2020 Rockley Cup

[Mark]

2020 Rockley Cup:
The Feature Handicap event of the Bathurst Cycling Club Calendar “The Rockley Cup” will be held this weekend (29/11/20).
Bathurst Cycling Historian Heather McFarlane referred to the Rockley Race as one of the oldest road races in NSW, referring to the trophy race organised before World War 1 in 1912. However it is worth noting that the Bathurst Cycling club prior to WW1 was organising events to Rockley even earlier than this race, with evidence of the club riding out to Shanahan’s Pub and return in 1906.
The 1912 event created some hype, as cycling clubs existed at both Bathurst and Rockley.. it might surprize todays cyclists that the 1912 event was hampered by Council Permissions, with the event eventually plan for Rockley to Perthville and Return altered further to Mt Everndon and return. The winner of the inaugural 1912 event was Rockley cyclist W.H. Atkins riding off 2mins, he was part of a famous cycling family from Rockley, his brother Jack Atkins one Australia best riders in the WW1 period.
The modern version of the race commenced in 1969 when the NSW League of Wheelman promoted a Championship at Bathurst, where a Senior Race to Rockley and back was held in conjunction with a number of Junior State championships in a giant day of cycling for the Bathurst. 
The 1969 Rockley Return was won by Bathurst Champion Geoff Rice (4min) defeating Cowra Cyclist Robert Fisher (8min) and well performed Nowra rider John McLean (6mins) third.
Geoff Rice returned last year as a guest of the club for the 50year anniversary of the Rockley Cup. Geoff invited to start the 2019 Rockley Race which was won by Orange Champion Simon Hickey, with the long-time Queen of the Rockley race Jodie Martin the top female and husband Dennis the top placed Bathurst Rider.

PAST WINNERS of the Modern Era of the Rockley Cup:
1969 Jeff Rice
1970 Keith Clough (Syd)
1971 Michael Petersen (Wellington) 
1972 tbc – Permissions Issue 
1973 Graham Stait
1974 Graham Stait
1975 tbc – Rain
1976 Ray Davis
1977 Col Whittaker
1978 Rob Whetters (Syd)
1979 tbc - coming 
1980 Greg Clifton 
1981 David Roggiero
1982 Greg Clifton
1983 Graham Stait 
1984 Mark Windsor
1985 Mark Windsor
1986 Jim Burke 
1987 Derek Walker 
1988 Mark Windsor
1989 Darren Covington
1990 Rob Stephen
1991 Kev Aubrey (Mudg)
1992 Adam Williams (Org)
1993 Tim Preston (Org)
1994 Nathan Serwach (Org)
1995 Cecil Ellis (Syd)
1996 Dave Wilton (Org)
1997 Steve Brilley 
1998 Dave Wilton (Org)
1999 Matthew Farmer
2000 Brad Wright
2001 Dwayne Grant (Org)
2002 Dwayne Grant (Bcc-Org)   
2003 Dean Windsor
2004 Dean Windsor & Mitch Chapman (Org)
2005 Dean Windsor 
2006 Michael Caine (Org)
2007 Dennis Martin
2008 Dean Windsor
2009 Glen McGill
2010 Greg Wills
2011 Jannette Martin (Org)
2012 Ben Taylor
2013 Glen McGill
2014 Dave Coles (Org)
2015 Patty Corcoran
2016 Ryan O’Donnell
2017 Jeremy Ryan (Bcc-Cowra)
2018 Harry Bryant (Org)
2019 Simon Hickey (Org)

[Mark]

Tough Conditions Expected for the 2020 Rockley Cup
Last year’s Rockley “50Year Anniversary” Cup winner Simon Hickey will return to again race the event in 2020.
He is likely to be on Scratch with Orange star Luke Tuckwell and Cowra’s Jeremey Ryan who won the event in 2017. The Backmarker trio hoping to catch the block bunch early (likely to include Penrith’s Ian Grant, Mark Windsor & Jack Cannon who finished in the top10 last year) and then push on to taking out the race with tough conditions expected.
However there will be plenty of opposition out on the other handicap marks, Scott James, Ray Straney (Orange) and Tony Shaw all finishing well up in the top 10 last year and will be hoping to improve on that this year.
Hollee Simons is in top form on the bike at the moment (actually winning the Central West Inter Club Triathlon at Mudgee last weekend) and would be favoured to take the female section of the 2020 Rockley long course event. Certainly hard riding Toireasa Gallagher and Trudy O’Connor will take plenty of catching, along with star junior Ebony Robinson. Former Gallagher Trophy Winner, Fran Walker the interesting rider in the female section, as her brother is a past winner of the race and her mother a former organiser of the event.

