Pop, Alf & Norma Hcps - Race Report

What travels at 100km/h, has 4 heads, 12 wheels, a kitchen sink? Stephen Saunders' Kombi on the way to Balliang for the Northern Combine Pop Stewart, Alf Walker and Norma Adam's Handicaps. Never mind how we fit 4 bikes into and onto a Kombi, all I can say is that I was rewarded with the most leg room in the back. Needless to say that I was "on the rivet", "in the wheels" and "chewing bars", and we hadn't even left Melbourne.

Business Class in the Kombi: Tom, Roger & Steve

Welcome to bucolic Balliang where thanks to global warming the weather just keeps getting better each year. The late autumnal weather was turned on as about 60 riders from as far afield as Portland and Warrnambool fronted up for three torturous threshold laps, including a challenging climb, corrugated gravel and a stiff northerly headwind.

Before the race, Bella Gadsen (limit) came over to me and asked me to take care of Liam Vaughan who was riding his first race. Happy to, but I was curious to know why her partner Che Dungey, riding in the same bunch wasn't filling that role. Sounds like Che was in no mood to make his mate feel welcome.

Based on recent form, the 25min bunch or second limit, with Richard McCorkell, Rachel Huxley, Shane Grigg, Kate Scarlett, Glenn Christiansen, Tom, Steve, James Hunt, Tim Fitgerald and Larisa and Erin, a couple of well regarded female riders from the west of the state, looked like the bunch to beat, but everything would need to go their way.

The 12min bunch with a mixture of youth and experience rolled smoothly for a lap and 3/4s when the scratch bunch with a few hangers on blasted through. When holding on requires a superhuman effort, only a select few managed to hold on and I wasn’t one of them. Liam Vaughan riding his first race asked me “what do we do now?” My reply was that we treat it as a training ride and keep going. So we rolled 30sec turns and picked up the shelled remnants of our bunch, one of which was Che. I suggest that we lay off him and try to blast right past him. Unfortunately my plan doesn't work and we have picked up a wheel sucker. Meanwhile we pick up Ananda Chu who contributes to the pace making. Ten minutes down the road, Che is still there, so I ask him if he's ok, which he is and then I ask what do you mean you can’t pull through for a turn? We drop Che somewhere between the Granite Rd turnoff and Box Forrest Rd, probably around the time young Fletcher Christiansen from Seymour-Broadford CC came through with another and we fleetingly joined forces. The last time over the gravel our little bunch deteriorated like a poorly maintained country road. Liam and Ananda rediscover their legs. The race could not end soon enough. I pick up Rachel Huxley from the 25min bunch, and lead her home.

At the pointy end of the race it was a day for the scratch riders, with local TT legend Nick Squillari taking first place, followed by Angus Moller with back to back second places in this event and U19 Xavier Chippendall in third. Fastest woman was Warrnambool CC’s Larisa Togiapoe, who finished 9th overall. Honorable mention to Omer Kirmizi from Brunswick CC who came 4th and the Lanterne Rouge Tim Fitzgerald who came in 34th and last rider across the line. In a true race of attrition, 18 riders failed to finish the race.

Here's what Angus had to say

For the scratch group, the pace was on from the get go. Squillari pulling mega turns at the start and pressuring people to do the same. 42kph @350w for the first 10min. Three riders were shelled  from our group of 8 in that time. I looked around after the gravel section and there were only 3 of us left. I pulled some soft turns to try and conserve energy through lap two, but at the start of lap three, Brendon Green and Nick Squillari emptied the tank to shake off some riders from the 6 & 12 min group and shook me off in the process. I sat up for a bit before this young kid, Xavier Chipendall, came through and we worked together to get up to and through the gravel section for the final time. We then passed Brendon, who had punnied and I did a quick 1 min surge to lose Xav. Then I just held threshold for the last 4km to the finish line for a lucky 2nd place.

Nick's race report

Always hard kicking off any handicap into a straight crosswind. Scratch was down to six by Granite Road. Three by the end of the first gravel sector. And two by the start of the third lap. It took Brendon Green, Angus Moller and myself until just before the second gravel sector to catch block, who were moving well. Cross wind across the start finish reduced it down to just Brendon and I. We spotted what we thought was the front of the bunch (18 minute group) after the first uphill rollers on lap three. Turned out there was one final rider off the front. Poor chap was burying himself as we reeled him in, about a kilometre before the final Granite Road. Sprint was a foregone conclusion with Brendon (he’s much more rapid than I am). Only you need to still make it to the finish. Just after the worst of the downhill gravel (as you transition to the darker, hard pack) Brendon heard the dreaded ‘hiss’. Front wheel puncture. Leaving me to ride solo to first and fastest time. Shattered for Brendon, who certainly deserved something from the race. But it’s a cruel sport at times.

We pack the Kombi and take the back road home towards the You Yangs and we pass Brendon Green, still on the pedals, riding home to the eastern suburbs in what will be a 182km day for him. Chapeau Brendon, you may not have made the podium, but it was a podium worthy performance.

Thanks to the Northern Combine Committee and Race Director Andrew Gannon for leading the event and the small army of commissaires and volunteers who kept us safe out there.

Race Results https://my.raceresult.com/399854/