Northern CC Club Champs 2024 - Race Report

Tough courses bring out the hard and well trained men and women of the North.  It was unfortunate that there was a scheduling conflict with Gravelista at Seymour and that our Seymour-Broadford regulars weren't able to join us.  Also missing was Kathryn Kennedy, current women's champion, who is currently nursing an injury and wasn't able to contend the club champs.  We wish her a speedy recovery and hope to see her back racing soon.

First of all, let's take a look at what this is all about, because there are three races within one event: The Secret Handicap, Age Group Championship and Club Championship for fastest man and woman. All riders start at the same time, without knowing what their handicap is, which is what makes this such an interesting ride. It's mano a mano.  The male Club Champion gets to wear the coveted number 1 for the next year, currently worn by Aaron Christiansen.  

The conditions Light NW winds, overcast skies and 17 degrees on the start line. Short sleeves and a base layer were ideal.   A few potholes here and there, but marked well enough to be avoided.

The field. 30 starters, consisting of 2 women and 28 men.  If you've ever raced at Northern, you will know that the riders here are as canny and cunning a bunch as you will find anywhere. Sandbaggers, wheel suckers, breakaway specialists, time trialists, loveable rogues and the occasional former-pro.  Sometimes, all the above in one.

The course Two laps of 32.5km with approximately 400m of vertical gain per lap at an average of 1.2%, but that doesn't tell the true story. This course is a pure sprinters nightmare and definitely one more suited to the climbers and puncheurs. The Sugar Loaf Creek climb averages 8.5% for 500m and the last 2km of the Broadford-Glenaroua Rd which averages 3.5%, are both critical segments of the course where the stronger riders will do their best to drop their less adapted opposition.

The Start Rolling out on this course, I felt that it lacked a little ceremony befitting of the occasion.  Perhaps next year, we can neutralise the first km and let the club president and vice president lead us out, as an acknowledgement of their work over the year. Perhaps also have a little fun and put the D and E graders at the front and A graders at the back while we are at it.  While I'm chewing Aaron's ear about this idea, Stephanie Young, our very own breakaway queen has slipped ahead and almost drafting the lead car. For a while there I wasn't sure whether the lead car was going to tow her all the way home in the slipstream, but once we hit the hills, gravity has a tendency to take over and neutralise any drafting advantage.

The Start

It wasn't long before Andrew Gannon decided to stretch his legs and lungs.  You never know with Andrew whether he's launching a 63km solo breakaway or just reving the engine, so we shut that down pretty quickly.  Next we are onto the three rollers, where the A graders throw in a few concerted attacks, but nothing sticks as we round the corner.  The lead bunch thins out a little as we push onto the Sugarloaf Creek Climb for the first time.  Looking around, the bunch is now exclusively A and B graders.  

Sugarloaf Climb

Moving along on the back straight, a few intermittent attacks were made by Aaron Christiansen, Iain Clark and Andrew Gannon, Agostino Giramondo with a little help from Craig Harvey.  These were shut down by a few pesky B graders, who were happy to sit in the wheels and get dragged along without contributing to any serious pace making duties.  Sorry guys, just doing our job! We take the left hander at Rob Moore's corner, where there's always a little bit of excitement and a piano accordian affect to stretch the legs of those back in the bunch.  A kilometre down the road, I find myself first wheel, hugging the centre line and see Tim Anderson enter my periphery before zooming off up the road.  Now Tim has form for this type of attacking riding.  It's not like we have 5 laps or 15 minutes left to ride in a crit.  Surely we have the numbers to catch him. The other part of my brain is telling me that I should have been marking him and following his moves. It's a good 16-17 seconds before Aaron and Craig react to put in a dig, before sitting up and taking in some nutrition.  Aaron's got his sugar flask out and I sense there is a moment, so I surge ahead hoping to bridge across to Tim, taking Andrew Gannon and Simon Bell with me.  We all do a turn each before we too are reeled in.  

Move of the Day

We roll around one more time.  Same old faces, attacks in the same places.  Some forward, some back, some have barely felt the wind all day and some just hanging on for dear life.  Second time around on Sugarloaf, Tom McDonough fails to get on the back of the bunch and is dropped.  As we get to Rob Moore's corner, he calls 2:30.  With 7km to go, Tim has all the honours in his back pocket.  Only a flat or mechanical would stop him at this stage.

Still in this crazy three in one event, some things are still worth fighting for and Iain Clark was the first to stake his claim on second fastest time, when he launched a scorching attack with only two minutes left to go.  Simon Bell and myself were a out of position on the front, but we chase him down as hard as we can.  Once we hit our peak speed, the rest of the bunch rolls over the top of us and picks up Iain.  Aaron wins the bunch sprint, followed by Agostino and Gary Clively.

Last two minutes

Meanwhile the remainder of the field rolled through, with some impressive efforts by Luke M and Nathan D, who had made a steady pace around the course with Noel, Walter and Glen. 

Onto the presentations

Fastest & 3rd Fastest Men 

Club Champions Stephanie Young & Tim Anderson

Handicap Winners & Place getters

Another great club championship.  Thanks to our vounteers, without whom we could not race.  Hopefully next year, we can get the scheduling right and build our numbers.  For those who missed out on a prize, there is always the Angelo de Francesco handicap in nine days time on the same course.

Full results

Read Aaron Christiansen's and Tim Anderson's Facebook posts for some insightful comments on the race.

Follow me on Instagram @selfrighteouscyclist to watch the these clips with a far more entertaining backing track.

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