A big congratulations on all who partook in the sportif last weekend in the Swan Valley, stats on SPR participation numbers will be in the main post but I have posted the times (can’t be results for a participation ride) for the 4 SPR teams who tackled the 80km option.  All four teams were in the top half of the results (59 teams registered a time on the day for the 80kms).  The all girls teams chicked a whole lot of other teams out there and managed a 35km/hr average despite plenty of chit chat (Lennie and AnnaKate were on the team..  Chit chat was a certainty)..  They are hardcore..  The cowboys did a half decent time averaging 42.4km/hr, the Choco Canards almost averaged 40km/hr..  Impressive..  And the chasers almost averaged 37km/hr and managed to keep the ladies at bay with some room to spare..  It would appear the seeding worked..

Position	Name	Total Time	Average Speed	Cum Diff
1	SPR 1 – Raging Cowboys	1:53:07	42.4	0:00:00
4	SPR 2 – The Chocolate Canard	2:01:41	39.4	0:08:34
18	SPR 3 – Chasers	2:11:09	36.6	0:18:02
26	SPR 5 – The Princesses	2:17:26	34.9	0:24:19

 

Below is a story of sorts on the Cowboys (or riders) in the SPR 1 team..  The first section was my rationale (and part of the email I sent out looking for recruits) for wanting the men on the team, then there is a picture of each (if I can learn how to embed them) and then I give a little commentary on the performance/contribution on the day (no, I am not a teacher.. :-)) for each rider..  It was a great day out, we only lost one rider on the last lap and we all got a pretty decent workout (we even managed to keep Jonno awake the whole way)..

1.  Mr Luke Ellis Mr NRS who is SPR’s Race co-ordinator, has come along in leaps and bounds over the last year or so after his adventure to South Africa last year to compete in Masters world champs..  He now regularly competes in competitions, has his own coach and is preparing for an international tour with Dome.  Oh and is head of the race committee for SPR (don’t know why he is still smiling?).

Luke turned up on the day with his Enves on the new steed, ready for action..  He was always rolling through strongly, then on the last lap, after he asked if this was the last lap, and I replied yes, he proceeded to put the hammer down on his turns at the front, putting everyone else into the hurt locker..  A very strong man at the moment..  Coaching, training and power meters do make a difference 😉

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Mr Tom Barrett, I am not sure he will be interested in partaking in a Sportif, his Journey to Italy (for the Masters World champs) has begun.  He is a very motivated man who has a plan and sticks to it..  (I need to take some leaves out of his book (not just because he takes a close interest in the performance of the ladies in the club ;-))..  Maybe we can entice him into the fray  by promising him some extended stints at the front where he can push out 400w for 4 minutes at a time?

Tom turned up with his Carbon clinchers, probably around 50mm deep which is allot less than the 70-80mm Reynolds carbon clinchers he usually has on his custom Aura bike (just in case anyone does not know, Tom makes custom made bikes..  If you need a new one, check out his, then hit him up) but he was worried about the pace on the inclines on certain sections of the course.  He needn’t have worried, he coped with them well, although the picture above shows he was putting in some effort.  Mr Barrett can go all day at 42km/hr but put some surges in and he starts to struggle..  Never in trouble and always rolling through on the day..  Ox as per usual..

 

 

 

 

3.  We have Carlos the Mexican man who is very silent these days, must be all the wedding plans he has to sort out??  Always a strong man, I am hoping he has not been enlisted by his better half to ride with the ladies (I will be jealous if he has) and pull them around..  Obviously if she is at the sportif, he will be required to be too..  I hope he is allowed to ride with the cowboys, maybe I should send Meg’s an email to ask permission?

Carlos rocked up at my house at 6:10am (without Carbon wheels, did he not get the memo??)..  Fec it was cold..  We rode the 26kms to Midland and he seemed pretty happy..  During the sportif, his happiness seemed to dissipate somewhat, I think he must have had too much time to think about wedding plans..  He kept on saying ‘take the pace back a notch bro’ when he felt people where being too over zealous…  He also ramped up the friendly encouragement from ‘take the pace back a notch bro’ when out of one corner I took the speed back up a little faster than he liked (I had someone on my wheel so assumed everyone else was also on), he proceeded to spray some encouraging words *&*&^*^& my way..  Oops…  I was scolded..  His kind words probably kept us all together a little longer..  Carlos was the only man to pop on the day (happens to the best of us..  He had been sick the week earlier so had a good excuse for popping, I hope Megs has tended to him appropriately and brought him back to full strength).

 

 

4. We have Dr Ghossein, eager to get the Dogma out (hopefully a sunny day), he is preparing for Italy as well at the moment so I am sure he will appreciate some extended time at the front of our group where he to can push out 400w plus pulling us along (assuming he is not feeling under the weather ;-).

