Race Report Thread

[philip]

Beauie, 17th March

A grade was a bunch of mainly NSCC and KMD racing team (manly) guys so it was pretty much us vs. them. I started a break about 10-15 minutes into the race mainly because it was a bit boring. Pretty silly move but better than being bored, right? I was soon joined by one kmd guy and after a couple of laps were also joined by maddog and James S. Break of 4 looking good now. I could see guys in the bunch trying to bridge across to us but we were rolling through well, driving it, keeping the gap. TP tried by didn't make it, he's a machine so I figured we were safe unless the bunch got really organised.

Rolling through for a while, I was trying not to look at the time because I knew I'd started the break early but I figured we were probably 45 minutes in so I took a peek. Arrggghh! Only 29 minutes in! Still a long way to go. Saw another guy in the bunch attempt to bridge. "Yeah right" I thought... a lap later though he's with us, who is this guy!? He's wearing some euro kit - eurodog. After what must've been a massive effort to get to us solo, he immediately starts rolling through with us, driving it more. 5 in the break now.

Mr KMD starts missing turns. He's looking pretty cooked. He can't hang on and eventually falls back to the bunch. Break down to 4. Now his team mates look like they're getting organised for the chase since now none of them are in the break. James is worried that they're catching us so he does some big turns. Where's he getting this energy? I don't have much left. Still 10 minutes until 2 laps to go. A couple of laps later we pass the start/finish, I look at my computer and we're 52 minutes in. No 2 laps to go sign, so I yell at the commissaire "give us 2 laps to go.. PLEEEAASSE!" - we turn around and he's heard my plight so gives us the 2 to go. YES. We're going to make it for sure! Seeing that gave me that extra bit of energy.

Coming up to the start/finish for the last lap, eurodog attacks. It's huge. Maddog is with him straight away, I'm sprinting to get on his wheel, James behind me. I'm not making it. I get James to come around me, which he does, fast. I can't get on his wheel either. Noooooooo! Are you serious! James makes it across. Surely eurodog will ease up now that he's got those 2 on his wheel, then I'll catch them - right? right? No... they keep driving it, the gap is only getting bigger, I'm seeing stars, big headwind, nothing left. 1/2 lap later the bunch catches me, I jump on and end up just finishing with them. The break was successful, eurodog 1st, maddog 2nd, James 3rd. As soon as I cross the line I don't understand the feeling I had earlier of being too far in the red and wonder why the hell I couldn't have closed the gap and stayed with them for one more measly lap. Just should've given it a bit more! Simple! Can't have been that hard right!?

Later on someone tells me eurodog is some pro rider from Denmark. I don't feel so bad on hearing that.

[toolonglegs]

What! ... you didn't recognize Lars Bak .

[philip]

Haha not quite that pro I don't think. I don't remember the name now, all I remember is it had a æ character in it so that's pretty euro

[ft_critical]

Haha not quite that pro I don't think. I don't remember the name now, all I remember is it had a æ character in it so that's pretty euro

Michael Rasmusen, reduced to riding Sydney Crits eh. Still on the juice? That is the only explanation for him beating you Philip

[jules21]

come on the chicken would suck at crits - how much power would he be putting out really?

[toppity]

Great report Philip. It must of hurt a heap having that happen. But it sounds like you are going very well none the less.

[doggatas]

Great report, thoroughly enjoyed reading it, especially the impro nicknames.

[ni78ck]

great report Phil, any Stats?

[lock_]

Hawthorn crits, 27/3/13

Thought Jules was going to take out C grade with his euro-pro buddy. But alas their two man break was bought back in.

As for B grade, well I discovered my max HR is still up there at 199, haven't seen that in a while. Average for the race was 185, average for the last 10 minutes in that bloody break was 195. Dropped off the back of the break with a couple laps to go, sat up to let the main bunch past on the last lap, zero chance of holding the remaining gap to the finish line. Didn't even bother riding up the hill on the final lap. Wrecked but happy the break stayed away.

