Season Review - 2012/13 Track

Alan Townsend competed in the World Masters Track Championships in Manchester (UK) in early October. Alan took 5th place in the ITT (in 50.9secs), then qualified 4th in the Sprint, and finally finished in the top 6 overall.

Matt Glanville & Peter Davis contested the Pan Pacific Masters Games in Qld in October. Matt took on the track (Scratch-Silver, Sprint & TT-5th) and road (Crit-4th, ITT-6th, RR-bunch finish). Peter Davis was Crit-2nd and RR-3rd).

At the Clarence Street Cup in November, David Browne qualified for the CC Final and finished 18th. Jays Austin rode the NSW Elite Pointscore Championship and finished 5th.

At the NSW Masters Teams Pursuit Championships in late February BiciSport took its 21st Teams Pursuit medal since 2006, when David Willmott, Andrew Burne, Alan Townsend & Duncan Crosby first took a Bronze medal at a NSW Championships. In 2013, the BiciSport teams took Gold in the 150+, and Silver in the All Ages category.

In the All Ages it was a three way contest between Illawarra, BiciSport & Randwick. Illawarra always appeared to have the best balanced team, whilst the others had to blend exceptionally well to offer realistic competition. The BiciSport AA team was Jays Austin, Stuart Campbell, Rick McArdle, Matt Glanville (for the heat), and Mike O`Brien (for the final). Based on past experience the heat time had to be around 3min 22secs to ensure a Gold/Silver ride off. BiciSport started almost too well, and paid for it towards the end of the heat and posted 3min 27secs. Illawarra looked comfortable and well drilled in doing a smoothe 3-23, and for BiciSport an invitation to the Bronze medal ride off beckoned until Randwick posted a 3-28. Phew !. The final wasn`t a close contest as Illawarra posted a seamless 3-21 having been reduced to three men with 4 laps to go, and BiciSport posted 3-28 for the Silver. In the 150+ category the Bici team was Peter Barnard, Geoff Baxter, Mike Lawson & Peter Verhoeven. The strategy was a simple one for the 2,000 metre journey ... Peter Barnard started first and took them as far as possible, swung up, and let the other three look for the finish. In the heat the Bicis posted 2min 23.3secs, and were 7 seconds faster than the next team. In the final against Hunter Districts it was a repeat performance with a faster time of 2-23.0 for the Gold.

At the NSW Masters Track Championships in early March BiciSport took 6 Gold 8 Silver 5 Bronze. A successful teams pursuit effort the previous weekend underpinned the Day 1 Individual Pursuit results at the NSW Championships. In M3- BiciSport took the trifecta with Jays Austin 1st (3min35secs), Rick McArdle 2nd (3-45) and Matt Glanville 3rd (3-48). In M5 - Peter Verhoeven took 3rd (2min30secs) and Geoff Baxter 4th (2-35). In M7 - Mike Lawson took 2nd in a great effort in 2min35secs. Every Bici made the medal rounds, well done. Day 2 was for the sprinters with the absence due to injury for David Willmott (broken bone in the foot), and Alan Townsend (hamstring). Kirstie Dolton took her first Gold in the W4/5 and Peter Barnard a Silver in M4/M5. Matt Glanville was 5th in M3. Day 3 was Time Trials in the morning & Points races in the afternoon. M2 - David Browne took Silver in 1min12secs. M3 - Matt Glanville 6th. M5 - Peter Barnard took Gold. M7 - Mike Lawson the Silver. W4 - Kirstie Dolton was 4th. In the Pointscore Championship several categories were merged, which meant several races were decided by a single point. M1-M3 - Watching Jays Austin demolish a Championship field is like watching an urban terrorist go about their work - drop a bomb here, a grenade there, look and see what damage has been caused, try it all again. Jays took Gold in M3 and so did David Browne in a brilliant ride in M2, with support from Rick McArdle and Matt Glanville who were in the mix all day. M5 - Geoff Baxter went real close to a Gold but had to settle for a Bronze, ably supported by Peter Vehoeven. M7 - Mike Lawson looked on the way to Gold but was pipped at the post and took Silver. W4 - Kirstie Dolton took 4th and finished in the front group, and everybody more than a bit confused as to how her efforts weren`t a medal (Postscript - Kirstie was eventually awarded the Bronze after the rider who was given the Bronze originally admitted she was lapped three times !). Day 4 - In the 135+ category in the Team Sprint Peter Barnard, Alan Townsend & David Browne took the Silver. M2/3 Scratch Races - Negative doesn`t begin to explain some races, but it does for this one. Rick McArdle clipped away for a great Silver, with Matt Glanville 5th, Jays Austin 6th and David Browne 7th. M5 - Peter Verhoeven jumped off the front with 6 laps to go and huung on for a great Gold, with Geoff Baxter 4th. M7 - Mike Lawson took the Bronze.

At the Sydney Metropolitian Track Champs in late March, Kirstie Dolton took a Silver, and David Browne took two Silver medals.                   

At the National Masters Track Championships in Perth in early April - Mike Lawson took Silver (Pursuit), Bronze (Pointscore & Time Trial), and 5th (Team Sprint). Matt Glanville took Bronze (Pursuit), 4th (Pointscore), 5th (Team Sprint & Sprint), and 6th (Time Trial). Kirstie Dolton took Bronze (Team Sprint), and 4th (Pointscore & Sprint)