SuperCrit Thursday

SuperCrit Thursday Wraps Up

2009-02-04T22:51:00.002+11:00

With SuperCrit Thursday now finished for the season, the organisers would like to thank all the riders and supporters who raced hard and enjoyed the longer crits.

In particular we would like to thank the commissaires, officials and volunteers who made this racing happen, and of course a big thankyou to Greg Long for all his magnificant photos that really captured every grimace, strain and bead of sweat.

With SuperCrit Thursday now wrapping up for the season, the Tuggeranong Vikings look forward to a rotating Thursday criterium roster that will now cater for all other grades of racing.

Stay tuned to the Vikings Cycling Club website for all you racing info.

SuperCrit #12 - Allbon and Headlam Inflict the Pain

2009-01-15T16:59:00.006+11:00

Photos Courtesy of Greg Long

Results SuperCrit #12

Men Top 10

1. Graeme Allbon

2. Mitch Lovelock-Fay

3. Matt Meisel-Dennis

4. Jayson Brenton

5. Simon Dwyer

6. Damian Ruse

7. Mark Langman

8. Bradley Lovelock

9. Jamie Young

10. Troy Reddick

Photos Courtesy of Greg Long

Women's C Results

1. Rowena Headlam

2. Kate Molineaux

3. Merryn Steer

4. Carly Rickerby

5. Carol Paice

6. Julianne Quaine

7. Elizabeth Lowe

8. Linda Rigby

9. Emma Rigby

10. Katherine Huckstep

11. Megan Mackenzie

12. Maddy Marshall

13. Annabell Pearson

All Photos Courtesy of Greg Long Photography

www.greglong.photostockplus.com

Matthews Thunders in the Storm: SuperCrit #11

2008-12-19T11:09:00.013+11:00

Michael Matthew victorious despite the storm

Michael Matthews delivered a punishing performance to overcome harsh elements in SuperCrit Round 11.

The 18 year old Matthews rode a hard race from the front, forcing all other contenders on the back foot, before delivering a final sprint to the line that wasn't to be matched by anyone else.

Coming home in second was the evergreen Graeme Allbon, followed by Suzuki Uno racer Sam Genge in 3rd.

A soaking Matthews was happy with his win, clearly enjoying his heavy training regime in the lead up to the National Road Titles in January.

'That was fun!' Matthews initially remarked upon coming in from the rain sodden course. 'I don't mind the wet at all and when the conditions are like that you just have to go a bit slower in the corners but its still pretty quick on those bends!'

Matthews was also went home with a few bucks in his pocket after taking out both Christmas cash sprints on offer.

How it unfolded

With heavy dark storm clouds looming ominously over Stromlo and the odd rain droplet landing on the course, many racers took the option to watch the race rather than face nature in her fury.

However, for those on course it was the fury of Matthews that they were feeling initially as he launched a hard turn straight from the starting line.

Within two laps Matthews had split the race into three groups, with strong crosswinds proving to be the bane of the riders caught down the back.

Sam Genge attacked solo from the front group, skipping away to a handy lead as Marc Williams (Rideshop), Simon Niemeyer (ACT Masters) and Graeme Allbon took a breather from the insistent early pace of Matthews.

As Genge's lead grew, the front runners of Williams, Matthews, Allbon and Fabio Calabria (Team Type 1) commenced the chase behind.

Genge maintained his solo lead for another two laps, until the strong winds took their toll on his legs and he reluctantly returned to the bunch.

Again Matthews surged hard in the bunch, this time seeing Allbon join him with the duo enjoying a 20 metre advantage. A hard strong turn of pace from Williams though neutralised the lead of Allbon and Matthews, returning the leading group of six together once again.

At this point though Mother Nature unleashed her christmas blessing on the SuperCrit competitors, lashing the course with a monsoonal amount of water that soon soaked competitors and officials alike to the bone.

As the commissaire declared a shortened race and gave the racers three laps to go, lightning began crashing down upon the Brindabella Ranges, creating a spectacular setting for the final laps.

Not to be deterred by a puny bit of lightning, Matthews unleashed his own thunder upon the front group, surging hard from the front of the group at a lap and a half to go. Following vigilantly upon his wheel was Allbon, with Genge and Niemeyer also scrambling to stay in contact.

As the level of water washing over the track turned into a torrent, Matthews gingerly picked his way through the final corners, leading the riders around in an aquatic game of cat and mouse.

As they threaded their way through the final bend, Allbon unleashed an early sprint on the riders, gambling on his strength down the final straight in the strong winds. In what looked to be the winning move, Allbon cleared out on all riders to 3 length lead.

However Matthews had other ideas, and from third wheel he raced hard after Allbon, splashing past him in the final few metres to take a spectacular victory in the heavy rain and spray.

Allbon settled for 2nd, while Genge flicked Niemeyer for third.

Matthews wins SuperCrit 11 followed closely by Allbon

As riders were towelling down after the race, the rain cleared and a magnificent backdrop was provided for the presentations courtesy of a superb rainbow set against the the scenic view of Telstra Tower from Stromlo Forest Park.

As this was the final race for 2008, the SuperCrit Team would like to take this opportunity to wish all competitors and officials a very Merry Christmas and a great New Year, and we look forward to more hard racing in 2009.

Storm clears post race over Stromlo Crit Track and Telstra Tower

Top Ten Race Results SuperCrit Round 11

1. Michael Matthews

2. Graeme Allbon

3. Sam Genge

4. Simon Niemeyer

5. Mitch Lovelock-Fay

6. Scott Sparkman

7. Lewis Hopkins

8. Mark Gillett

9. Marc Williams

10. Fabio Calabria

Merryn Steers to Victory

2008-12-13T15:05:00.003+11:00

Merryn Steer is pleased with a successful evening of racing

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

The women’s C starters have made a tradition of very well mannered starts, and it was again the case tonight. The nine riders took off at a sedate pace for the first three laps giving first time racer Kristen Walker time to adjust to racing conditions on the Stromlo circuit.

The riders are relaxed during the first few laps

After a few impatient thrusts and parries, Kate Molineaux eventually found herself riding away from the group solo, with the bunch not reacting. With several rounds experience racing with her, SportsCare rider Merryn Steer realising the danger that Molineaux can pose with a solo effort, so she quickly jumped from the bunch in an attempt to bridge. Walker, showing a natural nose for racing already, attached herself to Steer’s wheel and found herself in a break of three.

Shalan Bray leads the watchful Merryn Steer

The six riders left to chase could not get organised and found themselves spread along the straight in their chase attempt. Eventually Shalan Bray and Megan Mackenzie found their rhythm, but the pair could not impact on the three strong riders up front who were working an impeccable team time trial to stay away. Behind, Katherine Huckstep struggled on the down hill with her restricted gearing but formed an alliance with Rebecca McLaren, and the two were eventually joined by triathlete Emma Fielder, with Liz Lowe not quite able to make the junction with the group.

The lead break quickly imposed a comfortable lead on the rest of the field

With Molineaux having done the bulk of the driving in the front group, the final lap found her under attack by Steer and Walker. Steer pulled away to take her first win in a bike race follow in by Walker in an impressive debut, and Molineaux rounding out the three place getters.
With just one round to go before Christmas, the win puts Merryn Steer into top place in the women’s C point score table with 39 points, with the four following only separated by 10 points. The teams classification sees the Vikings Valhalla team with an unassailable lead, followed by Masters ACT, Bilbys Freshstart and Team SportsCare.

Race Results Womens C Round 7

1. Merryn Steer
2. Kristen Walker
3. Kate Molineaux
4. Megan Mackenzie
5. Shalan Bray
6. Emma Fielder
7. Katherine Huckstep
8. Rebecca McLaren
9. Elizabeth Lowe

Race Report: Simon Dwyer

All photos courtesy of Greg Long Photography

http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

From Hotham to Stromlo... Matthews Dominates SuperCrit #10

2008-12-11T21:57:00.008+11:00

Michael Matthews on his way to cleaning up all sprints at Stromlo Forest Park

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

Michael Matthews (Suzuki/Uno) utterly dominated the tenth edition of the SuperCrit Thursday series, taking out all six sprints to win the race with three times more points then any other rider.

Matthews, fresh from roaring up Mt. Hotham in Victoria's Tour of Bright last weekend, used his sprinting prowess to haul in the majority of his points, before breaking away with hardy escape specialist Marc Williams (Rideshop) to finish the race off with a handy lead over the main field.

Placing second overall was Fabio Calabria (Team Type 1) with Graeme Allbon finishing in third.

Matthews, who was just recently informed of his inclusion into the Australian Institute of Sport for next season, was happy with his win in the windy conditions.

'I've been hanging for another win for a while now' stated Matthews after the race. 'I always enjoy racing hard and today was perfect for me. I like it when the race is tough, but I also like it when there is a bunch sprint, so I guess a pointscore suits me really well because they are hard and there is lots of sprints!'