Few guys were bumped up from C grade this week. At least one of them didn't finish, kinda nice in a "welcome to B grade" way .

[jules21]

Thought Jules was going to take out C grade with his euro-pro buddy. But alas their two man break was bought back in.

I thought we had that! I would have got 2nd though, most likely - I had put everything into building a gap. I checked strava afterwards and we slowed too much on the 3rd last lap - 37.4 km/h when we'd been averaging ~40 km/h. spying on others' strava accounts reveals that the bunch put in last 2 laps of 42 & 43 km/h. pretty simple - I'll need to be stronger to hold them off, or recruit more help.

As for B grade, well I discovered my max HR is still up there at 199, haven't seen that in a while. Average for the race was 185, average for the last 10 minutes in that bloody break was 195. Dropped off the back of the break with a couple laps to go, sat up to let the main bunch past on the last lap, zero chance of holding the remaining gap to the finish line. Didn't even bother riding up the hill on the final lap. Wrecked but happy the break stayed away.

that's a great effort Lock - way above my threshold. not many people could live with you at that pace. B grade is the real deal I reckon, you're up against guys who are genuinely strong.

Few guys were bumped up from C grade this week. At least one of them didn't finish, kinda nice in a "welcome to B grade" way .

as we were discussing, and I don't know precisely who you're referring to (In case they're reading), but in C grade you can just hang on at usually ~38 km/h average, then sprint to a win or place. I get the feeling that won't work in B.

[ni78ck]

race was at eastern creek dragway for waratah Masters.
After having won my first race in B grade late last year, i went to register and i was told i was in A grade . i pleaded with the official but he insisited i was an A grader as i LOOKED like one .
it was an enduro race which is 120 minutes plus bell lap for A grade.
we were off, i settled in the peleton and the first lap was pretty cruisy the next one wasnt and i found myself sprinting out of every corner. there are 8 turns on the track and i was begining to struggle. my heart was reaching 180 bmp out of every corner. i knew i wouldnt last long and by the 4th lap i was goooone i was pissed off cause i had prepared all week for the race and knew i wasnt A grade quality as i train with alot of those boys and get smashed often. i thought im not going to call it a day so i jumped on to B grade ahhh much better. although it took me a while of sucking wheel at the back to recovery first before i acually started racing. i wasnt too long before i noticed there were 3 other A graders there with me . there were a couple breakaways but they were all chased down. the last one was caught with 2 laps to go so o just sat in and waited for my moment. it was a big feild of 67 riders so it took a while to get near the front. coming into the last turn which is a 180 degress turn i had slipped back to about 30th and then was the last 500m all straight and flat. i began to put the power down and woked my way through to get myself to the top 3 or 4. i went too early as i got swomped in the last 100m and rolled over in about 8th - 10th spot. i was pretty happy in the end as its only my second race and on a new track. next time i know the guys to look out for.

stats- distance 77kms
average speed 39 km/h
average h/rate 161
position 8/67

[vander]

race was at eastern creek dragway for waratah Masters.
After having won my first race in B grade late last year, i went to register and i was told i was in A grade . i pleaded with the official but he insisited i was an A grader as i LOOKED like one .
it was an enduro race which is 120 minutes plus bell lap for A grade.
we were off, i settled in the peleton and the first lap was pretty cruisy the next one wasnt and i found myself sprinting out of every corner. there are 8 turns on the track and i was begining to struggle. my heart was reaching 180 bmp out of every corner. i knew i wouldnt last long and by the 4th lap i was goooone i was pissed off cause i had prepared all week for the race and knew i wasnt A grade quality as i train with alot of those boys and get smashed often. i thought im not going to call it a day so i jumped on to B grade ahhh much better. although it took me a while of sucking wheel at the back to recovery first before i acually started racing. i wasnt too long before i noticed there were 3 other A graders there with me . there were a couple breakaways but they were all chased down. the last one was caught with 2 laps to go so o just sat in and waited for my moment. it was a big feild of 67 riders so it took a while to get near the front. coming into the last turn which is a 180 degress turn i had slipped back to about 30th and then was the last 500m all straight and flat. i began to put the power down and woked my way through to get myself to the top 3 or 4. i went too early as i got swomped in the last 100m and rolled over in about 8th - 10th spot. i was pretty happy in the end as its only my second race and on a new track. next time i know the guys to look out for.

