VET'S IN THE SPOTLIGHT PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS-RACE REPORTS-RESULTS FROM VETERAN RACING all photographs copyright impact internet services 2000 IMPACT AWARDS HANDICAPS SDV&L CC - V&LCC

FRANK SPEARS MEMORIAL

Richard Surfield reports

Photos taken at "The Harbour" 6-8-00 by richard surfield. copyright2000

Suzanne Ridding leads Audrey Donsen

Len Nieuwenhoven in full flight

Great weather prevailed on Sunday as riders were once again in the points chase with the latest round of the Impact Internet Services Consistency Awards. Both the SDV&LCC and the V&LCC were conducting two division handicaps, the latter promoting their event as a memorial to former club member and stalwart Frank Spears. With Rowly Ferris covering the McLaren Vale races I had the pleasure of heading north to Outer Harbour for some very entertaining racing followed by presentations that included a BBQ for riders, friends and members of the Spears family. With the entries split evenly for the two divisions it would be a hell of a chase for the scratchies on the virtually flat "kermesse" course set in Adelaides northern beach suburbs. Division two scratch had the hardest task of the morning with their chase of the 11 1/2 minute limit bunch proving fruitless. The scratch bunches only reward would be the fastest time, this going to Vicki Birks. The major place getters would come from the six and one half minute riders who, combined with the nine and one half minute bunch, would take all six placings with the top four gaining valuable consistency award points. Both Geoff Goode and Lew Gardiner seem to have benefited from a diet of "hills" work while Geoff Barnes continues to blossom as a consistent rider and can no longer be considered the "new chum" at races.

Frank Moore leads limit bunch

Greg Chivers - Dave Gomer - Don McLennan

Division one was another story with a class scratch bunch that showed all the right mettle as they went about clinically slicing minutes off their handicap which gave the limit markers 9 1/2 minutes start over six laps of the course. Gary Davis made a welcome return to racing and can only improve as he gets more competition in. With two laps left of the six, the scratch bunch were in control and had every rider reeled in. This left them just twenty kilometres to ensure no-one would take a "flyer". With just four kilometres left, Greg Chivers tested the waters with a big attack that initially saw no movement from the large bunch of 30 riders. He survived just two kilometres before the bunch was all together once again. That left a high speed run for the line down the one kilometre finishing straight. In a superb finish Dave Gomer drew away from the bunch with just 150 metres to go and with the speed around 60 kph held off the pack for victory and fastest time. Greg Chivers showed his strength by taking second spot from established sprinter Don McLennan. In fact the scratch bunch did extremely well taking 1st, 4th and 6th places with just six riders. A great result for a hard working bunch. Race finish MPEG

McLAREN VALE HANDICAPS

Rowly Ferris reports

Following the cancellation of the Strath-Goolwa-Strath Handicap(owing to a lack of co-ordinator), the Southern Veterans promoted two divisions of handicap races over the popular McLaren Flat - Binney Road circuit starting from the clubrooms in Strouts Road. Division One competed over 4 laps for a total of 65Km while Division Two took on three laps of 49Km. The weather was sunny and warm with conditions mimicking springtime, ideal for the 50+ riders who were evenly split over the two divisions.
Thanks to some brilliant handicapping, division one was a model race with the scratch duo of Tony McLoughlin and Peter Moore catching the rest of the field in the latter stages of the race. Moore was putting in a great performance after contestin 110Km in open racing the day before. McLoughlin came home clear of the field to grab maximum points with Moore second. Third place went to John DiStefano in a very big bunch finish inches ahead of Mike Elleway, Martin Refremat and Victorias Dave Clark. Fastest time was naturally taken by Tony McLoughlin and the first unplaced womens award went to Jenny Kemp who finished safely in the bunch. Division Two was an completely different type of race, the field splitting up and Diedre white taking full advantage of her mark to claim a comfortable win, following on from her third place at the "Range" last weekend. Bob Lee won the sprint for second place from Geoff Hillman, Peter Blackburn, Eddie Collins and Klem Kelly. New rider Carolyn Salisbury finished at the rear of this bunch to take womens award. Carolyn is showing great promise as a rider continuing to improve at each outing. For the rest of the field, well split up by the course, it meant finishing in one's and two's, but competition was keen right to the finish line. THE RESULTS OUTER HARBOUR

DIV 1 60KM 1 Dave Gomer 2 Greg Chivers 3 Don McLennan 4 Ricky Staehr 5 Mike Atkinson 6 Mike Ridding F/TIME Dave Gomer 1:28.49

DIV 2 50KM 1 Doug Goode 2 Lew Gardiner 3 Geoff Barnes 4 Fred Smith 5 Bob Adams 6 Bernie Sweetman F/TIME Vicki Birks 1:24.03

McLAREN VALE

DIV 1 1 Tony McLoughlin 2 Peter Moore 3 John DiStefano 4 M Elleway 5 Martin Refremat 6 Dave Clark(VIC) F/Time Tony McLoughlin First Woman Jenny Kemp

DIV 2 1 Diedre White 2 Bob Lee 3 Geoff Hillman 4 Peter Blackburn 5 Eddie Collins 6 Clem Kelly F/Time Geoff Hillman First Woman Carolyn Salisbury

Enquiries for the Southern Veterans(McLaren Vale) can be directed to Rowley Ferris on 82960223.
Enquiries for the Outer Harbour Veterans can be directed to Len Nieuwenhoven on 82603181.


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