Sport | Craig Sheppard Photographer

2012 Aviva 70.3

2 years ago when I shot this event there was not much of a crowd and access to good locations, especially for the swim exit, was fairly easy. 2012 was a totally different story. I got there early to get a good spot for the swim but to my surprise the place was rammed. There were people every where and the majority had cameras. The guy next to me said this was just his hobby – I was dying to have a go with his 400mm f/2.8 lens attached to his Canon 1Ds Mk III. Probably 25k worth of kit! I later found out that there was a photography competition and money up for grabs, hence the hoards of happy snappers. It wasn’t until the cycle leg had started that the crowds thinned and spots became available, by this time I’d made my way up the road to find a better vantage point. Being a fairly straight course these were limited, but I did manage to find a spot which provided lots of entertainment with lots of crashes due to a tight bend just after a drinks station. That might be a topic for a later blog. It was a long hot day and I headed home not long after the Pro’s finished. You can see more images here.

Cannasia-Cannondale Race OCBC Criterium

As usual it was fast and furious racing in the Open Mens Criterium. The Cannasia-Cannondale guys had a huge job ahead as most of them started from the rear of the pack and inexperienced riders ahead were dropping wheels like flies as the pace was high right from the starting horn. After a few laps three riders made it to the lead group while the remainder of the team were spread out through the chasing groups. As the pace quickened and the light disappeared both racing and photography got harder especially due to the wet conditions and low light levels. Despite the conditions my ‘camera for the day’ the Canon 1D Mark IV was faultless and I was pretty pleased with the results and the experience would help me in the upcoming Pro Criterium later in the day. You can read the Cannasia-Cannondale race report here.

OCBC Professional Criterium 2012

Once again it was that time of year when OCBC Bank put on the OCBC Singapore Cycle 2012. The main highlight for me was the Professional Criterium Race which attracts some of the best cyclists in the world to compete for a hefty prize purse. This year Robbie McEwen from Green Edge Cycling was one of the favorites and he didn’t disappoint. With a masterful display of riding he won the sprint and took home the cash. It was a difficult evening for photography with the light conditions and the early rain but I had a great time and got to see some real pros race here in Singapore.

Cannasia Cannondale race Sepang Criterium 2012

After a great experience at last years race the Cannasia-Cannondale Team decided to make the 3hr journey from Singapore up to Sepang again in 2012 for the Sepang Criterium. With a few of the guys going really well and super motivated we were excited and looking forward to the racing. The start line was full with about 200 riders but this time there were a couple of Pro teams on the line. The boys had their work cut out for them racing against these guys. Within the first few laps the selection was made and the remainder of the riders were left to chase the break and settle for the minor places. Overall the team rode really well for the first race of the season albeit the punctures and the heat.

New bikes and the final turn at Sepang.

Team Cannasia-Cannondale

James Pretty (Cannasia-Cannondale) before his untimely exit due to a puncture.

Ryan Mckay (Cannasia-Cannondale)…Full gas!

The Breakaway.

The lead group with one of the chase groups in the background.

Racers take the final turn of the Sepang circuit.

Dave Gowty (Cannasia-Cannondale)

Tour De Bintan – Stage 3

Watching each of the categories leave the start line for Stage 3 from the side of the road was a strange feeling after being in the thick of it for the previous two ‘action packed’ stages. I was assured my driver would be here as soon as possible but with only a 38 kilometer, relatively flat stage with an anticipated high pace I was worried I was going to miss it all. Finally, after 20 minutes my new driver and motorbike turned up. As we speed off it immediately became clear that this wasn’t going to be as smooth as the previous stages. We managed to get to the final sprint point and set up position just before the Cat 1 peloton arrived and with a little coaching and encouragement my driver settled into the rhythm of the peloton for the last 15km back to the finish.

Overall I had an absolute blast on the back of the motorbike and I can’t wait to give it another go. I honestly did miss being on my road bike and racing with the team but I did not miss all the nervousness and anxiety that goes with it.

I would like to thank Metasport for allowing me to be part of the Tour De Bintan 2011 and of course my motorbike drivers who did a magnificent job of getting me so close to the action.

Click here to visit Stage 3 gallery on my website.

The Cat 1 Men returning to the finish pass the Women’s Cat on their out bound leg.

Congratulations to Kate Poat, her first stage race and first across the line in stage 3. Well done!

Tour De Bintan 2011 – Stage 2

Waking to a fine day on the second day of racing was a relief as it meant I would not have to flounder about trying to keep all my gear dry and shoot at the same time. As soon as the flag dropped two riders, Ryan McKay (Cannasia-Cannondale) and Timothy Lim took a flyer off the front of the peloton. With the first king of the mountain at the 8km point, getting away early was essential to gaining early points in this competition. Sadly for them a couple of Pico Bikelabz riders bridged the gap and robbed them of the points. Unfortunately, due to an unprepared Motorbike driver, I had to leave the race at this point to fill up on petrol so I missed some potential scenic peloton shots along the resort road to the checkpoint which led the race into the ‘real’ Bintan. After rejoining the race a break formed around the 25km mark and stayed away until the finish. Here are some images from the day.

Click here to see additional Stage 2 photos.

Ryan Mckay drives the two man break from the flag drop.

The break is joined by one of the Pico Bikelabz riders.

Zamri Salleh (Pico Bikelabz) attacked the break to claim the first KOM points for the day.

There were numerous attempts after the first KOM to get away.

The winning break.

Tim Wilkins (Cannasia-Cannondale) rejoins after his nature break. What a chase to get back on and I’m sure he’ll think twice about doing that again.

Rider Portraits – Tour De Bintan 2011

After each of the stages I tried to grab some quick portraits of some of the riders. I felt sorry for them having a camera shoved in their face as soon as they had finished racing but hey, that’s the life a cyclist, pro or not. I took my inspiration from an amazing photographer Timm Kolln and his book ‘The Peloton’. Up and coming cycling photographer Veeral Patel also encouraged me to get in there and get some closeups of the dirt and sweat us cyclists have to endure during racing. I’ve intentionally over sharpened the images to hopefully bring out the pain and suffering they had to endure but most of them seemed happy to see me and gave me a smile.

Click here to see a few more portraits on my website.

Tour de Bintan 2011 – Stage 1

One of my dreams as a cyclist and a photographer is to photograph a race from the back of a motorbike. In November I got the opportunity to realise this dream by photographing a fantastic little race on the island of Bintan in Indonesia. I spent the majority of the 157km Stage 1 following a breakaway of 8 cyclists from the Men’s Open Cat 1 over hills and through rain storms. It was an exciting and eventful day and after over 4 hours on the back of the motorbike I came to learn that it’s almost as tiring and painful as the actual racing! Below are a selection of my images from Stage 1.

Click here to look at more images of Tour de Bintan Stage 1.