How it unfolded

Riders were informed just prior to the start that in celebration of the SuperCrit hitting double figures that the race would be in the format of a pointscore rather than the usual standard criterium style of the first 9 rounds.

Upon the starting hooter being sounded the race quickly gained momentum with a few strong surges in pace keep the bunch ticking along prior to the first of six sprints.

Riders haul their way through the hay bales early on

Riders were seen jostling hard for position leading into the whistle for the first sprint with regular racers Justin Tomlinson and Marc Williams pushing up near the front.

First sprint saw Michael Matthews open the scoring with a nicely timed sprint to grab maximum points straight up, closely followed by Allbon, Calabria and Williams.

With the speed being maintained by regular contributions of pace from several riders, the second sprint also commenced all together. Again Matthews preyed on the competition, this time with hard man Simon Niemeyer taking second followed by Calabria and Matthew Meisel-Dennis.

Simon Niemeyer: doing it the hard way off the front

Again the third sprint was conducted with the main group intact. Matthew's demonstrated clearly why he is worth an AIS scholarship with another well timed sprint. This time Calabria managed second with Allbon in third and Adam Phelan sneaking the last points on offer in fourth.

Despite some strong racing and aggression, the fourth sprint was again tackled by a full bunch. Matthews made it four from four, with Calabria snaking in some more big points, Justin Tomlison in third and Meisel-Dennis taking fourth.

Matthews takes sprint four ahead of Calabria, Tomlinson and Meisel-Dennis

This time Matthews, sensing a victory already tied up in his points haul to date, launched up the road with Williams in a bid to seal his win. The duo swapped hard turns to open up a handy advantage over the main field. This aggressive pair maintained their lead to sprint number five, with Matthews out gunning Williams for the big points. Allbon gobbled up the third place on offer from the main group, with Adam Phelan taking fourth.

Dylan Cooper and Graeme Allbon chasing hard

As the main group slowed to regain their breath after sprint five, Williams and Matthews poured on the pace up front, solidifying their lead with good old hard driving turns. Dylan Cooper (Marco Polo Racing) along with Peter and Deane Rogers (Rideshop) tried hard to match the pace of the leaders back in the bunch to no avail.

Deane Rogers drives the remnants of the peloton

With the leaders out to an untouchable gap, the race for the minor placings became fast and furious back in the main field.
Strong surges of pace and late attacks marked the final portion of the race leading into the bell lap.

The break on FIRE; Matthews leads Williams in the race to the line

As Matthews nailed his second SuperCrit win of the season by pulling away from Williams in the last run to the line, Allbon fought hard back in the peloton to grab what was left of the double points on offer for the last sprint. Allbon managed get get there in the end, with Calabria pushing him all the way to the line just ahead of Adam Phelan in fifth.

In the final washout of the points, Matthews was clearly the victor, with Calabria just holding on for 2nd place one point clear over Allbon in 3rd. Marc Williams, despite his hard racing in the break finally finishing in 4th with Simon Niemeyer in 5th.

Top 10 Race Results SuperCrit Round #10 - Pointscore Edition

1. Michael Matthews 35 points
2. Fabio Calabria 12 points
3. Graeme Allbon 11 points
4. Marc Williams 10 points
5. Simon Niemeyer 3 points
6. Justin Tomlinson 2 points
7. Adam Phelan 2 points
8. Matt Meisel-Dennis 2 points
9. Neil Skipper
10. Simon Dwyer

Photos Courtesy of Greg Long Photography

http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

Smith Swoops to Victory

2008-12-09T14:06:00.003+11:00

All photos courtesy of Greg Long

After the customary slow start to women’s C, it was a confident Amanda Koerber who made her made her intentions clear early in round 6. Several attacks and some strong pulls on the front that stretched the bunch out into single file eventually causing a split with Carly Rickerby, Kylie Biilman and Merryn Steer on board the Koerber Express.

With the chasers clearly working in the red to keep it under control it looked as though the winning break had formed, however the lead group riders clearly didn’t like the look of each other as they stopped working together and sat up. The back of the peloton lead by Emily Clark, the hard working Mel Connor, Carol Paice and Linda Rigby pulled themselves back on and it was all status quo.

Meanwhile, Donna Smith sat in the bunch watching closely and looking relaxed while keeping her nose out of the wind. There was a quiet moment as the ladies got their breath back before another flurry of attacks from the likes of Liz Lowe and Katherine Huckstep, each one marked by the bunch but taking the bit more from the legs for the finish.

The bell lap came around and the full field of 12 riders were still all on par with a bunch three wide and riders with eyes peering back over their shoulders as much as to the front. On the slight rise up the back straight Smith exploded from the bunch leaving a frantic scramble of riders in her wake. Leading the chase were Shalan Bray and Steer.

Smith’s initial jump on the bunch was good enough to take her to the finish for her first win. Bray just got the edge on Steer for second while Biilman outsprinted the improved Rickerby for 4th place. Race protagonist Koerber eventually rolled through the finish chute in 6th place.
Special mentions this week to Katherine, Emily, Carol, Liz and Mel who all have massively improved their skills and ability to read the race over the last few weeks. The five of them were not only passengers in the peloton this week but active in shaping the race.

Results Women's C Grade Round 6

1. Donna Smith
2. Shalan Bray
3. Merryn Steer
4. Kylie Biilmann
5. Carly Rickerby
6. Amanda Koerber
7. Linda Rigby
8. Katherine Huckstep
9. Carol Paice
10. Elizabeth Lowe
11. Emily Clark
12. Melinda Connor

Race Report: Simon Dwyer

All photos courtesy of Greg Long Photography

www.greglong.photostockplus.com

Not a Haas been; SuperCrit Round 9

2008-12-04T20:31:00.008+11:00

Haas powers the winning break around the twisting course

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

Nathan Haas of the Suzuki Uno racing squad overhauled a fast finishing Dean Windsor (Drapac Porsche) to take victory in Round 9 of the Vikings Cycling Club's SuperCrit Thursday series.

Haas, who is more commonly seen either mountain biking or rushing between classes at university, has just recently started testing his legs on the road scene. With some impressive performances on the dirt to his name, including making the Aussie team to race the Canberra round of the Mountain Bike World Cup, Haas seems to be transferring his off road capabilities to the tar with immediate results.

Haas managed to escape the clutches of the peloton ten minutes into the race in a break group of five, before it was whittled down to three. Included along side Windsor in the Haas break and hanging on for third overall was the strong Tuggeranong Vikings' racer of Neil Skipper.

Haas, clearly looking strong throughout the race, attacked his breakaway companions twice in the final three laps in an attempt to avoid a small group sprint.

However, despite leading out the finish down the long final straight, Hass found the legs after being jumped by the experienced Windsor to overhaul the international racer and claim his first ever SuperCrit win.

'I'm estatic with how that panned out' gasped a wide eyed Haas after the race. 'It's my style to try to breakaway, yet I have never sprinted that good before!'

Haas was full of praise for his breakaway comrades stating that 'both the two boys with me worked really well. It's always great when a break can hang on for the win, especially when it's three against the bunch.'

How it unfolded

With many of Canberra's local racers gearing up for this weekends climbers delight otherwise known as the Tour of Bright, a slightly reduced field lined up for this weeks SuperCrit.

Immediately off the line, and quickly speeding away to a handy gap was Velo Canberra's Andrew Circosta.

Andrew Circosta escapes the peloton

Circosta built his lead to forty metres advantage, holding on to his gap for the next five laps in a strong example of time trialling prowess.

Unfortunately for Circosta, the ambitious early break wasn't to be this week, seeing Circosta pegged back by an alert main field ten minutes into the race.

The counter-attack was swift, sudden and race defining when it came from eventual winner Haas, moments after Circosta was engulfed back into the fold of the peloton.

Making sure to put themselves in the move, aside from Windsor and Skipper, was former junior world time trial champion Deane Rogers, along with Southern Highlands racer Justin Tomlinson.

Justin Tomlinson forcing the pace in the break

The severity of the attack, combined with the immediate and urgent turns of pace from all members of the breakaway group saw the leaders quickly gain a ten second gap over the main field.

A desperate chase resulted back in the main field to try to contain the rapidly expanding gap of the Haas group. Peter Rogers (Rideshop), Mark Harris (ACT Vets), Michael Tolhurst (Velo Canberra), Fabio Calabria (Team Type 1) and Mitch Lovelock-Faye (TLC) all through their weight behind the chase in an attempt to reel the break back in.

Twenty minutes into the race, and the strong turns of pace started to take their toll on the breakaway with Tomlinson missing the wheel after his turn and fading back to the main field.

Sensing a possible weakening of the leaders up front, Calabria attacked out of the main field with Tolhurst in tow in an attempt to cross the widening gap.

