Race Report - Oatley Park, 7 May

[Adrian E]

I raced at Oatley Park last Saturday afternoon after hearing that Heffron was cancelled. There was a pretty good roll up with 67 riders from across Sydney. The race was a handicap with 11 bunches heading off at various time intervals. My race was nothing to write home about. My group was caught in two laps, I was slow, I suffered on the hill climb, but I didn't come last. The course at Oately is unique and unlike any track I'd ever ridden. It has a fast decent then U-turn climb all the way back up before winding around some shape circuit through the bushland. Unlike Heffron, there is nowhere to hide in the bunch and the narrow course means that its less likely to end in a giant bunch sprint. If you haven't raced Oately, I'd highly recommend it. One nice touch is the officials record your time so you can always aim for a PB even if you don't win the race. Another nice touch is the winner also gets a special jersey to keep with the date of their win recordered on the back.

For more details of the racing at Oatley you can check our Phil Bates report below.



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Dear cyclists

It was a great start last weekend with racing and all is looking great in the lead up to the Graham Bennie.

Sixty seven starters, 18 new contenders, made it a little tough in sorting everyone out but it did now work out too bad.

The story and results can be viewed on the St George website:

http://www.stgeorge.cycling.org.au/site ... 202011.pdf

http://www.stgeorge.cycling.org.au/site ... 20Park.pdf


I also wish to bring attention to the Graham Bennie 2 Day Tour, our annual race in memory of Graham Bennie. It will be the 65th staging of the event

For those that are not familiar with the Graham Bennie, the event was commenced in 1947 as a tribute event to Graham Bennie, a St George cycling representative and a serviceman that lost his life in the Second World War.

My father Ron Bates and Ron Mills, Bruce Mills’ father, had both served with Graham Bennie during the war and commenced the event in 1947 in a way of honouring his name. It is a tribute to the club that the event has been staged every year and some of the great moments of the club are shared by those fortunate to attend.

The event has been the majority of times staged to the Southern Highlands although has raced to the Blue Mountains in the early days and has finished at Shelley Beach Cronulla as well as Carruthers Street Penshurst, beside Penshurst Park.

We have started from various venues including from Hurstville, Menai chook farm, Moorebank, Bankstown and over many years now Menangle, with the traffic forcing us further west.

The race used to be staged in two stages, both long stages and was a hard dour affair but with the addition of split stages on the first day it has encouraged younger riders to take part and made for pretty exciting racing.

I have enclosed details of the weekend but it is important to get in touch with Stuart Boyce or Phill Bates to let us know of your intentions.

It is a great weekend – look forward to your support.

Regards

Phill Bates AM

[timyone]

great to hear your racing. (hills?!!!)