Press Release
THE EASTERN OAK MELBOURNE TO WARRNAMBOOL CLASSIC 2011
FINAL RESULTS : Saturday, October 29
Download the Official Results :
The Eastern Oak Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic 2011 Results
(FILE : PDF)
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications Pty Ltd
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Diana Nardi : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications Pty Ltd
Ph: 03 5224 2466
PEARSON POWERS TO 2ND WARRNAMBOOL TRIUMPH
Popular cycling journeyman Joel Pearson notched the bravest performance of his impressive career today with his second victory in the Eastern Oak Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic.
The red-haired, freckle-faced Pearson, 28, who also won the 262km classic in 2009, triumphed by 13 seconds from the rising star of Australian bike racing, Nathan Haas, with the unheralded Victorian Luke Fetch third.
“This is a dream, the biggest thrill of my life,” the jubilant Pearson told a large rain-drenched crowd at the finish line in Warrnambool’s Raglan Parade.
“I don’t think I have ever won a decent race in a solo breakaway before. This is a new one for me.”
Pearson and Fetch defied rain and strong headwinds to spurt clear of a leading group of 25 riders about 15 kilometres from Warrnambool but it was the experienced New South Welshman who found the extra grit to unload his younger rival and power home alone for the final 10kms.
With three of his Genesys Wealth Advisers team-mates – Haas, Patrick Shaw and Steele Von Hoff – backpedalling in the chasing bunch, Pearson was smiling well before he reached the finish.
“I have been playing second fiddle to the likes of Nathan and Steele this year,” Pearson said. “I was happy to do that, but to win a second Warrnambool is an incredible feeling.”
The victory was timely for Pearson, whose only major triumph since his ’09 Warrnambool win was in the eight-day Tour of the Murray River last year.
He crashed when looking a likely winner of the Australian open criterium championship in Ballarat in January, won a couple of minor races in France later on, then suffered the indignity of falling six times when trying to defend his Murray Tour crown in August.
“I’m embarrassed by all those crashes,” he said. “I don’t even want to talk about them.”
Pearson managed to avoid several falls in today’s 210-man contest, which started in buffeting winds at Werribee racecourse and concluded in driving rain.
Despite the conditions, there were still 160 riders in the main peleton as the field approached Camperdown for the Victorian 200km championship, held in conjunction with the Warrnambool, but severe climbs through the lakes and craters region south of the township, trashed the bunch.
Victorian Adam Murchie was a surprise winner of the 200km title.
Pearson’s winning time of 7 hours 24 minutes 14 secs was one of the slowest recorded since the 116-year-old classic became a massed start event in 1996, but his effort was applauded by his team-mates.
“We are excited for Joel,” said Haas whose recent triumphs include the Tour of Tasmania,, Herald Sun Tour and Japan Cup.
“Joel is one of the good guys.”
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications Pty Ltd
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Diana Nardi : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications Pty Ltd
Ph: 03 5224 2466
THE EASTERN OAK MELBOURNE TO WARRNAMBOOL CYCLING CLASSIC 2011 RACE ROUTE
Download the race route : Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic 2011 Course (FILE : PDF)
THE INDEPENDENT CRANES SHIPWRECK COAST CYCLING CLASSIC
2011 FINAL RESULTS
Final results for the Shipwreck Coast Cycling Classic have become available:
The Shipwreck Coast Cycling Classic 2011 Men Results (FILE : PDF)
The Shipwreck Coast Cycling Classic 2011 Womens Results (FILE : PDF)
GIACOPPO TRIUMPHS ON SHIPWRECK COAST
West Australian Anthony Giacoppo was rewarded for outstanding team loyalty with an emphatic victory in the Independent Cranes Shipwreck Coast Classic today.
Giacoppo, 25, a member of the mighty Genesys Wealth Advisers team, defeated Queenslander Peter Herzig in a punishing two-man sprint finish, with Ballarat’s Patrick Shaw a controversial third.
The mild-mannered Giacoppo has operated this year mainly as a faithful and capable work-horse for his high-profile team-mates Nathan Haas, Steele Von Hoff, Shaw, and yesterday’s Melbourne to Warrnambool winner Joel Pearson.
His best performances were third overall in the Eastern Oak Tour of Geelong in July and second placing in the final stage of the Herald Sun Tour earlier this month.
“It’s good to top off the year with a win like this,” Giacoppo said. “It’s been a great season for Genesys.
“Sometimes I felt I could have done better in the races where I was working for Nathan or Steele, but you’ve got to look at the big picture.”
Victorian Nicholas Mitchell was third over the line but chief commissaire Neville Williams elevated fourth placegetter Shaw into the minor placing after ruling that Mitchell caused interference over the last 50 metres.
The 117km Shipwreck Coast Classic started in Warrnambool and took in a route down the Great Ocean Road to Port Campbell before swinging back inland and finishing at Allansford.
It was the final event on Cycling Australia’s 2011 national road series, of which the individual title was won by Haas and the teams section by Genesys.
Werribee’s Kendelle Hodges won the women’s Shipwreck Coast Classic from South Australian Sinead Noonan, with Tasmanian Grace Sulzberger third.
The trio put up an excellent display in breaking away early and maintaining a four-minute advantage throughout.
Sulzberger, sister of Wesley and Bernard, won the national women’s road series.
GIACOPPO IS THE TEAM BOSS’ TIP
MEDIA RELEASE: Friday, October 28, 2011
All-conquering Canberra cyclist Nathan Haas will start red-hot favorite in tomorrow’s Eastern Oak Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic, but his team boss is not confident.
Andrew Christie-Johnson, the cherubic Tasmanian director of the hugely-successful Genesys Wealth Advisers team, believes his 22-year-old rising star will be a “marked rider” in the massive 210-man field.
Haas’ incredible 2011 road season reached the pinnacle yesterday when he signed a professional contract with top-rated UCI pro tour team Garmin Cervelo for 2012.
It followed his steam-rolling feats in winning the Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland, Eastern Oak Tour of Geelong, Caterpillar Tour of Tasmania, Jayco Herald Sun Tour and last Sunday’s Japan Cup, his first victory on foreign soil.
Christie-Johnson will dispatch an eight-man unit on the 262km “Warrnambool” journey – a line-up that includes 2009 victor Joel Pearson, Scody Cup winners Steele Von Hoff and Patrick Shaw and dark horse, West Australian Anthony Giacoppo, 24.
Billed by Christie-Johnson as a wonderful team rider and a future big-race contender, Giacoppo’s best results this year included third overall in the Tour of Geelong and second placing in the final stage of the Herald Sun Tour to German speedster Marcel Kittel.
“I would not be surprised if Anthony gets in a winning move,” Christie-Johnson said.
“He is quite a talent and will be ready to step up next year once we let him loose.
“He has been on the fringe of it all year, doing a lot of work for Haasy and the others.
“Our boys are pretty fired up for a big crack at the Warrny. It’s a long day but it may all get down to who has the legs to get away and stay away.”
The Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic, founded in 1895 and the Southern Hemisphere’s longest one-day bike race, will start at 7.30 a.m. from Werribee racecourse.
It will pass through Little River, Moorabool, Batesford, Inverleigh, Cressy, Lismore, Camperdown and Terang before concluding around 2p.m. in Warrnambool’s Raglan Parade.
It will be followed on Sunday by the 117km Independent Cranes Shipwreck Coast Classic, starting at 11.30 a.m. at Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill and finishing at Cheese World, Allansford at 2.15 p.m.
The Shipwreck Coast Classic has drawn 120 entries, including 33 women.
Both races are the final events on Cycling Australia’s 2011 national road series.
STATE GOVERNMENT BACKS “WARRNAMBOOL” FOR $200,000
The time-honored Eastern Oak Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic received a huge boost today with the announcement that the State Government would contribute $200,000 to the event over the next four years.
The Minister for Sport and Recreation, Hugh Delahunty, said the Victorian Government was pleased to provide $50,000 a year to support the delivery of the classic from 2011 to 2014 as part of its 2010 election commitments.
“This funding boost secures the future of the event for the next four years and will ensure Australia’s oldest one-day road cycling event continues to thrive and provide a launch pad for the next generation of road cycling heroes,” Mr Delahunty said.
The funding was welcomed by Warrnambool Citizens’ Road Race Committee president Brendan Gleeson who congratulated the Government on its support for one of Australia’s greatest and best-known regional sports events.
“This financial backing is a tremendous morale-booster for our hard-working committee and all associated with the classic,” he said.
“The Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic is an Australian sports institution.
“You’ve only got to look at the honor board – names like Sir Hubert Opperman, Russell Mockridge, Billy Guyatt, Dean Woods, Simon Gerrans and numerous other cycling greats are up there.”
The classic, founded in 1895 and billed as the world’s second-oldest bike race, will start at 7.30 a.m. from Werribee racecourse.
At 262kms, it is the Southern Hemisphere’s longest one-day cycling race and has attracted a massive 210 entries, the largest since it became a massed-start event in 1996.
The field includes Canberra’s Nathan Haas, who won the Herald Sun Tour earlier this month, 2011 Scody Cup winner Steele Von Hoff, 2010 Tour of Italy king of the mountains champion Matthew Lloyd, the controversial South Australian Chris Jongewaard, and 2009 “Warrnambool” victor Joel Pearson.
Ballarat’s Patrick Shaw, winner of the 2010 Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland and Scody Cup, will be trying to emulate his father Denis who won the classic in 1978.
Shaw is a member of the powerful Genesys Wealth Advisers team which also includes Haas, Von Hoff, Pearson and West Australian dark horse Anthony Giacoppo, runner-up to German powerhouse Marcel Kittel in the final stage of this year’s Herald Sun Tour.
Depending on weather conditions, the classic will conclude around 2p.m. in Warrnambool’s Raglan Parade.
The Wyndham City Council-sponsored Victorian 200km championship will be conducted in conjunction with the classic, with the first rider to reach Hill Crest Park in Camperdown the winner.
The classic will be followed on Sunday with the third running of the Independent Crane Hire Shipwreck Coast Classic, starting at 11.30 a.m. at Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill.
The classic has attracted a record 113 entries, including 33 women who will take off 15 minutes before the men’s race.
Both races, which are part of Cycling Australia’s 2011 national road series, are expected to finish around 2.15 p.m. at Cheese World, Allansford.
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications Pty Ltd
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Diana Nardi : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications Pty Ltd
Ph: 03 5224 2466
RECORD FIELDS FOR WARRNAMBOOL CYCLING DOUBLE-HEADER
A record field of 210 cyclists will contest the Eastern Oak Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic on Saturday.
The whopping entry is the largest since the 116-year-old classic became a massed start race in 1996. (field attached).
The Independent Crane Hire Shipwreck Coast Classic, founded in 2009 and to be conducted on Sunday, has also attracted record numbers, with 113 riders to face the starter. (field attached).
An impressive 33 women will contest the 117km Shipwreck Coast Classic, which will start at 11.30a.m. at Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill and conclude around 2.15p.m. at Cheese World, Allansford.
The “Warrnambool” will start at 7.30a.m. at Werribee racecourse and end about 2p.m. in Warrnambool’s Raglan Parade.
Race director John Craven today described the entry numbers as amazing.
“The response is a tribute to the bold decisions and enterprising hard work done by the Warrnambool Citizens’ Road Race Committee during the past 16 years,” he said.
“It’s not just the size of the fields – the quality is pretty special.”
Herald Sun Tour winner Nathan Haas, of Canberra, will wear the coveted No. 1 saddlecloth.
Melbourne’s Steele Von Hoff, tearaway winner of the 2011 Scody Cup, will carry No. 2.
The Minister for Sport and Recreation Hugh Delahunty will launch the classic at 11.30a.m. at Werribee racecourse tomorrow (Tuesday).
MATT LLOYD TO RIDE “WARRNAMBOOL” CLASSIC
MEDIA RELEASE : Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Former Australian road champion and internationally-renowned climbing specialist Matthew Lloyd will tackle the Eastern Oak Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic on Saturday, October 29.
In a major coup for the 116-year-old race, Lloyd, 28, will ride with a six-man local team,
Fenton Green p/b Spencers RACE, which includes last year’s runner-up Mark O’Brien, of Horsham.
Lloyd, king of the mountains champion in the 2010 Tour of Italy, is the best-credentialled cyclist to line up in the “Warrnambool” for some time.
He won the national title in Buninyong in 2008, the brutal Mt. Baw Baw stage of the Herald Sun Tour in 2004, has represented Australia at the Beijing Olympic Games and in three world road championships, has ridden the Tour de France twice, and the Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain three times each.
Lloyd said the classic’s tradition as one of the world’s great endurance races was sufficient incentive for him to contest the event for the first time.
“I am pleased to have the opportunity to get involved in this race and I’m going to have a good crack at winning it,” he said.
“Every cycling person I have spoken to worldwide knows about the ‘Warrnambool’.
“The race has such a big history. I’m looking forward to it. It’s one of the world’s most renowned bike races.”
Lloyd is not expecting an easy day out, though, especially with the quality of the anticipated 200-strong field, including rising stars, Herald Sun Tour winner Nathan Haas and 2011 Scody Cup champion Steele Von Hoff.
“Every year when I come home from Europe you can see that the standard of Australian domestic cycling is getting better,” he said.
“It’s hard to gauge how you are going to feel over a distance of 262 kilometres.
“The last 15 kilometres is going to be special, because of the attrition in races like these.”
Lloyd has had a light racing season, by his standards, falling out with his Omega Pharma-Lotto team in Europe earlier this year.
He is currently negotiating a contract with another European team for 2012.
“I am pretty excited about the Warrnambool,” he said.
“It’s the perfect way to get the ball rolling for the next year.”
The Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic will start at 7.30am at Werribee racecourse and finish about 2pm in Warrnambool’s Raglan Pde.
Sport and Recreation Minister Hugh Delahunty will launch the classic at the racecourse on Tuesday.
HAAS AND VON HOFF TO SET “WARRNAMBOOL” ALIGHT
Herald Sun Tour winner Nathan Haas and his barnstorming team-mate Steele Von Hoff will contest the Eastern Oak Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic on Saturday, October 29.
The Genesys duo will also line up in the Independent Crane Hire Shipwreck Coast Classic the following day.
Haas, 22, and Von Hoff, 23, have thrown Australian domestic road cycling into a breathtaking spin this year, winning all major races and prizes between them.
“Nathan and Steele are keen to finish the season the best way they can,” Genesys team boss Andrew Christie-Johnson said today.
“The Warrnambool and Shipwreck Coast races are both on their radar. They’re pretty keen.”
The amicable Haas yesterday continued his meteoric rise up the road cycling ladder by trouncing a large field of experienced international riders in the 59th edition of the Herald Sun Tour, Australia’s oldest stage race.
He went into the five-day event on a perfect preparation, having won the Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland in late July, the Eastern Oak Tour of Geelong in mid-August, and the Caterpillar Underground Mining Tour of Tasmania from October 4 – 9.
All tours are part of the four-event Scody Cup, Australia’s premier domestic road cycling series.
Von Hoff won the Scody Cup from Haas, with a total of 12 stage wins at the Gippsland and Geelong tours, and also the Tifosi Eyewear Tour of the Murray River.
He also won the gruelling 208km Elgas Launceston to New Norfolk Classic on October 2, and triumphed in the 2010 Shipwreck Coast Classic.
Melbourne to Warrnambool director John Craven said it was tremendously exciting to have the two rising stars of Australian cycling in both fields.
“Both of these young men are destined for great heights internationally during the next few years,” Craven said.
“They are oozing with talent and they belong to a very well organised team in Genesys Wealth Advisers.
“They will set the ‘Warrnambool’ alight.”
The eight-man Genesys team will be a formidable combination, with 2009 winner Joel Pearson and last year’s Scody Cup titleholder Patrick Shaw also in the squad.
The 262km Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic, founded in 1895, is the world’s second-oldest bike race and is the Southern Hemisphere’s longest one-day cycling event.
It is expected to attract around 200 competitors and will start at 7.30 a.m. from Werribee racecourse, finishing in Warrnambool’s Raglan parade about 2 p.m., depending on weather conditions.
The riders will pass through Little River, You Yangs, Serendip, Elcho Park, Moorabool, Bell Post Hill, Batesford, Dog Rocks, Stonehaven, Murgheboluc, Inverleigh, Hesse, Cressy, Berrybank, Lismore, Chocolyn, Camperdown, Terang, Garvoc, Panmure and Allansford.
Prizemoney is $17,000. Riders will also compete for the SEW-Eurodrive sprint championship at 20 designated locations along the route and the Lady Bay Resort king of the mountains title at seven hill climb points.
The classic will also incorporate the Wyndham City Council Victorian 200km championship, to be judged at Camperdown.
The 117km Shipwreck Coast Classic will start at 11.30 a.m. from Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill, finishing around 2.15 p.m. at Cheese World, Allansford.
The $6000 race will feature a special section for female riders and will travel via Allansford, Nullawarre, Nirranda, Bay of Islands, Peterborough, London Bridge, Curdievale, Nirranda and Mepunga East before its Allansford conclusion.
Backed by Tourism Victoria, both the men’s and women’s divisions are feature events on Cycling Australia’s national road series.
IT’S THE EASTERN OAK MELBOURNE TO WARRNAMBOOL CLASSIC
MEDIA RELEASE : Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Construction company Eastern Oak is the new major sponsor of the Melbourne to Warrnambool cycling classic.
And Independent Crane Hire will be naming rights sponsor of the fledging Shipwreck Coast Classic.
The 262km “Warrnambool”, first held in 1895, will be raced on Saturday, October 29.
The 117km Shipwreck Coast Classic was inaugurated in 2009 and will be staged on Sunday, October 30.
Eastern Oak’s general manager Ian Bell said his company was honoured to be the naming rights sponsor of the Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic.
“This event is a time-honoured institution in Australian sport,” Mr Bell said.
“It has an amazing history over 116 years and should be preserved and nurtured at all costs by governments and the sporting public.”
The classic’s president Brendan Gleeson said Eastern Oak’s involvement in the race was a wonderful gesture.
“Ian Bell has strong connections with the Western District and is a great contributor to historic events like the Warrnambool,” he said.
“The support of Eastern Oak and Independent Crane Hire is a tremendous morale-booster to our double-header cycling weekend.”
Eastern Oak and Independent Crane Hire recently backed the five-day Tour of Geelong, held in conjunction with the Victorian open road championships.
Mr. Gleeson also advised that long-time classic sponsor SEW-Eurodrive would again back the event’s prestigious sprint championship.
The Lady Bay Resort will have naming rights to the classics’ coveted King of the Mountains title.
Wyndham City Council is the naming rights sponsor of the Victorian 200km championship,
raced in conjunction with the classic and judged at Camperdown.
Cheese World at Allansford will host the finish of the Shipwreck Coast, which is also supported by Tourism Victoria and the Warrnambool City Council.
The “Warrnambool”, which is expected to attract a 200-strong field, will start at Werribee racecourse at 7.30am on Saturday, October 29.
The riders will pass through Little River, You Yangs, Serendip, Elcho Park, Moorabool, Bell Post Hill, Batesford, Dog Rocks, Stonehaven, Murgheboluc, Inverleigh, Hesse, Cressy, Berrybank, Lismore, Chocolyn, Camperdown, Terang, Garvoc, Panmure and Allansford before ending in Warrnambool, Raglan Parade around 2p.m.
The Shipwreck Coast Classic will commence at 11.30 am from Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill and conclude around 2.15 at Cheese World.
The Shipwreck Coast event will also feature a special section for female riders.
Both the men’s and women’s division are part of Cycling Australia’s 2011 national road series.
The Shipwreck Coast Classic will travel via Allansford, Nullawarre, Nirranda, Bay of Islands, Peterborough, London Bridge, Curdievale, Nirranda and Mepunga East before its Allansford conclusion.
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications Pty Ltd
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Diana Nardi : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications Pty Ltd
Ph: 03 5224 2466
WAGERING ON THE ‘WARRNAMBOOL?’ YOU BET!
Monday, 21 March 2011
Legalised betting will be conducted on Australia’s oldest bike race, the iconic Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic, this year.
In a major breakthrough for the 116-year-old classic, Centrebet.com will field on the 265km race on Saturday, October 29.
The “Warrnambool,” first held in 1895, is the Southern Hemisphere’s longest one-day bike race and the world’s second-oldest cycling event.