The attack resulted in splitting the main field asunder, with riders scrambling in ones and twos to try to match the speed of Tolhurst and Calabria.

Two laps later the main field regrouped, however despite the flurries in pace, the leading four riders stretched their advantage to fifteen seconds lead.

A strong turn of pace from Haas a lap later ended the ambitions of Deane Rogers in the leading group, with Rogers returning to the main field.

Despite some strong chasing back in the peloton from Tolhurst, Tomlinson, the Rogers brothers and Simon Junakovic, the lead trio of Haas, Windsor and Skipper stretched their lead to 25 seconds.

Neil Skipper charges through a corner leading the break

As the laps counted down and the race entered its final stages, Haas surged down the front straight with two laps to go. Windsor marked the move quickly as did Skipper.

Half a lap later and spectators were treated to Haas again unleashing on his two breakaway companions. This time Haas hit the pace hard out of the saddle and accelerated up the back straight gapping Windsor and Skipper each by five lengths. Haas continued on with his move, powering in the saddle as Windsor and Skipper both valiantly clawed across the gap back to the wheel of Haas.

As the bell lap sounded, the foxing commenced with Haas leading out the trio for the final lap of the Stromlo Forest Park course. Windsor bided his time in second and Skipper in third, as the main field increased their pace half a lap behind.

The leaders maintained their positions all the way round the final lap, keeping a wary eye on each other.

Haas exited the final corner first, lining up for the long final down hill straight to the finish. A moment of hesitation saw Windsor pounce on Haas, riding clear of him on the left hand side of the course. Haas reacted quickly, and in true mano-a-mano style, drag raced Windsor down the centre of the racing track.

Haas in grimacing determination managed to generate the power required and hauled Windsor back in, claiming the win with a big throw at the line to the tune of half a wheel. Skipper took third two lengths behind, while Micheal Tolhurst cleaned up the remaining spoils of the bunch in fourth place some twenty seconds later.

Haas out guns Windsor and Skipper in the charge to the line

Top Ten Results SuperCrit Round 9

1. Nathan Haas
2. Dean Windsor
3. Neil Skipper
4. Michael Tolhurst
5. Justin Tomlinson
6. Mark Harris
7. Fabio Calabria
8. Deane Rogers
9. Peter Rogers
10. Mitchell Lovelock-Faye

All photos courtesy of Greg Long Photography

http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

A SuperWet Thursday - SuperCrit Round 8 Cancelled

2008-11-28T20:43:00.012+11:00

Racing photos courtesy of Greg Long

Ominous weather culminating in thrashing storms marred round 8 of the SuperCrit Thursday series.

However despite this ten hardy women enjoyed a soaking surface for their race and braved the conditions.

Kate Vandenburg out paced, out raced and out splashed the competition to eventually emerge victorious from the spray, followed by Susannah Hiron and the improving Kylie Biilmann.
With heavy clouds looming and the racing surface awash with rain, race commissaires deemed the conditions unsuitable for SuperCrit standards and called the event off.

Despite a non event decision being issued for the SuperCrit, five of Canberra most diehard male racers declared that they would race an unofficial 14 lap pointscore. Wishing that there was a six pack of Coopers on offer for each sprint and $100 for the win, the five racers raced faced the wrath of the brutal conditions.
Mitchell Lovelock-Fay lay down the challenge to the riders on offer early in the event, however it came down to the final sprint into which Simon Dwyer went with a two point buffer. Lovelock-Fay took the five points, however Dwyer held off a fast finishing Brad Lovelock, holding on to his lead by the narrowest of margins. Unfortunately neither the Coopers nor the cash eventuated with the soaking riders hoping just for a dry towel and hot cup of tea.

Thanks to the Race Directors: Sue Powell and Simon Dwyer, 15 Competitors, and thanks to the 3 Marshals performing essential duties: Graeme Drew, Reg Meisel-Dennis, Matty Menz, and photos by Greg Long.

Womens C Round 5

1. Kate Vandenburgh
2. Susannah Hiron
3. Kylie Biilmann
4. Carol Paice
5. Maddy Marshall
6. Kate Molineaux
7. Elizabeth Lowe
8. Megan Mackenzie
9. Katherine Huckstep
10. Melinda Connor

Men's Support Race - Pointscore

1. Simon Dwyer- 11 points
2. Mitchell Lovelock-Fay- 10 points
3. Bradley Lovelock- 7 points
4. Jamie Young- 4 points
5. Dan Foo- 1 point

Racing photos courtesy of Greg Long Photography

http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

Simon recieves Cycling Australia award for ACT Volunteer of the Year

2008-11-25T10:53:00.003+11:00

Congratulations to Simon Dwyer for being nominated for and receiving the Australian Sports Commission Cycling Volunteer of the Year award for A.C.T.

Simon flew down to Melbourne on the weekend for the awards ceremony and was sprouting his finest ever 'mo just for the occasion.

Simon was presented his award by Former Olympic and World Champion Anna Meares and also got to rub shoulders with the who's who of cycling including Tour de France rider Cadel Evans.

Well done Simon and keep up the great work!

Phelan First in SuperCrit #7

2008-11-22T10:56:00.008+11:00

Michael Phelan outsprints all others

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

Michael Phelan of Suzuki Uno delivered a scorching finishing sprint to take first place honours in round 7 of the SuperCrit Thursday Criterium series.
Phelan, an U/19 category racer, emulated the feats of his twin brother from three weeks prior to chalk up an impressive win in difficult conditions at Canberra's Stromlo Forest Park.

Phelan clearly read the conditions to perfection, biding his time and saving his energy for the hard and fast final few laps.
Hard on Phelan's wheel in second place was Tour of Murray River stage winner Michael Matthews, with Sam Genge scraping in for third place after taking up the front running half a lap from home.

Phelan was chuffed with his victory, attributing his win to clever race tactics that were tailored to the conditions;
'I was really nervous coming into the final lap' admitted Phelan. 'I tried to look after myself as best as possible all race, given the cross winds and the breakaways. I was hoping it was going to come down to a bunch sprint and once that seemed certain at 2 laps to go, I just made sure to stay in the top 3 or 4 spots so I had the best chance possible down the finishing straight.'

A post rain picturesque setting

How it unfolded

Despite slightly chilly, breezy weather and rain periods throughout the day, a strong field of 28 found Canberra's premiere closed circuit racing track dry and welcoming for the seventh round of the SuperCrit series.

Additional prizemoney may have also wooed some hesitant competitors out to play, with $100 up for grabs for the grand prize, as well as two cash sprints to spice up the hour of racing.

A fast start to the hour of racing

The commissaires had a somewhat rude surprise in store for the field, with the first of the two cash primes being unexpectedly signalled for the second lap of the race.
An immediate surging from some money hungry riders saw the bunch split at the start of the second lap.

Ripping out of the second group up the back straight went Australian National University track specialist Kial Stewart, in a bid to take the early money. With dollar signs in his eyes he jumped the front group coming into the finish straight, attempting to use his intimidating size and rapid speed to take an easy prime.

Last weeks winner Sam Genge though had other ideas. Genge managed to pull himself up onto, and the past the wheel of Stewart in an agonisingly close finish for the cash. While Stewart faded back to the pack in an obviously devastated state, Genge let the hounds out to play and motored on with the move.

As the bunch regrouped, Genge increased his lonely advantage to 80 metres over the main field. The blustery winds inhibited Genge's time trialling stamina though, sending him back to the bunch a couple of laps later.

Quick to counter Genge were the riders of Brent Miller (Suzuki Uno), Justin Tomlinson and Ben Henderson (Onya Bike Warehouse). This brave trio opened up a very interesting lead of 20 seconds within two laps.
Their strong turns of shared pace saw this gap nudge 25 seconds a short while later.

Tomlinson, Miller and Henderson breakaway

As the main field echeloned across the wide course, a reluctant chase began to manage the lead trio's advantage. Michael Tolhurst (Velo Canberra), Stephen Bomball (Rideshop) and John Forrest were among the half dozen or so riders that commenced the chase.

The hardy leaders, despite the chase behind, were committed to their guns. Their lead was maintained despite the concerted efforts of the bunch, and for the next 15 minutes didn't look to be faltering in the slightest.

Just after the halfway mark the dream of the break was shattered for Tomlinson as his legs forced him to return to the peloton. Miller and Henderson bravely carried on in tribute to their absent comrade, and found themselves receiving the siren for the second sprint.
The duo managed to hang on to their now slender lead for Henderson to claim the cash, just before being engulfed by the long line of riders that was now the main field.

Charging at the front of the peloton, in an attempt to fragment the group in the cross winds was Michael Tolhurst. Tolhurst repeatedly poured the pace on, riding hard against the unforgiving edge of the racing circuit, attempting to take away from his competitors the vital slipstream required in the testing conditions.

