D Grade: Avg Speed by my clock 35.7km/h. i was also backing up after Raw track!!
As stated a few surges, no attacks. My first clompleted D grade race in a while.
Tom (led zepplin) was a clear winner in the sprint. Congrats to Micklan on 2nd place. You did a fair amount of work on the front, upping the pace a bit. Long sprint, started from about 400m out. I didn't have the legs and gave up bout 50-100m out.
I had to have a word with Tom after the race. It appeared to me he was out for at least three laps after getting a flat at the netball courts. We clarifie with the commisares as he was adamant he had only a lap out. It turns out after swapping a wheel he just went back out onto the track and circulated for two laps waiting for the Bunch to catch up, which is not quite the done thing. He did not report to the commisaires properly before rejoining the race. We are supposed to wait for the commisaires instruction before rejoining the race. This generally happens when the bunch is coming up the main straight. Tom also dropped back down from C grade because he sai he was getting dropped. Seems like he might just be between grades. he certainly seems strong enough.
With the other young lad rejoining the race a couple laps from the end it was a bit confusing.
A good race by all. Sorry i probably won't be there next week i might be in Gilganra for work. Should be there for Friday night though...
Re laps out in crits, Cycling NSW say in their rules:
'When a recognised mishap, puncture, fall or mechanical failure occurs the competitors involved may be entitled to one or more neutral lap/s (according to the length of the circuit) as determined by the Commissaire (before the start of the event) in which to resume their position in the race. A competitor who is granted a neutral lap shall return to the race at the same position or at the rear of the group he/she was with when the mishap occurred. Competitors who have been allowed a neutral lap/s shall not be penalised in the final classification. No neutral lap/s shall be permitted after approximately five (5) kilometres to travel to the finish. A competitor who is not allowed a neutral lap/s must make up any lost ground.'
Further more a crit is defined as:
'A criterium is a road race and should be held on a closed circuit not less than 800 metres and not more than 3 kilometres (unless approved by the Chief Commissaire).'
So from this, Beanzy is correct in saying that a rider must rejoin the race with the bunch that they had previously been with and therefore ride at race pace, rather than having an easy rest/recovery tootling around awaiting the bunch to catch up. The 'no neutral laps' from 5 km out to finish equals 3 laps at Heffron
Also explains why Beanzy did not get a lap out at the Waratah's last week, the race at WSID was a "Road Race" by definition and not a criterium as the lap length is 3.65 km - in excess of the 3 km maximum for criteriums. EC Raceway at 3.93 km and SIRC at 5.0 km would be similarly affected.
