The Jim Gleisner & Fred McNamara Perpetual Trophy

The Coburg Club Champs was held over a brand new and typical "Logan" torture circuit.  The morning greeted the riders with strong and blustery south westerly winds and temperatures as cold as 7 deg at the top of Mt Macedon.  Only the strongest and most persistent riders would win today.

The Masters 4+, Women and Juniors would race 55km just avoiding the normal Newham-Lancefield loop.  The riders were already reported being blown off the load even whilst the race was under control.  However, the field was split apart once the race reached the very difficult Mt Eliza-Kerrie Valley Road, with 8 significant climbs over the next 12km.  (Brooke actually counted them all!!).  Only 6 remained after half the race run with still the 7km climb to Mt Macedon remaining.  From then only the strong prevailed with Kevin Russell taking a strong victory at the summit.  Brooke was the only remaining women to finish taking thus becoming Coburg Women's Club Champion.  14 yr old Josh Ferrie rode an impressive race becoming Junior Club Champion finishing only 7 min behind the winner.

The Elite/Masters 2 & 3 race was always going to be a race of attrition with a couple of top class riders from other clubs coming out to race.  The pace at the beginning and on Mt Eliza road over the climbs was really on and riders we being dropped on every climb.  Poor Ian McGinley in his first ever race was dropped early but to his credit struggled on in the gale force winds finishing at the top of the mountain in good shape.

As the riders entered the Newham-Lancefield circuit Miller and Lovelock (both Hawthorn) attacked and with Coburg watching each other, took no interest in chasing.  With only a handful of riders remaining it looked like it was going to come down to a race up the final climb.  At the base of the mountain only Short, Logan, McDonough, Bertovic, Laird and Wornes from Coburg, Bradshaw (St Kilda) and Denmead (Hawthorn) remained.  During the first half of the climb, a couple of attacks especially one really hard one from McDonough reduced the field to only 4.  Bradshaw had done a massive amount of work and now no longer could go with the pace.  Laird and Denmead also finally found the pace just a little too hot.  In the final km Wornes had the best legs opening a small lead which he would hold to the end.

Meanwhile, Lovelock exploded on the climb taking out the overall victory over Miller by 2:30min in an impressive climb to the summit.

Special thanks to Jamie Hanson (chief commissaire), the Condon and Logan family, Warren Smith and all the Coburg corner marshals (Steve P, Wayne D'Agostini, Anthony Somers and Andres Rojas) for standing out there in such atrocious conditions.

Open Results (86km)
1st   Jono Lovelock (Haw)      2hr 21:59
2nd  Shane Miller (Haw)         @2:21
3rd   Justin Wornes             @6:25 - Club Champion
4th   Tom McDonough           @6:35
5th   David Bertovic               @6:35
6th   Paul Logan                   @6:49
7th   Jason Laird                   @8:10
8th   James Bradshaw (StK)   @8:26
9th   Fraser Short                  @8:31
10th Stewart Denmead (Haw) @14:18
11th Tim Kirkham (Foo)         @18:43
12th Wayne Gebert               @21:28
13th Orazio Lo Castro (ItA)     @21:32
13th Mick Skerritt                  @26:35
14th Ian McGinley                 @1hr 03:00
15th Andrew Robinson           DNF

Masters 4+ / Women / Juniors (56km)
1st   Kevin Russell                1hr 47:19
2nd  Paul Davine                   @0:37
3rd   James Butler (Mac)       @0:53 (Jnr)
4th   Mel Humphreys-Grey     @1:12
5th   Laurie Lovelock (Haw)    @1:47
6th   Peter Ferrie                   @2:04
7th   Josh Ferrie                    @7:01 (Jnr)
8th   David Butler (Mac)          @7:01
9th   Brooke Condon              @11:36 (Women)
10th Greg Gillard                   @26:41
11th Sam Lilley                     @1hr 04:27 (Jnr)