Crit racing at Stromlo

[auskonrad]

nope... you don't need to be a member.

I just joined VCC the other week though, this will be my 2nd crit at E grade... I got dropped last week... so my goal this week is to not get dropped say hi! I'll be wearing a black/red/white jersey with NYC Velo on it.

[HAKS]

Haydo: Just realised who you are, i'm Rohan from the CCC GSICP. Just saw your name on the email from John and made the link .

There is MF with Vikings that race first but i was bumped up pretty quickly to ME. The pace is fast as its one large bunch of ME/MD/MC/WB/WA but still good training. I got dropped about 25min into last week's race and rode the rest by myself. I wasn't the only one though . I find it a good challenge as its more endurance then just a quick 20min dash.

MF starts at 5.40pm, ME+ at 6:06pm

[Haydo]

Haha yeah that's me, I thought you must have been one of the guys from the GSICP. Are you going to continue with the training with John?

Looks like I missed tonights one, I might give it a go next week I think!

[HAKS]

Haha yeah that's me, I thought you must have been one of the guys from the GSICP. Are you going to continue with the training with John?

Looks like I missed tonights one, I might give it a go next week I think!

The sessions with John sound good but I'm getting married next weekend and then heading OS for 2 weeks so will miss most of this intake. Might jump on-board for a Mid Jan intake though

Tonight's VCC Crit was fun. Got dropped about 5 laps in as the pace was high but got into a steady rhythm and went on my own. Jumped on the back of each group as I got lapped and eventually settled in with a few other 'lappies' towards the end which was good. Def a good workout doing 45min crits

[JustPink]

Hi everyone,

I'm heading down to Canberra tomorrow from Sydney and I figured it would be an awesome opportunity to race a crit down there.
I was reading this topic and did a little research and found there are 2 crits available while I am down there.

The Summer Criterium hosted by the Canberra Cycling Club on the Wednesday.

The Supercrit Thursday hosted by the Vikings on Thursday.

Can anyone comment on what the relative gradings are compared to racing Saturdays at heffron? ( Thats really the only race I do apart from the Summer Series, also at heffron )

Does anyone have an opinion on which is the better event to race?

Thanks, I'll hopefully see you guys out there!

[Ross]

The Thursday crit run by the Vikings club is a longer race than the Wednesday crits run by Canberra Cycling Club. The Wednesday crits have MA/MB/MC/MD/ME/WA/WB/WC and Thursday crits have the same with the addition of MF.

[JustPink]

Sounds good, I might do both nights.

I'm staying in Ainslie, does anyone ride out to Stromlo that won't mind if I join in?

[twizzle]

Look like most of the Veterans are allergic to water. Turned up for the crits last night, fifteen minutes before the advertised start time for A/B, to find no-one there yet again - that's twice in three weeks. Considering it's a 40 minute round-trip in the car plus pack/unpack time, I'm probably not going to bother in the future if there is the slightest chance of drizzle.

[Ross]

Look like most of the Veterans are allergic to water.

I resemble that remark!

Turned up for the crits last night, fifteen minutes before the advertised start time for A/B, to find no-one there yet again - that's twice in three weeks. Considering it's a 40 minute round-trip in the car plus pack/unpack time, I'm probably not going to bother in the future if there is the slightest chance of drizzle.

Would of thought at least the organisers would of been there. Don't they have a Twitter thing for occasions like this?

[auskonrad]

Going to hit up the CCC crits tonight for a change (been doing VCC ones seeings as though I'm a new member there). Anyone in E grade give me a shoutout - I'm on a b+w caad10 - white helmet. Matt.

[nescius]

The racing was tough last night with a wicked crosswind, C grade bunch split up early and then continued to be fragmented for the rest of the race, it seemed like there were a lot of groups of 5 or 6 riders battling it out. I finished outside the points, maybe 15th or so, average speed was 38.7kmh with lap times in the mid 1:50 area (we usually lap closer to 1:40, and I set a new best last week of 1:36).

I stayed around to watch B grade to see how the AIS girls would go against the guys, and sure enough one of the chicks was part of a three person breakaway, and then she powered away in the sprint to the line to win in a convincing fashion.

