Geelong CC at the 2009 Fred Icke Memorial

While the club raced out at Paraparap in less than ideal conditions on Saturday, 10 brave GCC members ventured up to Creswick just north of Ballarat for the 132K Fred Icke Open handicap. A field of 150+ riders faced three laps of a 44K circuit and near arctic temperatures.

Anticipation was high amongst the Geelong crew leading up to the event, especially with Cam & Greg Stewart, James Stokie and Darren Gray handed the soft mark of 27 minutes, second limit. All the talk was of a GCC member victory and free tea for all. Unfortunately some HP was lost. Cam Stewart was a casualty before a pedal was even turned, struck down with a fever. Maintaining a heavy training load and an even bigger social life had finally caught up with Cam - and no, he hadn't kissed a pig!

After jumping out of the car and feeling the freezing air for the first time the pre-race talk soon turned to how many layers of clothing were going to be required to keep warm. Mark "The Ironman" Bellew tried to create his own pre Hawaii heat chamber by donning 17 layers! Others were just questioning the wisdom of the biggest races being run in the middle of winter.

Racing got under way with James leading the 27 min bunch off looking resplendent in his club gear and the legs all oiled up. It didn't take long for the Geelong boys to go to town on their bunch, eliminating the weakest links early on. Darren McCullam in his first Open started in the 22 min bunch but soon found himself off the front up the first climb. A week of racing on the mountain bike up in N.T. meant he was primed for a big day and was a bit bemused with the lack of intensity from his bunch.

Rudy Schmidt and Garry Wearmouth set off in the 18 min bunch. It didn't take long for the severe cross winds to take a toll on this group with Rudy making an early selection that would prove a great move. Oliver Kent-Spark and Daniel Wilson followed in a strong 14 min bunch. The single lane roads and cross winds meant riders had to be right on their game to avoid a long ride home alone, young Oli falling victim to the tough conditions. However, given his potential there will be plenty more races to come. Daniel only lasted a little over two laps before calling it a day, citing a sniffle earlier in the weak as an excuse - soft!

Meanwhile, Mark "The Ironman" Bellew did his best to drag the 10 min bunch around. Thinning the group out to about 4 on the last lap before what was left of scratch swallowed them up not far from the line. Meanwhile at the front of the race the 27 min Geelong boys were working well together, Greg Stewart putting in some massive turns in an attempt to keep the chasers at bay. James Stokie carefully studied the course route pre-race and set about picking up the cash at the intermediate sprints along the way. Darren Gray stayed quiet, doing his share readying for the finish.

With the race heading towards its climax Darren McCullam and Rudy joined their Geelong counter parts in the leading bunch. The gaps between the three remaining bunches were coming down at a rapid rate, with a few K to go less than a minute separated them.

In the end the leading bunch held off the rest of the field. Rudy showed his recent work behind the motor bike may have helped him rediscover his Warny legs, finishing in a fantastic 4th place, only narrowly being beaten in the sprint finish. Darren Grey continued his great form with a super 5th place finish, the strain on his face post-race telling the tale of a tough day. James finished closely behind in 6th place. Not to be denied, Greg Stewart crossed the line in 9th place despite nearly suffering hyperthermia. Suffering cramps towards the end of the race didn't stop Darren McCullam from getting in the money with a 10th place finish. Less than a minute later Gary finished along with Mark. Gary is now considering making a return to European Cycle Cross racing in the ice and sleet as a warmer option than the Creswick race.

Despite the conditions it was a good day's racing that was very successful for the Geelong Club and its members. Well done again to the riders who went up and especially those in the money. Keep an eye on Cycle Sport Victoria website for all the up coming open races and feel free to quiz your fellow club members or contact Club race director Rudy Schmidt for some information if you’re keen to have a go at this type of racing.

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