Thanks, Chris, for the write-up and the pictures which were taken largely for Ryan’s benefit (2nd place getters as winners too etc.). Good to have some green and black support on the day.

As he suggested, this was a final physical test to see whether the atrial fibillation problem had stabilised prior to visiting the EP/Ablation specialist next week. The news should be good after two months of impeccable cardiac behaviour through some tough Sunday rides, the Northam Classic, SPR1’s assault at Pickering Brook and today’s effort, which maxxed out at 158 BPM with an average of 132 during the race. Sinus rhythm all the way – don’t ask me why. One can only consider the old Chesnutt: “The workings of the human heart are the profoundest mystery of the universe”.

Given that this was meant to be an examination, there was a choice to be made. Sign up for the Open race and try to hang on like grim death before eventually being unceremoniously dropped (Hi to our Barista friends) or to take one’s rightful place as a Masters rider in the combined Support/Women’s race. Seeing future neo-Pros on the line of the former suggested that I had chosen wisely in not being too ambitious on a sprinters’ course (Flat 5 x 16km laps).

Of the 30 or so starters, about half were blokes. There were a couple I recognised from the Veterans (not Affairs) races, a young Benson (?), Sunday regular Anna, and quite a few of Davina’s mates from the Sunday rides, a couple of Eddie Hollands’ nicks etc. With this eclectic mix, the tactics were always going to be erratic, and there was just enough wind about to stop anyone on the front from working too long. Only Bianchi man and young Benson tried to smash it off the front a couple of times during the first 2 laps without success, but at the start of the 3rd lap Bianchi man had taken Josie Tomic with him and things were looking interesting. I bridged across the 60 metres, taking faded Assos man and Holland knicks x 1 along and we quickly had a group of 5 rolling through. Perhaps it was Josie’s presence, but our breakaway lasted less than half a lap as the peleton chased hard and reformed for a recovery half-lap.

Into the zephyr up the home straight at the start of Lap 4, my new best friend Mel Hoskins attacked with young Benson following, and I managed to hook onto his wheel. He didn’t last and soon Ms Hoskins and I were 100 metres off the front. We began swapping 30 second turns and gradually built up our lead. 2 echappeurs mustn’t have looked like much of a threat and the other Plan B girls were presumably blocking for her, so we worked hard to be about 30 seconds up with a lap to go. We picked up a refugee from the Open race who sat in for half of the final lap before we managed to get rid of him, and we were able to hold on to our advantage on the good roads heading back to Champion Lakes.

By the time we turned into the Lakes complex, the chasers were nowhere in sight, which was just as well as old age had suddenly crept in that last kilometre. The sap that had risen during the breakaway was now nowhere to be seen and I afforded myself the luxury of being able to ride within myself to the line. The gap also allowed me to avoid the very probable ignominy of being outsprinted by a young woman (as those of you who have seen me “sprint” will understand). NBF Mel rode a very strong race, never shirking her turn, and thoroughly deserved her solo victory. With 1st and 3rd (Josie), women’s cycling is evidently very strong in this state and Plan B should be very happy with their sponsorship.

So all up, a good experience in this debutant event; invasive procedure hopefully averted for the short to medium term, getting into two breakaways and staying away successfully for 32km, $150 prize purse, and a victory by any other name would smell just as sweet. Not bad for a climber.

(Sorry about the punctuation, Pete)