Then I stuck around to watch the A Grade men because Michael Matthews and Mick Rogers were racing, it was nice to see the A grade guys in a world of hurt for a change (they are human after all!). The pros made it look very easy, and Bling destroyed them in the sprint to the line, he went early and got a massive gap before rolling over the line looking very comfortable, impressive stuff!

[HAKS]

Damn, sounds like A grade would have been good to see. Hopefully they (pros) are still around in a few weeks when i get back out there.

[HAKS]

Might be some more pros around this week, looks like GreenEdge arrive in Cbr tomorrow for a week long training camp.

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/ne ... ing-status

Fingers crossed they are still around and pop out to the Crits Wed 7th when i get back.

[HAKS]

Rumour has it GreenEdge will be riding the CCC crits tonight.

[nescius]

Rumour has it GreenEdge will be riding the CCC crits tonight.

If they turn up then it will be worth a look! Men's A grade starts at 5:46 for 33 mins+2 laps

[HAKS]

The Scott FOILs the Jayco boys were riding was about as GE as it got tonight .

3rd in E for me. Will be upgraded to D from next week. Felt every bit of the last 2 weeks I spent in Thailand eating good food and drinking cheap cocktails/beer

[twizzle]

*sigh* - last nights winner averaged ~ 370W for the race and was lapping 1:35's back-to-back, the night before I was doing 1:47 laps and averaged 428W.

[HAKS]

The A graders were def getting around fast and were dropping like flies after only a few laps as well

[HAKS]

Big crowd on hand for the Xmas Crits tonight. First race in D grade for me and went quite well. Tagged along at the back for most of it then moved up towards the front with 1 to go. Got in a good position, about 10th, but then couldn't match the speed at the front. Ended up 8th . THere was a prime sprint mid way through each race which meant the pace was on from the start. Avg speed was 39.8km/h and best lap was the last one at 1.35.

Mick Rogers was there for the A grade race and he put them into a world of pain. First 5 laps were primes with $100 for first over the line each time. Then there were 3 more primes in the race and the last 3 laps as well, $50 or 100 each time. After the first 5 laps Rogers put his foot down and gapped the peleton with ease. He spent a few laps out front with a few riders coming and going but no one could keep up with him. Peleton pulled him back about 2laps to go and then gapped him. Coming into the final few turns he looked like he had got back on to a group of 5 but it appeared he ran wide around collarbone corner and went off onto the grass so that was him done. A+++++ for effort and putting on a show .

[nescius]

Yeah it was a good atmosphere out there last night, but I found the racing to be a little more aggressive than usual. C Grade was all over the place in some of the corners with people not able to hold their line, I'm surprised nobody went down because there was contact between bikes and with 47 riders on the track there wasn't a lot of extra room. I was feeling a bit flat and couldn't manage to make a break when I tried (average speed was about 42kmh) so I stayed in the bunch and looked to move up in the last couple of laps, but I just didn't have the legs and finished out of the points in about 20th place. I stayed around and watched B Grade race, and then watched the first 6 or 7 laps of A grade, and it was all looking pretty fast, and the commentator was very enthusiastic which was entertaining!

[auskonrad]

HAKS that wasn't you with the TCR at last nights Vikings D crit was it?

[HAKS]

Nope. Thought the rain was going stick around so started rebuilding my pedals only for it to clear up . Would have liked to get out there. Really F'ing hating this weather

[auskonrad]

Yeah, it looked to be starting a few mins before D set off, but it stayed away. Track was dry as a bone (bar the duck crud).

That's too bad - I've seen you over on v-mobile forum too - You'll have to introduce yourself at the crits. You do Wednesday D grade too?

[HAKS]

Yeah, it looked to be starting a few mins before D set off, but it stayed away. Track was dry as a bone (bar the duck crud).

That's too bad - I've seen you over on v-mobile forum too - You'll have to introduce yourself at the crits. You do Wednesday D grade too?

Damn . Yeap been doing the CCC ones as well. Got smashed this week with the crosswinds .

[nescius]

Crits are starting up again, Vikings Supercrits start tomorrow and the CCC crits start on Wednesday next week. I'm just hoping that I have done enough training over winter to avoid getting smashed for the first few weeks like I normally do!