stats- distance 77kms
average speed 39 km/h
average h/rate 161
position 8/67

You clearly havent raced much so its understandable but never get involved in another grades race if you were not graded in that race. If you were graded A grade you race A grade if you get dropped from A grade you can sit on the back of B grade but dont get mixed up with them, chasing down breaks or getting involved in sprints. You are not in that grade so you should not be racing against them. It can ruin the race for the people in that grade and is a good way to give yourself a bad name. Even if your grade is wrong (in your opinion) just ride the race out and talk to the comms after.

[ni78ck]

thats exactly what i did, you dont have to race much to have common sense...........

[vander]

thats exactly what i did, you dont have to race much to have common sense...........

i began to put the power down and woked my way through to get myself to the top 3 or 4. i went too early as i got swomped in the last 100m and rolled over in about 8th - 10th spot. i was pretty happy in the end as its only my second race and on a new track. next time i know the guys to look out for.

This sounds very much like you got involved.

[ni78ck]

if you know the gragway strip it must be 40 metres wide and i was well on my own .
also i had told officials that i was jumping on to B grade during the race. no dramas on their behalf but i was considerate. having a go on the sprint out very wide i thought was no drama.

[toppity]

Nick, it does sound like you contested in the finish, and actively raced. If you were not in that grade then I don't think you should do that. The only place to sit is on the very back and have zero influence on every rider in the actual grade. I can understand what you did, but it is just not a 'done' thing.

With regards to grading, you have to race where you are put. After "A" grade there is realistically nowhere else to go for the best riders, therefore the jump from B to A is always the biggest. It can take some people many weeks of racing to not get dropped, but it can be done. It is also the reason there are heaps of sandbaggers in "B". They are in general better than the other B graders, they just don't want to go up and have to work hard each week.

In the end, if you win in a grade you can expect to be pushed up at any time. However, clubs usally allow you to win a few before they do push you up.

[ni78ck]

as i mentioned before i told the officials mid race. at no point did i mention i was at the front doing the hard work, i just wanted a workout! also as mentioned before there were 4 of us from a grade sitting in the back having a bitch as to why we got put up a grade in a feild of 67 im sure we did not determine the winners. anyway this is a race report thread not a race ettiquette thread
you guys are a tough crowd to please...........

[philip]

i went to register and i was told i was in A grade . i pleaded with the official but he insisited i was an A grader as i LOOKED like one

Keep racing A grade mate! Lasting 4 laps at eastern creek isn't bad. I've only raced at eastern creek once, it's an awesome course, a good one to learn positioning since it's so wide/safe. The first time I raced A I only lasted 10 minutes, next time 15, next 20, then finally actually finished a race. Keep racing regularly and you'll find your form shoot up.

[ni78ck]

i went to register and i was told i was in A grade . i pleaded with the official but he insisited i was an A grader as i LOOKED like one

Keep racing A grade mate! Lasting 4 laps at eastern creek isn't bad. I've only raced at eastern creek once, it's an awesome course, a good one to learn positioning since it's so wide/safe. The first time I raced A I only lasted 10 minutes, next time 15, next 20, then finally actually finished a race. Keep racing regularly and you'll find your form shoot up.

Thanks for the tip Phil

[rogan]

if you know the gragway strip it must be 40 metres wide and i was well on my own .
also i had told officials that i was jumping on to B grade during the race. no dramas on their behalf but i was considerate. having a go on the sprint out very wide i thought was no drama.