It was founded 10 years before the Tour de France and some of Australia’s greatest cycling names decorate its honor roll, including Sir Hubert Opperman, Russell Mockridge, Billy Guyatt, Dean Woods and, more recently, Simon Gerrans.
Race director John Craven described the Centrebet.com arrangement as an “exciting step” for the classic which is expected to attract more than 200 entries from all Australian states and territories, plus some from overseas.
“Centrebet is a worldwide organisation and this exposure will help promote the ‘Warrnambool’ into previously unchartered territory,” he said.
“It should also be a lot of fun. I am sure the cycling fraternity will embrace it.”
CycleSport Victoria general manager Kipp Kaufmann welcomed the innovation and said legalised betting should have great appeal to cycling’s growing army of followers.
“As with all sports, we have to be very careful about gambling but I’m sure this initiative will add a new dimension to the Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic,” he said.
“Bookmakers have bet on handicap races at track carnivals for years, but wagering on the ‘Warrnambool’ is another example of how much road cycling is growing in popularity.”
Centrebet, founded in 1992, has grown into a leading international on-line betting and gaming company, offering up to 6000 worldwide sports and horse racing markets a week.
In 1996, Centrebet became the first licensed bookmaker in the Southern Hemisphere to offer online sports betting.
Centrebet Pty Ltd is licensed by the Northern Territory Government’s Racing Commission under the racing and betting act of the Northern Territory.
The company is an approved betting provider for the AFL, NRL, Cricket Australia, Tennis Australia and professional golf.
Centrebet’s head of marketing and gaming, the Sydney-based Luke Brill, said the company would frame a market on the “Warrnambool” about two weeks before the event.
“The classic has a unique place in Australian sport and it’s an ideal event for Centrebet.com to bet on,” he said.
“Hopefully this could lead to something bigger in the future, but I’m sure there are thousands of cycling supporters out there who will appreciate the service Centrebet.com will offer on the ‘Warrnambool.’
“It’s one of the world’s most gruelling one-day bike races. With 200 starters each year, there’s rarely an obvious winner pre-post. There are so many variables.”
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Kipp Kaufmann : General Manager – CycleSport Victoria
Ph: 03 8480 300
BIG TICK-UP FOR SHIPWRECK COAST CLASSIC
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
The Shipwreck Coast cycling classic, originally designed as a support event to the iconic Melbourne to Warrnambool road race, has received a giant boost from the sport’s governing body, Cycling Australia.
The 117km event, which features the spectacular Great Ocean Road, has been elevated into CA’s exclusive men’s National Road Teams Series for 2011.
And, perhaps more importantly, the classic will form part of CA’s inaugural Women’s Road Team Series.
There are only 11 events nationwide in the men’s series and seven on the new women’s calendar.
Shipwreck Coast Classic director John Craven said he was surprised but delighted with CA’s seal of approval.
“ I thought it would take us a few more years to earn this status but this is a huge accolade for the race,” he said.
The shipwreck Coast Classic, starting in Warrnambool and finishing inAllansford, was founded in 2009 by the Warrnambool Citizens’ Road Race Committee, in league with Warrnambool City Council and Tourism Victoria.
THE TORQ MELBOURNE TO WARRNAMBOOL CYCLING CLASSIC 2010
FINAL RESULTS
Final results for the Torq Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic have become available:
The Torq Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic 2010 Results
(FILE : PDF)
THE SHIPWRECK COAST CYCLING CLASSIC 2010
FINAL RESULTS
Final results for the Shipwreck Coast Cycling Classic have become available:
The Shipwreck Coast Cycling Classic 2010 Results (FILE : PDF)
PRESS RELEASE
POLLOCK’S WARRNAMBOOL DREAM COMES TRUE
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Albury cyclist Rhys Pollock fulfilled an 11-year dream with a courageous victory in the Torq Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic today.
Pollock, 30, defeated Horsham’s Mark O’Brien and young Tasmanian Tom Robinson in brutally-tough conditions which yielded the relatively slow time of 7 hours, 49 mins 40 sec for the 262km slog.
The 212-rider field was battered by head and cross winds of up to 60km an hour and occasional driving rain.
The three major place-getters cleared away from the main peloton at Lake Bullen Merri, Camperdown, after O’Brien won the Wyndham City Victorian 200km championship, held in conjunction with the classic.
The conditions took a huge toll on the riders with some 50 punctures recorded and the field spread out over 60kms. Only 93 competitors completed the course.
Pollock first rode the classic in 1999 and was so struck by its status in Australasian cycling that he admitted he had dreamt of winning it ever since.
As he spurted clear of the unlucky O’Brien, who punctured at the 250km mark and then chased and regained the leaders, Pollock raised his arms in triumph and unleashed a jubilant scream upon crossing the finish line in Warrnambool’s Raglan Parade.
“For me, this is the ultimate dream,” Pollock said as he was mobbed by his Drapac team-mates immediately after the victory.
“This is the best one-day race in Australia and to win it is beyond my wildest dreams but it has been a goal for the past 11-years.”
The rangy Pollock mixes professional cycling with study for a degree in building design at the Albury College of TAFE.
He has enjoyed an excellent 2010 road season, wearing the leader’s jerseys for extended periods in the five-day GMHBA Tour of Geelong in August and also in the six-day Caterpillar Undergrounding Mining Tour of Tasmania last month.
He won the snow and hail-pummelled Strahan to Rosebery stage of the Tassie tour.
“The Warrnambool” was a triumph for Pollock’s five-man Drapac team. Bendigo’s David Pell won the City Memorial Bowls Club king of the mountains championship and team-mate Thomas Palmer, of Canberra, took the SEW Eurodrive sprint title.
The classic, first held in 1895, started at Werribee Racecourse and passed through 28 towns and locations before ending at Warrnambool.
