Friday 9th December @ 6.30pm @ Albert Park touch fields – VT League round 6 will be conducted which will feature Vipers VT Men’s, Women’s… and Mixed teams in action.

Sunday 11th December @ 10.30am @ Elwood Park Touch Fields – The Vipers VT Mixed team will play their makeup game against Lions. We encourage you all to come along and support the team.

Sunday 11th December @ 11.30am @ Elwood Park Touch Fields – The Vipers VT Men’s team will play a trial match against the Haileybury Opens team. Vipers and Haileybury have held a close association for the past 5 years in the development of junior touch players. This should be a match not to be missed with a selection of Haileybury players already members of Vipers VT teams.

Sunday 11th December @ 1pm @ Elwood Lounge (Ormond St Elwood) – Vipers invites all members, family and friends to come along for a Xmas get together, have a drink and something to eat. The Sunday session will be a great place to meet all Vipers members and enjoy the Melbourne Summer weather.
Parma and Big Bottle Beer – $20 (Special price for all Vipers) RSVP is appreciated if you intend on having a Parma so we can let the Pub know numbers to expect!

On 21^st August Suzy B and MC saddled up for the Len Laycock Trophy road race held by Southern on a clear but chilly morning in Somers on the Mornington Peninsular.

The event signalled the return to racing for the pair following a much deserved overseas holiday and hiatus from the competitive side of the sport.  MC and Suz both returned to the same grades where they left off earlier in the season (D and E grades respectively).

Both Vipers reported feeling under-done midway through the event, but persevered to remain in contact with main group heading into the final 8km lap of the 60+km event.

MC managed to time his dash to the line perfectly, capitalising on all the hard work done by other riders, to take the win in a bunch sprint finish.

Suz’ grade also came down to a bunch gallop, with SB cunningly identifying the rider who had the best legs (or was that the best looking legs?) as the one to follow in the sprint.  Unfortunately some pushy riding by others forced SB to take the safer option and let Mr Legs get the jump rather than ride on the wrong side of the road.

Suz romped home after a delayed start to the sprint, rounding up the leading female before the line – only the finish line coming all to quickly saved Mr Legs and the other podium finishers from being chased down by the fast finish.

The promising finish already has Suz plotting was defeat the men in the upcoming summer criterium season.

The 28^th August saw Suzy B and Angas representing the Vipers in the 70km Harry Wood Handicap held at Cora Lynn past Pakenham.

A seemingly still day soon changed into blustery conditions, which on the wide open circuit, would do damage to most riders aspirations for the win.

A handicap road race is a uniquely Australian event where riders are sent off in small groups with the slower riders starting first, with the superstars heading off last or ‘scratch’.

The group must work together for as long as they can to share the workload if they are to have a chance of staying ‘alive’ until the finish.

Suz and Angas’ group was given a very tough start time by the handicapper and, coupled with being in the smallest group of the day, meant it was always going to be a tough ask to stay away from the big A Grade pack of men that were intent on chasing down all in front of them.

The girls did a fantastic job of contributing not only to their small group, but also putting in the hard work when caught by a group of large strong riders.

Ultimately the handicapper got it all wrong, and the scratch markers caught all riders with 20km’s to go.

The girl’s boxed on and finished strongly on a day when many other softer riders chose softer options such as riding around the race in the comfort of a warm car taking photos…

Victorian Cyclocross Open

On Sunday 11th September Andrea competed in the first ever Victorian Cyclocross Open.  In her words…

“Last Sunday I competed in a cyclocross race in Thornbury in the Open section of the race.

I was the only female in the section and competed on my mountain bike. The idea is that you complete as many laps of the course as possible in a an allocated time.

The time limit for the Open section was 40mins and I completed 11 laps during this time, equalling some of the men.

In a cyclocross race there are obstacles which you have to get off the bike and lift your bike over, go down hills, up hills, through mud. It an exciting and face paced race”

A fantastic effort by Angas to take on such a challenging course and she will no doubt be back next cyclocross season to have another crack.

