Track report 10/10/18
by Trevor Scaloppini
Trevor penned his latest instalment from the Cairns Lock-up after being arrested for heckling the front man? at a Snake Gully Ensemble gig. Read his words crafted under the shadows of iron bar incarceration..
Wednesday’s fields were a little light on after the fury of the Cup on Wheels. However several riders were keen to either make amends or back up from Smith Park feature weekend, and we saw some particularly good performances in the junior ranks:
Sienna set the standard in the individual TT with a 41 second lap. This was a scorching ride and begs the question of how soon will it be before this young lady consistently breaks the 40 second barrier for the 400 metres. In the meantime, Sienna still has strong opposition in the form of Verety and Rone. These two girls have provided the competition to keep the finishes thrilling and look to be the future (along with Sienna) of women’s track racing.
In the mini category Lily, Sophie, Thomas and Jackson are all now on a level playing field racing fixed wheels, and it is a pleasure to see these youngsters learning track craft and becoming adept on the velodrome. Again the girls showed their strength in this category, but watch for the boys in the coming weeks.
In the open categories, Brandon won 3 from 4 showing no signs of fatigue backing up after the Cup. His near flawless display contained wins in the Scratch, Keirin and Elimination with only Azzopardi spoiling the party with a nice win in the handicap wheelrace. Luke is now on unrestricted gearing and poses an immediate threat to the senior ranks with the ratios for greater top end speed. I for one will be watching his efforts even more closely now as this young man takes the next step in realising his full potential. Both these riders will be contesting the Townsville Cup, and their handicapper will need to pay close attention!
Rod Larcombe’s Cairns Cup Carnival was a superb day out. Although in the veteran ranks now, he still managed podium finishes in the Webb Trophy and feature. He again powered through the club program last Wednesday with his last ride as good as his first – testament to his fitness and determination.
B and C graders shared the honours with Gaby Thomasz, Tom Cook, Josh Rayner, Chris Chastre, Mark Proctor and James Mort posting wins. Thomasz made a welcome return to the track the week before, and seems set for another strong summer on the velodrome with a full road season now under her belt.
Rayner and Chastre both won their Keirins handsomely and will keep the home fires burning in the end of year point’s classification – presentation night planned soon.
Tom kept the good times rolling as he again put himself in as many races as possible. While the Uber-cool Mark Proctor made the most of every opportunity and locked in an early scratch win.
James Mort’s first win on the track was only a matter of time and he did it via the final elimination event. This race that also goes by the name of “Devil take the hindmost” had something for everyone and was not without some drama, intrigue and controversy to cap off a good night out.
Best of luck to our Townsville competitors..