RESULTS
1 Rhys Pollock NSW 7:49:40
2 Mark O’Brien VIC 7:49:43
3 Thomas Robinson TAS 7:49:57
4 Joseph Lewis NSW 7:53:15
5 Brian McLeod QLD 7:53:25
6 David Pell VIC 7:53:26
7 Alexander Malone NSW 7:53:26
8 Will Tehan VIC 7:53:29
9 Steele VON HOFF VIC 7:53:36
10 Nicholas Mitchell VIC 7:53:36
King of the Mountains: David Pell VIC
Sprint Championship: Thomas Palmer ACT
First Warrnambool Rider: Luke Aggett VIC
B Grade: Joel Stearnes TAS
C Grade: Scott Keating VIC
D Grade: Russell Leary QLD
200km Victorian Championship: Mark O’Brien VIC
THE TORQ MELBOURNE TO WARRNAMBOOL CYCLING CLASSIC 2010
Saturday, 16 October 2010
TOP TEN RESULTS
1. POLLOCK, Rhys
Rider Number: 9
Team: Drapac Professional Cycling
State: New South Wales
Grade: A
Time: 7.49.40
2. O’BRIEN, Mark
Rider Number: 32
Team: RACE Fenton Green
State: Victoria
Grade: A
Time: 7.49.43
3. ROBINSON, Thomas
Rider Number: 5
Team: Genesys Wealth Advisors
State: Tasmania
Grade: A
Time: 7.49.57
4. LEWIS, Joseph
Rider Number: 11
Team: Drapac Professional Cycling
State: New South Wales
Grade: A
Time: 7.53.15
5. McLEOD, Brian
Rider Number: 20
Team: Team Budget Forklifts
State: Queensland
Grade: A
Time: 7.53.25
6. PELL, David
Rider Number: 8
Team: Drapac Professional Cycling
State: Victoria
Grade: A
Time: 7.53.26
7. MALONE, Alexander
Rider Number: 47
Team: Team Torq
State: New South Wales
Grade: A
Time: 7.53.26
8. TEHAN, Will
Rider Number: 123
Team: 882 3YB Radio
State: Victoria
Grade: B
Time: 7.53.29
9. VON HOFF, Steele
Rider Number: 4
Team: Genesys Wealth Advisors
State: Victoria
Grade: A
Time: 7.53.36
10. MITCHELL, Nicholas
Rider Number: 64
Team: Sew Eurodrive
State: Victoria
Grade: A
Time: 7.53.36
King of the Mountains: David Pell VIC
Sprint Championship: Thomas Palmer ACT
First Warrnambool Rider: Luke Aggett VIC
B Grade: Joel Stearnes TAS
C Grade: Scott Keating VIC
D Grade: Russell Leary QLD
200km Victorian Championship: Mark O’Brien VIC
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Jacqueline Tribe : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0412 990 000
Brendan Gleeson : President - The Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic Committee
Mob: 0417 566 282
PRESS RELEASE
PATRICK TARGETS FATHER – SON TRIUMPH
Monday, 11 October 2010
Patrick Shaw, Australia’s best-performed cyclist in the 2010 domestic road season, heads a mammoth entry of 207 riders to contest the Torq Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic on Saturday, October 16.
The Ballarat-based Shaw will try to emulate the feat of his father Dennis who won the classic in 1978 when it was a handicap race. He rode from 4 minutes.
Patrick will enjoy no such luxury on Saturday. The “Warrnambool” became a massed start event in 1996 and he will line up against some of the country’s most talented endurance riders, including 2009 winner Joel Pearson, of NSW, 2008 Victorian road champion, Bendigo’s David Pell, reigning state open titleholder, Queensland’s Cameron Jennings and in-form Canberra veteran Stuart Shaw.
Patrick Shaw’s numerous wins this year have included the five-day Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland, the 208km Tas Gas Launceston to New Norfolk Classic, and overall victory in the 24-day, four-event Scody Cup, Australia’s premier road cycling series.
He was also the best-placed Australian, at 14th, in the world road championships lead up race in Buninyong on September 26. Tour de France stage winner and 2003 Melbourne to Warrnambool winner Simon Gerrans was 15th.
Race director John Craven said the Warrnambool Citizens’ Road Race Committee was thrilled with the size and quality of the entry in the 262km classic.
“There is tremendous interest in this unique event from all sections of the cycling fraternity,” Carven said.
“More than 25 per cent of the entry is from interstate and overseas. It promises to be a great race.”
The “Warrnambool,” first held in 1895, will start at 7.30 a.m. from Werribee racecourse in Wyndham City and end at approximately 2 p.m. in Warrnambool’s Raglan Parade.
It will be followed on Sunday by the second Cheeseworld Shipwreck Coast Classic, which has attracted 85 entries, including 18 women.
Cameron Jennings, who won the inaugural classic last year, will start odds-on favorite to repeat the triumph.
The Shipwreck Coast Classic backed by Tourism Victoria, will start at 11.30 a.m. at Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill and conclude around 2.15 p.m. at Cheeseworld, Allansford.
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Jacqueline Tribe : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0412 990 000
Brendan Gleeson : President - The Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic Committee
Mob: 0417 566 282
PRESS RELEASE
It’s the Torq Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic 2010 (FILE : PDF)
GENERAL INFORMATION
About the Classic Weekend - October 16 & 17
The Torq Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic and Shipwreck Coast Classic 2010 (FILE : PDF)
Race Route
The Torq Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic 2010 (FILE : PDF)
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Jacqueline Tribe : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0412 990 000
PRESS RELEASE
TORQ PERFORMANCE NUTRITION IS THE NEW MAJOR SPONSOR OF THE MELBOURNE TO WARRNAMBOOL CYCLING CLASSIC
Warrnambool Citizens’ Road Race Committee president Brendan Gleeson said today he was delighted to welcome Torq aboard.
“It is pleasing that a company of such global renown is throwing its weight behind the classic, ” he said.
“We look forward to a long and mutually-productive relationship with Torq.”
Torq was founded in the United Kingdom in 1999 as a small nutrition and fitness consultancy.
The company’s products are now sold throughout Europe , Australia and New Zealand.
Torq’s Australian general manager Genevieve Clark said the company expanded into Australia five years ago and had since grown to be one of the nation’s top sports nutrition suppliers.
“We also specialise in providing coaching, fitness testing and 3D bike fit services,” she said.
Ms Clark said Torq products were used by elite level road racers, mountain bikers and triathletes.
The company also sponsors and manages its own UCI race team.
Mr. Gleeson said the WCRRC was excited to have a wide range of excellent sponsors in this year’s race and its associated event, the Cheeseworld Shipwreck Coast Classic.
Torq joins SEW Eurodrive, City Memorial Bowls Club, Wyndham City Council, Warrnambool City Council, Radio 3YB, Cheesworld, Tourism Victoria and Crino Cycles as principal sponsors of the events.
The 262km Melbourne to warrnambool Classic, first held in 1895, will be raced on Saturday, October 16, starting at Werribee racecourse at 7.30 a.m. and finishing in Warrnambool’s Raglan Parade around 2 p.m.
The event will incorporate the Wyndham City Council-sponsored Victorian 200km championship which will be decided at the top of a tough climb at Lake Bullen Merri, Camperdown.
The classic will be followed on Sunday October 17, by the second 117km Shipwreck Coast Classic, starting at 11.30 a.m. from Wranambool’s Flagstaff Hill, and concuding around 2.15 p.m. at Cheeseworld in Allansford.
IT’S THE TORQ MELBOURNE TO WARRNAMBOOL CLASSIC
Torq performance nutrition is the new major sponsor of the Melbourne to Warrnambool cycling classic.
Warrnambool Citizens’ Road Race Committee president Brendan Gleeson said today he was delighted to welcome Torq aboard.
“it is pleasing that a company of such global renown is throwing its weight behind the classic,” he said
“We look forward to a long and mutually-productive relationship with Torq.”Torq was founded in the United Kingdom in 1999 as a small nutrition and fitness consultancy.
The company’s products are now sold throughout Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Torq’s Australian general manager Genevieve Clark said the company expanded into Australia five years ago and had since grown to be one of the nation’s top sports nutrition suppliers.
