Joined the Vets. Had my first race in five years last night, a 35km out-and-back handicap. Got put in the chopping block, was raining at the start, popped after 27km of full-gas track turns just before scratch caught us. Crossed the line in pouring rain.
Was awesome.
a worthy revival to a thread thatâs been dormant for almost 2 years!!
nice one mate, that sounds fucked & awesome all at once.
TRB!!!
paft
Not much racing over Christmas/January, life stuff getting in the way.
Managed to get to a crit in November though, rolled out in a C Grade field of 15 or so. Attacked after 10 minutes, got away with two others but one wasnât working. I dropped to the back to force him to roll through, but he dropped the wheel of the guy in front. I waited 10 seconds to call his bluff, then kicked hard to get across to the front guy and leave this dude behind. Unfortunately I waited too long and couldnât get back across. Ugh! Waited for another 3 guys to bridge across while I recovered, but when they did we werenât working to chase down the lone leader. He stayed away, I attacked at the bell and finished clear second. Banger.
Headed to a crit two weeks ago (we only have crits about once a month, normally itâs handicap racing), only to get a flat on the way and miss the start. Ugh! They let me roll around on the back of A Grade, which was alright.
Back to the handicaps last week. 35km out and back. Sent off in second scratch at 3 minutes with 5 others. Felt pretty good, and we worked well together to catch the 6 minute group just after the turnaround. Heading home into a headwind our bigger group of 12 or so riders was able to hold off scratch (who only had four), and reel in the front markers in the last 5km. I attacked with 2km to go, got a gap, but got caught with 1km to go and rolled home in 8th on the back of the sprinters.
Fkn racing bikes eh!
^^^ nice recap! Sounds like youâre the one Iâd be going for if i was watching 
Haha nek minit low cadence efforts up mountains.
Glory days. Just needs a vegan donut and/or pie for genuine reminiscing.
still maintain that my drivetrain was the smoothest it ever was the three weeks after I dropped an entire La Panella muffin into it. Nuttlex baby.
A couple more 35km graded scratch races in the books, each with 9 starters. Last week I attacked with 2km to go again, but this time Iâd been sitting in all race trying to make the sprinters do all the work. Before my attack I dropped back to last wheel, laid off them 10-15m and then hit it as hard as I could. Got a much bigger gap and held on longer than last time, but they caught me with 400m to go and I was straight out the back.
This week, I thought I may as well try to have a sprint. Then halfway through the race I was off the front with the winner from the week before. Heâd attacked, and despite my plans to sit in all race I waited for the gap to open up 30-40m then bridged across. We were out for 5-10km, but had a headwind so it was hard work and the group had us pegged at about 50-60m, so I sat up with 10km to go and went to the back of the bunch. The other guy stayed out front solo until we caught him with a bit over 1km left.
Coming in towards the last km, thereâs a little rise at about 600m to go then a right hand turn at a T-intersection at 500m to go then straight all the way to the line. Up the rise and one guy attacked. Heâd been dropped half way through the race the two weeks previous, so no-one was too concerned. He got through the last corner about 30m ahead, then the rest of the bunch got a red flag as there was a car coming. Ugh! We basically came to a stop, then had to get going again. I figured Iâd lead everyone out so hit it super hard in the saddle from about 450m. Glanced back to see who was on my wheel and I had a 40m gap. Shit, head down to the line and finished clear 2nd.
Won $17. Basically pro now.
nek minit Ineos contract.
I plan to start racing again in September.
2 kids put a dent in the olâ FTP!
Iâd have lost almost 100 watts. But Iâm going to train over winter, get sick and then start racing probably less fit then I am nowâŚ
Sounds like a plan!
I always find May a good time to get on the trainer in the mornings - when you can watch the last hour of the previous nightâs Giro stage.
Final Wednesday night race for the summer last night. Nice little crit course through an industrial area in Bendigo East, with a short climb about 500m from the end. Only downside is the presence of a gym on the backside of the course. Normally races start after the gym is closed, but with daylight fading the race started a little earlier than usual.
