so, for some reason this year the sunday long hills ride has been at the centre of a lot of debate and change. a number of times there has been an unofficial time change that has not been widely communicated (i.e. on the ride routes blog). some days there have been some good reasons for doing this, like really hot days, and other times not so good. what this results in, are people that are not privy to the change turning up at 7am expecting to do the long hills ride, only to find that the majority of the regulars have decided amongst themselves to change the start time. unfortunately, this puts certain people in the unenviable position of having to explain why there is no hills ride as advertised. last week there were only 2 long hills riders that ended up just doing the short hills as they did not feel that it would be safe on their own. one of the reasons we have not had variable ride start times during the year has been a consistency that this affords us for anyone that is not a regular. people that don’t read the blog, or visit from interstate just know that the ride will be at 7am.
so, what are we going to do? just like all good issues in western australia, there will be a trial and a referendum.
starting this week, both the long and short hills ride will start at coode st at 6am. we will run this until the 3rd march (i.e the next 5 sundays). after that time we will run a poll to see if over summer we run at 6am or 7am for both rides, or long at 6am and short at 7am. to account for this, the sunday earlybird ride will cease to exist. it was generally not a well subscribed ride and if anyone did it regularly, i would be surprised.
if it is decided that we move the rides to 6am during the hotter months, it will run from 1st dec to 28th feb. after this point the sun does not rise till after 6am, meaning that half the rides in march would require lights to start.
so, the blog will now show a 6am start, so if there are any regulars that don’t read the blog, please let them know.
get off the road, you will get run over. photo ZW Photography
so there were a few crashes on some of our rides over the past few weeks. on one occasion there were a number of riders that came down separately on the one roundabout. on another occasion a touch of wheels caused by the group slowing dramatically also saw a rider heading over the handle bars. unlike most group/clubs/teams in perth (or australia for that matter) we actually keep stats on any crashes that happen on our rides or races. what we collect this data for is to see if there are any trends in why crashes are happening. i suppose that one of the good insights to this data is that there are not that many accidents that are caused by other vehicles. like the incidents that happened recently, the majority are due to “rider to rider” interaction or “riding to conditions”. when riding in a group situation, everyone must be aware of what is happening around them and, if needed, allow a bit of “wiggle room”. on top of road conditions, weather conditions and traffic conditions, each group contains about 20 unknowns all moving to their own agenda. be aware of others actions and be especially aware of the consequences of your own actions. if you don’t feel safe or confident in a group, then allow a bit more room, or ride at the back. what constitutes a “safe group” is also subjective as some people may find close riding unsafe, but others are used to it. if someone is struggling in a roll through, leave a gap and let them in. if they expend all their energy trying to make it to the front, then just die, the concertina affect will cause chaos further down the group. if the road seems a little damp, then maybe don’t hit that corner at speed. if the group is approaching a round-about, don’t barrel through with your head down, but check for vehicles and let others know of any danger. riding alone is boring and monotonous, but we need to make sure that group riding is performed in a way that allows all of us to get home with all our skin still attached. look after each other and thank your ride leader for giving up their own time to look after you.
ride leader sponsor –The ride leader sponsor for January is Babylon Pump & Power LTD. They provide specialist equipment rental, diesel rebuild/maintenance and project support to the resources sector.
memberships – all 2018 race memberships expired at the end of the year. we dropped from 403 members to our current level of 270. it is important to renew your membership even if you are not intending to race during the first month or so of 2019. no membership means no insurance and i am sure that you will still be riding your bike even if you aren’t racing. if you have decided not to race anymore, a recreational membership will give you insurance coverage during your training rides. if you want to transfer to spr from another club, send and email to the admin address and i can action it electronically. check out the previous post for more info and links.
subaru wangara – Until 31st January @Subaru Wangara is offering our club $500 for any new or used car purchased by one of our members. If you’re in the market for a car this is a great opportunity to support our club. You’ll need to mention the Club and provide your membership details. For more details get in touch with Michael Tomeo at Subaru Wangara”
minimum passing distance survey – The WA Government is working to improve cycle safety and has introduced the Minimum Passing Distance regulation. Cardno has been appointed by the Road Safety Commission to conduct research on this regulation over a two year period to ascertain levels of compliance and any trends in passing behaviour. Please find the survey linked here.
