Kurrajong Classic

[ludachris]

Hi have entered the Kurrajong Classic, this will be my first road race, just wondering is it a tough race, I live in the mountains so the hills dont worry me that much. Also do they let you know what division you will be in prior to the day, so I dont have to get there so early if I am in Div 3 where I think i will be. Any heads up info on this race will be great
Cheers

[Strawburger]

All races are tough unless you are put in the wrong grade!

The course is one climb done twice or three times depending on which grade you are in. Descent is at a pretty fast pace followed by a climb that is pretty quick and occurs very early on in the lap. From there it's rolling so there is a good chance you will get back on if you get dropped with a group around you. If you are lucky enough to climb quickly you should be in with a chance.

The grading should be released in the next day or so.

[philip]

Grades are up: http://www.nsw.cycling.org.au/site/cycling/nsw/downloads/Rider%20Numbers%20for%20Website.pdf

[ludachris]

thanks guys
I have no chance of a place, but will be good to see how I go, should be a good day
Cheers

[ludachris]

Hi Again
Just another question, I had a look at the hill it is about 2km long and about 8% what would be the speed range for that hill, on a similar hill I can do it at around 17km/h may be faster in a group, will I get droped at this speed and if so my average riding speed flat rolling hills is 34km/h by myself, at this speed will I be able to catch the group up or is it a long solo ride for me
By the way I am in DIV 3
Thanks

[Strawburger]

Hi Again
Just another question, I had a look at the hill it is about 2km long and about 8% what would be the speed range for that hill,

Good question, i was looking at last year's times yesterday. The leading bunch did it in about 5min 20sec (22.5km/hr). I was in the lead bunch last year across the finish line and average speed for that race was 36km/hr. It's best off you find some people to work with you as a solo ride will be punishing!

Have a look at my racing log or Mikesbytes to get a further understanding of how the race went last year.

[Strawburger]

Grades are up: http://www.nsw.cycling.org.au/site/cycling/nsw/downloads/Rider%20Numbers%20for%20Website.pdf

Hey Phillip, are you in div 3 as well? If so i may have to borrow the schleck's legs to keep up on the climbs!

[ludachris]

Good question, i was looking at last year's times yesterday. The leading bunch did it in about 5min 20sec (22.5km/hr). I was in the lead bunch last year across the finish line and average speed for that race was 36km/hr. It's best off you find some people to work with you as a solo ride will be punishing!

Have a look at my racing log or Mikesbytes to get a further understanding of how the race went last year.

Thanks SB
dont expect to be up the front or even keep up with the front runners, but just dont want to be all alone at 5km in, that would suck.

[philip]

Grades are up: http://www.nsw.cycling.org.au/site/cycling/nsw/downloads/Rider%20Numbers%20for%20Website.pdf

Hey Phillip, are you in div 3 as well? If so i may have to borrow the schleck's legs to keep up on the climbs!

Yeah I seem to be. It's my first open so I think they've just put me in div 3. I've asked to be moved to div 2 if possible, not sure if it's too late or not though

[Strawburger]

good luck all, i'm out due to mystery infection... I tip phil for a top 5 finish!

[mikesbytes]

I was looking forward to this race as I'm climbing much better this year, but sadly I'm out due to last weeks crash. Have fun guys

[philip]

i'm out due to mystery infection

bugger! It was great fun, awesome course.

I tip phil for a top 5 finish!

hehe nice tip, I got 3rd

It came down to a bunch sprint. On the first lap the climb wasn't that fast but we lost a few, 2nd lap the climb was faster and we dropped a few more, but there was still a fairly big group which was going to be hard to get away from, though speed was very cruisy for the majority of the time. Only a couple of break attempts were made which were shut down pretty quickly.

My plan was to smash it up the climb on the 2nd lap and hopefully pick up the kom, but when we got to the climb for some reason I was feeling pretty terrible. I was still 3rd over the top but had started to get sort of dizzy and my legs weren't feeling good at all. 5 minutes prior I had had my first ever gel, not sure if that had something to do with it. After the climb my legs started to feel weird as, I guess it was sort of cramps in my thighs (never had before), it wasn't painful but it was hard to turn my legs over, pretty strange feeling. Lucky the pace remained really pretty easy until about 5km to go when people started getting really twitchy. I was just trying to stay on one particular guy's wheel who looked like he'd be good for the sprint but then he tried an attack ~2km to go and was caught, so I tried to stay on some other wheels but it was all pretty crazy, the guy in front of me pulled out so then I had the wind in my face with about 500m to go, I kicked when another guy did, I don't have the best sprint in the world but it is slightly uphill which suits me, sprint was close and I got 3rd. The road was really bumpy and my rear wheel was jumping all over the place in the sprint.