“We also specialise in providing coaching, fitness testing and 3D bike fit services,” she said.
Ms Clark said Torq products were used by elite-level road racers, mountain bikers and triathletes.
The company also sponsors and manages its own UCI race team.
Mr Gleeson said the WCRRC was excited to have a wide range of excellent sponsors in this year’s race and its associated event, the Cheeseworld Shipwreck Coast Classic.
Torq joins SEW Eurodrive, City Memorial Bowls Club, Wyndham City Council, Warrnambool City Council, Radio 3YB, Cheeseworld, Tourism Victoria and Crino Cycles as principal sponsors of the events.
The 262km Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic, first held in 1895, will be raced on Saturday, October 16, starting from Werribee racecourse at 7.30 a.m. and finishing in Warrnambool’s Raglan Parade around 2 p.m.
The event will incorporate the Wyndham City Council-sponsored Victorian 200km championship which will be decided at the top of a tough climb at Lake Bullen Merri, Camperdown.
The classic will be followed on Sunday, October 17, by the second 117km Shipwreck Coast Classic, starting at 11.30 a.m. from Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill, and concluding around 2.15 p.m. at Cheesworld in Allansford.
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Brendan Gleeson : President - The Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic Committee
Mob: 0417 566 282
SBS Documentary
National Road Teams Melbourne To Warrnambool at 12:00pm, Sunday 1st November, 2009
Cycling from Australia. (Sport)
Find out more at http://www.sbs.com.au/television
MITCHELL BUILDING SUPPLIES
MELBOURNE TO WARRNAMBOOL CYCLING CLASSIC 2009
TOP TEN
1. PEARSON, Joel
Rider Number: 25
Team: Savings & Loan
State: New South Wales
Grade: A
Time: 6.28.25.00
2. FURMSTON, Daniel
Rider Number: 195
Team: Praties
State: Tasmania
Grade: A
Time: 6.28.25.00
3. DECKER, Timothy
Rider Number: 43
Team: Titans Race #2
State: Victoria
Grade: A
Time: 6.28.25.00
4. PILSON, Steven
Rider Number: 125
Team: City Memorial Bowls Club
State: Victoria
Grade: B
Time: 6.28.25.00
5. STEVENSON, Trent
Rider Number: 53
Team: The Bike Shop Colac
State: Victoria
Grade: A
Time: 6.28.25.00
6. LEAPER, Tom
Rider Number: 110
Team: Mitchell Building Supplies
State: Victoria
Grade: A
Time: 6.28.25.00
7. MURCHIE, Adam
Rider Number: 5
Team: Drapac Porsche
State: Victoria
Grade: B
Time: 6.28.25.00
8. KAH, Danny
Rider Number: 79
Team: Cycling - Inform
State: Victoria
Grade: B
Time: 6.28.25.00
9. BAINES, Ashely
Rider Number: 52
Team: The Bike Shop Colac
State: Victoria
Grade: A
Time: 6.28.32.00
10. DICKESON, William
Rider Number: 26
Team: Savings & Loan
State: Victoria
Grade: A
Time: 6.28.39.00
Complete Official Race Results from the event are available:
DOWNLOAD : Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic Results 2009 (FORMAT: PDF) - Courtesy of Matthew Wright.
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Madeleine Brialey : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications
Mob: 0421 352 014
madeleine@caribou.net.au
PRESS RELEASE
MITCHELL SUPPLIES BACKS WARRNAMBOOL CLASSIC
Mitchell Building Supplies is the new major sponsor of the Melbourne to Warrnambool cycling classic.
The company’s managing director Frank Agosta is a former cyclist and long-time supporter of Victorian track and road events.
He won the Camperdown Open in the late 1950s.
Mitchell Building Supplies is a family company, based in Burnley, and specialises in timber and concrete products.
“To have our company associated with the Melbourne to Warrnambool classic gives me a great deal of personal satisfaction,” Mr. Agosta said.
“The ‘Warrnambool’ is an Australian sports institution and warrants recognition as one of the world’s great bike races.”
Warrnambool Citizens’ Road Race Committee president Brendan Gleeson welcomed Mitchell Building Supplies’ involvement in the classic.
“This company is a traditional supporter of cycling and its backing of the Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic is a substantial boost for the race,” he said.
“We have a wide range of excellent sponsors involved in the race this year.”
Mitchell Building Supplies joins SEW Eurodrive, Warrnambool City Council, Tourism Victoria, Radio 3YB, the City Memorial Bowls Club and Wyndham City Council as principal sponsors of the event.
The 261km Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic, first held in 1895, will be conducted on Saturday, October 24, starting from Werribee racecourse at 7.30a.m.
It will be followed on Sunday, October 25, by the inaugural Shipwreck Coast Classic, which will double as the Victorian open road championships for men and women.
Both events will conclude at Cheeseworld.
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Madeleine Brialey : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications
Mob: 0421 352 014
madeleine@caribou.net.au
Brendan Gleeson : President - Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic Committee
Mob: 0417 566 282
PRESS RELEASE
TRAFFIC TAKES THE “WARRNAMBOOL” DOWN NEW TRACK
The iconic Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic – the world’s second oldest bike race – will undergo major evolutionary change this year, with an overhaul of its current course and the introduction of a support event to create a two-day cycle racing extravaganza.
It is planned to start the event, first held in 1895, at Werribee, 40kms south-west of Melbourne.
The proposed change follows a meeting in Melbourne yesterday with classic director, John Craven, and senior representatives from the Victoria Police, Vic Roads and Cycling Australia’s technical panel.
The meeting addressed Police concerns about the relative safety of rolling road closures, the system under which the Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic and other events like the Herald Sun Tour operate.
The course alteration will chop about 35kms from the current route. The “Warrnambool” will no longer be the world’s longest one-day bike race – a distinction it has held for the past five years.
Craven, the classic’s director for 14 years, said the changes were inevitable.
He said police had expressed significant safety concerns about four sections of the current 300km course – the built-up segment from the Sanctuary Lakes starting point to Point Cook, the busy main streets of Werribee and Lara, and the narrow route through the Stony Rises on the Princes Highway.
Craven said the new proposed course, which is subject to Police, VicRoads and municipal council approval, would measure about 265kms.
He said these were substantial positives in the changed route, aside from safety issues.
The new course is likely to start at Werribee Racecourse, travel to Little River before swinging north to the You Yangs, avoiding Lara’s bustling Saturday morning traffic.
It will pick up the current route near Elcho Park and eventually proceed down the Hamilton Highway through Inverleigh and Cressy, before continuing on to Lismore where the race will go in a southerly direction to Chocolyn and Camperdown.
Craven said the classic would then take on an innovative and exciting challenge – passing through Camperdown on the Bullen-Merri Road – displaying all the visual splendor of the Lakes and Craters tourism region.
The final 62 kilometres of the course will be raced on the Princes Highway, concluding at the traditional Raglan Parade finish line.
