Cricket Web Cycling Team

[Matteh]

Originally Posted by Clapo

Hmmmmm, reasonably happy with a top 6 finish...a podium would've been nice though.

You beat Cadel though.

[Samuel_Vimes]

January 14
Australian Road Race Championships, 163 km, Ballarat



16 laps of an oscillating circuit, definitely nothing for the sprinters, although they are in the team because we're allowed to have nine.


The team of nine. Malone and Forner are our pre-race favourites to do stuff, since they're in good form; Dunn should attempt an early breakaway, as if he gets away, he's guaranteed to win the break and can keep his own tempo over the hill.

However, it was Johny Walker of South Australia who broke away early; he got a maximum lead of five minutes, which Casson Dairy attempted to reel in slowly, but were foiled by a mass charge from Predictor-Lotto and Drapac with seven laps to go. They shook off everyone who couldn't climb, including Dunn, Gelman, Kearsley and Reddlapalli, leaving our five climbers in a 40-man group.

The next attack came on the fifth-last lap. James Meadley of Jelly Belly (I'm not joking here) began it, Trent Lowe of Discovery attacked his wheel, and Chris Dwyer figured he might as well take the free reins and attack. It was timed to perfection. Dwyer had Lowe's wheel midway through the climb, then gradually shook the Discovery rider away from his wheel and back to the main bunch.

Said bunch had been severely shattered by the top class attack. Drapac had attempted to chase, but only had Thuaux and McLachlan left; Casson Dairy held on with four, and Evans and Lloyd of Predictor-Lotto were also in that group. McEwen and O'Grady chased 20 second behind, in a group headed by Adam Hansen of T-Mobile. The two Predictor-Lotto riders couldn't decide whether to stay with the group or to help McEwen, but by the next lap it was clear McEwen would not hold on. Dwyer had wrested himself into a lead of 1 minute 30 seconds (1'30"), while an 18-man group were together behind him.

Status quo was kept for the last few laps. Dwyer would push hard on the climbs and gain time, only to lose it downhill and on the flat; yet the total distance remained around 1'20". With Casson Dairy having four men in a 12-man group behind Dwyer, victory was almost assured, as even if Dwyer hit the road on the way up, they could set up a ferocious pace and blow the field apart.


Dwyer leading with a little over 1km to go

As seen, that was not needed. Dwyer remained in a comfortable lead, and despite a poor sprint by Casson Dairy, where McLachlan and O'Grady broke away from the main bunch, they were without chance of catching Dwyer. Four Casson Dairy riders placed in the top ten.


The champion celebrating his win

1 Chris Dwyer TEAM CASSON DAIRY 4h50'10
2 Robert McLachlan DRAPAC PORSCHE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM + 22
3 Stuart O'Grady TEAM CSC s.t.
4 Benjamin Brooks NAVIGATORS INSURANCE CYCLING TEAM s.t.
5 Trent Lowe DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM s.t.
6 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
7 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
8 Adam Hansen T-MOBILE TEAM s.t.
9 Phillip Thuaux DRAPAC PORSCHE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM s.t.
10 Bugs Malone TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
11 Jake Sutherland ASFRA RACING TEAM s.t.
12 Cadel Evans PREDICTOR - LOTTO s.t.
13 William Walker RABOBANK s.t.
14 Kingsley Clapham TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
41 Manjunath Reddlapalli TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 9'21
44 Ryan Dunn TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
45 Zac Gelman TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
60 David Kearsley TEAM CASSON DAIRY +14.09

Now on to South Australia, as the next week will be occupied by races in and around Adelaide. On January 16, the team will race in the Down Under Classic, another short criterium race where Dunn and Kearsley will aim for money. Then, the Tour Down Under:



At least three of the stages look like sprinter meat - the second and fourth may be tricky, however. Thus, the two sprinters will be accompanied by a number of decent climbers to blow the field apart on that fourth-stage hill - Dwyer, Forner, Malone, for example. The quota is eight riders, so a couple of breakaway riders will join them - the second stage looks ok for someone to go away and win. Greg Thomas has listed this as a target but it doesn't really suit for a pure climber, sorry.

[thewizard1o1]

Great work by Dwyer getting that nice Australian National Champs Jersey for the team. Now onto the TDU \o/

[Matteh]

Played Dwyer.

[Johnners]

Top Stuff Dwyer (Y)

[davidpares]

i signed up for this but i still not sure whether i got enetered onto the database - can anyone confirm this?

[Samuel_Vimes]

Originally Posted by davidpares

i signed up for this but i still not sure whether i got enetered onto the database - can anyone confirm this?

Erm...the easiest way to put it is I forgot.

Will be added from now though. Taking the spot of John Gadret. You probably wouldn't have been racing anywhere, had enough trouble fitting in all the Aussies.

Full squad list:

Fensome, Alex = Chubb
Gray, Jamee = Jamee999
Pickup, Neil = obv
Mørk, Håkon = Samuel_Vimes
Mitchell, Mathew = Matteh
Clapham, K. F. = Clapo
Rose, Xavier = roseboy64
Thomas, Greg = NZTailender
Forner, Josh = Josh
Dwyer, Chris = Bobisback
Gelman, Zac = pasag
Walsh, Craig = Craig
Reddlapalli, Manjunath = alternative
Davis, Heath T. = WHOOOOOSH
Dunn, Ryan = pinchy81
Pares, David = obv
Kearsley, David = kears_falcon_9
Hoy, Nathan = thewizard101
Kennett, David = David
Malone, Bugs = bugssy
---
Arroyo, David
Arvesen, Kurt Asle
Dean, Julian
Hoy, Chris
Millar, David
Steegmans, Gert
Txurruka, Amets
Vansummeren, Johan
Vasseur, Cedric
Voigt, Jens
Wesemann, Steffen
Wiggins, Bradley

[Bobisback]

Im so awesome.

[davidpares]

Originally Posted by Samuel_Vimes

Erm...the easiest way to put it is I forgot.

lol no worries - thnkx for stickin me in, my last miunte call up cud be all thats needed to give the team that extra morale boost and see a casson dairy 1,2,3.

[readie]

hey was just wondering if its too late to sign up?

[pasag]

Awesome stuff from Dwyer.

[Samuel_Vimes]

Originally Posted by readie

hey was just wondering if its too late to sign up?

Nope. Just fill in the form on the first page.

[Craig]

Well played Dwyer, you'll look awesome in the Australian Road Champions jersey. Just too bad we couldn't do the double in the Time Trial.

Hak am I doing Wellington or if not when is my debut race for our squad, I know they will be counting on me.

[Jamee999]

Hakon, could my first race be the Tour du Haut Var, please

Start with a few mountains.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by Jamee999

Hakon, could my first race be the Trofeo Laigueglia, please

Is a good quality race. Win it and you will join the likes of Lance Armstrong on the winners list. Obviously from a SIM game point of few.