The Dogma got probably it’s final outing to a semi-competitive event, never the less, it had its Zipp 404 firecrests on and was ready to fly..  During the sportif, I tried to get a paceline going on the 4^th lap, I figured we had been rolling relatively easily for 3.5 laps, so we could form a line and let the guys still feeling very strong let some steam out..  Jerry was very impatient during this phase (when he was not on the front) and requested we started rolling again..  On his next turn at the front, I shouted out for him to get the pace up (I mean, if he needs more of a work out, he should put himself in the hurt locker during his time on the front..) so he commenced the roll through again (miscommunications?)..  On the final lap, Luke and Dave H took turns on the front ramping the pace up and I think Jerry was happy not to be rolling through for a bit..  The Dogma and Jerry were strong on the day contributing and definitely never threatening to drop off…

 

 

 

5.  Mr Cawthorne..  Fresh from the Tour of Indonesia (correct me if I am wrong??)..  International man who gets to ride his bike for 600kms + a week when in town (which is over 60% of the year)…  Always a strong man who is itching to pull the team along (if he is in town).

Luckily he was in town for the weekend and signed up to play with us..  he pitched up at mine at 6:15am..  Fec, it was still cold..  He was most upset when he saw I had some deep dish wheels on (I had borrowed Jarrad’s 70mm clinchers (I was worried for the same reasons Tom was as there were some undulations and some strong men on the team, I did not want to get dropped) as he had not put his on, instead he was rocking his Dura Ace rims (light wheels..  Maybe wise for the day??)..  Mr Cawthorne had an awesome day carrying out a very important role, sitting last wheel and filming the rest of the team as they rolled through, although, he was there on the final straight to roll over me just before the finish line..   Happily I can say the sprint really took its toll on him as he was struggling to hold 25kms/hr on the way home after lunch..

 

 

 

6.  Mr Hind, a strong man from way back..  NRS participant who has shown his colours..  An asset to any team as he does not know how to sit in and will happily bury himself at the front if he feels the pace is too low..  I hope he wants to come bury himself in Swan Valley (also hope I will be able to hang on..  I will eat my wheaties).

Dave pitched up just after we wanted to roll out to the startline (as usual but this time around, he was not late because he had ridden out to the sportif but because he had had people over the night before..  A changed man I tell ya..).  We got him into a SPR top and we were on our way to the start line..  Dave was super strong as usual and we needed to keep him in check till the last lap where he put in some very strong turns (he may have done a few big efforts during the ride too..  And received a couple of ‘take the pace back a notch bro’s ;-)..  He is definitely still a very strong man and was never under threat of dropping off..  Glad as always that he came out to play with us..

 

 

 

 

7.  Mr Jonno Bolton, the man who did an excellent job in the NRS series and is now a force to be reckoned with..  Finally signed by a team of substance (Dome has substance of course..  But no free bikes ;-)..  Probably another no show as his coach may not approve him time playing with hacks..  Even if we promise him ample time on the front in his orange suit…

Thankfully Jonno was allowed to come play with us (probably more because Emma was going to be there so he would need to do some riding so came to play..  Although, I don’t think he really came to play, more to watch us from within (I mean, hepitched up with alloy training wheels and gator skins)..  Never looked like he was working at all..  And laid low on the last lap when Dave and Luke were digging deep..  I don’t think we paid him enough to get his A game..  Obviously he was never going to drop off, I am glad we kept him awake and happy as always that hechose to come to play with us..

 

 

 

 

8.  Dave Manners was an unknown entity who Jerry had persuaded to sign up with us..  Strava says he had been on some rides with us and that he had done ok, so he must be ready to be a cowboy??

Dave pitched up on the day with some flash Zipp 404s (he had the team bug) but still had hairy legs??  WTF..  Her obviously did not get the email where I stated even ya derrière needed to be smooth..  But he rode really well, never showing signs of being dropped although he did take some turns out to keep Jason company at the back..  Glad he came to play and look forward to riding with him more in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

9.  Then we have that old man Ryan Fynn (last and getting close to the least)..  Has done nothing of note but seems to always be hanging onto someone’s coat tails till the end..  Hopefully he eats his wheaties and manages to finish with the group (maybe someone can offer him some pushing services?)..

Ryan managed to source some flash carbon clinchers (70mm) and a carbon skinsuit (bling bling but no pockets so a g*y bumbag was required to carry his gus which I believe completed the fast look??)..  Ryan managed to keep up with the team (despite carrying the really heavy timing chip on his left ankle and having to blow kisses at the paparazzi on the course (I can imagine this gets tiring) but was not first to cross the finish line as Cawthorne passed him in the lead  up to the finish and then blocked him to take line honours.. 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to all cowboys and fellow SPR folk for a great day out..  Thanks to Pete and Ben Madsen for letting me use their snaps I located on Facebook (thanking you retrospectively is cool isn’t it?)..
See you all out there on the road soon….  Stay Safe..

FF