As gaps appeared between riders, and faces grimaced in effort, Tolhurst's legs eventually tired. Despite some serious damage being done, the main group survived.

In a fantastic account of deja vu, the first to counter Tolhurst were Miller and Henderson, who picked up their break exactly where they last left off.
20 seconds clear again and the aggressive duo looked as fresh as the first time they escaped.

Miller and Henderson go again

This time the main field reacted sooner, with Forrest, Matthew Meisel-Dennis, Angus Harding and Bomball lifting the pace. Miller and Henderson tenaciously hung on for the next 10 minutes, before once again they succumbed to the speed of the peloton.

As the bunch received three laps to go, escape speciallist Marc Williams (Rideshop) hit the group hard with a stinging surge of pace. Unable to get away after his first attempt, Williams hit the group again less than a lap later.

This time an organised train of Suzuki Uno orange appeared at the front, with Meisel-Dennis and Alistair Loutit reeling Williams in. As the bell for the final lap tolled, Forrest led the swarming bunch through at high speed. Genge jumped Forrest up the back straight, as Harding and Williams forced their way back up into the forward positions.

Genge with race winner Phelan close behind

As Genge swept through the final bend, Phelan popped out from the ideal position to surge past Genge and make his winning charge to the line. Matthews also snuck past the fading Genge to grab second, with an outstanding ride from mountain biker Ben Henderson seeing him nail fourth place. Marc Williams backed up from his late attacks to hang in for fifth.

Top Ten Results SuperCrit Round 7

1. Michael Phelan
2. Michael Matthews
3. Sam Genge
4. Ben Henderson
5. Marc Williams
6. Angus Harding
7. Stephen Bomball
8. Simon Junakovic
9. Simon Dwyer
10. Matthew Meisel-Dennis

All photos courtesy of Greg Long Photography
http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

Blackwell's Back

2008-11-22T10:18:00.005+11:00

Photos Courtesy of Greg Long

Helene Blackwell, winner of the second round of the womens C series, dominated round 4 to take her second victory in three races. The sensational victory not only included first place honours, but also a winning ticket to B grade.

In a performance akin to her round 2 victory , Blackwell attacked with three laps to go splintering the field. Only Susannah Hiron and Amanda Koerber looked threats in the chase, but couldn't quite get themselves organised enough to reel the powerful Blackwell back in. Juliane Quaine, the ever present Maddy Marshal and Christine Coogan finished in a strong chase group.

Womens C Results Round 4

1. Helene Blackwell

2. Amanda Koerber

3. Susannah Hiron

4. Julianne Quaine

5. Maddy Marshall

6. Christine Coogan

7. Sarah Goodwin

8. Carol Paice

9. Carly Rickerby

10. Kylie Biilmann

11. Shalan Bray

12. Elizabeth Lowe

13. Emily Clark

14. Christine Palmer

15. Emma Fielder

16. Michelle Kennedy

All photos courtesy of Greg Long Photography

http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

The WC field may have noticed something sleazy about their race director this week - the porn-style monstrosity is his attempt at Movember. If you'd like to make Simon feel better about his ghastly upperlip, you can donate to his Movember team, V-Mo'bile by following this link: https://www.movember.com/au/donate/donate-details.php?type=team&team_rego=110711&country=au

Phelan First in SuperCrit #7

2008-11-20T21:57:00.007+11:00

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

Michael Phelan of Suzuki Uno delivered a scorching finishing sprint to take first place honours in round 7 of the SuperCrit Thursday Criterium series.

Phelan, an U/19 category racer, emulated the feats of his twin brother from three weeks prior to chalk up an impressive win in difficult conditions at Canberra's Stromlo Forest Park.

Phelan clearly read the conditions to perfection, biding his time and saving his energy for the hard and fast final few laps.

Hard on Phelan's wheel in second place was Tour of Murray River stage winner Michael Matthews, with Sam Genge scraping in for third place after taking up the front running half a lap from home.

Phelan was chuffed with his victory, attributing his win to clever race tactics that were tailored to the conditions;

'I was really nervous coming into the final lap' admitted Phelan. 'I tried to look after myself as best as possible all race, given the cross winds and the breakaways. I was hoping it was going to come down to a bunch sprint and once that seemed certain at 2 laps to go, I just made sure to stay in the top 3 or 4 spots so I had the best chance possible down the finishing straight.'

How it unfolded

Despite slightly chilly, breezy weather and rain periods throughout the day, a strong field of 28 found Canberra's premiere closed circuit racing track dry and welcoming for the seventh round of the SuperCrit series.

Additional prizemoney may have also wooed some hesitant competitors out to play, with $100 up for grabs for the grand prize, as well as two cash sprints to spice up the hour of racing.
The commissaires had a somewhat rude surprise in store for the field, with the first of the two cash primes being unexpectedly signalled for the second lap of the race.

An immediate surging from some money hungry riders saw the bunch split at the start of the second lap.

Ripping out of the second group up the back straight went Australian National University track specialist Kial Stewart, in a bid to take the early money. With dollar signs in his eyes he jumped the front group coming into the finish straight, attempting to use his intimidating size and rapid speed to take an easy prime. Last weeks winner Sam Genge though had other ideas. Genge managed to pull himself up onto, and the past the wheel of Stewart in an agonisingly close finish for the cash. While Stewart faded back to the pack in an obviously devastated state, Genge let the hounds out to play and motored on with the move.

As the bunch regrouped, Genge increased his lonely advantage to 80 metres over the main field. The blustery winds inhibited Genge's time trialling stamina though, sending him back to the bunch a couple of laps later.

Quick to counter Genge were the riders of Brent Miller (Suzuki Uno), Justin Tomlinson and Ben Henderson (Onya Bike Warehouse). This brave trio opened up a very interesting lead of 20 seconds within two laps. Their strong turns of shared pace saw this gap nudge 25 seconds a short while later.

As the main field echeloned across the wide course, a reluctant chase began to manage the lead trio's advantage. Michael Tolhurst (Velo Canberra), Stephen Bomball (Rideshop) and John Forrest were among the half dozen or so riders that commenced the chase.

The hardy leaders, despite the chase behind, were committed to their guns. Their lead was maintained despite the concerted efforts of the bunch, and for the next 15 minutes didn't look to be faltering in the slightest.

Just after the halfway mark the dream of the break was shattered for Tomlinson as his legs forced him to return to the peloton. Miller and Henderson bravely carried on in tribute to their absent comrade, and found themselves receiving the siren for the second sprint. The duo managed to hang on to their now slender lead for Henderson to claim the cash, just before being engulfed by the long line of riders that was now the main field.

Charging at the front of the peloton, in an attempt to fragment the group in the cross winds was Michael Tolhurst. Tolhurst repeatedly poured the pace on, riding hard against the unforgiving edge of the racing circuit, attempting to take away from his competitors the vital slipstream required in the testing conditions.

As gaps appeared between riders, and faces grimaced in effort, Tolhurst's legs eventually tired. Despite some serious damage being done, the main group survived.

In a fantastic account of deja vu, the first to counter Tolhurst were Miller and Henderson, who picked up their break exactly where they last left off.
20 seconds clear again and the aggressive duo looked as fresh as the first time they escaped. This time the main field reacted sooner, with Forrest, Matthew Meisel-Dennis, Angus Harding and Bomball lifting the pace.
Miller and Henderson tenaciously hung on for the next 10 minutes, before once again they succumbed to the speed of the peloton.

As the bunch received three laps to go, escape speciallist Marc Williams (Rideshop) hit the group hard with a stinging surge of pace. Unable to get away after his first attempt, Williams hit the group again less than a lap later.
This time an organised train of Suzuki Uno orange appeared at the front, with Meisel-Dennis and Alistair Loutit reeling Williams in.

As the bell for the final lap tolled, Forrest led the swarming bunch through at high speed. Genge jumped Forrest up the back straight, as Harding and Williams forced their way back up into the forward positions.
As Genge swept through the final bend, Phelan popped out from the ideal position to surge past Genge and make his winning charge to the line. Matthews also snuck past the fading Genge to grab second, with an outstanding ride from mountain biker Ben Henderson seeing him nail fourth place. Marc Williams backed up from his late attacks to hang in for fifth.

Top Ten Results SuperCrit Round 7

1. Michael Phelan
2. Michael Matthews
3. Sam Genge
4. Ben Henderson
5. Marc Williams
6. Angus Harding
7. Stephen Bomball
8. Simon Junakovic
9. Simon Dwyer
10. Matthew Meisel-Dennis

All photos courtesy of Greg Long Photography

http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

Genge Gallant in SuperCrit #6

2008-11-14T16:19:00.007+11:00

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

Sam Genge of Suzuki Uno outsprinted a strong breakaway group of eight to claim an arms aloft victory in SuperCrit round 6.

