Keegan Downes Memorial Handicap and Scratch Race -27/28 June

[wallman]

Is anyone planning on heading north west for this? Saturday is a 111 km handicap from Coonabarabran to Gunnedah and Sunday is a 107 km graded race from Gunnedah to Tamworth. I've not done this race before but am interested in using it as a warm up for Mudgee which runs a fortnight later. Entries close this Sunday.
Matt

[T-Bone]

In the past i've done it, nice and fast, good course. However, entry is getting quite expensive for it (even though the saturday includes dinner), especially when you take into account that you have to leave Sydney on the Friday, and you need a driver to get to the start, and then the finish on Sunday, so i haven't been for the last couple of years.

I know Al isn't going this year as well, but is most likely travelling to Mudgee. Anyway, the saturday course has a few hills in the first half, though nothing excessive, and then it's fairly flat. Scratch usually make the catch. Sundays race is flat in the first half, with a small hill, the a long gradual drag uphill at around halfway, followed by some insignificant rises for the second half.

[Adrian E]

I'm not racing this one but I'd encourage you all to consider it. I did this race last year with Al, Nickb, Bill, and Eugene then we all backed up with the Gunnedah to Tamworth. I really enjoyed Kegan Downes race the most. There were no giant hills and the pace was fairly even. The intensity just built up in the last 15km as many of the bunches came together and only the fittest hung-on for dear life. I got dropped 2km from the finish while Eugene's chasing bunch almost caught the lead bunch only 100m from the line. The following day I could barely walk or sit on my bike, but after 20mins felt ok and managed to get a place in Gunnedah to Tamworth.

[mikesbytes]

Matt, could you put the date of the races in the title - thanks.