Race Report for NBCC Sunday 14th December 2013 Technology Park-Smashfest Criterium Series

As the Mercury rose on an already warm Sunday morning, the first round of races in the 2013/14 Smashfest Criterium series, got into full swing.  Four races over the holiday season, grades for everyone, active club competitive riding, the scene is set for high thrills and spills over the Crit season.  All that is required is:

1.    A bike (no problem, check)

2.    A number (too easy, $15 and you are off, check)

3.    Legs like pistons forged from pure steel (er, well maybe, ish)

4.    Lungs like V8’s (Prius maybe?)

5.    Nerves like a Tibetan Monk (that NBCC marquee is looking lonely, Ill be over there)

In all seriousness, if you are looking for an introduction in to club racing and fancy testing your metal, you can not go wrong by entering into an event like this.  Wonderfully hosted by Roues Chaudes CC, the rider can enter in grade E to A with E starting off doing 15 minutes of laps followed by two more laps. 

The circuit is opposite Curtin University on the Technology Park circuit.  Laps are only about 1km long with next to no gradient.  An ideal safe environment to forge any NBCC newbie from casual Sunday rider to Nitro powered Tour de France contender (maybe).

A selection of adult club members attended the first meet with Connor Beardsmore, David Self, Zac French, Neil Foster and the ever popular with the ladies, cavalier, Jimmy Wolfe pulling on the Green for eternal glory.

Youth were very well represented with, Shawn Wright, Mathew Lewis, Nathan Venter, Jacob Wood, and Curtis Atkinson. E grade was split in to a senior junior and junior junior and staggered at the start.  All put in solid performance with Curtis Atkinson the stand out, staying on the drops, not backing off even when left behind.  Even the commentators marveled at his dogged head down style. One to watch in the future.  Shawn Wright notably performed well in his group finishing 4^th despite mechanical issues.

D grade saw David self, Jimmy Wolfe and the young Jacob Wood cut his teeth in his first ever event.  If there were any reservations or doubt or worries by Jacob, they were firmly put to bed by a solid performance.  Finishing 5^th with a pack of more experienced PIH seniors behind him it was a performance that will only improve. 

Second place was claimed by Wolfe, who wound it on at the last minute to take second by a wheel.  When interviewed by the world press later, he could only explain his watery eyes as A) dust off the hot circuit or B) pride at Jacob’s efforts.  Self, finished with the leaders and will be out for a podium next week I’m sure.

C grade is where it all got serious.  With many solo B graders bumped down to C, 40 plus riders made for a fast and exciting race.  The pace from the off was intense, with both Foster and French contending with the leaders.  Foster’s experience showed, as he seemed at ease throughout, moving with the lead group. French performed ahead of his young years and demonstrated that he has plenty yet to give in the near future.  Both finished well, with NBCC clearly making an impression on the day.

Connor Beardsmore although representing GTD Flanders in B grade had not forgotten where he came from.  NBCC support was huge for what looked a daunting race.  Due to the now spiraling heat, 5 mins was taken off the race time (much to the delight of the riders).  Connor put in maximum effort throughout the race, which averaged 40 plus km/h the whole race!  Once you are lapped you are out and Connor was one of the last of GDT Flanders to be eliminated after 25mins of frighteningly fast paced riding. 

All riders surpassed themselves that day with members shouting support from the route.  Riders were overheard to say that it was a huge lift to hear NBCC shouting at the sidelines.  A big thank you to the parents/wives/girlfriends etc. who braved a hot day to cheer the Green shirted (and Red Connor) riders on that day.  Although it might seem daunting, racing and testing your legs against others, can be the summit of amatuer riding.  If you have been thinking about it, go on, have a go, it won’t hurt, much.

Next round is on Sunday 22^nd December at Technology Park.  Bring money, balls of steel and spare lungs.

Yanchep National Park Challenge 2nd Feb. 2014

The Yanchep National Park Challenge is a great day to celebrate the bike! With family entertainment, a beautiful setting and surrounds, all cyclists are welcome. The feature event on the day will be graded criterium racing where spectators are close to the action. Why not bring the family and have a ride though the park? Entry to the park is free when you arrive by bike. Registrations will be open soon.

7.30am Women’s Novice event (ungraded) 20 minutes plus 2 laps
 8.00am D Grade Men/C Grade Women 20 minutes plus 2 laps
8.30am C Grade men/B Grade Women 30 minutes plus 2 laps
 9.10am E Grade/ U15 / U13 / U11 15 minutes plus 1 lap
9.35am B Grade Men/A Grade Women 40 minutes plus 2 laps
10.30am A Grade Open 45 minutes plus 3 laps
11.30am TWEED run (no entry fee)
12.00 Presentations & prize draws

 Register by 14/1/14 and vote to decide which bike will be 2104 Participation Prize.

 Race Entry: $30 NBCC Members: $15 Race license juniors: $20 Fee includes entry to Park (normally $12)

 Gold Day license: $33 3 Day license:$44

 Online Registration Here soon.

