Hot racing coming up in Australia

[Tragic]

Profile - Don't be mislead by it. The riders only do the long circuit 3 times this year.

The website hasn't really explained it very well.

Do people want a race thread for the Men's Road Race or just keep live and pre-race commentary in this thread?

It's 3 times around the long loop, then 11 times around the shorter loop. 14 times up Mt Bunninyong, 195.8 K. Has usually been 16 times around the short loop, 16 times up the climb, 163.2K. So 2 fewer times the climb, but 30 + K longer race. Don't see how it will change much, still favours hard man.

 

[movingtarget]

I don't mind the course for the road race but I hope they mix it up in the future. I don't see the point in having the titles in the same place every year. Towns and cities should bid for it like other sporting events. It's getting a bit monotonous. Ballarat is a good place for cycling but more variety needed.

 

[Tragic]

I don't mind the course for the road race but I hope they mix it up in the future. I don't see the point in having the titles in the same place every year. Towns and cities should bid for it like other sporting events. It's getting a bit monotonous. Ballarat is a good place for cycling but more variety needed.

I agree. We had it over here in SA for a couple of years, but Ballarat took it back. Suspect CA has a Victorian power block. It may be a sponsorship issue.

 

[Tragic]

Cam Meyer showing good form winning the crit. Add him to the contenders for the RR, last year, if I remember right, he just went away a little too soon.

 

[Gloin22]

Why would a time trialist skip the TT and time trial his way to a criterium win? Who cares about the crit title.

Because he's preparing solely for RR ?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Meyer was dominant in criterium win, but unsurprisingly the press gets carried away. Lets not forget that a) the Road race is a different kettle of fish to the criterium b) Criterium and Madison style racing is Meyer's bread and butter and c) races like the Giro and TdF are a massive jump.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I agree. We had it over here in SA for a couple of years, but Ballarat took it back. Suspect CA has a Victorian power block. It may be a sponsorship issue.

Not at all. It is because the race in Victoria gets great crowds, Ballarat has been willing to put the money into it and the course is great as it always provides an exciting race.

 

[movingtarget]

Not at all. It is because the race in Victoria gets great crowds, Ballarat has been willing to put the money into it and the course is great as it always provides an exciting race.

Other states would get good crowds too. It's not as if Victoria is the only state with cycling fans and sponsors. It's fair for the riders too, to get different courses.

 

[Ferminal]

Well if Ballarat are continuing to put the money in it makes sense. It's all good talking about change but unless there's actually a viable alternative it means nothing. Are there even any stories of someone bidding, unsuccessfully, and why they were denied?

 

[PCutter]

Well if Ballarat are continuing to put the money in it makes sense. It's all good talking about change but unless there's actually a viable alternative it means nothing. Are there even any stories of someone bidding, unsuccessfully, and why they were denied?

I know the last time it was up for grabs the Gold Coast bid (as did others I believe), however the funding from Ballarat/Victorian regional tourism is enough to keep them in front. I also believe the fact that Jayco being a major sponsor and being a Victorian based concern also helps keep it in state.

Personally, I'd love to see them run the finish circuit around Bathurst race track, a good loop finishing on the track finish line and would give the wider non-cycling public a reference point. Whilst Renshaw still wouldn't be happy with the hill at least he wouldn't have to travel far.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Other states would get good crowds too. It's not as if Victoria is the only state with cycling fans and sponsors. It's fair for the riders too, to get different courses.

The evidence doesn't suggest that it would be as good as Victorian crowds.

 

[Wilba60]

I know the last time it was up for grabs the Gold Coast bid (as did others I believe), however the funding from Ballarat/Victorian regional tourism is enough to keep them in front. I also believe the fact that Jayco being a major sponsor and being a Victorian based concern also helps keep it in state.

Personally, I'd love to see them run the finish circuit around Bathurst race track, a good loop finishing on the track finish line and would give the wider non-cycling public a reference point. Whilst Renshaw still wouldn't be happy with the hill at least he wouldn't have to travel far.

I like the race being here in Victoria and Ballarat and the organisers can probably take some credit in raising the profile of the National Championships BUT I do like your idea of Bathurst. For those of us who have watched the car racing over the years, it would be fascinating to hear Keenan call of Gerrans leading into Conrad Straight and Porte and Sutton chasing him down We see the V8's roar up the hill there but how difficult would the Bathurst climb be to pro's doing it a number of times?

Would be interesting to see a market framed for Sunday's RR. Would the top 5 look like this;
$5 Gerrans
$6.50 Porte
$7 Hass
$8 Meyer
$12 Lloyd

Others who might be up in the market could include Sutton, Durbridge, Clarke, Clarke, Dennis.....who else?

Haven't got a start list in front of me, so might be missing a few who should be obvious.

 

[Wilba60]

An earlier poster asked about Hepburn missing from the RR, here is a GE response;

Our keep list of starters is our on recently updated calendar (http://www.greenedgecycling.com/race-and-results/). Unless something has changed, Heppy should be starting the road race. I have just emailed our trainer to confirm and will circle back here if anything is different than what I originally posted.

Yes - does confirmed with Quod. Heppy was accidentally registered for U23 race. They're following up. He's racing elite RR (no TT - was never planning on it).

 

[Wilba60]

Cam Meyer showing good form winning the crit. Add him to the contenders for the RR, last year, if I remember right, he just went away a little too soon.

He was actually flying in his breakaway last year and then bonked big time. I think this is the fire that will have been burning in him for 12 months and I wouldn't be surprised to see him going away as he did in the criterium reasonably early in the race. If he goes up the road it takes a lot of pressure off guys like Gerrans, Mathews and Clarke and he is also a genuine chance to win in a breakaway.

