Latrobe Christmas Carnival - IM

Latrobe, Australia, December 26, 2002

2001 Results Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals main page

Ladd laps it up in Latrobe

By Rod Morris in Latrobe

Jame Carney (right) winner of the Elimination and Scratch races
Photo: © Gerard Knapp

Two years ago, Bendigo's Damian Ladd didn't even own a track bike. Ladd is now the Patrick's Latrobe Wheelrace champion - after winning Australia's richest handicap track race - worth $12,000! Ladd (25) upset a quality field, which included scratchmen Jame Carney, Matthew Gilmore and Nathan Clarke, to claim Tasmanian cycling's most prestigious handicap event.

The Latrobe Boxing Day Carnival officially kick-started the Telstra Country Wide Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals Series, which continue tomorrow with the $20,000 Launceston Classic Criterium on Friday, followed by Launceston (Dec. 28), Devonport (Dec. 29-30) and Burnie (Jan. 1).

Ladd slipped under the guard of most cycling pundits, including the all-important handicapper. Riding off a liberal mark of 315 m for the 3000 m final, it was later discovered Ladd's club handicap in his hometown of Bendigo, is a much tighter 200 m. After winning the rich $8000 first prize, Ladd can expect to be riding off a much tougher mark for the remainder of the Tasmanian series.

While the backmarkers failed to bridge the gap to the "fronties" it was Ladd and his fellow front markers who made the most of every opportunity. A well oiled group of five riders used their handicaps to the best of their ability and in the final sprint to the line, Ladd held on to win from Wagga rider Brenton Crawley (375 m), who rides in the Barry O'Hagan (1960 Latrobe Wheel winner) stable and young Tasmanian up and coming star Adam Hartley (345), who won last week's Rosebery Wheel. Ladd's only other notable win was this year's Creswick Open in the Ballarat region.

Earlier in the day, Launceston veteran Laurie Venn (47) won the time-honoured A. J. Clarke and Son Handicap in a close finish from Victorian rider Clint Johnson and another Tasmanian, David Oliver. American Jame Carney won both the 8 km and 16 km A Grade Scratch races, while current World Sprint Champion Sean Eadie easily defeated current American Sprint champ, Jeff Labauve in a special match race series. Eadie was however surprised in the Keirin final, when he was beaten in a photo finish by little known Victorian Damien Keirl.

The Women's Latrobe Wheel was won by Beaconsfield's Kirby Piscioneri from Springfield's Stephanie Williams and promising Devonport junior Natasha Mapley.

Photography

Images by Gerard Knapp/Cyclingnews

The woodchoppers came, chopped, and left for a drink.
Jame Carney sports the latest hairstyle of visiting American riders. Cyclingnews will report in coming days what the striped pattern means (if anything).
Jame Carney - a front view. Carney is a regular at the Tasmanian Carnivals and last year took home almost Au$6,000 in prize money
The assembled field ready to start the 8km J Boag & Son Sid Patterson Memorial A Grade scratch race. the front line includes three current track world champions, plus a reigning Olympic champion in Brett Aitken.
A trio attempt to close the gap to the lead group in the final event of the day, the 34-lap (16.25km) inaugural William (Bill) Redpath A Grade Scratch Race, taken out by Jame Carney.
Stephen Wooldridge and Brett Aitken steam past the crowd on "the hill" (ie, the area where alcohol was served). The locals were good supporters of the sponsor's product and also provided some informed commentary on the races to any rider able to hear them.
Current world sprint champion Sean Eadie leads the bunch in the A Grade scratch race. At over 16km, the race distance wasn't Eadie's normal length event.
Stephen Wooldridge leads the field in the J Boag & Son Sid Patterson Memorial A Grade scratch race over 8km, in front of the grandstand at the historic LaTrobe Recreation Ground. It was the 106th year these races have been held in the Tasmanian town.
Tasmanian rider - and 2002 world junior pursuit champion - Mark Jamieson attempts to close the gap to the leaders in the final event of the day.
Chief lap-scorer Mr Arthur Smith uses foolproof technology to keep the riders abreast of the race distance.
American rider Jeff LeBauve in the 8km J Boag & Son Sid Patterson Memorial A Grade scratch race.
Now that's a bell. The final lap always has a special ring at the LaTrobe races, due to the use of an antique ship's bell, rung by lap-scorer Mr Arthur Smith. All the officials at the LaTrobe Wheelrace were too young to know what ship the bell originally graced, but it was definitely of maritime origin.

