Victoria's first closed crit circuit announced

warrwych said:

From Cyclingnews.com:

Victoria's first closed crit circuit announced

In Australia, Victoria's first closed-circuit racing and training facility purpose-built for road cyclists was announced today.

A joint initiative between BASE (Bicycle Association of the South East) and Recreation Victoria/City of Casey, Premier Steve Bracks honoured his pledge of $500,000 towards this project with The City of Casey contributing another $250,000. The criterium circuit will be built as part of the new Casey Fields Sports Complex near Cranbourne on the Berwick-Cranbourne Road.

"Australian road and track cyclists are achieving enormous success on the world stage and especially in Europe," said a statement. "It is facilities like this new criterium circuit that will enable Australian cyclists to remain at the forefront of world cycling. With the opening of Casey Fields, cyclists now have a place to learn, train and race all at the one facility. When combined with the other outstanding indoor velodromes provided by the State government, cycling in Victoria is truly On the Move."

While the Casey Fields circuit is being built, cyclists will continue to use the existing circuits at Sandown Park Raceway and AFL Park Waverly. It is said that wheelchair racing, human powered vehicles and inline skaters all stand to benefit from the project as well.

What are they gonna race there? BMX's??? <runs away>

and good to see they are up-to-date...
"cyclists will continue to use ... AFL Park Waverly"

I thought there was a dedicated crit course opened last year in Melton?
Hitchy confirm/deny?

still, good to hear. we expect to see a purple 'dale zoomin about 😄

flyingdutch said:

What are they gonna race there? BMX's??? <runs away>

and good to see they are up-to-date...
"cyclists will continue to use ... AFL Park Waverly"

I thought there was a dedicated crit course opened last year in Melton?
Hitchy confirm/deny?

still, good to hear. we expect to see a purple 'dale zoomin about 😄

It's another way to get us off the roads - the ones designed for cars only. 😉

Purple 'dale has been having a holiday cos it's decided it can't 1) go fast 2) climb hills anymore. I threatened to turn it into a pink tricycle, or put trainer wheels on it at least, but I don't think it belived me, so I put it in the shed for a while for punishment. It's coming out this weekend - I hope it has learnt its lesson :p Good to hear you are back in saddle dude! Pedal pedal pedal!!

warrwych said:

flyingdutch said:

What are they gonna race there? BMX's??? <runs away>

and good to see they are up-to-date...
"cyclists will continue to use ... AFL Park Waverly"

I thought there was a dedicated crit course opened last year in
Melton?
Hitchy confirm/deny?

still, good to hear. we expect to see a purple 'dale zoomin about 😄

It's another way to get us off the roads - the ones designed for cars
only. 😉

In some cases, our races are bloody dangerous (the Somers race this
saturday in particular, I think that will be Mornington CC's first
and last race there ...), and getting off the roads to do them is
not a bad thing.

After having done the Lang Lang PG and Anglesea races, and METEC
more times than I can remember, the racing there is -so- much better
that it's just no comparison. Sandown's good too, and this w'end
at PI will be interesting.

Carl Brewer said:

In some cases, our races are bloody dangerous ... and METEC...

hahaha! I can blow their safety record.

[quote="Carl Brewer"]
In some cases, our races are bloody dangerous (the Somers race this
saturday in particular, I think that will be Mornington CC's first
and last race there ...), and getting off the roads to do them is
not a bad thing.
QUOTE]

Tell me about it, I was involved in the C grade crash, the guy nbext too me grabbed too much brakes and started to lift the back wheel. At that point he also flicked toward me, I ended up in the gravel shoulder but couldn't control it as I slid into the drainage ditch. Ended up with a very soft landing on the raised far side of the ditch in the pine needles.

I got up checked my bike (fine, fortunately).

Unfortunately the guys behind were not so lucky hitting the road hard, although not as bad as in the D grade race.

I suspect that the finish was particularly bad as it was flat, lots of people still thought they had a chance to do something and three guys were blocking for there mate who had jumped just off the front.

PiledHigher

flyingdutch said:

Carl Brewer said:

In some cases, our races are bloody dangerous ... and METEC...

hahaha! I can blow their safety record.

Yuo had a little crash, the somers road race was lucky to get
away without fatalities, IMO

PiledHigher said:

Carl Brewer said:

In some cases, our races are bloody dangerous (the Somers race this
saturday in particular, I think that will be Mornington CC's first
and last race there ...), and getting off the roads to do them is
not a bad thing.
QUOTE]

Tell me about it, I was involved in the C grade crash, the guy nbext
too me grabbed too much brakes and started to lift the back wheel. At
that point he also flicked toward me, I ended up in the gravel shoulder
but couldn't control it as I slid into the drainage ditch. Ended up with
a very soft landing on the raised far side of the ditch in the pine
needles.

I got up checked my bike (fine, fortunately).

Unfortunately the guys behind were not so lucky hitting the road hard,
although not as bad as in the D grade race.

I suspect that the finish was particularly bad as it was flat, lots of
people still thought they had a chance to do something and three guys
were blocking for there mate who had jumped just off the front.

B grade spent the vast majority of the race on the wrong side
of the road. Every time I'd work up towards the front (legally)
20 of them would sweep past on the wrong side, see a car coming
and cram back into the left, forcing us all to brake to
let them back in again.

Two possible fixes -
Have a commisarie survey
the course and limit entries based on the course -
I'd have thought a bunch of 25 would have been the maxium
safe number on that course.

Have a commisair follow the bunches - first time someone
deliberatly crosses the line, toot the horn - that's the warning.

Second time, overtake the bunch, slow down, stop the race,
take everyone's numbers off them and tell them the race
is over and they forfeit their entry fees.

80% of B grade were paying no attention to the rule,
that's the only way that I can see that culture shifting.

Carl Brewer said:

B grade spent the vast majority of the race on the wrong side
of the road. Every time I'd work up towards the front (legally)
20 of them would sweep past on the wrong side, see a car coming
and cram back into the left, forcing us all to brake to
let them back in again.

Two possible fixes -
Have a commisarie survey
the course and limit entries based on the course -
I'd have thought a bunch of 25 would have been the maxium
safe number on that course.

Have a commisair follow the bunches - first time someone
deliberatly crosses the line, toot the horn - that's the warning.

Second time, overtake the bunch, slow down, stop the race,
take everyone's numbers off them and tell them the race
is over and they forfeit their entry fees.

80% of B grade were paying no attention to the rule,
that's the only way that I can see that culture shifting.

C-grade were reasonable with the centreline until the last 1/2 a lap, I thought C were sketchy just because the race wasn't selective enough.

Carl Brewer said:

Yuo had a little crash, the somers road race was lucky to get
away without fatalities, IMO

WTF? I'll take that as a challenge!!!

i reckon I was lucky to get away without a fatality seeing as i lost a few seconds AND my helmet fell into about 6 pieces as soon as i tried to pick it up. Maybe TimC and me could go manno-e-manno and have a 'crash-off'
then again, on second thawts...

warrwych said:

From Cyclingnews.com:

Victoria's first closed crit circuit announced

I thought there was one of these out at Melton too?

flyingdutch said:

I thought there was a dedicated crit course opened last year in Melton?
Hitchy confirm/deny?

g'day,

yep.....as is often the case with Govt press releases...this one is wrong. Victoria's 1st dedicated crit circuit was opened in Jan this year at MacPherson Park Melton. It's an 800m track with a 'hotmix' surface....very quick with a couple of 'technical' corners...still, the more the merrier!

Hitchy