LAST YEARS RESULTS
27 October 2019 - Rockley “50Year Anniversary” Cup
1Simon Hickey Orange (scr), 2Tim Guy Orange Ljubljana Gusto Santic Team (scr), 3Dennis Martin Bathurst (6min), 4Jodie Martin Bathurst (12min), 5Scott James Bathurst (18min), 6Ray Straney Orange (18min), 7Tony Shaw Bathurst (18min), 8Chris Davis Bathurst (24min), 9Scott McLennan Bathurst (12min), 10Jack Cannon Bathurst (6min)
First Female - 1Jodie Martin (2hr 01m 40s)
Fastest Time - 1Simon Hickey (1hr 47m 59s)

RESULTS - 2019 Little Rock Trophy:
1David Hyland, 2Rosemary Hastings, 3Mark Windsor, 4Alex Krajcer, 5Jim Lavis (Fastest Time - Jim Lavis)

[Mark]

2020 “Renshaw Pedal Project" Rockley Club:
The Feature Handicap event of the Bathurst Cycling Club Calendar “The Renshaw’s Pedal Project” 2020 Rockley Cup was held on the weekend (29/11/20) with Champion Orange Junior Xavier Bland and Bathurst’s Nic Barrett dominating the prestige event off the 18minute handicap mark.
Riding off 30min Rod Esdaile looked a great chance of winning coming into the final stages of the local classic trophy race; Rod had caught and passed Nev Krahe off 35min after he broke clear of co markers Kevin Bell, Greg Vinell and Fran Walker early in the race, and was riding strongly to the finish on Quarry Hill.
However Barrett, Bland, Crump and Cooke were pushing the 18min bunch to breaking point with strong riders Straney Roebuck Thorn and the Hansons all under pressure as they closed in on the leaders.
Back in the field the Nic North and Will Lesh were riding strongly in the 10min bunch which also included Stuey Renshaw Dubbo’s Graham Peadon and top female rider Hollee Simons and were making ground on the 16minute group (Barbetti, Reece, Corr, Shaw, James and Drew Tuckwell) which was working smooth.
Giving away 35minutes start, the scratch markers (Ryan, Tuckwell and Simon Hickey) started very hard hoping to catch sight of the 9minute Choppingblock group of Jack Cannon and Ian Grant.
But on the final climb it was clear the race was between Barrett and Bland, with the young Orange rider surging to take victory, Barrett however also going on the trophy as the first Bathurst Rider. Rod Esdaile hung on for 3rd from the very fast finishing Nic North who broke the 2hour barrier for the tough course, Jack Cannon also overtaking many riders to finish 5th in the handicap event.
Young Orange cyclist Josiah Cooke surprised some of the more experienced rider finishing 6th infront of the two scratchmarkers Luke Tuckwell and Jeremy Ryan who put in super performances to make the top 10.
Luke Barbetti and Will Lesh also impessive to make the top 10 from tough handicap marks.
Hollee Simon continued her great recent form to win the First Female Trophy she defeat Fran Walker who was the early leader of the event.
Only three riders broke 2hours for race, fastest time going to promising young cyclist Luke Tuckwell with an impressive 1h 52m 00s following by Jeremy Ryan and Nic North. Fourth Fastest was Jack Cannon with Will Lesh rounding out the top 5 for fastest time in the 2020 race.
In 2011 a third climb of Rockley Mount was added to the Rockley Cup, to increase participation a support event was added in 2016 which climbed Rockley Mount twice. The race was christened "The Little Rock" by Marian Renshaw and was raced for the 5th time on the weekend (29/11/20).
Expanding that concept a little further in 2020 it was decided to add a 3rd race on the day called the Pebble Cup which climbs the dreaded Rockley Mount one time.
Three times Rockley Cup winner Mark Windsor was the victory of the Renshaw Pedal Project Little Rock in 2020 recording a course record of 1hr 21 02. Last year’s winner David Hyland was second in front of Gary Theiss and Peter Hickey with 2 times winner Rosemary Hastings 5th.
The inaugural Pebble Cup going to Joanne Renshaw with Tracey Robinson 2nd & Robyn Partridge 3rd.

RESULTS - 2020 Renshaw Pedal Project Rockley Cup
1 Xavier Bland Orange (18mins), 2 Nic Barrett (1st Bathurst Rider) (18m), 3Rod Esdaile (30m) 4Nic North (10min), 5Jack Cannon (9min), 6Josiah Cooke Orange (18mins), 7Luke Tuckwell (Scr) 8Jeremy Ryan (Scr) 9 Luke Barbetti (16min) 10 Will Lesh (10min). Then- Patty Crump, Tony Shaw, Peter Wilson, Dave Reece, Stuart Renshaw, Drew Tuckwell, Nicholas Corr, Hollee Simons, Nev Krahe, Greg Vinall, Fran Walker
First Female – 1Hollee Simons (2hr 11m 07s) 2Fran Walker
Fastest Time – 1Luke Tuckwell (1hr 52m 00s) 2 Jeremy Ryan 3Nic North 4Jack Cannon 5Will Lesh

RESULTS - 2020 Renshaw Pedal Project Little Rock Trophy: 1Mark Windsor (scr), 2David Hyland (25min) 3Gary Theiss (25min), 4Peter Hickey (33mins),  5Rosemary Hastings (33mins) - Fastest Time Mark Windsor (1:21:02)

RESULTS – 2020 Renshaw Pedal Project Pebble Cup: 1 Joanne Renshaw 2Robyn Partridge 3Tracey Robinson