Chloe Mac wins the Brookman

Here's the official race report, as submitted to the Ballarat Courier, from Chris Liston:

Cycle turns: Chloe McIntosh wins Brookman

Chloe McIntosh rode her way into history by upstaging her male counterparts to become the first woman to win BSCC's “Les Brookman Memorial' 55 km handicap road race classic.  McIntosh rode off 17 minutes with six others in a field of over forty entries. In tough, windy conditions, the field left Hewitt and Whitty’s corner carpark, and headed out to Snake Valley, around the Hope’s Lane circuit, through Hillcrest to Smythesdale, then along the Glenelg Highway to Haddon, finishing on Greenhalgh's Road.  The high winds made the work hard for the limit riders, and as the more experience bunches clambered up through the field, the strong crosswinds made a tough finish for all the riders.  Liam White was the first U17 rider home, while Rob Doyle, Andrew Weightman and Dale Scarfe were the three riders at scratch, chasing riders with a head start of up to thirty and a half minutes. Doyle shook off the other two to claim the fastest time.  The Les Brookman Memorial is held in honour of the Ballarat cyclist and athelete who was tragically killed in 1968.  Les’ brother Kevin Brookman presented the trophies and prizes for the event, which in 2010 will be honoured with a perpetual shield.
 

From left to right : Liam White (1st U17), Chloe McIntosh (1st), Kevin Brookman (Les Brookman's brother), Rob Doyle (fastest time), Mitch Brodgen (3rd), Stuart Brien (2nd).

Results:
1st Chloe McIntosh
2nd Stuart Brien
3rd Mitch Brogden
Fastest time: Rob Doyle

1st U17 Liam White
 

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Here's a brief report on the senior race. 

The Brookman was run in sunny but windy conditions.  The scratch riders, Rob Doyle, Andrew Weightman and interstate visitor Dale Scarff, faced a tough task: a 9-minute gap to the large and powerful second scratch group.  This group in turn had a 5:30 gap to third scratch (14:30), led by Doug Garley, on his way back from a serious infection of his Melbourne to Ballarat injuries, and also featuring young guns Mitch Brogden and James Crafter.  The next bunches set off in rapid succession.  The gap was 1:30 to the bunch containing Stuarts Brien and Grigg and Ben Clark (16:00), and a further 1:00 to the group of Chloe McIntosh and Peter Canny (17:00).  Then a bigger gap to the second limit bunch.  Motocross star Jane Faneco, in her first road race, was the lone limit rider. 

The 16-minute bunch started fast, powered by Stuart Brien, one of this season's big movers.  They gathered up the 17-minute bunch before Carngham, and with the big man's hard work aided by co-markers Stuart Grigg, Ben Clark and Charlie Stebbing, and Peter Canny and Michael Veal from the 17-minute group, caught second limit the second time through Carngham.  Jane was collared on the drag up towards Hillcrest, and at this point the pace slowed, as the early hard work took its toll and the numbers were whittled down.  Liam White, Peter Kyatt and Chloe Mac contributed to the pace-making, along with the tireless Stuarts, but as the leaders negotiated the Haddon roundabout, Garley's group had them in sight.  The Hard Rider himself was on the front, despite having punctured earlier in the race and chased back on. 

Sago Hill was decisive, as it usually is.  In the rides of the day, first James Crafter and then Mitch Brogden blasted out of the 14:30 group, crossed the gap solo, and joined the leaders.  At the top, the lead group was eight riders.  Peter Kyatt made the crest of the hill with the leaders but was unhitched in the run towards the line.  At the finish, Chloe's national title-winning acceleration, sprinter's instincts, and fresh legs triumphed over the huge engine of Stu Brien, with Mitch, an impressive Stu Grigg, and James rounding out the top five.  The scratch group worked evenly together all day, and saw very few other riders.  Rob Doyle, on top form, dispatched the others on Sago Hill and rode solo to the finish to take the fastest time. 

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