Results

Patrick's Latrobe Wheelrace, $12,000
 
1 Damian Ladd (315)          3.17.11
2 Brenton Crawley (375) 
3 Adam Hartley (345)
4 Daniel Cutting (75)
 
Other finalists
 
Karl Menzies, Josh Wilson, Stephen Rossendell, 
Grant Young, Michael Ford, Gareth Atkins, 
Mark Jamieson, Stephen Pearce, Laurie Venn, 
Nathan Clarke, Todd Wilksch, Garry Polack, 
Matthew Gilmore, Jame Carney, Robert Wilson, 
Nathan Kean.
 
A. J. Clarke & Sons Handicap
 
1 Laurie Venn (170)
2 Clint Johnson (160)
3 David Oliver (160)
4 Brenton Crawley (250)
 
Other finalists
 
Jame Carney, Jeff Hopkins, Nathan Clarke, 
Robert Wilson, Mike Tillman, Joel Leonard, 
Markus Kammerman, Nic Sanderson, Brendan Geale, 
Carlo Barendilla, Matt Goss, Andrew Rix, David Klyne, 
Ryan Johnson, Michael Johnson, Adam Hartley.
 
Sid Patterson Memorial A Grade Scratch, 8000 m
 
1 Jame Carney             10.25.11 
2 Nathan Clarke
3 Jeff Hopkins
4 Matthew Gilmore
 
Bill Redpath Memorial A Grade Scratch, 16,000 m
 
1 Jame Carney             20.36.43
2 Robert Wilson
3 Matthew Gilmore
4 Stephen Rossendell
 
A Grade Elimination
 
1 Jame Carney
2 Brett Aitken
3 Robert Wilson
 
B Grade Scratch
 
1 Stephen Pearce          6.09.68
2 Neil Campbell
3 Michael Ford
4 Shane Perkins
 
C Grade Scratch
 
1 Andrew Rix              6.36.86
2 Ian Leighton
3 Clint Johnson
4 John Dam
 
D Grade Scratch
 
1 Ryan Johnson            6.29.32
2 Kharne Hammersley
3 Michael Johnson
4 Cameron Wise
 
E Grade Scratch
 
1 Damian Ladd             6.27.97
2 Jason Bellchambers
3 Brett Lehman
4 Adam Hartley
 
F Grade Scratch
 
1 Nathan Kean             6.46.01
2 Brenton Crawley
3 Fred Guilbert
4 Richard Penny
 
Women's Scratch
 
1 Kerrie Meares
2 Liz Williams
3 Belinda Goss
 
Patron's Keirin
 
1 Damien Keirl           12.60 (last 200 m)
2 Sean Eadie
3 Jeff Hopkins
 
Telstra Country Wide 200 m Sprint Series
 
1 Sean Eadie 
2 Jeff Labauve
 
RACT Women's Latrobe Wheelrace
 
1 Kirby Piscioneri (75)   2.38.48
2 Stephanie Williams (60)
3 Natasha Mapley (150)
4 Rochelle Gilmore (scr)
 
Junior 1 Scratch
 
1 Kaidan Homan            6.30.33  
2 John Rayner
3 Ty Winduss
4 Tim Walker
 
Junior 2 Scratch
 
1 Alex Holden             3.55.65 
2 Will Robinson
3 Aaron Jones
4 Sean Oliver
 
Junior 3 Scratch
 
1 Brenden Sutton          2.09.59
2 Edward Robinson
3 Matt Laskey
4 Melissa Barnes 
 
Junior 1 Wheelrace
 
1 John Rayner (40)        2.30.85
2 Tim Walker (60)
3 Adam Davis (100)
4 Kaidan Homan (100)
 
Junior 2 Wheelrace
 
1 Tom Robinson (130)      2.38.78
2 Aaron Jones (130)
3 Sean Oliver (100)
4 Will Robinson (scr)
 
Junior 3 Wheelrace
 
1 Jack Stokes (140)      12.03.94 
2 Jason Bounday (120)
3 Carissa Ling (190)
4 Jake Laskey (110)