[mikesbytes]

Well done. I hear that there was almost nothing between first and second, how close were you?

[philip]

Well done. I hear that there was almost nothing between first and second, how close were you?

close, no more than half a bike length

[ft_critical]

On the first lap the climb wasn't that fast but we lost a few

Congratulations Philip.

I hear you got to the start too early and had to drive the bunch to the first climb. That sux.

[philip]

I hear you got to the start too early and had to drive the bunch to the first climb. That sux.

Hahaha.. myself and some other nscc guys were there 15 minutes before the start time, we didn't want to be near the back on the descent, especially since there were 90+ riders on the signin sheet. It was a good thing in the end, I met KillerHeadWind after the race and had a chat, unfortunately for him he was at the back on the descent and he said there were guys not descending well at all which was causing splits and after the climb they weren't able to get back on.

[rogan]

I hear you got to the start too early and had to drive the bunch to the first climb. That sux.

Hahaha.. myself and some other nscc guys were there 15 minutes before the start time, we didn't want to be near the back on the descent, especially since there were 90+ riders on the signin sheet. It was a good thing in the end, I met KillerHeadWind after the race and had a chat, unfortunately for him he was at the back on the descent and he said there were guys not descending well at all which was causing splits and after the climb they weren't able to get back on.

Interesting - from memory [ca 1991] that descent is not too technical or tricky. They must be really crappy descenders... And it's close enough to the start to have a look at before the race.

[mikesbytes]

The problem is more so that the guys at the back are not good at ascending

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk

[madone59]

Hi Phil,
Good ride yesterday, thoroughly enjoyable race on a ripper course. I was one of the NSCC guys up front with you on the start. It’s a wise move to be upfront early on that course as some guys are rubbish at holding their line on a descent and given the speed, impending climb and damp conditions you don’t want to be to far back.
I was about 10 meters behind the leading 4 as you crossed the KOM on the second lap, shame the bunch wasn’t whittled down a bit more at that point. Who got the KOM yesterday, looked as though the guy in the black and white Trek kit crossed first from where I was?
The sprint was sketchy with bouncing wheels and oncoming traffic down to about 400m out.
GLS

[philip]

I was about 10 meters behind the leading 4 as you crossed the KOM on the second lap, shame the bunch wasn’t whittled down a bit more at that point. Who got the KOM yesterday, looked as though the guy in the black and white Trek kit crossed first from where I was?

Yeah the trek shop guy got the KOM, he was the one I thought looked good for the sprint, I was staying on his wheel until he had a go a km or so from the finish. I was hoping the bunch would've been a bit smaller at the top of the 2nd climb too which would've made a break easier.

[TimW]

I was about 10 meters behind the leading 4 as you crossed the KOM on the second lap, shame the bunch wasn’t whittled down a bit more at that point. Who got the KOM yesterday, looked as though the guy in the black and white Trek kit crossed first from where I was?

Yeah the trek shop guy got the KOM, he was the one I thought looked good for the sprint, I was staying on his wheel until he had a go a km or so from the finish. I was hoping the bunch would've been a bit smaller at the top of the 2nd climb too which would've made a break easier.

Thats Dan from the Trek shop. Phil is there a results list anywhere, a few of my cycling friends were in this event i would like to see how they fared.Tim

[philip]

Phil is there a results list anywhere, a few of my cycling friends were in this event i would like to see how they fared.

Don't think so, there's only a list of place getters here so far, I'm guessing they might have full results up in the next few days.

[TimW]

No worries, thanks for that

[philip]

I'm guessing they might have full results up in the next few days.

Full results are up http://www.nsw.cycling.org.au/site/cycling/nsw/downloads/Files/Races/2011/NSW%20Road%20Chps/2011%20Kurrajong%20Classic.pdf
0.02 secs between 1st/2nd, 0.06 between 2nd/3rd.

[mikesbytes]

33 seconds faster than last year

I see there were 23 riders in the bunch sprint, that's rather a lot.

I would of had to come in the top 15, so not to get beaten by someone older than me