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by **toolonglegs** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 6:00 pm

I was hyper stressed about getting sick in the week before :lol:

... and as you know here you kiss before your say your sick :lol:

... the amount of times I kissed someone to realize 5 seconds later they were dying with the lurgy!. Also thought I had conjuctivitis after a mucky wet race were my eyes got filled with crap!!!. Anyway next time will be better!.
have fun with the race, look forward to the report!!!.
When do you leave for France?... I am off to Belgium next Wed, would have been good to catch up for a ride on the Grand Colombier but I will only be home for 3 or 4 days in the middle of the tour so that will be family time... would have liked to get up Grand Colombier the day the tour goes through but as that is the same stage that comes through town the kids will be wanting to get their flags out :lol:

.

by **BNA** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 6:37 pm

by **Le Velo** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 6:37 pm

toolonglegs wrote:I was hyper stressed about getting sick in the week before ... and as you know here you kiss before your say your sick ... the amount of times I kissed someone to realize 5 seconds later they were dying with the lurgy!. Also thought I had conjuctivitis after a mucky wet race were my eyes got filled with crap!!!. Anyway next time will be better!.
have fun with the race, look forward to the report!!!.
When do you leave for France?... I am off to Belgium next Wed, would have been good to catch up for a ride on the Grand Colombier but I will only be home for 3 or 4 days in the middle of the tour so that will be family time... would have liked to get up Grand Colombier the day the tour goes through but as that is the same stage that comes through town the kids will be wanting to get their flags out .

Ah yes, the famous "Bises" how many on your side of town? 3 ? or 4? ..... lol .... no wonder we used to get sick all the time when younger.
Will post a report up for sure
As far as going there I have not been able to secure relief for my work as I run a business with my wife and finding someone reliable to take over and do the right thing is very difficult so to this date with much dissapointment I won't be going and kicking myself for it ..... :evil:

It is a great event to see and watch go by ..... so many fond memories when I used to watch it myself ...... ahhhhhh ....... enough now I think I'm getting more homesick just talking about it.

by **toolonglegs** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 7:17 pm

That's a shame, oh well when you do manage to get back we'll we will get a ride in... The hills are not going anywhere!

by **Le Velo** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:29 pm

toolonglegs wrote:That's a shame, oh well when you do manage to get back we'll we will get a ride in... The hills are not going anywhere!

Absolutely .... Would be good to catch up with someone for a ride while over there

by **foo on patrol** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 9:48 am

Hey Velo, if you can, get down there early and take a drive over the course and this way, you won't get any surprises on the day. :idea:

Seeing as it is your first race, sit in a bit and don't over do the turns on the front and just watch the riders around you for a while. :wink:

Good luck!

Foo

by **Le Velo** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 3:27 pm

foo on patrol wrote:Hey Velo, if you can, get down there early and take a drive over the course and this way, you won't get any surprises on the day.

Seeing as it is your first race, sit in a bit and don't over do the turns on the front and just watch the riders around you for a while.

Good luck!

Foo

Hi foo, was planning to go during the week but things got in the way. Will try to get there a bit early but most likely won't be able to do the lap in the car. Have found the map and elevation and got an idea of what to expect. Cheat note will be on the stem :lol:

Sit ..... Watch ..... and then ....

by **Le Velo** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 4:10 pm

Well the day has come .... the race is done !
Got up at 7:30am ... a good night sleep and well rested.
The car was loaded, the gears in order and could feel the nerves creeping in a bit.
Got at lowood at 10:25am, got the registration done and jumped on the bike for a bit of a warm up .... still nervous somehow .... first road race, lots of riders ..... got placed in the 6th group with 18 minutes handicap start ...... And off we went !!!
Within a few hundred meters I realised my garmin wasn't going to play the game as it kept on picking up multiple sensors !!!!! Argh !!!! But I did not let it get to my mind (Ony for the first 10-15 minutes anyway) So I figured at best i'd use my heartrate and cadence as a guide for the race and having memorised the course I would try to figure it out along the way
First lap was a fast pace (time reported from my wife was 50min for the 40km) the second lap thought was a bit slower and messy as we caught up to a pack that left earlier and they jumped with us but big numbers and less people taking turns made it a bit harder to keep a nice flow throughout but nevermind as it allowed more recovery time which I didn't mind ..... When I saw the 17km sign for Lowood I played it safe and still took some turns at the front but was mindful of trying to keep some legs for the finish.
The pace lifted up in the last 5kms or so and was trying to spot the sprinters or where the attack would come from and was trying to place myself in a sweet spot ..... coming last corner I had no wheels to jump on and was about 10 - 12th but gave it all and off the sprint went ! It was a long one and could feel the legs burning but kept on pushing and pushing, the teeth were grinding, the heart was pumping, the adrenaline was flowing and BOOM !!!!!!

