Results: Inter-club Series Race 2
Tough windy conditions again made for difficult racing in the 2nd round of the Inter-club Series, but Geelong CC showed their mettle to make up for a weaker showing at Meredith to score strongly in A, B and D grades. Darren McCallum and Vincent Glynn both had excellent rides to win A and D grades respectively.
Series results coming soon...
How it happened... A Grade:
A good turnout for A Grade with about 18 starters, but only two Ballart representatives – Scott Keating and Tony Mirabella. Their work was going to be cut out for them with strong representation from Hawthorn, Geelong and Colac. The event consisted of 7 laps of the Haddon “triangle”, each lap being just over 7 km. Conditions were windy but the rain held off until after the race.
After the first lap one Darren McCallum (Geelong), made a break and the Wettenhall brothers tried unsuccessfully to bridge the break. Each time an attempt was made to try and bridge the gap, the Geelong team (Blake Hose, Steve Cunneen and Marcus Wettenhall) in the peleton would slow the pace down to ensure their breakaway rider stayed away.
There were several attacks throughout the race and it wasn’t until the second last lap that three riders made a successful break, but not strong enough to reach the front man. Cameron Shaw (Colac) and Tony Mirabella (Ballarat) put in a great effort on an uphill stretch to surge and successfully join the breakaway group of three, however the rest of the peleton stuck to them and also joined the group.
With Darren still away he crossed the line some two minutes before the rest of the competitors who were nearing the finish line and preparing for a big sprint finish. The sprint started some 400m from the finish line with Colac rider Cameron Shaw, finishing second and a close third to Blake Hose (Geelong).
Average speed was 36.6km over the course in trying windy conditions.
| Result | Rider | Club |
| 1 | Darren McCallum | Geelong |
| 2 | Cameron Shaw | Colac |
| 3 | Blake Hose | Geelong |
| 4 | Marcus Wettenhall | Geelong |
| 5 | Will Wettenhall | Ballart |
| Doug Garley | Ballart | |
| Scott Keating | Ballart | |
| Tony Mirabella | Ballart | |
| David Bartovic | Hawthorn | |
| Ben Douglas | Hawthorn | |
| Andy Van Slobbe | Hawthorn | |
| Steve Cunneen | Geelong |
How it happened... B Grade:
“B” Grade lined up to ride seven laps with fourteen starters including GCC’s Steve Del Gallo, Jarrod Anskaitus and “Birthday Boy” John Burtt. After last week’s debacle where Ballarat’s John Polkinghorn was allowed to escape and then could not be ridden down, the GCC boys were very attentive to any breaks.
Naturally, any traffic on Haddon’s quiet roads coincided with the bunch and the roundabout resulting in half being stopped. Decorum held and the escapees waited but for one rider who pressed his advantage, eventually overhauled by the bunch. This behavior is not unexpected by one sporting a large rear mudguard. (In his defense he did finally “sit up”.)
Steve Del Gallo presented strongly in the early laps being joined in a spirited break by a Ballarat rider and holding off the pack downwind into Haddon only to be reincorporated shortly after. At the bell a Ballarat competitor won the sprint albeit a lap early followed by the strongest bid of the day for victory, attacking the bunch uphill out of Hadden, eking out a 200m advantage. Strong work at the front by the Geelong boys, Ainskatis in particular saw the bolter gathered up just before the final turn for the downwind dash for the line.
At the catch, danger man Polkinghorne made his bid but close marking saw the majority hang on. Few remaining riders seemed up to challenging Polkinghorne, not so Steve Del Gallo who forged to the lead with the line looming only to be overwhelmed by fellow Geelong rider and web page friend, John Burtt. All however was not as it appeared as presentations revealed the true winner. Claran Conaughton of Ballarat had escaped unnoticed finishing far ahead and out of sight of the bunch. Geelong “B” Graders foiled two weeks in a row.
| Result | Rider | Club |
| 1 | Ciaran Conaughton | Ballart |
| 2 | John Burtt | Geelong |
| 3 | Steve De Gallo | Geelong |
| 4 | Stuart Grigg | Ballart |
| 5 | Joel Hossack | Ballart |
| Nev Bilney | Ballart | |
| John Polkinghorne | Ballart | |
| Tim Oliver | Ballart | |
| Peter Canny | Ballart | |
| Tavis Baker | Ballart | |
| Daniel Alban | Geelong | |
| Pete Mattews | Ballart | |
| Les Bilney | Ballart | |
| Jarred Ankaitis | Geelong |
How it happened... C Grade:
| Result | Rider | Club |
| 1 | Liam White | Ballart |
| 2 | Steve Kennedy | Ballart |
| 3 | Don Stewart | Ballart |
| 4 | Peter Norman | Ballart |
| 5 | Peter Kyatt | Ballart |
| Michael Veal | Ballart | |
| Sam Edwards | Ballart | |
| Zac Shaw | Colac |
How it happened... D Grade:
Persistence has paid off for newcomer Vincent Glynn in his first “Road Season” coming away with his first road win. Vincent has been toughened up by his consistent racing over the season culminating in his success on the testing Haddon Triangle.
To “rub it in” Vincent went around again at race pace, possibly because he missed the call or lost count of his laps. No matter, great ride Vincent.
| Result | Rider | Club |
| 1 | Vincent Glynn | Geelong |
| 2 | Sean Lee | Ballart |
| 3 | Kylie Zelly | Ballart |
| 4 | Jenny White | Ballart |
| 5 | Wendy Ross | Balart |
