Back to Maryborough for the Sth Pac Champs but this year only for the road race. 14 starters in my new ‘Crusty’ 60-65 age group. The temperature was a balmy 29 degrees and a moderate northerly breeze meant cross-head winds pretty much through the entire course.
Here’s a map – click to zoom in for detail then hit browser ‘back’ to return to the blog.
The 2 hour drive out to Maryborough was fairly painless but not the usual build up for this race when I normally stay right through Easter. After finding a coffee and muffin I saddled up for a 1/2 hour warm up. Feeling less than sprightly I headed to the mounting yard and hoped it was just a few nerves that were unsettling the stomach. Unlike earlier years, where some bright sparks decide to see if they can drop the unsuspecting in a 50kph smash-fest out of town, this year things were quite gentlemanly. To calm the nerves and loosen up the old bod I joined in with the front group by rolling turns as we headed north to Dunolly. The wind was pretty moderate and manageable if we kept to short turns.
There were only one or two fairly tame attacks for this leg until we approached Dunolly. Arriving at the town a small gap had formed to 4 or 5 riders and when Mal Classom decided to go across I was comfortably on his wheel getting a nice tow. And just as well I keep safe there for, as we made the left turn there was a big push over the railway line which continued for a few hundred metres shedding quite a few riders. I didn’t have the inclination to look back until I noticed I was the last rider and there were only 7 riders ahead of me. Down to 8 riders already! Now assisted by a tail wind various surges tested the legs on each of the uphill rises and things were getting a bit grippy. Eventually one big push had me and another guy (Peter Share) off the back by 20m. We chased hard for a kilometer or more and eventually scrambled onto the back again.
We stayed grupetto for the next few kilometres and even survived over Mount Hoogly. Every year I get dropped at this point and I was pretty happy to still be there, even if only just hanging in. A bit later a cheeky rider came back and checked out a few faces for signs of struggle and sure enough, next hill, a major push had me in trouble and max’ing out the heart-rate. I was now getting into the twilight zone and inevitably, even though it was downhill with a tail wind, I was drifting off the back. All I remember was the sight of tarmac running under my wheels as the world closed in on me.
By the time the horizon started to emerge and I became conscious of the fields and rolling hills again I had arrived at the turn at Rathscar. Back on the main road and onto the final leg the race took on a whole new perspective. The wind was now coming over the left shoulder and kept me firmly on the drops. I could see two riders in the distance perhaps nearly a kilometre up the road. I couldn’t tell what group they were from and it seemed unlikely I could catch them but at least it was something the chase. The leaders were well out of sight and there was nothing coming up from behind.
I settled in for a long solo grind riding the waves of the gusting wind and trying to maintain a solid pace. It took about 16 kilometres or more to get close enough to the two riders to see their numbers and they were in my bunch. I decided there and then to race them to the line. After all, that would mean a 6th place in the Sth Pacs and 5th in the Victorian Champs (Mal Classom being from Sth. Australia and hence ineligible for the Vic title). Beside, better to have a sense of purpose other than a solo grind all day.
First off though, I had to close the 100m gap. Eventually I saw them looking back and, realising I was close, they eased their pace to allow me to group up. I recognised one of them as Peter Share who’d been off the back with me earlier. We had a bit of a chat about how the race had unfolded and I suggested we continue to work to the line. The other rider was not too keen on taking turns citing a lack of training. Really? Hadn’t he just held onto the bunch for kilometres beyond where I’d been chewed up and spat out? Perhaps I do him a dis-service but when can you ever trust a Vet who says he’s out of form? 🙂
So, with two of us doing most of the pulling, our little group headed for home. We were now picking up stragglers from the ‘younger’ group of 55 – 59 year olds who’d started 5 minutes before us. As you arrive back in Maryborough the course makes a left turn and rises over a short hill before descending down through the police controlled intersections of the ‘suburbs’ eventually rounding the same round-a-bout we’d passed nearly 2 hours before. I’d continued to roll turns and tried to encourage the pace to be high. The stronger rider was still prepared to come to the front but I was becoming more and more wary of the ‘tired’ guy.
The final turn brings us to the 1.5km slightly uphill run to the line. By now I was easing right up and effectively insisting that the second rider come to the front, which he did. Peter Share was moving forward when I decided to jump. It was hard to judge exactly how far it was to the line but it seemed to be about 250m. I thought I sensed a rider on my wheel so didn’t ease up until I had reached the finish. Without looking back you never know whether you’re outsprinting a phantom and looking like a goose sprinting for 6th place on your own. Just the same I do like to see just how much energy I have left at the end of a solid race.
We grouped up for a chat and a shake of hands. It was then that they revealed that they were brothers, Brian and Peter Share. If I’d known that earlier I’d have been even more wary of sprinting tactics playing a hand – not that there’d ever be collusion in a race! However, they’re a couple of nice fellows and I was probably the cagey one planning my assault. But you never know in Vets racing. Besides, the finish did add a bit of spice to an otherwise predictable race where, as in previous years, I’d get dropped by these strong country riders and limp home solo. All in all a quite satisfying day on the bike and a better result than in previous years.
Here’s the usual graphs and stats. Thanks for reading. À bientôt!
Race Summary
Click the graph to zoom for detail:
The Ouch! moment