Jandanol 20km Individual Time Trial

A shake up………

With winter well and truly on us, and the cooler mornings lending themselves to a sleep in rather than a ride, it was heartening to see 26 keen riders sign on for the Jandanol 20km Individual Time Trial on Sunday.    There would have been 27 keen riders but Reg Salmon had misread his calendar and attended the circuit the previous day…………….

The Club welcomed many new riders to Spokes - Robert Lynas, Richard Houwen, Robert Melville and Lance Jarvis all rode their first cycle only event and Pete and Deb Millard brought their bikes up from Perth to challenge the locals.

Deb Millard's new 'Scott' road bike soon became a talking point amongst everyone with many an envious glance from fellow riders.  Very nice indeed!

With registration complete the first 17 riders were set off at 30 second intervals with the last 9 being stretched out to 1 minute to ensure all were challenged.

Paula Alsop headed the challenge and was followed onto the course by Mitchell Crabb, Barb Glenister, Kylee Crabb and new rider Robert Lynas.  Kylee Crabb quickly settled into a comfortable rhythm and looked to be enjoying the course and the cooler conditions.

Jennie Haste was next to go and was pursued by Reggie Richardson and Ian Andrews.  Reggie Richardson was a surprise start as was not feeling the best and unfortunately after one lap she was not able to continue.  Ian Andrews also succumbed to the flu and withdrew going into the final lap.

Richard Houwen, Robert Melville and Lance Jarvis all completed their first ever Spokes ride but with this trio having been regulars at Tri they were aware of what was needed to ride alone and with no opportunity to draft.

Deb Millard and Kate Watson had hoped to ride together but the two were set off apart and were pursued by Tim Glenister, Julie Firth, Di Mahoney and Johny Barber.  This group ended the 30 second intervals and Andrew Elliot was the first to wait a full minute before setting off to chase JB.

Elliot was followed by a fully colour coordinated Duane Crabb, looking resplendent in Spokes kit with matching bike, gloves and shoes….word at the line is that Crabb-e is concerned that his cycling sunnies don’t match so we may see a new purchase for the next event…….

Gerald Laurent, Peter Johnson, Jon Tamm and Paul Spackman were the next in line and all looked strong riding away from the start line.  Visiting rider Peter Millard was a little shocked to still be at the starting line with only three to go, and his excitement at starting was evident by the impressive wheelie he pulled - not an easy feat on a road bike!  Millard was followed onto the course by Paul Matthews with the last rider to leave being Jamie Rowe.

With all the riders on the course each lap brought changes in position on the road with the Meadowcroft St hill challenging some and really benefiting others.  The sweeping downhill on Jandanol Road saw riders exposed with places once again changing in favour of the stronger cyclists.  

Going into the last lap Deb Millard was seen walking up the hill having flatted on the course, this left just 23 riders on the circuit after the retirement of Millard, Richardson and Andrews.

Kylee Crabb was first across the line having ridden an exceptionally strong and consistent time trial.  She was closely followed by Johny Barber and Andrew Elliot with Jennie Haste and Julie Firth rounding out the first five to cross the line.  All riders finished within 12 minutes of each other showing that many handicaps had been made up throughout the ride.

Corrected times show Mitchell Crabb as the first Junior Rider in a time of 48:36.  Julie Firth was the fastest Female Rider in 38:25 (this also placed her 7th overall) with Kylee Crabb second in 41:27 and Kate Watson third in 41:35.

Paul Matthews showed that his training is well and truly paying off by winning the Men's event in 33:38, pipping Jamie Rowe who finished in 34:17.  Rowe was just one second ahead of Paul Spackman's 34:18 ride. 

A full list of results is posted below and the Picasa photostream to the right has been updated with photos from the event.

Many thanks to Tim and Barb for arranging the road to be swept and then personally sweeping again the day before the ride.  Special thanks also to Terry Wellman for his continued support as a marshal - Terry has been at most events this year and we really appreciate his assistance.

Spokes next event is the Yuna Teams Event - full details will be emailed out to all riders - get your teams together and come along for a fantastic ride!

Results - Jandanol Individual TT

Vija Jackson

Vale:             VIJA JACKSON

On 18^th April, 2011,Vija Jackson lost her fight against cancer. Vija, was only 62.

Vija and her husband, Brian and sons, Dylan, Nic and Troy were all members of Spokes Cycle Club in the early 90’s, with Vija and Brian continuing on riding in the club into the early 2000’s after the boys had left home.

Early on, Vija had decided that a history of the club needed to be kept and for many years, collected all calendars, newspaper articles and photos, which she diligently archived.  Throughout the 90’s, Brian acted as club handicapper and he and Vija served on the committee with Vija holding various positions over the years.  Vija was also instrumental in helping raise many thousands of dollars for the club over the years by maintaining the drinks esky.  This was a monumental task as, in the early years, Spokes held races every Sunday and mid week crits for part of the year.

