AHVCC AGM
12th November AHVCC CLUB AGM
7pm - 9pm Venue Flaxley Hall
Please support our club and come along to elect your new committee.

COMING EVENTS
2nd November AHVCC Club Handicap
0900 Flaxley Hall Stamps Road Map

Nominations to ahvcc.info@gmail.com by Thursday 9pm

For more events click here Year End Calendar of events.

Woodchester Loop 26OCT08 Results

1st Dave Paul
2nd Sarah Rawlinson
3rd Craig Sheldon
4th Mike Elleway
5th Dave Doyle

Nineteen riders faced the starter’s gun in Sunday’s handicap cycling event conducted by the Savings & Loans Adelaide Hills Veterans Cycling Club.

The route was from Howard Vineyard on Bald Hills Road, up to Wistow then on to Woodchester, joining the Princess Highway at Callington and rolling back through the hills to the Start/Finish line.

Dutchy Wieringa and John Pfitzner were the first away under handicap conditions followed by a group of six starting at 5 minutes, another pair at 10 minutes, the “chopping block” group of four at 18 minutes and the final five back markers at 25 minutes.

At the turn at Wistow, after a 20 minute climb, Wieringa and John Pfitzner were a couple of minutes ahead of Dave Paul, Sarah Rawlinson, Dan Freer, Graham Silsby, and David Pfitzner. The back markers group had broken up slightly with Craig Sheldon, Mike Elleway, and Graham Lewis getting away from Paul Bell and Martyn Risby by just a minute.

Charlston resident Paul and Rawlinson from Mt Barker had made a sensible pact to work together and it paid off as they led the field through Woodchester. When the terrain flattened out the rest of the earlier starters also formed into a bunch of five riders in an attempt to keep the “chopping block” riders at bay.

Paul and Rawlinson were still in the lead going past Callington with the front markers bunch just a couple of minutes behind. The “chopping block” group caught Shannon Hemmings and Lindy Kronen as they turned onto the Princes Highway. Two minutes later the back markers group came charging through like a freight train still a little clear of Bell and Risby who in turn encountered a real live freight heading to Adelaide and were lucky to only concede a minute while waiting at the crossing.

As the riders pushed through the hills and valleys on their way to Dawsley and Nairne the front markers group ‘cracked’ and was overtaken by the ‘chopping block”’ and back markers groups. Rawnsly and Paul had managed to stay “away” and as they emerged up the little hill coming out of Nairne, Paul was able to put in a 30 meter gap on his fellow rider.

Both riders were no doubt pleased that the last section to the finish was downhill because there was a following pack closing at considerable pace. Paul crossed the line first , followed by Rawnsley and then came the charge of the chasers in a blistering sprint that saw Sheldon pip Elleway, David Doyle and Keith Barnes for third, just 20 seconds behind the winner.

The very convivial after race function at the vineyard included trophy presentations to the clubs 2008 Time Trial, Road and Criterium club champions, which marks another ‘first’ in this clubs very short history.