship. In U9, Jake Ashmore found the change from graded to age group classification made for a tough, challenging race. Rochelle Liston continued her good form, taking the U11 title in the first girls' race. Chloe Stinchcombe stepped up and completed the longest race of her season to date to take second place. Courtney Mannix sat in the group of U15 girls at the start and then moved off the front to open a gap. The remaining trio worked turns, with Felicity Liston fading off the back as Harriet Pickersgill and Emily Oliver upped the pace. That almost brought them in contention with Mannix, as she tired on the front in the last two laps, but Mannix held on for the win. In the under-13 boys' race, Angus Cocking fought out a successful duel with Zac Stinchcombe, as fast man Maurice Koelle was unfortunately ill with a cold. In M15, Nicholas White was content to circulate with Patrick Cosgrave, giving him a little false hope until the halfway mark. At this point White cranked up the tempo and opened a small gap which he developed into a strong win in the last two laps. Victoria Snibson paced herself for the U17 women’s event, posting a good time to win solo, and leaving a hard-fought duel for the minors between Vivien Mannix and Elizabeth Baker. Mannix took Baker to the line and won the sprint. The opening laps of the U17 men’s race saw new season riders Jack Stewart and James Burge, and the more seasoned Josh Liston, sharing turns, until Burge and Liston drew away from Stewart. Burge shadowed Liston, who did the majority of the work on the front, until with two laps to go he kicked and opened a gap at the hair pin corner. Burge was runner up to Liston who took a deserved win after a strong season. U7 Mixed 2.6km 2 laps Corrections? Questions? Comments? Contact the web lackey |
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