By the time the early 2000’s came around, Vija and Brian’s sporting life changed direction and they joined the Aussie Masters, while also maintaining an active association with the Geraldton Harriers and Geraldton Tri club. 

Life was looking good!

Then two years ago, Vija was diagnosed with cancer and knowing that time was limited, Vija and Brian packed in as much living and travelling as possible around their trips to Perth for treatment.

I had the pleasure of riding with Vija a lot throughout the 90’s.  She was a good, honest rider. But she was also gentle lady.  She was also strong and uncomplaining, with a deep love for her family and friends.

She will be truly missed.

Mingenew to Bootenal 90km Individual Road Race

Perfect conditions see fast paced event…..

Thirty four riders were blessed with a tail wind and lovely sunshine for the Blue Ribbon Mingenew to Bootenal 90km Individual Road Race.  Once all were registered, event Coordinator Dom Micono assigned handicaps, and junior cyclist Mitchell Crabb was the first to set off, accompanied by mum Kylee Crabb, both of whom had never attempted the distance before. 

Matt Matiera, Mike Reymond, Reggie Richardson and Catherine Brosnan were next to leave and were accompanied by experienced Spokes cyclists Barb Glenister and Bec Swan.  The group soon settled into an even pace with emphasis for Brosnan and Richardson being on the ride rather than the race.  Reymond and Matiera pulled away from the group after the first couple of climbs with both then riding the remainder of the event as solo riders.

Alison Simkin, Ros Johnston, Donna Meneguzzo, Jennie Haste and Tim Glenister were joined by new riders to Spokes Andrew Outhwaite, Kate Watson, Peter Newman and John Byres with this large group combining well to quickly pull back the 5 minutes handicap assigned over the previous group. 

The first half of the ride saw places within this group change frequently and it was the strength of Tim Glenister, Johnston and Watson which prevailed in the latter stages of the race.  John Byres showed ingenuity when deciding he needed his granny ring for some of the climbs and in the absence of a front derailleur he found reaching down with his left hand and lifting the chain over was equally as effective!!  Interesting…………………

Barb Glenister was quick to jump on with this group as they passed and rode with Andrew Outhwaite to the finish. Outhwaite actually completed a dual event as he and Johny Barber cycled over that morning for the ride - that’s a very long warm up!

Some 15 minutes after this group Simon Mulligan, Jonathan Tamm, Julie Firth, Reg Salmon, Duane Crabb, Johny Barber and Darryl Sheilds departed with Mulligan, Salmon, Firth and leading the charge.  The trio dropped Crabb and Sheilds on some of the bigger climbs with Tamm and Barber next to go.  Crabb and Sheilds kept each other company for the majority of the ride with Tamm and Barber leap frogging groups in front.

Richard Quinlan, Peter Johnson, Jarrod Bell, Paul Baldock, Paul Matthews, Dave Rakuscek and Eddie Muller were given just five minutes off scratch and powered away from the start line.  This group was well organised and quickly settled into a fast paced ride which saw them reigning in the cyclists in front of them with ease.  Dave Rakuscek and Eddie Muller struggled to sustain the pace, losing touch with the group by the halfway mark with Muller spending much of his ride alone.  Rakuscek benefited from Reg Salmon having a puncture to team up and catch Barb Glenister, Andrew Outhwaite, John Byres and Donna Meneguzzo on the road to the finish line.

The remaining bunch of Quinlan, Johnson, Bell, Baldock and Matthews powered across the undulating terrain, joined only by Mulligan as they passed.

Paul Hearne, Jamie Rowe and Richard Correy were the last to leave Mingenew however these experienced cyclists were expected to maximise the optimum conditions and they didn’t disappoint.  This was Correy's first ride with Spokes for the year after a busy tri calendar and his enjoyment of their wind up the night before took its toll with him being dropped at Depot Hill.  Rowe and Hearne showed great teamwork in backing off the speed a couple of times to allow the three to regroup however Correy advised he was happy to enjoy the scenery leaving Rowe and Hearne to continue on, taking turns and constantly increasing in pace.

With all the riders on the road there was much shuffling within groups with some pushing too hard early and suffering in the later stages and others riding a constant and improving as the distance to the finish line reduced.

In amongst all of this Mitchell Crabb and Kylee Crabb rode on and were never caught by the groups behind them.  They took line honours in a time of 3:00:39 with Mitchell outsprinting Kylee at the end.  This is a fantastic achievement for a junior rider with Mitchell showing restricted gears won't hold him back.

Quite ironically it was the most Senior rider of the day, Mike Reymond, who was next across the line, closely followed by Richard Quinlan, Peter Johnson, Jarrod Bell, Paul Baldock, Paul Matthews and Simon Mulligan.

Corrected times show Paul Hearne taking handicap win and fastest time in a staggering 2:00:12 at an average of 44.9km/hr and finishing just one second faster than Jamie Rowe.   This is an improvement of 13 minutes on his time from the previous year and despite the ever humble Hearne attributing it to the tail wind, he is riding exceptionally well and continues to be a force on the bike.

