Nathan and Paul taking 1st and 2nd on Saturday. 

Tim Lier took out 3rd in C grade, great work Timo!

The Pres also got into the action taking 3rd in A grade, well done Hutchy!

New member Aaron DeBono secured 2nd in D grade. Top effort considering it was his first race ever!

We finished the weekend with another win on Sunday with Trent McCamley taking out his first B grade win also at Campbellfield with the Northern Vets. Check out this video from the rider who came 2nd capturing Trents win.

And during the week at the National Road Series Tour of Toowoomba, Sunbury CC member and resident hot shot James Butler, just kept dishing out the pain to peleton riding for Target Trek. James had a pretty impressive tour finishing 39th out of roughly 150 riders only 10mins behind the overall winner over 5 stages.

James smashing out an attack at the Tour of Toowoomba.

For Sunbury cycling we had a 'day out' with three of the boys doing extremely well;

James Butler won the 90km A grade race, Evan Henly won the 90km B grade race and Brett Cailsley just missed the win in D grade with a gutsy 2nd. A huge win for the boys and the club. Also great to see two of our ladies racing with Heather and Caitlin well done ladies for getting amongst it. Once again great to see so many Sunbury jersey's being warn with pride by all team members.

James raced over in WA during the week in the first National Road Race for 2013 for Target Trek and was feeling tired before the race, but it didnt stop him. Fellow club member Col Bell had this observation of James out on the road on his way to the win.

"When James went past me he had about 30 riders sitting on strung out single file down the road. He didn't seem to mind one bit. To top it off, he said "Col are you the front of the race?" Thanks for the compliment James but no, I'd been shelled."

We also had two team members do extremely well at the Jack McDonough trophy race season opener in D grade Patrick Edwards placed 2nd and Joshua Goodall 3rd, great effort boys well done.

Sunbury Cycling News March 2013

Pre-entry at http://goo.gl/N6iav

As simple as that… something AMAZING.
Something that very few people will ever be able to say they have done.
Something that puts him amongst some very esteemed company, including “2 x World Champion”-type company.

Craig Sullivan leads the peleton at the Diggers Rest road race in 2012.

First some background:
In mountain biking, few events are more feared in Australia than the Otway Odyssey. Many mountain bikers aspire to one day ‘do the odyssey’. Not the 50k but the real Odyssey, the 100k’er. There are so many stories that float around about how hard it is that many people are psyched out before ever taking the start line. If I had a dollar for each time I have heard “I’m training up to do the Odyssey next year” I would be a rich man.

I have done two 100’s and a 50 myself. I am lining up for my 3rd 100 on Saturday. This doesn’t make me a hero by any means, but I know I can knock out an Odyssey. Somehow it is a defining line for mountain bikers. Those that have done the Odyssey, those that are yet to do it and those who don’t think they ever could. Doing the Odyssey doesn’t make you a hero but it certainly gives you a story. “The year I did the Odyssey……”. You get the picture.

It is a funny event. There are the gods of mountain biking who can knock out 100k in 4.5 hours. Not only do they have amazing motors to drill it for so long but also incredible tech skills to be able to carry that speed over everything the terrain throws at you. These guys are heroes, no doubt.

Then there are the heroes at the other end of the field. Those that slog it out for 12 or 13 hours. They may be less fit but it is a super human effort all the same, just to make the finish.

It is an event that attracts hacks & champions alike. Phil Andersen is a regular at the Odyssey. He finished in 5.5 hours one year I was there and was very quick to point out when interviewed on the mic that the real heroes where still out there tackling the course and how amazed he was they people could stick it out for 12+ hours down the back of the field, and then asked the crowd to give the backmarkers a big round of applause. Very gracious Uncle Phil, very gracious. Anyway, it attracts the cream of mountain biking, it attracts big names from the road and it attracts hacks like myself up for a challenge and an adventure.

If you use Strava, this might put things into perspective – last year I ended up with a Suffer Score of 418. 418, and there’s only 2600metres of climbing. 100k & 2600 metres of climbing – 3 or 4 hours on the road, easy peasy. I knocked it out in just under 6.5 hours and was stoked with my time. Anyway, this story is not about me, just putting some perspective around how hard it is. (http://app.strava.com/activities/4295058)

What’s this got to do with Craig?

Well Craig lines up this year for his 7th Odyssey. That in itself is amazing.

This year this esteemed group get to run GOLD NUMBER PLATES in recognition of how amazing this is.

Craig will be running a GOLD PLATE on Saturday.
He probably wouldn’t tell you that himself, but I will. GOLD.

Best wishes to all Sunbury CC members who are taking part in this years OO.

By Col Bell.

Congrats to all those who participated in our hillclimb on Sunday.
And thanks again to all our members and sponsors for running the event.
Here are the results.

FINAL RESULTS
1. M. Gray 19.16
2. M. Grannas. 20.21
3. J. Soawyer. 20.23

4. B Spinks. 20.39
5. T Grant. 21.15
6. N Edwards. 22.17
7. S Duggan. 22.42
8. C Bell. 24.09
9. Bollywood Allen 29.03 ( puncture)
10. P Randell DNF (mechanical)

MOST COMBATIVE. W D'Agostini (collision with marsupial)

FIRST WOMEN. J Blackman

STALLION CLASS. M Gray

HANDICAP WINNER. N Baker

QUALIFYING

1. M Gray. 19.23
2. M Grannas. 19.45
3. J Soawyer. 20.27
4. B Spinks. 20.52
5. P Randell. 21.31
6. P Knight. 21.59
7. M Allen. 22.10
8. N Edwards. 22.35
9. S Duggan. 22.40
10. D Crisp. 22.44
11. L Zawadske. 23.05
12. C Bell. 23.40
13. M Butler. 23.53
14. D Hogan. 24.16
15. B Caisley. 24.22
=. W Morley. 24.22
17. W. D'Agostini 24.27
18 J Mullan. 24.46
19 T McCamley. 25.28
20. J Goodall. 25.35
21. J Connors. 26.00
22. D Merrett. 26.22
23. N Baker. 26.45
24. P McInulty. 28.17
25. J Knott. 29.35
25. P Williams. 29.55
26. J Blackman. 30.03
DNF J Pickard
DNF T Grant