Re: Tour de Mike
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:18 am
Bugger! Always a bit disconcerting when you have a front wheel spoke pop Mike.
Foo
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mikesbytes wrote:Race Report
Team;
- Simon B
- Paul A
- Mark L
- Mike C
Category;
Masters 150+
In the Masters 150+ category there were 21 teams entered. We were the 6th to last team to leave.
With 30 seconds to go, the barriers blew over onto the road just in front of us. Mark was held clipped in and on a clean line, where the rest of us had to merge with each other and go around the barrier. This resulted in Mark getting away from the rest of us and we didn't get ourselves fully sorted till we had done almost a K.
Once sorted we got on with it, the wind gave the course a very different feel to last year and we made good progress, cutting thru the terrain. About 15k out Simon popped, I went back to get him and after a little he decided to drop so I rolled back to Mark and Paul and we got back into it. Caught a dropped rider from the group ahead and finally made the turnaround.
Unlike last year, turning around didn't make it automatically easier but we did a good job of cutting thru the headwind and then at about 60kph my bike developed a loud rattle, I thought my cassette had come loose and we rolled slowly into an intersection that had 2 officials. They offered me a wheel, but it had the wrong cassette. I took the wheel out and we couldn't find anything wrong with it. I guessed that the skewer had come loose, we put the wheel back in and took off.
It took about 2k to refind the rhythm and we took the downhill by the short and curly's. Just before Nowra airport a car came out of side street, it just managed to get ahead of us, not slowing us down but it went straight into a 60kph zone and we were doing 65kph. Fortunately we didn't catch it.
Around the turnaround and despite the direction we ended up in a headwind for the final bit, I struggled on the front, Lacey went past me and hit the wall, so I went back on the front, we turned left to the airport and strung across the road for the final effort to the line.
We finished about a minute behind the team of Lindsay, Ron, Roger and Peter. Our time including my stop to inspect the rear wheel was 1h6m55s, I think we came 12th out of 21 teams. How much we lost in the stop is difficult to tell, perhaps we would of come 6th, but no way we would of got bronze, for that we needed to do 1h2m.
Strava: http://app.strava.com/activities/68378845
mikesbytes wrote:Congratulations to Adrian on taking 5th, totally well deserved and after a gutsy 30k solo return ride.
Well I said that with this race, either I will blow early or be there all the way. Last year racing in the rain I finished 14th, 19seconds behind the winner and 4th in the M5+ division, which they didn't have this year. Time was 2h27m40s an average of 36,5kph, which was the 90k route, same as this years 70k route but we went out further before turning around.
I was handicapped in bunch 4, 16 minutes behind limit, the hardest handicap of all DHBC riders in the race and it was pretty soon after the start that I found my bunch too hot, my heart rate was sitting on 182, I knew it wasn't sustainable and I was dropped out the back at 5k with 2 other riders.
The 3 of us worked together and we got to 15k where we got caught by the next bunch, which I lasted in for 3k.
This time I found myself solo and while every so often I caught other riders, none of them were in a position to work. Steve Cassidy (waratah's) and another rider were holding my wheel. Wind conditions were the worse I've ever encountered in a race, I recall seeing 10kph on one small hill. Then we hit the big hill and I found good rhythm, dropped the riders and kept on picking various other riders as I came upon them.
Then I got to turn around and what a relief after 22k solo into the head wind. Down the hill I hit 84.2kph, this race has given me the slowest I've ever done and the fastest I've ever done in a race.
After a couple of K I was caught by another rider from behind and the 2 of us worked together for about 25k, just before Nowra airport, where we were catching a group of 5, who upped the pace and splintered, the other rider took off dropping me.
So it was the last 5k? solo, I caught 3 of the 5 riders in that group and the finish came as a relief.
Result wise I was something like 76th on handicap and 66th fastest time, about mid field. An average speed of 31.8kph, same as Grafton to Inverall 2011. Time wise the other DHBC boys had done much better on the day, some impressive figures;
2h10m - Mark
2h12m - Adrian
2h13m - John
2h15m - me
Strava: http://app.strava.com/activities/68870766
mikesbytes wrote:Here's the vid of my start and you can see the wind in the trees. It was a lot worse up the road. Note the lack of deep dish wheels on the start line.
http://youtu.be/GWqp9P1tsQ8
mikesbytes wrote:Race report, better late than never. Lacey and I were in the same bunch Sat and Sun.
Saturday 105k handicap
We were in a bunch of about 12 riders. By 30k there was 6 of us left, 35k and we got caught by the bunch behind about 20 riders. A couple of times I was off the back and rode myself back on. 50k and Lacey and I were struggling in the fish tail off the back, which broke off, Lacey and I managed to ride across the gap back on but it took its toll on Lacey and he was gone.
Ironically the pace soften a tad a few k's later, just enough to make the difference and I was back in working with the bunch. Turning into the crosswind for the second lap, I found myself with no wind protection, so I powered up the windward side, a risky maneuver but it paid off as a gap appeared and I got myself back in the paceline.
At 85k I suffered cramps in both hamstrings when on the front of the paceline and rolled off the back, roughly to the following car, managed to fix them and rode myself back on, but it took its toll on me and I was dropped on the next hill, cruised back with Scott Mills in 2h42m for 100k.
Was awarded the combative award a bit like most aggressive rider
Sunday 65k handicap
Small bunch of 8 riders. We lost one rider early on and the 7 of us worked pretty good. We were on schedule to catch Limit on the climbs before the finish and were feeling like we could take this one when we got caught from behind by a huge bunch. I realised that we were in a bad position and really pumped it over the hill and then I attacked on the down hill, moving myself way up to halfway in what was a rubber band about to break but even that wasn't enough as we turned left into the cross wind the pelaton completely broke up, I rode across several gaps to make it to a small bunch of 4 that were chasing the front bunch but we didn't get back on. Then Scratch came by and I jumped on, but I was completely on the wrong side of the ride almost in the right gutter. With the comminsure beeping I us I decided it wasn't worth it and quit at 50k. Cruised back with a large bunch at a nice casual pace.
Overall I was happy with both days racing
Sunday BBQ
We decided to add a day to the trip and go skiing, so we drove to Tumut where I had booked a 2 bed cottage on a farm. Entertained the cows, before digging into a massive BBQ feast
The place we stayed at would be great for setting up base for a cycling holiday http://www.ribbonwoodcottages.com.au/
Monday Skiing
Went skiing at Mt Selwin. Never been there before, but figured it should be OK for one days skiing. Cycling fitness translates well to Skiing, much easier than my usual assortment of spin classes. Will do it again next year, perhaps after Wagga racing
Is that a "proper" disc wheel or a Wheelbuilder cover? If it's a cover then am I right in asuming officials don't worry about it too much and allow you to race with it?
Pro Lite Padova disc wheel - not cover http://2011.pro-lite.net/?option=com_co ... id=5&id=37Ross wrote:Is that a "proper" disc wheel or a Wheelbuilder cover?