Jack Wood Memorial Handicap 2024 Race Report – A bit of fun!

67 riders from 21 clubs signed up for the Jack Wood Memorial Handicap, with Hawthorn CC being the best represented with 16 riders.  The 6-min and the 19-min groups with 15 riders each, clearly had a numerical advantage over the other bunches, with an average of 7 riders each.  But as every experienced handicap rider will tell you, if you are not working as a unit, you are probably just getting in the way. 

With weather as good as you could wish for in the middle of winter in central Victoria, the sun was out, and the wind was a light south westerly.  Starter Rae Lesniowska and chief commissaire David Cutajar, gave the pre-race briefing.  Stay together at your peril.  You are all on the same team until you aren’t and you will know when that will be, or words to that effect.

As a member of the 10-minute group sitting in between two large bunches, we had our work cut out for us.  Our goal was to avoid being passed before the three big rolling hills at the end of the first lap.  A cursory look over the shoulder after roller one, was enough to strike panic in the minds and legs of the 10-minute bunch.  Tim McGrath, Fergus Fitswater and Ivan Van gunned it, leaving me in their wake and gaining valuable distance on the 6-minute bunch, which was hurtling down on us like a steam train.  Sitting in a virtual no man’s land, I rode tempo, caught my breath and waited for the inevitable catch.  I hitched a lift and took my rightful place at the back of the bunch, while the express train pushed through, stopping no stations, but jump on if you can.  Tim, Ferg and Ivan get aboard and join me as the caboose. 

10-min & 6-min bunch working together

The next challenge was the Sugarloaf Creek climb of 500 metres at 8.5%, which I can certainly say is much easier when you have just been sitting on the back and not contributing to pace making duties.  While most survived, Beth Jackson who was the favourite for the fastest woman on the day dropped off the pace. 

One by one, the express hoovered up the front markers until the lead bunch was caught with about 5 or 6 km left in the race.  Everyone was highly motivated to figure in the top 5 prize money.

With about 3.5km to go Justin Lin launched a flying attack from the back of the bunch and gained a good 50 metre lead on the bunch.  I’ve seen Justin do this before to great effect, but surely, it’s too early.  A few of the stronger riders responded to bridge the gap and the rest of us followed.  It was time to get onboard the pain train, where after over 100 minutes plus at threshold, you either have it in your legs or you don’t.  The express train was splintering big time over the final three climbs.  Scratch had caught the 3min group and were coming through more like a bullet train, with absolutely no chance of hitching a ride on that one.  It was just a blur of colour and a whoosh in the final minutes of the race, as everyone did their best to get to the line or make up a place or two. 

In the end it was Paul Attard who used his superior power to weight ratio to take the chequered flag, an impressive 3 seconds ahead of Toni Qian (Hawthorn CC) and 5 seconds behind was scratch rider Jake Lay (Seymour-Broadford CC). 

Paul Attard, 54yr old from Brunswick CC, from the 6min group took line honours.  When asked how the race was won, Paul praised his bunch, who took their turns and worked well together as they kept on pulling back the groups ahead.  He stayed close to the lead before the second last hill and then launched his attack.  Paul summed it up best when said he was very happy as it was his first time on the podium, which was a bit of fun.

Anna Booth (Hawthorn CC/Pana Cycling Team) from the 14min group was the fastest woman on the day.  She said her group of 7 was soon to be 6 after the start.  Anna paid kudos to her group who rolled steady turns until her group was caught with about 5km to go. 

Jake Lay, in third place had an early start to the day, when he rode 30km from Seymour to the start of the race.  He then finished off the day with 5^th place in his local Seymour-Broadford Hcp in the afternoon.  Jake is travelling to Belgium at the end of the month to race, so if you have a few dollars to spare check out his GoFundMe page and support a young rider looking to make a name for himself.

All credit to our handicappers, with over half the field finishing less than 75 seconds from the winner.

Thanks to the Coburg Cycling club for hosting the event and honouring Jack Wood with this race. 

Top 5 Finishers

Top 5 and other prizes

Paul Attard 1^st

Toni Qian 2^nd

Jake Lay 3^rd & Fastest Male

James Parkinson 4^th

Leo Worsam 5^th

Anna Booth Fastest Female

Justin Lim – Most Combative rider

Full Results

Podium & Fastest Woman

Credit to Toni Qian and Justin Lin (12th), who have only been racing for a year and have really developed their race craft over the past twelve months.  It’s great to see new riders crossing over from recreational cycling to competitive racers.  Hopefully we will see them in A grade before too long.

A big shout out to our Lanterne Rouge, Anthony Barton from Eastern CC who completed the course just over 35 minutes behind our winner.  It shows a lot of determination to turn up to a race a good hour out of town and finish it and hopefully have a bit of fun in the process.

Next Northern Combine event is the Pop Stewart Handicap at Balliang on Saturday 17th August.