The handicap is a style of cycle racing that is unique to Australia. Where the riders start at different times and race the same course, with the first across the line the winner and if the handicappers get it right it is a bunch finish with all groups together.
After the last few President’s Cup being won from scratch (the last group to start). The handicappers spread the groups out and allowed limit (the first group to start) about a lap and half head start over scratch in a 6 lap race over 50 kilometres.
As it was a handicap any rider can ride in any group, so if a rider was passed by another group, they could join that group, even if that group was a lap down. Which allowed riders from the early groups to jump on the back of faster groups, as they passed.
Normally if the fast group was rolling turns, with each rider takes a short turn at the front, then rolls off, to be replaced by the next rider in line, until all riders in the group had a turn and it started over again. Riders from slower groups would struggle to hold on. However, in each of the faster group only a few riders were working with a number of riders sitting at the back, which allowed riders from the early groups get a good draft. If the those riders got dropped, they had a minute or two to recover before the next fast group passed.
To describe the race as chaotic was an understatement, with officials unsure who was leading the race, for most of the race. It was that chaotic that the Chris Wright and Alvin Lim who crossed the line first and second, on the back of a fast group, rode an extra lap and crossed the line with scratch who were racing for the honours of fastest time, which was taken by Stephen Hall. Patrick Szczypkowski counted his laps correctly and peeled off the back of scratch a lap earlier to take third. Dennise Laurence was the first women to finish not far behind.
