It was another weekend where Sydney University cycling teams were spoilt with success, this time in and around Nowra on the NSW South Coast and hinterland.
Consisting of the NSW Club Team Time Trial Championships, Sassafras Challenge TTT, as well as Elite Women’s and Men’s TTTs (on Saturday) and the Ride 4 Robbie Graded Scratch Races (on Sunday), Sydney Uni Velo Club and the Sydney Uni – Staminade Women’s Cycling Team dominated all contested events, with the Velo Club winning the Club Champions Shield for 2018.
By way of explanation, seen a few nights ago on the Tour de France, a Team Time Trial consists of several riders competing as a team over a defined course, with teams being started at different times (usually separated by two – five minutes). The time for the team is taken on a designated finisher (the eg the 4th rider in a team of six, or as in this case the 3rd rider in a team of four). Thus, a team can “drop” a rider on the way, although it is best to keep all riders in order to maximise the drafting potential and therefore speed over the course.
In summary, for the Team Time Trial (TTT) on Saturday, the Sydney Uni Velo Club won the Elite Women’s race (Sydney Uni – Staminade team, being Emily Watts, Abby Sneddon and Georgie Whitehouse) and also came second with the Club “Dream Team” (Lisa Antill, Jen Darmody, Rae-Anne Hardie and Cath Drysdale), 4th and 5th in the Elite Mens, 4th in the Women’s All Age, and 10th, 19th and 20 in the Men’s All Age. It is notable that the winning Elite women’s team won after starting with only three women, as their 4th rider (in true Uni fashion) stayed at home at her desk completing assignments.
In a late entry, other women from the Sydney Uni – Staminade team (Jade Colligan, Megan Scott, Amy Vesty and Vick Whitelaw) also contested the Sassafras Challenge, which they won too, overtaking five women’s teams who had started in front of them.
On Sunday, at the Ride 4 Robbie event, the women went even better, with Sydney Uni –Staminade riders coming 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 9th on the race (Georgie Whitehouse, Emily Watts, Megan Scott, Jade Colligan, Ange Smith and Amy Vesty). The first four riders finished within one second of each other. Members of Sydney Uni Velo Club riders, competing as club riders, came in 10th (Jen Darmody), 11th (Maddie Beevors), 12th (Cath Drysdale), and 13th (Sam Boyce).