The event will kick off at 1200hrs with details of the first pub provided to those with teams registration.

The journey will take you to 8 different locations, with teams required to …compete against each other, completing various tasks in order to avoid elimination. Teams will be awarded time bonuses each round providing a progressive score eventually culminating in the crowning of the VARP winners. Be sure to push the limits during each challenge as every round counts.

Each team is to consist of 4 members (not every member needs to be a big drinker, however it is advisable that 3 team members can at least finish a pot of beer in good time). Each team is required to bring the following:
- team theme (can be shirt colour, hat, wrist band, anything distinguishable)
- camera (pref tough as it may get dropped or wet)
- pens/pencil
- team mascot

A full map and pub list will be available closer to the date, however the initial plan is to finish up at the at 2100hrs (9:00pm).

Teams will receive the tasks on the day at each pub.

To register a team, please contact Dessie on the_phoenix_kl@yahoo.com or via sms on 0421 036 702

Brooke is a foundation member of Vipers VT League Women’s team since our inception into the VT League. After nearly two years of preparation for this event she has been reward for her hard work and dedication.

Brooke has accomplished nearly everything there is in the sport with State selections in both the Victorian Women’s Open and Women’s 27′s teams for many years an NTL title with the Victorian Women’s 27′s team, VT League Championship and numerous individual awards throughout her long touch career.

Brooke’s accomplishment makes her the fourth Australian playing representative at the club with Suzy Barrett, Mick Carter and Tim Grant also having worn the green and gold in past years as well as Stephen Young who was team manger of the Australian Men’s 20′s in 2009.

Loren Kumeroa

The Event is planned for Sunday 8th May @ Elwood Park.  

Many Vipers would have family, friends and possibly even have played and lived in Christchurch, this is your way to give while enjoying a great day of Touch.  

Get your local club, friends or work team together for a fun filled day of Touch Rugby on the 8th May. They urgently need business sponsors and volunteers to help run and conduct the day.  

Have some fun playing touch whilst touching the hearts and lives of others through your generosity.  

Full details as well as costs, team registration and more info are available at www.touchchristchurch.com.au

Perfect blue skies greeted the riders as they tackled the challenging but fast 1.5km street circuit containing a nice gentle uphill section and a fun fast downhill corner to get the blood pumping.

In Mick’s race the pace was on from start to finish, with the Viper trying various tactics to try and shake the race up.

Several laps off the front of the field came to no avail as the chasers managed to reel him in.

It was all together with 2.5 laps to go until one rider shot off the front never to be seen again.

In the battle for the minor placings Mick managed to take 3rd place to top off a hard fought race.

Suz’s race was two races in one.  The first was the race to hang on to the higher than normal speeds for the grade due to the appearance of several very strong riders no doubt lured to the event by the higher than normal prize purse on offer.

The other race was amongst the three females in the field for the honour of highest placed female.

Mid-way though the race, a surge of almost 10 minutes from some of the big engines in the field caused carnage for the rest, with the peleton dropping from the 25+ riders who started the event to only 12 who managed to hang on.

Suz dug deep and remained in contact with the leaders, with only her and one other female managing to remain in the leading group.

In the final surge for the line, Suz easily accounted for her female opponent, with only four of the men managing to hold off her electrifying sprint.

The riders are now looking forward to the next race on the agenda at Sandown Raceway on Thursday night.

Towards the end of 2010 the new cycling team gear arrived and has been seen out and about on the roads over Melbourne since.

The gear looks fantastic and there is already talk of a new order coming soon so if you are interested in looking ‘pro’ then contact us.

Three of the clubs members Suzy, Andrea and Mick have recently entered the world of criterium racing, participating at Sandown Raceway and the purpose built criterium circuit at Casey Fields.

All three have proven to be very competitive in their respective grades, featuring regularly on the podium (and in the prize money!) at the events.

While the races themselves are very high-paced and exciting, the race within the race between the Vipers members has proven to be even more thrilling.