Genge, who is preparing for his second year in the junior U/19 ranks, clearly looked the freshest of the break, outgunning the group in the hectic final few laps. Ten lengths behind Genge across the finish line in second place was Michael Tolhurst of Velo Canberra, followed by Bike Culture's Scott Sparkman in third.

Despite being warned by the commissaires for his flamboyant finishing salute to the crowd, Genge was thrilled with his win.

"I really hurt trying to get across to the break" explained Genge after the race. "I knew that once I got there I would be able to settle in and recover. After two laps of being with the break the legs felt good again and I knew I was on a good one."

How it unfolded

Warm but ideal conditions greeted the riders as another healthy sized field turned out for the race. Immediately out of the blocks flew Adam Phelan of Suzuki Uno, David Deery of Bike Culture and Simon Christopher of Velo Canberra. The 60 minutes racing duration was obviously not a pace inhibiting factor as Andrew Circosta, Joel Stewart and Lewis Hopkins joined the lead trio to make six up the road.

With a handy lead the early escapists settled in to build the tempo over the first few laps. Deane and Peter Rogers felt the calling and speared across the gap from the main bunch, bringing Neil Skipper along for the ride.
The nine leaders rolled the paceline through for a few minutes, however a flurry of action back in the pack saw the race form as one again ten minutes in.

A few surges of pace by Velo Canberra boys Michael Tolhurst and Andrew Circosta kept the bunch on their toes, however it wasn't until the first of the two cash sprints that major developments occurred.

The first sprint saw Suzuki Uno racer Michael Matthews fire from the bunch and line the field out. Former Commonwealth Bank Classic stage winner Peter Rogers was quick to follow Matthews' lead as well as Neil Skipper and Adam Phelan. Matthews charged like a bull across the line to grab the coin on offer, simultaneously fragmenting the peloton behind.
Angus Harding, Michael Tolhurst and Scott Sparkman also made the split joining the quartet of Rogers, Skipper, Phelan and Matthews to make it a lead group of seven.
As the leaders opened up thirty then sixty metres advantage, the main group began the chase behind. John Forrest of Suzuki Uno started driving the pace, soon joined by Joel Stewart and Matthew Meisel-Dennis. As Meisel-Dennis was finishing a turn, Forrest tore through hard off the front dragging eventual victor Genge clear with him. Sensing that they were between bunches, the pair laid it all out and muscled within twenty metres of the lead seven until Forrest imploded. Genge dug deep and latched on to the group in what would eventuate as the winning move of the day.

As Forrest returned to the peloton, the lead eight now set about cementing their lead with steady regular turns. Back in the bunch it was a flurry of individual attacks as riders desperate to make the strong break tried their luck. Peter Kitchen of Team QUON put in one such short lived attack, as did Mitchell Lovelock-Fay. Lovelock-Fay certainly didn't hold back and spent four laps riding solo in no mans land before doggedly conceding defeat and returning to the main group.

Vikings racer Simon Dwyer, together with Deane Rogers and Andrew Circosta did their best to match the pace of the breakaway to no avail. The lead eight were working well together, and combined with the big surging turns of Neil Skipper, they soon established a half lap lead.
With 10 minutes left on the clock, the lead group started to sense a lap in the taking and the tempo increased yet again. By now the main pack were doing all they could to avoid being caught, yet it was not to be.

As the commissaires blew the whistle for the main field to contest the last of the top ten placings, Matthews ripped through off the front of the break taking Genge and Sparkman for the ride. This new lead trio were the first to lap the field and hit fresh air. Tolhurst saw the danger and powered through the mass of lapped riders to drag the rest of the breakaway back up to Matthews and co.

At two laps to go, with the track now cleared, the eight leaders eased the pace slightly to size each other up. Phelan took up the front running position with Matthews sitting comfortably in second wheel. Tolhurst made his way up to the wheel of Matthews along the back straight as Skipper and Harding were tailed off the back of the group in an exhasted state.

Matthews stepped over Phelan through the final few bends to make an early run at the line with Tolhurst sitting pretty in second. However they hadn't banked on the ferocious finish of Genge as he unleashed his emphatic sprint from third wheel to comfortably seize victory. Tolhurst and Sparkman were second and third, with Matthews taking fourth, while Peter Rogers rolled across the line in a classy fifth.

Top Ten Results SuperCrit Round 6

1. Sam Genge
2. Michael Tolhurst
3. Scott Sparkman
4. Michael Matthews
5. Peter Rogers
6. Angus Harding
7. Adam Phelan
8. Neil Skipper
9. Mitchell Lovelock-Fay
10. Deane Rogers

All Photos Courtesy of Greg Long Photography
http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

Headlam holds on for Victory

2008-11-14T15:52:00.004+11:00

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

Another good women’s field rolled to the start line for Round 3 of the women’s C Thursday evening series, with a slightly extended race of 17 minutes plus 2 laps in front of an enthusiastic audience on the cards. Like last week, the first couple of laps were at a very steady pace with few of the stronger riders willing to pull the bunch along so early in the piece. Beijing paralympian Janie Armstrong was keen to get a tempo up, but couldn’t convince the riders to come with her, and finding herself slightly off the front alone, she dropped back to the bunch.
With Greg Long and his camera lurking in the clover, fame beckoned and it wasn’t long before a group of five or so riders, including Amanda Koerber and several of the Bilbys women’s team, jumped away from the bunch and got themselves organised into a threatening rhythm. The bunch driven by Merryn Steer, Linda Rigby and Liz Lowe quickly responded to the threat and chased hard, stringing the scrambling peloton single file the length of the back straight. The break was brought back in but the strong chase had caught several riders by surprise and caused several splits in the group. Kate Mollinaeux, Sarah Goodwin, Megan Mackenzie and Emily Clark were some of those caught out and had to work hard to latch back on. Eventually they brought it all back together, but perhaps the effort made them less of a threat in the finish.

With a lap and a bit to go Rowena Headlam attacked solo from the front and formed a shaky looking 20 metre gap. The riders who still had the legs after the early surges jumped to follow – Koerber, Steer, Kate Vandenberg, Susannah Hiron and the fast improving Maddy Marshall. Remarkably Molineaux was also up there chasing, despite being dropped earlier.

As the final lap wore on Headlam’s lead grew, held, then decreased as the lactate started to build and her legs grew heavy. Out of the final corner and up the slight hill to the finish, Vandenberg and Hiron were practically on her wheel, but Headlam didn’t acknowledge their presence – she simply put her head down and drove the last 100 metres with her final ounce of energy to hold them off for a classy victory. Hiron sprinted home for second, followed by Vandenberg and Koerber.
With numbers slightly up on the first two weeks, despite several riders stepping up to WB on Wednesday, it seems the word is starting to get around. Three rounds so far and three exciting women’s C races with three separate winners: Christina Thorne, Helene Blackwell and now Rowena Headlam. In a measure of just how evenly poised, tough and dynamic the WC racing has been, last week’s winner, Blackwell, finished outside the top ten last night! The race is proving to be a great success and is a pleasure to run and watch each week. As we promised, we’ll reassess numbers periodically but we want to keep the race going as long as the demand is there. The SuperCrit Thursday team is pleased to announce that Women’s C will be continuing for at least another three weeks.

Top Ten Results Womens C Round 3

1. Rowena Headlam
2. Susannah Hiron
3. Kate Vandenburgh
4. Amanda Koerber
5. Merryn Steer
6. Maddy Marshall
7. Kate Molineaux
8. Linda Rigby
9. Elizabeth Lowe
10. Carly Rickerby
11. Kylie Biilmann
12. Emily Clark
13. Megan Mackenzie
14. Shalan Bray
15. Sarah Goodwin
16. Helen Kehoe
17. Katherine Huckstep
18. Christine Palmer
19. Jane Armstrong
20. Annabell Pearson
21. Carol Paice
22. Helene Blackwell
23. Frances McNamara

Report: Simon Dwyer

All photos courtesy of Greg Long Photography
http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

Genge Gallant in SuperCrit #6

2008-11-13T20:34:00.011+11:00

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

Sam Genge of Suzuki Uno outsprinted a strong breakaway group of eight to claim an arms aloft victory in SuperCrit round 6.

Genge, who is preparing for his second year in the junior U/19 ranks, clearly looked the freshest of the break, outgunning the group in the hectic final few laps. Ten lengths behind Genge across the finish line in second place was Michael Tolhurst of Velo Canberra, followed by Bike Culture's Scott Sparkman in third.
Despite being warned by the commissaires for his flamboyant finishing salute to the crowd, Genge was thrilled with his win.

How it unfolded

With a handy lead the early escapists settled in to build the tempo over the first few laps. Deane and Peter Rogers felt the calling and speared across the gap from the main bunch, bringing Neil Skipper along for the ride.

The nine leaders rolled the paceline through for a few minutes, however a flurry of action back in the pack saw the race form as one again ten minutes in.