The group of Catherine Brosnan, Reggie Richardson and Bec Swan were joined by Darryl Sheilds with about 15km's to go with Swan and Sheilds using their experience to guide Brosnan and Richardson to the line.  Eddie Muller was the final rider in and despite spending most of the ride on his own he still managed an impressive 37.1km/hr for the 90km. 

Julie Firth was first female home, riding a blistering 40km/hr for the event.  She was followed by Ros Johnston and Kate Watson for the top three placings amongst the ladies.

Many thanks to Paul Hearne and Paul Baldock for riding back out to accompany the last few cyclists on the road to the finish line.

Special thanks to Dom Micono, Paula Purcher and Megan Dunphy for their event management and to Barb and Tim's family for putting out and collecting the signs.

Thanks also to Johno and Richard Quinlan for towing bike trailers over and to the many support vehicles on the road for their encouragement and handing out of water bottles.

A full list of results is below and the Picasa photostream to the right has been updated with pictures from the event.

Spokes next event is a 20km Individual Time Trial on Monday 6 June 2011.  Further details will be provided over the next week.

Results - Mingenew to Bootenal 90km Individual Road Race

Bootenal to Wind Farm Return

Battle of strength

Despite the ever present wind, 26 riders lined up to start the Bootenal to Walkaway Individual Road Race.  Ros Johnson was a little uncertain as to how she would fare and convinced the starter to set her off early.  Johnson was followed by Duane and Mitchell Crabb with junior rider Mitchell easing into the slip stream and out of the wind.   Jonathan Tamm brought along his tandem and he and his daughter set off across the flats to Walkaway.

The large B Grade contingent were given just 5 minutes start on A Grade but with experienced cyclists Peter Burchell and John Andrews in this group, strength was given to Frank O’Donovan, Kylee Crabb, Reggie Richardson, Matt Matiera and Barb Glenister.

Matiera struggled to find a place in the pack that kept him out of the wind and lost contact on the way to Walkaway.   Burchell and Andrews worked tirelessly to keep their group together whilst also providing advice and guidance for the newer riders within the pack.

The large A Grade group of Paul Dodson, Peter Johnson, Mike Paxman, Dave Rakuscek, Julie Firth, Johny Barber, Paul Baldock, Jamie Rowe, Jarrod Bell, Tim Glenister, Simon Mulligan, Paul Spackman and Eddie Muller were quick off the start line and immediately set a blistering pace.  Paul Hearne remained on the line, asking the starter for an extra minute so that he could challenge himself a little more and despite the pace of the bunch in front, Hearne had caught them as the group sped towards the climb to the Wind Farm.

B Grade rider Ros Johnson was first to start the climb and used her fitness to power up the hill.  Mitchell and Duane Crabb were next onto the climb with Mitchell seen pulling ahead of dad Duane towards the top of the hill. 

The early speed of A Grade became too difficult for Tim Glenister and Eddie Muller with both suffering and losing contact with the pack between Walkaway and the base of the hill. With A Grade catching the main B Grade group as the climb started, Hearne led the charge and injected speed, causing many to separate and lose touch. Eight riders remained from the original A Grade group and it took the full length of the ride to the Wind Farm visitor centre for this group to capture the Crabb duo and Ros Johnson.  The tandem bike was spinning up the hill but unfortunately suffered a puncture which saw the two riders having to abandon the race.  Barb Glenister dropped her chain early on the climb but despite the set back, she was quick to recover and resume her ride.  She wasn't the only one to suffer this fate, with Jamie Rowe also losing his chain and needing a quick fix - Rowe benefited from his group slowing to enable him to rejoin - a really lovely display of sportsmanship.

At the turn around point Hearne, Rowe, Baldock, Bell, Rakuscek, Dodson, Mulligan and Paxman were working hard to maintain contact with each other and Ros Johnson tried to jump onto the back of this group but didn’t quite have the speed.

The descent was fast and exciting and the more confident riders were quick to benefit. By the time the riders had the finish line in sight they were spread across the course.  Paul Dodson, Paul Hearne and Jamie Rowe had powered away from their group and from a distance they resembled Cancellara, McEwan and Schleck in stature with similar tactics being applied by all three. 

The sprint to the line saw Hearne taking line honours from Rowe and Dodson in a fast paced event of 34.2km/hr.  An ever improving Jarrod Bell took fourth place with Paxman and Baldock crossing just under a minute later to round out the top six places for A Grade.

Ros Johnson won the B Grade event, a minute and a half ahead of Frank O'Donovan who outsprinted Kylee Crabb, Peter Burchell, John Andrews and Reggie Richardson in a close finish.  

A full list of results is posted below.

Special thanks to Jennie Haste for marshal and timekeeping and to Terry Wellman for marshalling and acting as the turn around point.

Our next event is the Mingenew 90km Individual Road Race on Sunday 22 May 2011.  Further details will follow.

Results - Bootenal to Wind Farm Return