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A Grade
Race Report If you’re a racing cyclist in Victoria, April is now the time of year when a decision has to be made about whether their fitness is up to participating in Coleraine or not. The Coburg Cycling Club have subscribed to the ‘Field of Dreams’ mantra and that has resulted in another super strong and deep field contesting the 2008 edition. Race Director, Paul Logan decided to go back to basics in developing this year’s tour format. Providing a prologue (short time trial) followed by two challenging road stages and finishing with the popular CBD kermesse, the event was bound to be won by the strongest all-rounder, rather than a specialist in one particular aspect of road cycling. Stage
1 - 9.2 km Individual Time Trial How it
unfolded The big story of the first stage was the disqualification of the reigning title holder, Mark O’Brien (Drapac Porsche) for a technical infringement. Rules need to be adhered to however most people would regard the likeable O’Brien to be a model racer who may have been deserving of a warning rather than disqualification. It may have been a small comfort to Mark that his team mate was to take over the wearing of the leaders yellow jersey. Young South Australian prospect, Ruben Meneaud-Young (Norwood) put in a super ride to take out 3rd with a time of 12.57. Other respectable rides were put in by Peter Ladd (Bendigo) 4th and Pip Grinter (Drapac-Porsche) 5th (13.11). Stage
2 – 97 km Road Stage The mild and benign conditions meant that the parcours would provide the opportunities for the strongest riders to create a final selection. How it
Unfolded The peleton was happy to give the break a fair bit of latitude, however there seemed to be no future in the escape and the aggressive quartet were recovered during the first time up Zig Zag Road. The race went into overdrive across the plateau and long descent that followed Zig Zag. New team on the block, Shepparton Racing Team, went to the front of the pack and drove hard in the cross winds which had the desired affect of smashing the peleton into several echelons. Shepparton Racing Team is based around the speed and experience of Shepparton legend Leigh Egan. Businesses in the Shepparton district have supported the fledgling cycling team and with the inclusion of young prospects Ricky and Brendan Schultz and the experience of Trent Stevenson, there’s bound to be more said about S.R.T in the future. A group of around 15 riders had made the initial selection, most of the contenders were included. To the credit of the chasers, they managed to re-group with the front-runners. Going through Coleraine at the halfway point of the stage, there was a feeling of ground hog day as the riders faced another lap of the Douglas – Zig Zag double act. Douglas Road is a short but steep 1.2 km hurt-fest. The climb is step enough to cause a selection but not long enough to create a race winning break, the peleton regained control soon after the crest of Douglas. The longer Zig Zag climb would filter contenders from pretenders. Most of the GC riders made good position at the beginning of the final climb. No one would have been surprised that a group of ten riders managed to form around half way up the berg. Included in the group were tour leader Daniel Braunsteins, Pip Grinter, Ashley Baines (Wangaratta), Pell, Stevenson, Andrew Roe (Norwood), Peter Smith (Carnegie-Caulfield), Russell Gill (Savings & Loans), Reece Stephens (St Kilda) and Damien Turner (Ballarat). A second group of ten riders were around a minute and a half behind including Jason Hegert (FRF Couriers), Charles Howlett (La Trobe) and Egan. The race behind the two front groups was similar to an American Marines sorte into Modedishu.....lots of unexpected carnage! For all intents and purposes the race remained unchanged at the finish, the second group had made up some time on the leaders but never looked capable of bridging. The front group would contest for stage honours and ensure that the GC remained close. Russell Gill showed his potential as the next big thing out of South Australia and also repayed the faith shown in him by the Savings & Loans management. A stage win in 2008 compliments the stage taken in 2007. Gill had recently been advised of his inclusion in the S&L squad that is scheduled to tour the US in late May. Needless to say, Gill was riding on cloud nine even before the tour got underway. Trent Stevenson showed his versatility by coming in second, just behind Gill. Stevenson is a key rider in the Shepparton Racing Team set up because of his ability to work tirelessly for team mates and also read the vital breaks and score results of his own bat. David Pell managed to edge a couple of seconds closer to the yellow leaders jersey by taking third on the stage just in front of a very watchful Braunsteins. Stage
3 66km Merino-Wannon-Coleraine The weather was once again calm and fine. And the pack took off from tour headquarters in Coleraine with a slightly relaxed feel to it. How it