perth arena psp – the psp behind the perth arena was shut a number of years ago due to safety concerns. those concerns have been met but the path is still not open. this forces cyclists and pedestrians to go the long way around the arena and are forced to negotiate the typical obstacles around a public space. please sign the petition linked here to try to get the path open again.
save the date – on the 6th of april this year we will be celebrating our 10 years of being an affiliated club. the group came together in 2008, but officially we became an incorporated, affiliated club in 2009. help us celebrate this occasion. hopefully many “founding members” will be in attendance to see how the club has evolved over the years. more info can be found on the previous post (but not too much more info)
summer sunday times – there was a bit of confusion over the christmas period with the start times of the sunday long hills ride. due to a number of reasons, some earlier rides were organised on a forum that was not accessible to everyone that normally rides on sunday. as such there were a couple of occasions where people turned up at 7am for the long hills only to discover that it had left earlier. the start time over summer of the sunday rides will be discussed at the next committee meeting and the outcome will be publicised for all to see. for the time being, expect that both the long and short hills to leave at the normal 7am timeslot.
saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning. please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate. this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts. see the previous post for more details.
spr juniors – juniors is getting bigger. more kids, more hill climbs, more pancakes and more bacon. seriously, pancakes with bacon seems to be the food of choice. anyway, summer is coming so suns out, sons out (daughters welcome too). under 10’s or over 10’s welcome with parents.
from the ride coordinator –There is a triathlon on Sat morning at Point Walter – Bicton. There are road closures in place for the cycle leg with Point Walter Rd, Honour Ave, Carroll Dr and Burke Dr all closed. This will impact the EBR as the triathlon starts at 6:15. EBR route will need to continue on Preston Point Rd to Canning Hwy and continue regular route from there.
The Cottesloe foreshore will likely be busy on Mon morning public holiday. All groups are required to proceed at a slow pace with caution for pedestrians at road crossings.
saturday 26th january – aussie day
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
with a lot of rouleurs in radelaide, i set them a challenge to get a pic for the blog. firstly you had to be in spr kit, and the bigger the celeb the better. mr stage 9 is a pretty big name and it almost seems that there was a husband and wife challenge to snap a picture with him. unfortunately, the girls pic from sam was via instagram which crops everything to square, while dr vp presented his in the correct landscape format. the flying mo got himself a very professional photo from zac williams, but it seems that the cycling celebs were scared off by the combination of lycra and mo. as the racing heats up, i am hoping that someone can get a pic with sagan before the end of the tour.
ride leader sponsor –The ride leader sponsor for January is Babylon Pump & Power LTD. They provide specialist equipment rental, diesel rebuild/maintenance and project support to the resources sector.
memberships – all 2018 race memberships expired at the end of the year. we dropped from 403 members to our current level of 270. it is important to renew your membership even if you are not intending to race during the first month or so of 2019. no membership means no insurance and i am sure that you will still be riding your bike even if you aren’t racing. if you have decided not to race anymore, a recreational membership will give you insurance coverage during your training rides. if you want to transfer to spr from another club, send and email to the admin address and i can action it electronically. check out the previous post for more info and links.
subaru wangara – Until 31st January @Subaru Wangara is offering our club $500 for any new or used car purchased by one of our members. If you’re in the market for a car this is a great opportunity to support our club. You’ll need to mention the Club and provide your membership details. For more details get in touch with Michael Tomeo at Subaru Wangara”
The Gang chilling over yummy food n drinks
save the date – on the 6th of april this year we will be celebrating our 10 years of being an affiliated club. the group came together in 2008, but officially we became an incorporated, affiliated club in 2009. help us celebrate this occasion. hopefully many “founding members” will be in attendance to see how the club has evolved over the years. more info can be found on the previous post (but not too much more info)
summer sunday times – there was a bit of confusion over the christmas period with the start times of the sunday long hills ride. due to a number of reasons, some earlier rides were organised on a forum that was not accessible to everyone that normally rides on sunday. as such there were a couple of occasions where people turned up at 7am for the long hills only to discover that it had left earlier. the start time over summer of the sunday rides will be discussed at the next committee meeting and the outcome will be publicised for all to see. for the time being, expect that both the long and short hills to leave at the normal 7am timeslot.
saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning. please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate. this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts. see the previous post for more details.
spr juniors – juniors is getting bigger. more kids, more hill climbs, more pancakes and more bacon. seriously, pancakes with bacon seems to be the food of choice. anyway, summer is coming so suns out, sons out (daughters welcome too). under 10’s or over 10’s welcome with parents.
from the ride coordinator – Perth’s weather is also feeling left out of the Radelaide party and is trying to catch up on the weekend with 37 & 40 degree days.
Cooling ideas from the TDU – from the racers: ice vests before you start, stockings of ice cubes down the back of your jersey; from the volunteers: micro scarves soaked in ice water (or put in freezer); or from Team Williams, ride along the coast, make use of showers …
saturday 19th january
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
It’s a good idea to have a bit of a think now about any early winter SPR kit you might need. The next kit order will close on May 15th but no arrive until the end of June…don’t get caught shivering on those early winter mornings…order what you need now.
on holidays in country victoria and my home town is quite typical of towns around the area. hamilton has a population of about 10k and as with many towns back in the day, they all had a velodrome. these weren’t the indoor, classy, siberian pine wooden tracks, they were outdoor, not steep and lucky to be sealed. many have fallen into disrepair and have suffered from lack of use. this track, however, has been sealed with hotmix and once hosted the national outdoor track championships. it is part of that history of cycling where it’s popularity in the past meant that facilities were part of the expansion of local towns.
ride leader sponsor –The ride leader sponsor for January is Babylon Pump & Power LTD. They provide specialist equipment rental, diesel rebuild/maintenance and project support to the resources sector.
memberships – all 2018 race memberships expired at the end of the year. we dropped from 403 members to our current level of 270. it is important to renew your membership even if you are not intending to race during the first month or so of 2019. no membership means no insurance and i am sure that you will still be riding your bike even if you aren’t racing. if you have decided not to race anymore, a recreational membership will give you insurance coverage during your training rides. if you want to transfer to spr from another club, send and email to the admin address and i can action it electronically. check out the previous post for more info and links.
subaru wangara – Until 31st January @Subaru Wangara is offering our club $500 for any new or used car purchased by one of our members. If you’re in the market for a car this is a great opportunity to support our club. You’ll need to mention the Club and provide your membership details. For more details get in touch with Michael Tomeo at Subaru Wangara”
The Gang chilling over yummy food n drinks
save the date – on the 6th of april this year we will be celebrating our 10 years of being an affiliated club. the group came together in 2008, but officially we became an incorporated, affiliated club in 2009. help us celebrate this occasion. hopefully many “founding members” will be in attendance to see how the club has evolved over the years. more info can be found on the previous post (but not too much more info)
summer sunday times – there was a bit of confusion over the christmas period with the start times of the sunday long hills ride. due to a number of reasons, some earlier rides were organised on a forum that was not accessible to everyone that normally rides on sunday. as such there were a couple of occasions where people turned up at 7am for the long hills only to discover that it had left earlier. the start time over summer of the sunday rides will be discussed at the next committee meeting and the outcome will be publicised for all to see. for the time being, expect that both the long and short hills to leave at the normal 7am timeslot.
saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning. please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate. this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts. see the previous post for more details.
spr juniors – juniors is getting bigger. more kids, more hill climbs, more pancakes and more bacon. seriously, pancakes with bacon seems to be the food of choice. anyway, summer is coming so suns out, sons out (daughters welcome too). under 10’s or over 10’s welcome with parents.
from the ride coordinator – #friebyfortdu
saturday 12th january
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
There has been plenty of chatter throughout the Club over the weekend about what we have planned for our 10th Anniversary on the 6th of April. Committee members claim to have been offered bribes of gold and silver (…“Not all treasure’s silver and gold, mate.”), while others have been threatened with Davy Jones’ locker!! So much passion for information…
Now, while we’re not yet ready to spill the full beans, what we can reveal in this next instalment is that there will in fact be NOT ONE, but TWO, separate events happening on the same day!! “Holy Decoy, Batman! Is that a statue in the middle of the river??”