 Please support our generous event sponsors (logos to follow) Just Ride It BikeForce Joondalup Peard Real Estate

Tour of Margaret River 2013

The comments from Facebook say it all.

“Just back from the TOMR. A fantastic long weekend of racing….against some of the best riders in WA” Tim James

“Graham and I had a wonderful time. Loved being part of a fantastic club” Fiona Purdie.

“Great Weekend of racing, socialising and laughing had by all NBCC members in Margaret River….made me proud to be a member of NBCC” Richard Stokes.

“A really great weekend and what a great bunch of people. It was a great pleasure to support you all and will do it again at the drop of a hat” Rowland Holden.

“Would love to have another team next year for others who have not raced before” Edward Rose.

“Thanks to you all for a great weekend away” Stuart Marr

“I think we proved it possible to be competitive without taking it too seriously” Andy Brown

“Each and every NBCC rider approached the racing with a great attitude, gave it their all and came away with a smile.” Greg Pengelly

“It was a great team and we achieved what we set out to do! Finish!” Toni Kerr

“Fab bunch of people, haven’t laughed that much in…forever” Rachel Hippolyte

“Give it a go next year, you won’t be disappointed” Mick Dowling

“Pass the ping pong ball”  Andy Otter

NBC had its first foray at the Tour of Margaret River, with 2 men’s teams, one mixed and one women’s team. The accommodation for most members was the Shed, located at Margaret River Venison Farm.  The deer cleverly kept their distance for the weekend.

Friday morning was spent on a reconnaissance ride to the Start/finish area and the route for stage 1, interrupted by a caffeine stop in Cowaramup.  After several failed attempts to herd NBC members to one spot for registrations we still managed to register everyone. Back at the Shed there was a sudden hive of activity as bikes were prepared, numbers pinned to Jerseys and transponders attached to bikes. With little pre-training, teams were left to devise their own team tactics.

The wisest strategy was a warm up practice lap, as team tactics quickly disintegrated, and quick re-thinks resulted in us looking more like we knew what were doing by the start of the Stage 1 Team Time Trial.  Pre-race, we thought it wisest to finish with the slowest rider in each team, to ensure we would all be competitive when were seeded into categories for the remaining 3 races. Once the Team Time Trial started however, everyone’s competitive nature kicked in and everyone pushed for the best possible time. Even when team members hung back to support a rider, they were politely (and impolitely) told to push on without them.

We anxiously watched as live results of times came through. With only 23 seconds separating our top 2 teams over the 25km course, The Espressos and Macchiatos finished 26^th and 30^th and qualified for Category 2. The Ladies team (Affogatos), who previously asserted they were not in it to race, finished 54^th.  The mixed team, in which Rachel Hippolyte spent most of her time looking over her shoulder wondering why the men couldn't keep up, finished 49^th  for a Category 4 placement.  The feature of the racing was the huge and loud cheer squad for NBC. It was absolutely uplifting to hear and see the support from the lime green team.

With racing over for the day, it was time for the more serious business of socialising. I made a reasoned Presidential decree to re-gather at the Shed and go to the aptly named, Cheeky Monkey Brewery. By the time I got back to the Shed, everyone had scattered to the 3 winds…the fourth being the Cheeky Monkey.  Somehow it all worked out and we ended up at the Settlers Tavern in Margaret River. Busy, for good reason, with prompt, and really good hearty, food and beer. Grateful to our Skippers, we made it back to the Shed. While some turned in early, others kicked on to the early hours, with varying definitions of bedclothes.

Saturday morning came too early for many as we prepared for two races for the day. The first was a 2-lap 32.6km ‘lumpy’ course. In category 2, Stephen McNeilly, who never appears to be sprinting, came from 5 bike lengths behind at the 200-metre mark to WIN! An incredibly proud moment for everyone. (He may have got a few man-hugs). Tim James was well placed also but hemmed in to finish 9^th. Lewis Purcell, Andy Brown, Richard Langston, Ricky Andrews, Martin Lear, Greg Pengelly, Marthinus Kemp and Connor Beardsmore all finished in the pack with an average speed of 40.9kmph.

The Ladies team, having never raced before, soon got caught up in the atmosphere. While a breakaway formed they held their own in the peloton.  In the mixed team, the ‘lumpy bits’ sorted out most of the boys before the finish. In her first ever group race and with a basic instruction of ‘stay near the front and out of trouble’ Rachel Hippolyte finished 15^th in a bunch finish. Not bad considering Jack Bobridge and Phil Anderson took 1^st and 2^nd.

The 3^rd stage was on a tighter, flatter 8 lap, 30km course. The Ladies again pushed for their Personal Bests, with Riana Rose, Wilna Kemp and Fiona Purdie working together and Toni Kerr, Kym Carr and Julia Pangbourn in a second group.

The mixed team fared better on their flatter third stage, Rachel finishing 14^th, Mick Dowling 20^th, Stuart Marr 24^th.  Richard Stokes after an initial breakaway for a photo opportunity for the NBC kit, dropped off. Andy Otter did his utmost to draft Chris Howard, only to find that he was down by 5 minutes due to a puncture.