6th place !!!!!!!! Hell yeah ! First road race and loved every minute of it !

The cold mormings, the hill repeats, the pain endured, the miles clocked in have paid off !!!!!

Looking forward to the next race now !

by **foo on patrol** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 4:36 pm

Good onya Le Velo and now you have some idea of what too expect!

Foo

by **Abby** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 9:57 am

Congrats Le Velo, outstanding result!!

I was in Group 5, so was just ahead of you at the start... Rode well, but lost my groups on the two 'climbs' either side of the Dam wall. Managed to hold off being passed by Scratch until after the 1st lap (one of my goals!), and managed to work with a few stragglers for most of the 2nd lap.

I have a feeling I may have been the last rider home... *eeek!*, but still that puts me ahead of the DNF's... :wink:

Congrats again! Isn't it a great course, and well organised race!

Cheers,
Abby

by **Le Velo** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:49 am

Abby wrote:Congrats Le Velo, outstanding result!!

I was in Group 5, so was just ahead of you at the start... Rode well, but lost my groups on the two 'climbs' either side of the Dam wall. Managed to hold off being passed by Scratch until after the 1st lap (one of my goals!), and managed to work with a few stragglers for most of the 2nd lap.

I have a feeling I may have been the last rider home... *eeek!*, but still that puts me ahead of the DNF's...

Congrats again! Isn't it a great course, and well organised race!

Cheers,
Abby

Thanks Abby, it is a great course and really enjoyed the race. Our group was really strong and we managed to catch up everyone ahead of us and maintain some gap with scratch (Apart from the time trial rider that won) but we all took turns and did our fair share. It was not an easy race. finished with 39average and a time of 2h03min for the 80km loop so really happy with that
. I think we caught up with your pack near the dam and did see a few riders on their own at the hills before that.
Even if you were the last rider you still did it and finished and did not give up and that is some commitment, well done.
I know some guys that pulled out easily after being dropped
No doubt I will do it again next year and already looking for the next road race (Cunningham special in August I think ! )

by **moreegolfer** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 2:42 pm

Cunningham Classic is on my list. We rode part on the course on Saturday if your interested http://app.strava.com/rides/11483244. There will be a bunch of us from Toowoombah

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by **Abby** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 3:23 pm

Thanks Le Velo...

Yep, am looking ahead at the next road races too. Even if you are 'off the pace' a little like myself, they are still tonnes better than crit racing (which I enjoy as well)...

Am looking at the Cunningham Classic and/or the Charles Coin Memorial (in Laidley) in August - probably not both though... Either way, I see plenty of hill-climb training in my near future... :shock:

Cheers,
Abby

by **Le Velo** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 3:39 pm

moreegolfer wrote:Cunningham Classic is on my list. We rode part on the course on Saturday if your interested http://app.strava.com/rides/11483244. There will be a bunch of us from Toowoombah .

going to get into that one for sure, just need to work out how to get back to the start line to the car or have someone drop me off at the start and pick me up at the finish line.
What grade you going in? I'll be master C being an open event

by **Le Velo** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 3:42 pm

Abby wrote:Thanks Le Velo...

Yep, am looking ahead at the next road races too. Even if you are 'off the pace' a little like myself, they are still tonnes better than crit racing (which I enjoy as well)...

Am looking at the Cunningham Classic and/or the Charles Coin Memorial (in Laidley) in August - probably not both though... Either way, I see plenty of hill-climb training in my near future...

Cheers,
Abby

Abby yes, Hills are a good training, the more you will do them the more you will enjoy them and get better at them and you'll be amazed on how much it will improve your skills on flats also. Repeats....repeats....repeats ..... that's what I've been doing for the past weeks getting ready for the Avanti and will do more for the Cunningham also .... yes they hurt but it's only temporary