Both events will be in keeping with our ‘river-ride’ theme, each with its own key elements of intrigue and curios to keep you entertained. What we can unveil today is that you’ll need to be ready to ‘pedal the distance’ AND ‘frock up’; but for which is which? Time will tell….
So, tune in next week…..same Bat-time, same Bat-channel….
so we are into the first week of our new years resolutions. who has broken theirs already??? unofficially, mine was an extension of how i finished 2018. this revolved around how i viewed my own cycling and how i was going to operate in 2019. for me, i was suffering from race burn-out midway through 2018 after training for pretty much the last few years. i still wanted to ride my bike, but i didn’t want to train. i have a powermeter, but i don’t want an ftp. i wanted to push 400 watts, but only to stay on the group, not because i was required to do 1 min on, 1 min off. i have cancelled training peaks premium, strava premium and zwift. i want to ride with my kids. i want to sleep in if i felt like it (without feeling guilty). at the moment i am on holidays and i didn’t bring my powermeter over for the vic-bike. no power and no cadence – it looks wrong (but still feels right). this year my resolution is to enjoy it and be realistic.
ride leader sponsor –The ride leader sponsor for January is Babylon Pump & Power LTD. They provide specialist equipment rental, diesel rebuild/maintenance and project support to the resources sector.
memberships – all 2018 race memberships expired at the end of the year. we dropped from 403 members to our current level of 270. it is important to renew your membership even if you are not intending to race during the first month or so of 2019. no membership means no insurance and i am sure that you will still be riding your bike even if you aren’t racing. if you have decided not to race anymore, a recreational membership will give you insurance coverage during your training rides. if you want to transfer to spr from another club, send and email to the admin address and i can action it electronically. check out the previous post for more info and links.
The Gang chilling over yummy food n drinks
save the date – on the 6th of april this year we will be celebrating our 10 years of being an affiliated club. the group came together in 2008, but officially we became an incorporated, affiliated club in 2009. help us celebrate this occasion. hopefully many “founding members” will be in attendance to see how the club has evolved over the years. more info can be found on the previous post (but not too much more info)
summer sunday times – there was a bit of confusion over the christmas period with the start times of the sunday long hills ride. due to a number of reasons, some earlier rides were organised on a forum that was not accessible to everyone that normally rides on sunday. as such there were a couple of occasions where people turned up at 7am for the long hills only to discover that it had left earlier. the start time over summer of the sunday rides will be discussed at the next committee meeting and the outcome will be publicised for all to see. for the time being, expect that both the long and short hills to leave at the normal 7am timeslot.
saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning. please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate. this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts. see the previous post for more details.
spr junior juniors – this will be for the under 10’s as last week the outschoorn kids headed into kings park before finishing at dome with everyone else. they will meet at the coode st carpark at 7am with every other group and will follow a similar route to kings park as the “juniors fast 1”. the number of loops/etc will depend on who is in attendance. as with all our junior rides, a parent or guardian needs to be in attendance.
spr juniors – juniors is getting bigger. more kids, more hill climbs, more pancakes and more bacon. seriously, pancakes with bacon seems to be the food of choice. anyway, summer is coming so suns out, sons out (daughters welcome too).
from the ride coordinator – There were 3 separate crashes, from 3 different SPR groups this morning, all at the same location. Whatever the ride, always ride to the conditions, and remember you’re in a group ride. Light rain in summer in Perth means greasy roads, water on a corner is a hazard at all times of the year. Slow down, make sure everyone in the group knows there is an issue. In all SPR rides, Safety is paramount, communication and an appropriate level of caution is the key to this. And always remember that your decisions (good and bad) can impact others in the group the same way theirs can impact you.
saturday 5th january
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
…we are planning 2019 event that is not to be missed!!
