OCC Saturday Racing Summer Series Round Two
Today saw the 2nd race in the Orange Cycle Club Summer series. The format was a handicap run over two laps of the Tallwood loop, also know as the Pub loop; as it starts and finishes at the Forest Reef Tavern.
There was a great turn out and the weather brought a high temperature of 26 degrees with a slight headwind to start with, followed by a tailwind finish.
The race had five bunches with limit giving nearly 15minutes to scratch. The bunch to worry about was 2nd limit as it contained two potential burglars, in Rod Easdale from Bathurst and Richard Martin from Orange. They were being chased by a strong but sometime dysfunctional trio; containing Mick (hardman) Cain (Orange), Grant Roe (Costin Roe) and Matt Dean (Orange). Matt was the danger man in this bunch after a training camp involving the Santos Tour Down Under.
The trio chasing them at 1.30 with many dangerous riders consisted of the on form flying legal wounder Mason Manwaring, the strongest non-sprinter Andrew Foxall and Mr Brian Kennelly.
This group had FFiRacing.com’s Owen MacPhillamy (Orange) worried as he had to give them a 1-minute head start. Owen’s main concern was his current lack of form after 2 weeks of illness and not quiets a full week on the bike and not fully recovered and with fellow back marker and FFiRacing.com rider Mick Troy absent, was going to make the going tough.
Owen knew he had to burry himself to get onto the back of the three in front. He started well and got with in 20sec or so but could not get any closer and lost ground across the backstretch and then sat up at the base of the last climb to the pub.
Meanwhile the Manwaring group was starting to peg back big chunks of time on the Cain group. Manwaring said after the race a lot of credit has to go to Andrew Foxall for doing some big turns to help bring back the Cain group. As the two groups combined they dropped Mick Cain and the youngest racer Laura Auberson.
Up the road Rob and Richard had dropped their starting companions with Rod then dropping Richard.
Rod was first across the line with a 3min gap to Richard and then came the gallop for 3rd and fastest time.
It looked like Grant had been the one on the front to start the sprint and then Manwaring has kicked with the surprise packet Matt Dean chasing. As they crossed the line there was almost nothing in it. The riders were unsure of were they had finished.
Manwaring was able to hold on by the skin of his teeth as he rocketed his Orbea across the line, closely followed by Dean who needed another 20meters or so to get over the top of Manwaring. Mr Kennelly smartly sucked into the draft of the 2 big powerhouses and got 5th. The 3rd was enough to get Manwaring Fastest Time much to the dismay of Cain.
It was a really well handicapped race with the exception of the two burglars and MacPhillamy’s lack of legs.
Manwaring was quick to congratulate his fellow handicap riders and has surely proved that he is ready for the next grade.
Thank you too all the marshals, commissares and helpers whom without there would be no racing.
Thank you to the Forest Reefs Tavern for the great start/finish location.
The next race in the OrangeCycleClub.com.au Summer Series is on the 12th of February and uses a new course. Sign on will be at the Millthorpe Newsagency & Store (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Millthorpe-Newsagency-Store/171059496248526) at 3pm and the course will be out to the Pinch on the back corner of the pub loop.
See you on the road FFiRacing.com