A lack of numbers also meant there was no corner marshal stationed at the turn just before the gym. Half way through the 35 minute race, after a couple of attacks got my heart rate going, I was at the back of the bunch as we came to the left hander near the gym. Turned the corner to find some young muppet halfway though a u-turn right in front of us. Shouting ensued, brakes were jammed, wheels were locked, and then my front wheel hit the rear wheel of the guy in front and down I went.
Took the fall on my hip, elbow and shoulder. Thankfully no serious damage other than a few scrapes and some mangled Saint Cloud knicks. Sat out the rest of the race though, as I knocked my head and itâs not really worth it is it.
The bike seems ok - dropped it into the shop this morning for a once over, and bought one of Trekâs new Wavecell helmets.
Next race in a week-and-a-half, should be good to go by then.
that sucks. hope the next coupla days arenât too painful! lucky youâve got a nurse in the house eh. haha
Spent last night sitting on the floor watching the footy with no shirt on so I could air the scrape on my shoulder, and no pants on so I could air the scrape on my hip.
Classy as.
The scars from my crash healed up pretty well, knocked out a quick 30 minute blat on the trainer on Thursday night to wake the legs up, before a 50km handicap on Saturday. Nice hilly course, not quite as tough as originally planned due to some roadworks, so the planned loop became an out-and-back, but still enough little hills to hurt the big guys.
I went off in second scratch in a group of four, and had one of my mates in the group with me. We had another mate in the scratch bunch 4 minutes back. There was a fourth member of our crew who couldnât make it, so we joked before the race that whatever happened weâd tell him we ran 1-2-3 and see how long we could string him along.
Felt pretty good all day, the four of us worked really well together for the first half, and had just about reeled in the group in front and still had a good break over the 5-man scratch bunch at the turn-around. But our momentum started to stall as we caught the groups in front, with plenty of hangers-on.
Scratch came screaming past us with 4km to go, but we somehow managed to get on. I got the wheel of my mate from the scratch bunch whoâs a decent sprinter. It was a slight downhill run in the last km, then kicked up to 2-3% in the last 200m. One of the other scratchies led my mate out and dropped him off about 300m to go, and when he kicked I had no chance of holding his wheel. I got up to sprint and my legs went ânaaaaaar mateâ. He stormed away for the win, leaving me and my other mate to scramble for the line. We somehow managed to hold off the rest and got 2nd and 3rd. Clean sweep of the podium. What a banger.
classic ânow iz ze momentâ moment
Feels a bit unworthy of a âracersâ thread, but wheeled out the MTB on Saturday for the local clubâs fitness ride*. Gets the heart and lungs going, and itâs a whole lot of fun. Half the track is an open field with some flat turns, flowy berms, and small tabletops. Then a short twisty section through some trees, and then returns to the start along a slight uphill on the open field again. Think XC short track (2km or so lap), with some jumps thrown in for funsies.
Handicapped start, to spread everyone out. I tend to go somewhere towards the back, but not off scratch. Rode second fastest PR for the 5 laps, and PRâd on top flowy jumps section. Fitness is slowly coming back a bit now Iâm commuting on the bike again.
*I assume the club canât run (or doesnât want to run) races. But the fitness ride clears the track so you can nudge along at a decent pace without worrying about some kid being around the next blind corner.
Raced another lumpy 50km handicap on Saturday. In the two weeks since my last race Iâd only ridden twice. I was sick during the week with a head cold, and on Friday night went out to see Kurt Vile in Castlemaine and had a whole lot of beers.
Not the best race prep. Then the handicapper put me in scratch. Fark.
There were some heavy hitters in our group of six, and I knew I was done for when I was doing 400 watts just trying to hold a blokeâs wheel on a slight downhill. 12 minutes and 7km in to the 50km race I popped. The race was two laps of a 25km loop, so I rode a lap of shame with the sag wagon following me then pulled out at 25km.
How shit is racing bikes eh.
Top marks for effort though.