April 6th 2019 will see all those in attendance celebrate 10 years of SPR. So many memories have been created, friendships formed, races won and lost, volunteers provided, events organised and completed…we are a leading example of a community group that transcends the sport we all love – our heart & soul is social & sporting inclusion. Anyone can, and has, joined our Club to develop their own love of the sport of cycling, found new friends and established ways of living their life that were previously unimaginable (“Riding a bike in Italy up those same hills that the ‘big boys’ ride?? Not a chance…until I found SPR!!”)
But how to celebrate such a big occasion? With change & adaptation a constant force on the Club over the last 10 years, we wanted to do something that would be meaningful to everyone who has or does belong to SPR, which is why we’ve chosen the the ‘SPR River Loop’! We feel it would be remiss of us to not pay homage to this nationally, and in some cases internationally recognised icon of Perth cycling!
Now, of course it won’t just be ANY SPR River Loop – that would never do! And, if we told you exactly what we were planning, where would the fun in that be?!
Over the coming months we’ll be drip feeding a few clues on the Blog during the lead up to the big day….just to keep you guessing. Some clues will likely be decoys to throw you off the scent and others will be factual to help you get to the start on time (and wearing the right a-tyre)! If you think you’ve got it, keep it to yourself…but don’t be too sure as we think we’ve got something pretty special that might just surprise you!
Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, all Committee members have been sworn to secrecy so don’t go putting the squeeze on them!! They are vaults!
So, if SPR has, did, does or continues to mean anything to you as a person or cyclist, then lock it in! When this event picks up a full head of steam you will NOT want to simply hear about it the next day! You will want to be able to revel in the fact that you have participated in and contributed to something that will become part of the history of the Club, just as the SPR River Loop is part of the fabric of Perth.
Be sure to have the late afternoon/evening of the 6th of April well and truly blocked out in your calendar! More clues and information will be provided soon!
the sun rises after the night owl – photo by finley vine
as the sun sets on the last post of the year, it is time to reflect on exactly what we have here. a year ago i was making tentative plans to leave perth. 2017 was hands down my worst year ever of my 20+ years with the company and i was ready to cash out. i was luckily thrown a lifeline and this year has been excellent even with the extra travel involved. however, it is worth thinking about the “what ifs” and how the club would fair. the last few years we have had a good measure of stability within the organisation and running of the club. people like jon hanson and greg murray who worked tirelessly to bring together the beverely event and spr tomr teams. behind the scenes, tim hopkins did lots of work to organise and reorganise the new bike racks, through prototyping and delivery. but even more than that, i know that there are people within the club that share similar values to me who will take up the mantle if i left. these are the people that i rely on heavily when we make some of the more difficult decisions within the club. people like daniel harvey, andrew ballam, rob ramsden and julian johnson. people that have been part of the committee for a number of years and understand the direction that we want to take the club in the future. i suppose the bottom line is that it is not an “if” but “when” we do leave perth, i can see spr having future that extends well past my tenure.
ride leader sponsor –the ride leader sponsor for December is Get Your Visa a migration agency based in Perth since 2012. Whether you are looking at an employee to sponsor, or having a relative joining you or any migration matters, Get Your Visa is there to help.
social committee and race awards 2018 – as it tradition within the club, we gave out our annual awards last weekend at the club xmas breakfast. it is important for us as a club to recognise those that have contributed to the what makes the club what it is – a group of people with a shared interest, but a multitude of experiences. a complete list of winners and nominations can be found on the previous post.
memberships – all race memberships will expire at the end of the year (i.e. in 4 days time). it is important to renew your membership even if you are not intending to race during the first month or so of 2019. no membership means no insurance and i am sure that you will still be riding your bike even if you aren’t racing. if you have decided not to race anymore, a recreational membership will give you insurance coverage during your training rides. if you want to transfer to spr from another club, send and email to the admin address and i can action it electronically. check out the previous post for more info and links.