Unfolded Reece Stephens and Jay Bourke were the first riders to play their cards, there was little interest shown so early in the stage, the disinterest gave inspiration to other riders keen to be given some latitude. Luke Aggett (Port Fairy) thought that Sean Finning (VIS) was a good wheel to follow, given Finning’s anonymity so far in the tour. It wasn’t long until a group of eight riders had formed and made substantial ground whilst the peleton eased into the stage. The initial four riders were joined by George Vallins (Colac), Charles Howlett, Andrew Ward (Northcote) and David Tozer (S.R.T.). The group had a number of the boxes ticked that are needed for a successful escape; all the riders were willing to pull turns, all the riders were happy to ride at a steady tempo and none of the riders were perceived by the tour leaders as serious threats. It’s safe to say that if the Drapac and Savings & Loans riders had realised that the co-operative break had gone out to over four minutes in front (which made George Vallins virtual tour leader) that they would not have been so generous. The reaction was always going to come but had Braunsteins and company left the charge too late? It nearly was a case of a massive boil over. Even with three kilometres to go the call went out to the breakaway that they were hovering in tour leader contention. One thing was clear, the break would survive. Knowing that there was a bigger prize at stake, the escapees worked together until the final kilometre. This may also have been because there was a feeling of inevitablility about the top spot on the stage podium. Finning was clearly the outstanding finisher in the group and whilst Charles Howlett tried to keep him honest, Finning was able to use his international experience to gap the others in the final corner and drive up the short finish straight for an easy victory complete with his trade mark double handed salute. Further back the peleton had one and truly got jiggy with it. In the space of ten kilometres the break had forgone half of their advantage, such was the raised tempo and concern in the main pack. The speed at which the S.R.T. train came around the final corner was almost frightening. David Pell tried to score a moral victory but Big Bad Leigh Egan was having none of that, powering to the line to take the bunch kick. At the completion of the stage the break had managed to hold onto one minute and 43 seconds advantage, this was enough to put the come-back kid, George Vallins into fourth on GC but he was still a minute and change down on the tour leader. Luke Aggett also benefited from the morning by moving into seventh position. The young South West rider would have been well pleased with his situation. Stage
4 25 lap – 46km CBD Kermesse There was the threat of rain as well as four intermediate sprints to contend with. The sprints offered crucial bonus seconds that both Braunsteins and Pell would have to fight for to ensure glory. How
it Unfolded David Pell managed to muster up the strength to take the first two sprint bonuses, he was shadowed all the way by Braunsteins but the young gun just did not have the horse power to get around the experienced Bendigo rider. The two sprint bonuses were enough to give Pell the lead and it would then be up to Braunsteins and his team mate Pip Grinter to formulate a plan to reclaim the high ground. Unfortunately for the Drapac twins, a sneaky escape by four riders, Hegert (Ballarat), Meneaud-Young (Norwood), Langedyk (Geelong), Stewart (Ararat) formed quickly and built a sizeable break. There seemed to be a long period of indecision in the peleton about who’s responsibility it was to patrol the front of the peleton and keep the break in check. The indecision was finally resolved and it was Pell and his team mate Russell Gill who hit the panic button. Both riders went to ‘DEFCOM 6’ and with the help of S.R.T. riders (who were keen on a bunch kick for Egan and Brendan Schultz) assisted in the task of recovering the getaway riders. At around a minute the gap was substantial given the fact that only five laps remained. The pace of the peleton was ferocious for the next ten kilometres, anyone who had pencilled in a soft soft ride in the middle of a bunch to the finish had their world turned upside down. In fact the anxiety at the front was causing major problems for those riders caught toward the back of the main group. Coming into the final lap the leaders were hovering at around 20 seconds. However as the 1.8km lap progressed the front of the peleton kept getting quicker and quicker and as the rider swept into the long finishing straight the lead 4 only had 100m of so. However, it was just enough to allow them to sneak home seconds in front of the tour leaders with young SA rider Reuben Meneaud-Young fast enough to take a clear win. The 46km had taken just on 1 hour!! Pell and associates had done enough to ensure a victory for the Savings & Loans outfit. Pell ended with a lead of a tiny 9 seconds from Braunsteins, who finished second overall. His team mate Pip Grinter did enough to take third on GC one minute and 4 seconds behind Pell. George Vallins confirmed his successful comeback, after a two year child rearing lay-off by taking fourth overall. What was going to be a low key over, ‘Masters racing’ only comeback looks more elite now! Apart from the controversy of the O’Brien D.Q. and a small problem with over zealous officiating at the end of the tour, riders re-iterated their belief that the Tour of Coleraine is the best run, most socially accommodating tour on the Victorian calendar. It’s no surprise that people return to the sleepy township each April. The local businesses and residents are fully behind the event and it would seem that the 2009 edition will continue the trend of more participants and higher quality racing. Well Done Paul and the team. Note | |