A few surges of pace by Velo Canberra boys Michael Tolhurst and Andrew Circosta kept the bunch on their toes, however it wasn't until the first of the two cash sprints that major developments occurred.

The first sprint saw Suzuki Uno racer Michael Matthews fire from the bunch and line the field out. Former Commonwealth Bank Classic stage winner Peter Rogers was quick to follow Matthews' lead as well as Neil Skipper and Adam Phelan. Matthews charged like a bull across the line to grab the coin on offer, simultaneously fragmenting the peloton behind.

Angus Harding, Michael Tolhurst and Scott Sparkman also made the split joining the quartet of Rogers, Skipper, Phelan and Matthews to make it a lead group of seven.

As the leaders opened up thirty then sixty metres advantage, the main group began the chase behind. John Forrest of Suzuki Uno started driving the pace, soon joined by Joel Stewart and Matthew Meisel-Dennis. As Meisel-Dennis was finishing a turn, Forrest tore through hard off the front dragging eventual victor Genge clear with him. Sensing that they were between bunches, the pair laid it all out and muscled within twenty metres of the lead seven until Forrest couldn't go any further. Genge dug deep and latched on to the group in what would eventuate as the winning move of the day.

As Forrest returned to the peloton, the lead eight now set about cementing their lead with steady regular turns. Back in the bunch it was a flurry of individual attacks as riders desperate to make the strong break tried their luck. Peter Kitchen of Team QUON put in one such short lived attack, as did Mitchell Lovelock-Fay. Lovelock-Fay certainly didn't hold back and spent four laps riding solo in no mans land before doggedly conceding defeat and returning to the main group.

Vikings racer Simon Dwyer, together with Deane Rogers and Andrew Circosta did their best to match the pace of the breakaway to no avail. The lead eight were working well together, and combined with the big surging turns of Neil Skipper, they soon established a half lap lead.

With 10 minutes left on the clock, the lead group started to sense a lap in the taking and the temp increased yet again. By now the main pack were doing all they could to avoid being caught, yet it was not to be.

As the commissaires blew the whistle for the main field to contest the last of the top ten placings, Matthews ripped through off the front of the break taking Genge and Sparkman for the ride. This new lead trio were the first to lap the field and hit fresh air. Tolhurst saw the danger and powered through the mass of lapped riders to drag the rest of the breakaway back up to Matthews and co.

At two laps to go, with the track now cleared, the eight leaders eased the pace slightly to size each other up. Phelan took up the front running position with Matthews sitting comfortably in second wheel. Tolhurst made his way up to the wheel of Matthews along the back straight as Skipper and Harding were tailed off the back of the group in an exhasted state.

Matthews stepped over Phelan through the final few bends to make an early run at the line with Tolhurst sitting pretty in second, however Genge unleashed his emphatic sprint from third wheel to comfortably seize victory. Tolhurst and Sparkman were second and third, with Matthews taking fourth while Peter Rogers rolled across the line in a classy fifth.

Top Ten Results SuperCrit Round 6

1. Sam Genge

2. Michael Tolhurst

3. Scott Sparkman

4. Michael Matthews

5. Peter Rogers

6. Angus Harding

7. Adam Phelan

8. Neil Skipper

9. Mitchell Lovelock-Fay

10. Deane Rogers

All Photos Courtesy of Greg Long

http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

SuperCrit #6 & Womens C #3: Place your Bets...

2008-11-13T12:34:00.007+11:00

With SuperCrit Thursday upon is again, it will be most interesting to see who will step up and take the victory and accolades as this weeks cycling champions.

With 5 different winners in the five SuperCrit Rounds and 2 different winners from the women's C grade after their two rounds, bookies are scratching their heads as to who will draw the shortest odds for the next stomp around Stromlo Forest Park.

Stay tuned for all the racing results and wrap up here at the electronic home of SuperCrit Thursday.

Blackwell Blasts onto the Scene

2008-11-10T14:28:00.004+11:00

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

The women’s C bunch rolled away for a cruisy first two laps, but it wasn’t long before some itchy legs got the better of some and the attacks started coming from the likes of Merryn Steer and Susannah Hiron. The peloton reacted with the pace setters Sarah Goodwin, Rowena Headlam and Shalan Bray controlling the breaks rather than reeling them back in instantly. Kylie Biilmann launched on the counter and looked threatening, but two laps alone in the cross winds and she found herself back in the pack.

The definitive move came from Helene Blackwell who blasted down the outside of the straight with three laps to go and quickly found herself with a comfortable lead. The chasers sensed a real threat and immediately ramped up the pace to set up a scorching race finale. Donna Smith, Maddy Marshal, Rowena Headlam, Kate Vandenbugh and a still strong Susannah left their race mates behind, forming a well organised chase line. The final lap saw Kate Vandenburgh jump and attempt to bridge to Helene, and with 500m to go she looked a chance. But Helene kicked again to maintain her gap and roll through the line for a maiden victory, followed several seconds later by a gasping Kate. Donna took the sprint for third followed by the rest of the now very strung out WC field.
Again, congratulations to all who came and had a race in round two – it was certainly an entertaining event to watch from the sidelines. It was great to see the confidence increasing as the bunch kept tight, and that those riders who were dropped early in week one held the wheels this time to stick with the bunch. Each week is a learning experience and each round will see improvements.

1. Helene Blackwell
2. Kate Vandenburgh
3. Donna Smith
4. Rowena Headlam
5. Susannah Hiron
6. Maddy Marshall
7. Merryn Steer
8. Christine Coogan
9. Kate Molineaux
10. Sarah Goodwin
11. Kylie Biilmann
12. Elizabeth Lowe
13. Emily Clark
14. Carol Paice
15. Shalan Bray
16. Megan Mackenzie
17. Michelle Kennedy
18. Christine Palmer
19. Helen King

Report by Simon Dwyer

All photos courtesy of Greg Long Photography

http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

Meisel-Dennis Magnificent in SuperCrit Round 5

2008-11-06T23:45:00.007+11:00

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

Matthew Meisel-Dennis outsprinted all other competitors in a close finish to claim victory in the fifth round of the Vikings SuperCrit Thursday Criterium series.

Meisel-Dennis, fresh out of the junior U/19 ranks, was assisted to his win courtesy of a well drilled lead out from his fellow team mates on the newly launched Canberra based Suzuki Uno squad.

Fellow compatriot Joel Stewart hit our hard of the final corner but was pipped on the line by Meisel-Dennis, while Michael Matthews crossed the line in third to make it a Suzuki Uno trifecta.

How it unfolded

Sunny but blustery conditions greeted the riders as they departed on their 55 minutes plus 3 laps of the Stromlo Forest Park course. With the course comprised of two main parallel straights running North and South and the wind blowing in from the West, plenty of racing on the edge of the course was predicted.

With the bunch easing into the race, Bike Culture's Dave Deery and Scott Sparkman stole a hefty march early on.
Team QUON's Scott Payne was loathe to allow the Bike Culture duo such a commanding lead, accelerating up at the front of the bunch to minimise the gap to the leaders.
As the bunch built up inertia over the next few laps, Deery and Sparkman were pegged back into the thirty strong main pack.

Velo Canberra's Michael Cupitt was the next to test his mettle in a game solo move. Cupitt, who is preparing for an upcoming half ironman, didn't hold back and stretched his advantage out to almost a half lap of the hotmix circuit. Cupitt maintained his lead just shy of 10 minutes before he too succumbed to the difficult conditions in the wind, but not before claiming the first of two Coopers Pale Ale sprint primes.
As Cupitt was returning to the main field, Mountain biker Ben Henderson turned on the pace to rip off the front. Henderson was quickly followed by Bike Culture racer Stuart Morgan. Cupitt dug deep to find some extra grunt and latched on to the pair to form a serious and threatening move.

John Forrest and Alistair Loutit of Suzuki Uno picked the pace up as the trio stretched their lead, however as Adam Phelan and Michael Matthews began assisting the chase, Henderson and his partners slowly were welcomed back into the pack.
As the peleton made their way through the half way point of the race, the second of the sprint primes occurred with Michael Matthews thundering out of the bunch to claim the prize.

With conditions resistant to riders escaping the fold of the pack, Stuart Morgan revved up the bunch with some stinging turns of pace that had riders scrambling to hold wheels.

Lurking back in the bunch and looking fidgety was Round 2 winner Michael Tolhurst. Tolhurst finally lost his patience at 10 minutes to go and had a crack at breaking away. Tolhurst too found the wind unrelenting and after two solid laps was embraced by the main group.