save the date – on the 6th of april next year we will be celebrating our 10 years of being an affiliated club. the group came together in 2008, but officially we became an incorporated, affiliated club in 2009. help us celebrate this occasion. hopefully many “founding members” will be in attendance to see how the club has evolved over the years.
saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning. please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate. this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts. see the previous post for more details.
spr junior juniors – after a bit of a trial last week, we will be starting our junior juniors (also known as – juniors fast 2). this will be for the under 10’s as last week the outschoorn kids headed into kings park before finishing at dome with everyone else. they will meet at the coode st carpark at 7am with every other group and will follow a similar route to kings park as the “juniors fast 1”. the number of loops/etc will depend on who is in attendance. as with all our junior rides, a parent or guardian needs to be in attendance.
spr juniors – juniors is getting bigger. more kids, more hill climbs, more pancakes and more bacon. seriously, pancakes with bacon seems to be the food of choice. anyway, summer is coming so suns out, sons out (daughters welcome too).
from the ride coordinator – Good luck to anyone trying to complete the Rapha 500 this week. Wishing you all a Happy New Year for 2019.
saturday 29th december
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
Thank you to everyone who participated and nominated our club members in this year’s annual awards. Approximately 60 people were nominated and below you can see the reasons why. We are very proud to have each and every one of you in our club!
Social Committee Awards 2018:
The winners of the awards were selected by a panel based on the number and nature of the nominations. The list of names below is a combination nominations listed in alphabetically order.
Most improved rider – a rider who over the last year has made the greatest improvements in ability and skill.
Winners:
Female and Overall – Sam Flockhart
Male – Greg Jones
Sam, Part 1Greg, much improved and well loved.
Also nominated:
Adam Ralph, Anita Young ¸Daniel Harvey, David Menarry, Dermot Blackweir, Elar Kalda, Faye Daglish Jones, Ginny Donley, Josie Meyer¸ Kate Bonner, Katheryn Dines, Laurensia Rosana, Liz Sheehan, Meegan Fyfield, Michelle McLintock, Rebecca Kelly, Rob Ramsden, Ross Boaden¸ Steve Burns, Stuart Carson, Tim Hopkins, Vanessa Johnson
Most inspirational rider: someone who has influenced you through their deeds or helped to motivate you to achieve more in cycling than you thought you could.
Winners: Female and overall – Amanda Nabi Male – Adam Ralph
Also with multiple nominations:
Faye Dagliesh-Jones, Meagan Fyfeild, Michelle Mclintock, Rob Ramsden,
Good Samaritan/s: someone who has taken an opportunity to help, on the spur of the moment, another cyclist in need.
Winners:
These Blokes. Trust us – we’re cyclists.
Andrew Ballam, Peter Mah
Also with multiple nominations:
Dave Menarry, Dean Roser¸ Rob Ramsden, Steve Burns, Tracey Hassell & Eamon Dorricott
Epic equipment or moment award: something that sticks in your mind about a rider and/or their bike/gear/club ride/race that was so unusual, be that good or bad.
Winners:
Bonner. Mucho amore. Tears ensued all around.
Michelle Bonner: For initiating full medical response with CPR to resuscitate and revive Greg Jones after an episode out on an SPR ride.
Vanessa Johnson: For continuing to race at WCMCC after witnessing husband and VP Dr J in several pieces on the roadside post-race crash. For another four laps. Laughs, haha banter….
Also with multiple nominations:
Adam Ralph, Amanda Nabi, Andrew Ballam, Steve Burns, Tim Hopkins.
Best social media photo, caption or meme of a photo of SPR club member/s
Best Photo: Audrey Xie
Go. Away.
For a forlorn image of Sam Flockhart and Dean Roser racing The Beverley in “marginal” conditions.
Best Memes: Dome Coffees Cycling Club
Also nominated:
Peter Mah for his countless selfies while racing world champs and Seven.
Rafael Fernandez for his SPR ride videos on Facebook.