The 2 men’s teams really raised the bar in their race. In a pack finish, only stretched out by the wisdom of Anthony Giacoppo, Stephen McNeilly got on the podium again for third. Connor Beardsmore placed 7^th, Tim James 10^th, Lewis Purcell 14^th, Andy Brown 18^th, Ricky Andrews 23^rd, Marthinus Kemp 26th.  It was a real highlight for us when Anthony Giacoppo visited our marquee after the race.

After all the emotions, exertions and deprived sleep, we opted for a 5pm dinner at the Settlers Tavern again. A much more restrained evening was had, and everyone was tucked away in bed by 9.30pm.

We awoke Sunday morning with a renewed vigor and purpose. After a lot of wheel swapping and mysterious spontaneous punctures, we lined up for the final 75km road race along the picturesque Caves Road.  A winery was an appropriate and scenic start point for the race. It was a hard and hot day on the road, particularly if you got dropped from the peloton. It was a huge personal achievement just to finish the race, particlalry with a 2.5km hill climb finish.

The club was incredibly proud when Ricky Andrews took 2^nd place on a very tough finish. Stephen McNeilly, with a dodgy Di2, finished 5^th, Lewis Purcell 12^th, Greg Pengelly 16^th, Connor Beardsmore 25^th, Martin Lear 29^th. Riana Rose rose up through the women’s category to finish 31^st.  Rachel Hippolyte finished 18^th in Category 4, and Stuart Marr defied gravity to finish 25^th in category 4.

 Rachel Hippolyte, competing in her first races, rubbed shoulders with Phil Anderson and finished 3^rd overall in the Women’s Green Jersey Category.  With a 1^st, 3^rd and 5^th, Stephen McNeilly was consistently the best category 2 rider in the Tour.  Ricky Andrews and Connor Beardsmore performed on heavy bikes with compact cranks. They are both raw, young talent whom I’m sure gained invaluable experience from the weekend’s racing (as did we all).  It's a joy to watch as they start to realize just how damn good they are.

The standout performances in the Tour of Margaret River was that by the support crew, led by Rowland Holden (driving all over the region to source the best recovery foods, and transport bikes and bodies), Edward Rose (including offering orange juice as incentives whilst wielding a GoPro on a stick), Graham Purdie and Bruce Carr. A special thank you to Brendon and Kathryn Morrison and family for making our social club so welcome at the Tour Margaret River. If we haven’t permanently blocked the plumbing I am hoping we will get invited again.

What is impossible to convey in words is the club spirit of each and every person who attended. Everyone pitched in to make it a fun, social weekend.  Everyone, support crew included, deserves to be up on the podium.

THANK YOU

Chris Howard

Time Trial Results 6/10/13

31:37  Neil McLagan
32:00  Steve McNeilly
34:25  David Self
35:12  Mick Dowling
35:18  Stuart Marr
35:18  Peter Hunt
35:20  Jim Wolfe
38:39  Kieren Barnett
39:50  Toni Kerr
DNF  Jacob Wood (puncture)

Official ITT results. punctures and all.

Position	Rider	Time
1	Rob Hurst	30:46:00
2	Mark Welford	31:37:00
3	Richard Langston	31:44:00
4	Connor Beardsmore	31:55:00
5	Ricky Andrews	32:25:00
6	Tim James	32:43:00
7	Greg Ellisdon	33:46:00
8	Marthinus Kemp	33:56:00
9	John Walters	34:07:00
10	Mike Harrington	34:32:00
11	Zachary French	34:41:00
12	John Burt	34:48:00
13	Karl Atrill	34:52:00
14	Stuart Marr	35:13:00
15	John Hargy	35:22:00
16	David Self	35:43:00
17	Derek Carroll	36:01:46
18	Tony McGrath	36:09:00
19	Steve McDonald	36:39:00
20	Michael O'Brien	36:55:00
21	Riana Rose	37:53:00
22	Edward Rose	38:32:00
23	Kieren Barnett	38:37:00
24	Toni Kerr	38:58:00
25	James Porzio	38:58:00
26	Mal	39:16:00
27	Mark Watts	39:35:00
28	Derek Unwin	44:16:00
29	Shawn Wright	44:56:00
30	Richard Keating	45:48:00
31	Lachlan Fraser	53:24:00
32	Bruce Barnett	57:29:00

Kit Order details. orders closing today.

Last chance to place an order with your deposit.

Bank Account details  ANZ account northern beaches cycling club. 
BSB 016 338 acct # 249098226. 
Ensure your name appears in transaction.

email northernbeachescycling@gmail.com AND cc nghia@hangtechnology.com.au once you have deposited your money, and clearly list ITEM and SIZES for each.

Details of size range found here custom-cycling-clothing/size-guide together with descriptions of the  3 items provided in this order

AERO jersey (slimmer fit) $99
Bibnicks   $99
Summer Vest    $99