Craven said these were precedents for introducing necessary safety components into some of the world’s most famous bike races.
The legendary Paris-Roubaix classic, won by Australia’s Stuart O’Grady in 2007, now starts at Compiegne, about 60kms north of Paris.
The Paris-Brussels Classic also starts 85kms out of Paris in Soissons, to avoid traffic conflicts.
Craven said the course upgrade was part of a grand concept to implement a cycle racing extravaganza into the Warrnambool and Corangamite regions over the weekend of October 24-25.
He said a new bike race would be held on Sunday, October 25 – the 115km Shipwreck Coast Classic.
This event would be open to all professionals and club-registered cyclists, and also to masters’ riders.
The race has been sanctioned by the Australian Cycling Federation and will be listed on the national road series calendar.
It is likely to start in Warrnambool and proceed through Allansford, Nullawarre, Bay of Islands, Peterborough, Port Campbell, Curdievale, Nullawarre, before finishing at Allansford.
Warrnambool Citizens’ Road Race Committee president Brendan Gleeson said the changes and innovations were monumental, but were essential for the long-term future of the classic and the promotion of the Warrnambool-Corangamite region as a vibrant tourism destination.
“We now have a top-level two-day cycling feast,” he said.
“To me, the best feature of the changes to the ‘Warrnambool’ course is that the race will now take in the spectacular countryside through the lakes and craters area at the back of Camperdown.
“The riders will wonder what hit them, but the race is now a genuine European-style classic, with a huge challenge at the 200km mark.
“The police have made a point and we are hearing it – we are protecting the classic and creating a viable future.”
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Madeleine Brialey : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications
Mob: 0421 352 014
madeleine@caribou.net.au
Brendan Gleeson : President - Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic Committee
Mob: 0417 566 282
Shotz Sports Nutrition Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic Results
Go to ‘Classic Results’ in the main menu to see all Race Results.
FINAL RESULTS - TOP TEN
1. DEMPSTER, Zak
TEAM: VIS / Jayco - Toyota United
GRADE: A GRADE
TIME: 07:18:15
2. CLARKE, Hilton
TEAM: VIS / Jayco - Toyota United
GRADE: A GRADE
TIME: 07:18:15 ~
3. PELL, David
TEAM: Savings & Loans
GRADE: A GRADE
TIME: 07:18:15 ~
4. JENNINGS, Cameron
TEAM: Budget Forklifts
GRADE: A GRADE
TIME: 07:18:15 ~
5. NEWELL, Dylan
TEAM: Praties
GRADE: A GRADE
TIME: 07:18:15 ~
6. MUNRO, Casey
TEAM: Radio Coast FM
GRADE: A GRADE
TIME: 07:18:15 ~
7. CLARKE, Jonathan
TEAM: VIS / Jayco - Toyota United
GRADE: A GRADE
TIME: 07:19:29 ~
8. LEAPER, Tom
TEAM: Brightstar/Bicycle Superstore
GRADE: A GRADE
TIME: 07:19:29 ~
9. HUGHES, Cameron
TEAM: Budget Forklifts
GRADE: A GRADE
TIME: 07:19:29 ~
10. DICKESON, Will
TEAM: Savings & Loans
GRADE: A GRADE
TIME: 07:19:32 ~
TEAMS CLASSIFICATION - TOP TEN
1. VIS / Jayco - Toyota United
TIME: 21:55:59
2. Budget Forklifts
TIME: 22:05:12
3. Praties
TIME: 22:05:20
4. Savings & Loans
TIME: 22:09:56
5. Brightstar/Bicycle Superstore
TIME: 22:12:39
6. Radio Coast FM
TIME: 22:13:11
7. Virgin Blue
TIME: 22:19:16
8. Carnegie Caulfield CC Elite
TIME: 22:21:17
9. Warrnambool Standard
TIME: 22:25:38
10. SRT Titans
TIME: 22:27:02
A Classic Winner
October 27, 2008
Article Courtesy of The Warrnambool Standard
Zak was able to withstand attacks from David Pell and Cameron Jennings to be in contention at the business end of the race as the leaders had been whittled down to six.
“I lined up last (in the sprint) and hit them with everything I had.”
One of the first to embrace Zak was his coach Tim Decker, the 2007 Melbourne to Warrnambool winner. He also coaches Darren.
Zak’s Italian experience followed outstanding 2007 domestic results, including victories in the Tour of Tasmania and Victorian Open Time Trial Championship.
Los Angeles-based Clarke said he tried to control the race and received good support from his younger brother Jonathan.
“It was just the last 50 metres we came up a bit short,” he said.
“What can I say about these 21-year-olds who keep beating me. I’m starting to feel like an old bloke.”
Savings and Loans team member Joel Pearson picked up the sprint and king of the mountain.
The first south-west rider to finish was Luke Aggett, of Port Fairy.
The first woman home was Nicole Whitburn, of Frankston.
‘Classic Women’
The Shotz Sports Nutrition Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic for 2008
provided near perfect racing conditions for the 203 competitors.
This years event saw 151 riders complete the grueling 299km road race
with two women as part of the field. Nicole Whitburn, Team: Carnegie
Caulfield CC Elite (Victoria), finished 111th place, whilst Turi Berg,
Team: Hawthorn Citizen’s Youth Club (Victoria),
finished in 148th place in a time of 09:06:39.
Nicole Whitburn, is the fastest woman ever to have completed the 299km
race in a record time of 07:48:25.
HOUSE DECLARES: “I WANT THE WARRNAMBOOL”
October 21, 2008
The nomadic Englishman Kristian House will have his fourth crack at winning the Shotz Sports Nutrition Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic on Saturday and is eager to prove he can conquer the world’s longest one-day bike race.
House, 29, a former member of Great Britain’s Olympic track endurance squad, and with more than 30 road race victories on the international pro circuit, is frustrated by his lack of success in the 299km ‘Warrnambool.’
He finished ‘down the track’ at his initial attempt in 2005, was an honorable 12th the following year, and in 2007 was forced to surrender at the 140km mark with a broken wheel.
‘The Melbourne to Warrnambool is the race I want to win,’ House declared.
‘The classic is well-known all around the world. I often get asked about it in England. It has a great reputation.’
Founded in 1895, the ‘Warrnambool’ is the world’s second oldest bike race and will start at 7.30 a.m. at Sanctuary Lakes Resort in the Wyndham City municipality.
It has attracted a monstrous field of 204 riders, far surpassing the previous massed start record of 156 when the classic changed from a handicap format in 1996.
House was a member of England’s Rapha Condor team this year and won five races in the United States, France, Germany and England.
‘It’s been a pretty good year for me, he said. At a guess, I’ve done about 90 races, so I don’t need to do much more training for the Warrnambool.’
House’s best season was in 2006 when his victories included the Tour of Ireland and the Tour of Tasmania.