Escape specialist Marc Williams of Rideshop immediately counter attacked the returning Tolhurst and gained a thirty metre gap. Again Williams struggled in the wind and was soon back in the peleton.
With 3 laps to go the front of the main field was awash with the orange colours of Suzuki Uno as they marshaled their riders in preparation of the looming and inevitable bunch sprint. Also muscling their way up were the red army colours of Bike Culture in the form of Dale Percival and Daniel Green. Also weaving his way through the pack was the consistent Justin Tomlinson in his flashy green attire.
Bell lap saw the entire field stretched out in a long line as Loutit let the horses out to gallop. Halfway up the back straight Stewart ducked under Loutit into the final curve. Stewart lined up for the finish out of the last bend and kicked hard a long way from home. A hundred metres out Stewart looked like holding on, however the straight proved to be just a touch too long and Meisel-Dennis bagged his first SuperCrit win in gasping style.
Marc Williams motored to fourth, while the wily Tomlinson claimed fifth.

Top Ten Results SuperCrit Round 5

1. Matthew Meisel-Dennis
2. Joel Stewart
3. Michael Matthews
4. Marc Williams
5. Justin Tomlinson
6. Scott Sparkman
7. Ben Henderson
8. Neil Skipper
9. Dale Percival
10. Michael Cupitt

All Photos Courtesy of Greg Long
http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

Thorne Triumphs in first race of Women's C

2008-10-31T16:58:00.009+11:00

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

A healthy sized group of 21 women lined up for the first Women's C race of the season to put on a show for the early SuperCrit riders. After an extended race brief the bunch rolled away and despite many first time racers being present, the peleton quickly found a rhythm around the track and through the corners and was soon looking like an experienced racing bunch.

With Maddy Marshall, Donna Smith and Helene Blackwell keeping the pace ticking along at the front, any attempts to break from the bunch were quickly shut down. The relentless pace eventually took it's toll with a few riders missing wheels and dropping off the back - a learning experience for next time.

By the final lap a solid crowd had built up on the sidelines to watch what was shaping as an exciting finish. Linda Rigby put in a big attack down the back straight but the drivers in the main group left allowed her just enough room to tire herself out before hauling her back in. Out from the bottom end of the course and into the final straight it was Christina Thorne who put in an early burst, taking the peleton by surprise and gaining a gap. The might of the chasers of Amanda Koerber, Merryn Steer and Belinda McCredie powered hard up the final hill, latching onto the wheel, but after the chase effort none quite had the power to overhaul Christina.

Post race was an event in itself as riders swapped stories and planned their strategies for next time. There was plenty of riding potential on display for the first women's race of the series, and we look forward to watching over the next few weeks as the field improves in fitness, techniques and tactics.

Results of Women's C Round 1

1. Christina Thorne

2. Amanda Koerber

3. Merryn Steer

4. Belinda McCredie

5. Maddy Marshall

6. Carly Rickerby

7. Helene Blackwell

8. Donna Smith

9. Rebecca McLaren

10. Kylie Biilmann

11. Shalan Bray

12. Linda Rigby

13. Elizabeth Lowe

14. Megan McIntyre

15. Christine Coogan

16. Judy Diamond

17. Helen King

18. Michelle Kennedy

19. Carol Paice

20. Katherine Huckstep

21. Megan Rhind

Author: Simon Dwyer

All photos courtesy of Greg Long

http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

Phelan flies home in SuperCrit 4

2008-10-31T07:41:00.008+11:00

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

Adam Phelan of the new Canberran based Suzuki Uno squad outsprinted a 7 man breakaway group to take first place honours for the 4th round of the SuperCrit series.

The u/19 category rider made use of the hard work from team mates in the final lap to cross the line just ahead of Round 2 winner Michael Tolhurst and the consistent podium placing Marc Williams.

Phelan is set to enter his second year in the junior ranks as a serious contender for international duties and his current strong form looks to have him on track for a stella performance for the Tour of Bright in a months time.

How it unfolded

With some ominous afternoon weather clearing to a fine and sunny evening at Stromlo, it appeared that the racing gods were after some quality racing and they weren't disappointed.

With Round 4 being the first round to incorporate the earlier race for the Novice Women, a healthy sized crowd had gathered at the cycling centre.

The feisty Sam Genge was immediately in full flight out of the starting blocks eager to start the 50 minutes of racing. Genge dragged a small group of 5 clear that included Andrew Circosta of Velo Canberra as well as the winner's brother Michael Phelan. This small group stayed clear for the first two laps before the main field was hauled back into contention by Rideshop's Marc Williams.

As the bunch regrouped, the counter attack was launched with vigour by Justin Tomlinson. Tomlinson was promptly joined by Michael Phelan with Sam Genge making a late jump to cross to the duo.
This lead trio set about making their aggression count and worked well together to establish a gap that touched 20 seconds in parts.

The cooperation up front started to unsettle the peleton, causing a reaction from John Forrest and Joel Stewart who commenced a chase to try to reduce the advantage of the leading riders.
Several other riders joined in the chase of the peleton to assist in bringing the race back together including Neil Skipper, Williams, Michael Tolhurst and Bike Cultures Dale Percival.

The efforts of the main field were rewarded as the trio were clawed back into the fold, however they had survived long enough for Genge to pick up the first of the Coopers Brewery Sprint Primes.

No sooner than the break was back then Adam Phelan launched up the road. He quickly established a 50m lead before his brother Michael bridged. The Phelan brothers worked together however Mitch Lovelock-Fay jumped out of the main field to attempt to join the Phelan party. Sam Genge again dug deep and joined Lovelock-Fay in riding across to the Phelans.

As Genge joined the brothers, Lovelock-Fay didn't quite make the junction and returned to the peleton.

The threat of the lead trio caused a strong reaction from Tolhurst, Tomlinson, Williams and Skipper and everyone was brought back into the fold of the peleton with 15 minutes left on the clock.

With legs getting heavy from the chase, Williams and Tolhurst pumped out the watts and forced a split in the bunch that dragged Forrest, Adam Phelan, Alistair Loutit and Tomlinson clear. The 6 quickly established a 100 metre gap on the field and looked to be the winning break. Stewart saw the danger and launched out of the main group to solo across in a grimacing move.
As Stewart latched on to the break, the lead group settled into a good working group and cemented their lead over the next 5 laps, gaining a half lap lead on the main field.

As the laps ticked down the leaders maintained their lead and at 2 laps to go all seven riders were in contention for the win.

Stewart had a dig a lap and a half out but was quickly marked by Tomlinson. Forrest and Loutit took up the lead positions and thumped out the pace for the final lap. Tolhurst forced his way up a few positions through the final few corners before launching off Loutit in bid for a second SuperCrit victory. However Phelan had the legs as he sprinted past Tolhurst, while Williams made up several position in the final melee to seize third.

Top Ten Results SuperCrit Round 4

1. Adam Phelan
2. Michael Tolhurst
3. Marc Williams
4. Alistair Loutit
5. Justin Tomlinson
6. Joel Stewart
7. John Forrest
8. Michael Phelan
9. Dale Brede
10. Neil Skipper

All photos courtesy of Greg Long
http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

World Champ wins SuperCrit Round 3

2008-10-26T20:30:00.007+11:00

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

Reigning junior world champion Tom Palmer set the Stromlo Forest park criterium circuit alight on Thursday night to take out his first SuperCrit win for the season.

In good conditions and after 50 minutes of racing action, Palmer burst clear from the bunch down the long finish straight. His finishing speed was enough to just pip Sam Genge on the line and claim top place honours at the culmination of a fast and fierce criterium. Palmer's racing form is evidently on the rise as he builds towards an international road competition in Japan in a few weeks time.

Palmer was the only rider able to overhaul the aggressive Sam Genge who nearly stole a race winning march on the field in the dying moments. Genge, who was elated with his second placing has shown remarkable form over the first two rounds of racing, and SuperCrit 3 was no exception.

Also sprinting well for third was Michael Phelan. However the find of the season is Vikings Cycling Club rider Simon Dwyer who is fast developing into racer to watch. Moderately new to the A grade field, Dwyer has made a statement in SuperCrit 3 by placing 4th. Dwyer had done it tough in the first two rounds despite shaping the races in their early stages, yet he demonstrated his natural racing tenacity by clawing his way through a classy field to place ahead of several National Road Series competitors.

Top Ten Results Round 4

1. Tom Palmer

2. Sam Genge

3. Michael Phelan

4. Simon Dwyer

5. Alistair Loutit

6. Marc Williams

7. Cal Britten

8. Justin Tomlinson

9. Brent Miller

10. Shaun Lewis

All photos courtesy of Greg Long

http://www.greglong.photostockplus.com/

Tolhurst storms to a decisive victory in SuperCrit Round 2

2008-10-16T21:34:00.004+11:00

Photos courtesy of Greg Long

Velo Canberra's Michael Tolhurst took his first criterium win for the summer season in a stunning solo victory.

Tolhurst escaped the clutches of the peleton with second place finisher Marc Williams just after the halfway point of the race, aggressively capitalising at a crucial moment as the bunch reeled from a flurry of attacks.