For what it's worth, I was in that B Grade race, got 6th. I agree with Vander, dropped As can hang on the back but should not mix with the Bs. Dropped As are going to be better at closing down small gaps than the average B rider, so they can be filler if they sit in the middle of the bunch, and keep it together better, without even doing anything.

But I didn't notice any undue interference from Nick (not that I know exactly who he is) or any of the other dropped As. Maybe if I'd been 10th or 12th wheel on the last lap I would have noticed it more.

In real news, I hit 60 in a sprint on the flat for the first time in 20 years...

[ni78ck]

if you know the gragway strip it must be 40 metres wide and i was well on my own .
also i had told officials that i was jumping on to B grade during the race. no dramas on their behalf but i was considerate. having a go on the sprint out very wide i thought was no drama.

For what it's worth, I was in that B Grade race, got 6th. I agree with Vander, dropped As can hang on the back but should not mix with the Bs. Dropped As are going to be better at closing down small gaps than the average B rider, so they can be filler if they sit in the middle of the bunch, and keep it together better, without even doing anything.

But I didn't notice any undue interference from Nick (not that I know exactly who he is) or any of the other dropped As. Maybe if I'd been 10th or 12th wheel on the last lap I would have noticed it more.

In real news, I hit 60 in a sprint on the flat for the first time in 20 years...

what number were you wearing? being at the back i saw you all!

[rogan]

33. In the Peloton Sports/Turramurra kit. There were two of us in that race, I was the one who wasn't in the front 4 most of the time.

[ni78ck]

yep, i saw you both. i was the only guy wearing the sutherland jersey. white with green and gold. you were hanging midfeild for most of it.
it was actually interesting out the back. most people didnt change position. it was the same guys doing all the work. i was wearing 85 in blue of coarse. you probably didnt see me as the 4 A graders were hanging at the back having a chat finishing 6th is a great effort in such a large feild. i doubt there were any more than 35 that finished the race

[rogan]

yep, i saw you both. i was the only guy wearing the sutherland jersey. white with green and gold. you were hanging midfeild for most of it.
it was actually interesting out the back. most people didnt change position. it was the same guys doing all the work. i was wearing 85 in blue of coarse. you probably didnt see me as the 4 A graders were hanging at the back having a chat finishing 6th is a great effort in such a large feild. i doubt there were any more than 35 that finished the race

Good memory! I deliberately rode midfield till the prime, because I get white line fever - in such a long race, no break worth worrying about will go in the first hour. After about 80 minutes I moved up the front, and tried to get on a break with a small gap, but almost slipped out in the bottom corner. My rear wheel did slip out at 45 km/h leaning over but I somehow pulled it back. My tyres were fully inflated and fine. The guy behind me said maybe I'd rolled over a small stone. The break didn't happen as the bunch was on us anyway.

The last 4 laps were faster, with a few strong riders keeping a good pace on the front. I held good position around 8th or 10th, but there weren't many people moving up in that time, which is unusual. I dislike sprints, but I hit the top of the straight in a good position, still feeling OK so I rolled it out and went past a few. The guy who won it in the dark blue Marconi kit was clearly the fastest sprinter, it seemed like he came from well behind me and won by several lengths.

I didn't feel like we were dropping large numbers, but I didn't go back to have a look towards the back end of the race...

My avg HR for the first half was 149, and for the second half 162. I had it as 77 km, 21 laps, at 39.6 km/h. Fastest lap was 5'19".

A Grade lapped us and caught us for the second time on our last lap - they averaged more like 43, with several laps around the 5 minute mark and at least two laps much faster (strava says the winner of A grade did a lap of 4'43" at 47 km/h).

[philip]

strava says the winner of A grade did a lap of 4'43" at 47 km/h

Do they change the course there? The one I did was this http://app.strava.com/segments/651319" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; but it sounds like you're talking about a different layout or something? I'm keen to go back out there for some more racing. Just a bit of a way to go to get to the race.