He returned to Australia for the Caterpillar Underground Mining Tour of Tasmania earlier this month and wore the leader’s yellow jersey for four stages before an unforgiving Category One climb at scenic Gunns Plains thwarted him.
His victory plan for the Melbourne to Warrnambool is simple; try to establish at least a 30-second break on the tiring leading bunch about four kilometres from the finish and hang on.
‘I am not relishing the final climb up Raglan Parade,’ he said.
‘I’ve got to be on my own as the finish line approaches; I doubt that I could win in a bunch sprint.’
House, who will ride for the strong Budget Forklifts line-up, will face an army of challengers from competitors representing 35 teams.
Bendigo’s Tim Decker, winner of the 2007 classic at his 14th attempt, will aim to become only the fourth rider to twice win the race.
Reigning Victorian open road champion David Pell, also from Bendigo, is in career-best form, having also won the prestigious Grafton to Inverell event last month. He will have strong support from his Savings and Loans team.
There are two women in the field, Frankston’s Nicole Whitburn, and Davina Summers, from W.A.
Whitburn, 30, a design engineer who won the 2007 Victorian open criterium championship, said it was ‘a bit of a dream’ to finish the race.
All riders who complete the course will receive an ornamental medallion from Warrnambool City Council.
Other special awards include the SEW-Eurodrive sprint championship, the Action Fitness Centre King of the Mountains title, and the Wyndham City Council Victorian 200km championship which is decided at Pirron Yallock.
There are 30 sprints and hill climbs along the route.
Sprints will be at Sanctuary Lakes, Point Cook, Werribee, Little River, Lara, Moorabool, Bell Post Hill, Batesford, Stonehaven, Murgheboluc, Inverleigh, Hesse, Cressy, Lake Corangamite, Beeac, Alvie, Pirron Yallock (200km championship), Pomborneit North, Camperdown, Boorcan, Terang, Garvoc, Panmure and Allansford.
Hill Climbs are at Elcho Park, Dog Rocks, Murgheboluc, Inverleigh, Alvie and Camperdown.
Total prizemoney is $17,000, plus trophies.
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Madeleine Brialey : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications
Mob: 0421 352 014
madeleine@caribou.net.au
Ron Smith : Media Communications and Public Relations - LinksLiving
Ph: 03 9818 5700
Mob: 0417 329 201
ronsmith@medialaunch.com.au
RECORD FIELD IN “WARRNAMBOOL”
October 16, 2008
A record field of 197 riders will contest the Shotz Sports Nutrition Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic on Saturday, October 25.
The field size surpasses the previous best massed start total of 156 when the classic changed from a handicap format in 1996.
Race director John Craven said today the Warrnambool Citizens Road Race Committee was overwhelmed by the entry.
It’s an amazing result,’ he said.
Craven said the introduction of a teams format for the 2008 classic was a major contributing factor to the escalated field size.
‘Obviously, itâ’s what the riders want,’ he said.
‘There are a staggering 35 teams in the race.’
Bendigo’s Tim Decker, winner of the 2007 classic at his 14th attempt, will wear the No 1 saddlecloth this year.
Decker will face an uphill battle to regain his title from a talented line-up of rivals.
West Australian Benjamin King, runner-up to Decker last year, and reigning Victorian open road champion David Pell second placegetter in the 2007 ‘Warrnambool,’ will again seek overall glory.
Englishmen Kristian House and Tom Southam, and recent Tour of Tasmania winner Richie Porte are also top contenders for victory.
The ‘Warrnambool’ will start at 7.30 a.m. at Sanctuary Lakes Resort and is expected to finish around 3 p.m. in Warrnambool’s Raglan Parade.
The 299 km classic is the world’s longest one-day bike race, and is also the world’s second oldest cycling event, founded in 1895.
Total prizemoney is $17,000, plus trophies.
There are 30 intermediate sprints and hill climbs along the route.
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Madeleine Brialey : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications
Mob: 0421 352 014
madeleine@caribou.net.au
Ron Smith : Media Communications and Public Relations - LinksLiving
Ph: 03 9818 5700
Mob: 0417 329 201
ronsmith@medialaunch.com.au
CLASSIC FIRES NEW SHOTZ
October 15, 2008
Shotz Sports Nutrition is the new major sponsor of the Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic.
The 300km classic, the world’s longest one-day bike race, will be held on Saturday, October 25, starting at Sanctuary Lakes Resort at 7.30am.
The event, also the world’s second oldest cycling race, founded in 1895, is expected to attract a top-flight field of about 140 riders from all Australian states and overseas.
It will be conducted as a teams race for the first time.
Shotz Sports Nutrition’s managing director Darryl Griffiths said his company was excited to be associated with such a legendary event as the Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic.
‘This race is one of the icons of Australian cycling,’ Mr Griffiths said.
‘The endurance type aspect of the classic is tailor-made for the Shotz range of high energy portable products.’
Shot’z front-line products are an energy gel, an electrolyte tablet and an energy bar.
‘Our products are specifically designed to keep pace with the body’s fuel needs and to satisfy hunger,’ Mr Griffiths said.
‘From sporting teams at the highest international level to the weekend warrior, Shotz is finding its way across a diverse range of activities and markets.’
Melbourne to Warrnambool director John Craven said the classic’s committee was honored to have Shotz aboard as the major sponsor.
‘Shotz has an impeccable reputation in the sports nutrition field and is a most welcome addition to the classic’s line-up of excellent sponsors,’ he said.
SEW Eurodrive, the tour’s major sponsor in 2007, has naming rights to the race’s sprint championship this year.
Wyndham City Council will again sponsor the Victorian 200km championship and Action Fitness Centre has naming rights to the king of the mountains championship.
The Sanctuary Lakes Resort will host the race start for the second time and CycleSport Victoria is again supporting the event through grade sponsorship.
The Gallery Bar and Dance Club and The Regal Warrnambool are the classic’s function sponsors.
Craven said all connected with the classic were indebted to the event’s two media sponsors Radio 3YB and the Warrnambool Standard for their superb coverage.
He said a further 100 companies and individuals had become members of the Melbourne to Warrnambool Society, a coterie-style group which generates funding for the classic.
The society’s annual prize draw will be held at The Regal on Friday evening.
FURTHER INFORMATION
John Craven : Race Director - Caribou Publications
Ph: 03 5224 2466
Mob: 0408 558 469
Madeleine Brialey : Event Coordinator - Caribou Publications
Mob: 0421 352 014
madeleine@caribou.net.au
Darryl Griffiths : Managing Director - Shotz Sports Nutrition
Mob: 0417 973 476
TOUR OF THE SHIPWRECK COAST RECREATIONAL RIDE 2008
Event Day : October 26, 2008
Four great rides to choose from!
* Take it easy, see the sites and stop in for lunch at the renowned Allansford Cheeseworld.
* If you hadn’t heard of Peterborough or Childer’s Cove before,after these rides you won’t forget them!
* Up for a real challenge!! - ride to heaven and back and see the apostles.
* Be in Warrnambool on Saturd