 

[greenedge]

I hope the Gold Coast can have it in 2018 so they can help the Aussies get to know the Commonwealth Games course.

 

[PCutter]

I like the race being here in Victoria and Ballarat and the organisers can probably take some credit in raising the profile of the National Championships BUT I do like your idea of Bathurst. For those of us who have watched the car racing over the years, it would be fascinating to hear Keenan call of Gerrans leading into Conrad Straight and Porte and Sutton chasing him down We see the V8's roar up the hill there but how difficult would the Bathurst climb be to pro's doing it a number of times?

Would be interesting to see a market framed for Sunday's RR. Would the top 5 look like this;
$5 Gerrans
$6.50 Porte
$7 Hass
$8 Meyer
$12 Lloyd

Others who might be up in the market could include Sutton, Durbridge, Clarke, Clarke, Dennis.....who else?

Haven't got a start list in front of me, so might be missing a few who should be obvious.

Sportsbet odds, I like Cam Meyer at $9 and Bling at $13

http://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/cycling/national-championships

The flaw with my Bathurst circuit is that the track is only 6km long, so you would probably have to extend the loop or risk having a break away knocking out the main field. The climb up the Bathurst Hill would be more selective than the current course I believe (Wiki has max gradient of 1:6.13 which is 16% I think) and coming down through the Esses and Dipper would be great television.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Sportsbet odds, I like Cam Meyer at $9 and Bling at $13

http://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/cycling/national-championships

The flaw with my Bathurst circuit is that the track is only 6km long, so you would probably have to extend the loop or risk having a break away knocking out the main field. The climb up the Bathurst Hill would be more selective than the current course I believe and coming down through the Esses and Dipper would be great television.

Really? I don't think the Bathurst Hill is overly long and not overly steep. That is what Galic Ho told me, who lives in the Bathurst area.

 

[PCutter]

Really? I don't think the Bathurst Hill is overly long and not overly steep. That is what Galic Ho told me, who lives in the Bathurst area.

I just added an edit to my prior post, but Wiki has it listed as a max gradient on 1 in 6.13, which I think calculates to 16% (probably coming out of The Cutting), but it is also a 174m rise over the course. Given the 6km track, the climb would be longer than Buninyong which I think is 1.1km, so Bathurst probably closer to 2km. Your previous post of the current course map doesn't include a total rise for the Buninyong climb so not sure what the comparison would be for average %, but I think they'd be somewhat comparable over the total length, but with Bathurst having some tougher pinches

 

[auscyclefan94]

Jordan Kerby won the U23 RR ahead of Damian Howson. Many of the big favourites where in a chase group quite a few minutes behind.

 

[Tragic]

Jordan Kerby won the U23 RR ahead of Damian Howson. Many of the big favourites where in a chase group quite a few minutes behind.

The women's race was taken by Gracie Elvin in a 4 up sprint from Jo Hogan and Carla Ryan. Good teamwork by OGE/AIS. Both races were good to watch, the winning move in the U23 happened on the first climb!

 

[abbaskip]

Really? I don't think the Bathurst Hill is overly long and not overly steep. That is what Galic Ho told me, who lives in the Bathurst area.

I grew up in Bathurst, and can confirm that you're mostly right, there are a couple of steep spots, but it's mostly not that steep....at least it's not going forwards around it. If you go backwards, it's REALLY steep up through Forests Elbow, the Esses and the Dipper.

 

[abbaskip]

I grew up in Bathurst, and can confirm that you're mostly right, there are a couple of steep spots, but it's mostly not that steep....at least it's not going forwards around it. If you go backwards, it's REALLY steep up through Forests Elbow, the Esses and the Dipper.

Couldn't find a proper elevation map - like we get of stages, the closest thing I could find was this:


Hard to tell there, but you can see in an anti-clockwise direction it's much steeper, as the majority of the climbing is done over a much shorter distance. In the way up, it's done slowly and fairly consistently.

EDIT: Did some research, the elevation change is 174m from top to bottom apparently (though looking at Google Maps I could only see it being ~160m).
That's done in around 3km each direction - the total circuit is about 6km. This isn't so steep itself, but going up backwards, 120m of this is done in 1.3km - that's pretty steep, about 9.2% grade (though this is hard to say as generally road gradients are measured by the road distance, not the point to point distance - ie. the hypotenuse is usually used instead of the adjacent side), but it's an estimate. This isn't the steepest point, this is the average of the major part of the climb. The track actually dips down a little before starting the climb too, so it could be more.

 

[woodie]

I grew up in Bathurst, and can confirm that you're mostly right, there are a couple of steep spots, but it's mostly not that steep....at least it's not going forwards around it. If you go backwards, it's REALLY steep up through Forests Elbow, the Esses and the Dipper.

Don't forget about the back road that goes past the tip, not very long but super steep. There are plenty of other roads in Bathurst that could be used for a championship as well.

 

[abbaskip]

Don't forget about the back road that goes past the tip, not very long but super steep. There are plenty of other roads in Bathurst that could be used for a championship as well.

Yeah, but finishing at the Mount, surely?!

The hill up College Road towards the tip is actually basically going up the side of Mount Panorama anyway. They could start by going out through Rockley, back via Trunkey Road. That's about an 80km loop (if they started at the Murrays Corner at the bottom of the mount), and 65km just the loop part (before the back tracking starts). They could do the two loops, starting at the bottom, that's 145km, then 10-12 laps of the mount. You're looking at 200-220km. And quite a bit of hill.

I think the mount backwards still works best though.

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Herald Sun Tour results:
http://metarace.com.au/road/jhst/program