Best Dressed Xmas Riders:
Jack Chang, as always.Mark De Castro. Appalling. A jersey so bad, it’s great.
Peter Lander. Longest stripey legs going around!
Race @ SPR – Race Awards 2018:
This year we are awarding an SPR kit and Team (non-SPR) kit awards for Women and Men. But firstly some Honourable Mentions for those that should be recognised for efforts AND actual achievement.
In the Mens, Masters WCMCC racing saw regular big numbers from SPR, largely from The Ring Leader recruiting all and sundry Steve Burns – outstanding work!
Among those racing with results through the year were Tomasz Wolcyk winning the Element Series B grade, Craig Denham performing as part of Check 1-2 through the Ring Series, Adam Ralph, David Menarry, Ross Boaden, Tim Hopkins, Pete Seizovic all taking results in WCMCC, and Mike Morris taking the win at Peel Classic C grade.
From the Women, Sam Flockart at Masters Nats, Corrie Johnstone’s A grade consistency, Vanessa Johnson, Laurensia Rosana, and without bias Rebecca Kelly (who forbid me naming her) who placed second in the Element series for B grade.
SPR Women’s Racer of the Year – Kirstie Moore.
Kirstie Moore. C grade series won last year, B grade series win this year. Where next?
Stepping up to B grade and winning the Element Series after also winning Women’s C Grade series last year. Absolute consistency prevailed. And topping that off with ToMR Stage 3 sprint mixing it with the A graders.
Elar Kalda. Just keeps getting better.
SPR Men’s Racer of the Year – Elar Kalda
Jumping to A grade this year Elar consistently finished with placing in top 10s. And in the process pinching a Dome Coffees Racing Team call up.
Team (non-SPR Kit) Women’s Racer of the Year, JOINT winners
Michelle McLintock
The Win.
Michelle placed strongly throughout the year, but hit the pinnacle in Victoria winning the Overall Masters National Champion for her division.
Amanda Nabi
Nabi.
Amanda took Local, National and (UCI) International podium places for Road Racing and Time Trial and a crescendo-ed with a Cycling Australia nomination for National Masters Chick of the Year*.
(*May not be actual title..!)
Pat’s take on “Xmas Jersey”. Well won, Mate.
Team (non-SPR Kit) Men’s Racer of the Year: Patrick Saccani-Williams
With another top 20 place at ITT Nationals in January, winner ToMR overall individual and just recently winning in the Thailand Tour of Chaing Rai Pat dominated. Including Crit wins. CRITS?!?!
Better with age? Ralphaaaaa!
Most improved racer: Adam Ralph
From a strong finish to last year, Adam continued improving throughout 2018 at UCI Worlds, regular WCMCC outings, Element Series and Road Captaining at
ToMR.
The “Golden Mo” Racing Photo of the Year is awarded to the SUBJECTS of a great Race Day photo. Sam Flockart and Dean Roser.
Happier, drier times.
At The Beverley, on the return leg and loving life these two flouted all three lessons offered by the Mo (1. Get in the drops; 2. Ride AT the photographer; 3. Look fast, don’t go fast) they captured all the emotion and feels of an epic challenging day.
A huge thanks goes out to Jon “Hanno” Hanson, and to the endless generosity of our SPR volunteers. You know who you are!
so, for some reason this year the sunday long hills ride has been at the centre of a lot of debate and change. a number of times there has been an unofficial time change that has not been widely communicated (i.e. on the ride routes blog). some days there have been some good reasons for doing this, like really hot days, and other times not so good. what this results in, are people that are not privy to the change turning up at 7am expecting to do the long hills ride, only to find that the majority of the regulars have decided amongst themselves to change the start time. unfortunately, this puts certain people in the unenviable position of having to explain why there is no hills ride as advertised. last week there were only 2 long hills riders that ended up just doing the short hills as they did not feel that it would be safe on their own. one of the reasons we have not had variable ride start times during the year has been a consistency that this affords us for anyone that is not a regular. people that don’t read the blog, or visit from interstate just know that the ride will be at 7am.