The pair swapped off consistently to open up a 30 second lead on the main field which was to prove enough to hold of the peleton. Two laps out from the finish Tolhurst made his move to ride away from Williams and convincingly clinch the win.

How the race unfolded

With conditions ideal for some fast racing, round 1 winner Michael Matthews immediately tore off the line, dragging the field to a brisk start.
Sam Genge tried his legs early in an attempt to slip away, however a vigilant bunch was quick to haul him in. Allan Sieper also tried several times to get clear of the race, but without fruition.
High bunch speeds and unsuccessful attacks illustrated the opening half of the race, however Stephen Blackburn stole a short march on the pack for an optimistic lone lap.
As Blackburn was being brought back to the group, Justin Tomlinson scorched off the front of the group with Matthews in tow.
The duo managed to build a 15 second gap, however the main field was kept at close quarters by some strong chasing from Tuggeranong Vikings rider Simon Dywer and upcoming junior racer Lewis Hopkins. Matthews and Tomlinson succumbed to the chase of the peleton, however this unsuccessful move paved the way for the race winning counter attack of Tolhurst and Williams.

As Williams and Tolhurst slowly built their insurmountable lead, a sensational move from the ever aggressive Justin Tomlinson saw him come ever so close to riding across the gap to the lead pair. Unfortunately for Tomlinson he couldn't quite shut down the final 50 metres and was eventually swallowed up by the main bunch 3 laps from the finish.
As Tolhurst skipped away from Williams up front, Genge and Matthews were still maintaining the speed back in the main pack. Former Commonwealth Bank stage race winner Peter Rogers also assisted in lifting the pace of the peleton in the closing laps.

While Tolhurst saluted the crowd in fine solo style, Michael Matthews once again displayed his ability to recover by launching out of the final corner in the sprint for third. Matthews was just pipped on the line by Team QUON rider Joel Stewart, while ACT Academy of Sport rider Alistair Loutit took fifth placing.
Top 10 Results

1. Michael Tolhurst
2. Marc Williams
3. Joel Stewart
4. Michael Matthews
5. Alistair Loutit
6. Allan Sieper
7. David Rae
8. Peter Rogers
9. Lewis Hopkins
10. Mitchell Lovelock-Faye

All Photos courtesy of Greg Long

www.greglong.photostockplus.com

Miller to pull the road shoes on in SuperCrit Round 2

2008-10-14T18:58:00.004+11:00

Fresh from back to back pro team titles at the Scott 24 hour MTB race, Canberra's own Brent Miller has announced his intentions to dust off the road bike and line up at this weeks SuperCrit Thursday.

Despite talking down his current form, Miller was recalled into the 4 man Pro team sponsored by GU, Sram and Niterider to defend their 2007 title.

Dubbed the 'Dream Team' by race organisers, Miller held his own and produced 9 consistently quick laps in his teams' successful title defense.

With racing once again kicking off from 6.30pm this Thursday, it will be interesting to see Miller take on the top local roadies in another exciting blast around Stromlo Forest Park.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Yours in racing,

The SuperCrit Team

SuperCrit Round 1 Report & Results

2008-10-09T22:16:00.014+11:00

Matthews continues strong form with dominant SuperCrit Victory

Photos: Greg Long

ACT Academy of Sport rider Michael Matthews won the first ever SuperCrit Thursday in an exciting display of racing versatility.
Held while hundreds of Scott 24 hour mountain bike race competitors were working around the course setting up camping equipment, the 18 year old Matthews stormed home to an arms aloft victory in a close sprint finish.
Matthews sprint finish was all the more impressive after being up the road in the major breakaway of the race.

How it unfolded
31 riders signed on to tackle the remarkably different course that was set amidst the corporate and administrative marquees of the Scott 24 hour event.

The inaugural SuperCrit raced away to a quick start under the steam of Nathan Haas and Jeremy Ross who forced the pace early.
A flurry of individual attacks marked the race early as Sam Genge, Marc Williams and the ever present Ross tried to escape the clutches of the peleton.
David Rae was one of the aggressors who found himself with a small lead for a lap during the first half of the race.
By the 25 minute mark the continual aggression had many riders feeling the pinch when Williams and Matthews managed steal a lead on the bunch.
For the next ten minutes the lead duo built their advantage together up to 20 seconds, aided by the line of sight obscuring marquees.

Just when the break looked like sticking, Velo Canberra's Allan Sieper called his men to the fore to peg the gap back.
Sieper traded big turns of pace with team mate Mick Tolhurst to halve the gap of Matthews and Williams.
Up front Matthews off loaded Williams and committed himself to holding off the bunch solo.
As Williams returned to the fold of the strung out peleton, Jeremy Ross delivered a bunch shattering lap long turn in the wind to reel in the lonely Matthews.
With the daylight fading over Stromlo Forest Park, the gasping main pack received 3 laps to go. A few late attacks tried to prevent a bunch gallop from occurring, however no moves stuck.
On the last lap, Vikings racer John Forrest launched hard out of the final corner into the long finish straight. Matthews picked his wheel well and stepped hard over Forrest 200 metres from the line in his successful bid for victory. Joel Stewart finished close in 2nd placing with Velo Canberra's Simon Christopher 3rd.

Top 8 Results Round 1 (45mins + 3 laps) 31 Starters

1st Michael Matthews

2nd Joel Stewart

3rd Simon Christopher

4th John Forrest

5th Allan Sieper

6th Sam Genge

7th Mark Harris

8th Mitch Lovelock-Fay

All photos courtesy of Greg Long
www.greglong.photoeventplus.com

A Unique Village Setting for SuperCrit Round 1

2008-10-07T20:32:00.005+11:00

A unique village setting for Round 1

Riders will have the chance to enjoy a distinct village setting for the first ever SuperCrit Thursday.

Held over a distance of 45 minutes plus 3 laps, the race will be held through the marquee Village* that is setup for the Scott 24 hour race.

This will create an exciting racing scenario that will see breakaways benefit from the ability to ride out of sight as well as having the marquee structures cut down on any wind.

There is only one place to be this Thursday.

Yours in Racing

The SuperCrit Team

*Please note that the Criterium Circuit will be free of obstacles as the marquees are setup on grass sections and not on the racing surface.

SuperCrit Thursday Rules & Regulations

2008-10-07T20:03:00.003+11:00

Hi All,

Below are the race rules and regulations that will be in place for the SuperCrit Series.
Please make a note of the section that requires you to bring your racing license with you.

We look forward to seeing you this Thursday at Round 1.

Yours in Racing
The SuperCrit Team

SuperCrit Thursday Race Rules & Regulations

Race to be held under the control of the Race Commissaire.

All riders must hold a full Cycling Australia affiliated cycling license, or if based in the A.C.T. a relevant current Cycling Australia affiliated club license.

3 ride permits may be used if current and approved by a Vikings Cycling Club Official.

Riders will exchange their cycling license for their race number when signing on and paying the race fee. Race officials will return the riders cycling license when they return their race number.

Riders will race for a set time duration announced by the Commissaire. At the end of this duration the race will have 3 laps to go till completion. Riders will be alerted to this by the lap to go number boards and via a bell on the final lap.

Lapped riders may be withdrawn from the race at the Commissaires discretion. Lapped riders must leave the racing course by 3 laps to go if not previously withdrawn from the race by the commissaire.

Should a small group lap the field the main group will contest the minor places at 3 laps to go, indicated by a whistle. The main group will then leave the circuit. The remaining riders will have 3 laps to go.

Should riders find themselves off the edge of the racing surface, riders are to take reasonable care when rejoining the race surface.

Riders with mechanical problems will be allowed one lap out to address their problem. Any riders with spare wheels will keep them in the centre portion of the race track. All wheel changes must be made in this area.

Verbal or Physical abuse of Race Officials or Commissaires will not be tolerated and any offending riders could be subject to disciplinary action by the Race Officials and/or the A.C.T. Cycling Federation.

Riders acknowledge that when signing on that they understand the above race rules and that they will comply with any instructions or directions issued by race officials or the commissaires.

On Your Marks.... Key SuperCrit Dates

2008-10-05T21:14:00.003+11:00

A reminder that Round 1 commences this Thursday the 9th October.

Starting in Round 4 (30th October), the Novice Womens Grade will have its inaugural race at 5.45pm prior to the running of the SuperCrit in its regular time slot of 6.30pm.

We look forward to seeing you there

Yours in racing
The SuperCrit Team

SuperCrit Thursday Round 1 Commences 9th October

2008-10-05T17:27:00.000+11:00

Welcome all to the SuperCrit Thursday Blog.

Here you will find all the racing news and results from the SuperCrit Season.

We look forward to seeing you this Thursday for Round 1. Racing commences 6.30pm with registration from 6pm.

Yours in Racing

The SuperCrit Team