With an impressive total of 72 riders comprising a grand total 9 Teams, the South Perth Rouleurs well & truly dominated the 2014 Swan Valley Cyclo again this year.  SPR also took the lead in creative & original team names… they were there in abundance but left a massive chain ring of unanswered questions… like if the Princesses really were?  Could the Chasers chase?  Were the Good Old Boys actually any good… or just old?   And would the speed prove fatal for our Femme Fatales?  Would the SPRring Chickens cross the white line?  And most importantly, did the Didyabringabee do as they promised?!

But with the Club providing pastry’s at the start (thanks Laurensia for the extra carb boost!) and drinks available at the end to reload, through the chattering of teeth the mood was positive if not a tad chilly so jackets were back on pretty quickly after the official photo was taken.

Proving you can teach old dogs new tricks (like where you ankle is located!) this year we were able to ensure every Team registered a time…   and some very good times at that.  In fact SPR recorded the fastest time on the day & hold the proud honour of having the ONLY team on the day to break into 40+km/hr territory!  Outstanding given the headwinds that sprang up on the last 2 laps. But which team?!  According to the “official” results it was SPR Femme Fatale’s though there seems to be some ongoing dissention from the SPR Chocolate Canards who were ducking for cover when they read BWA had only registered their ride at 35.292 km/hr.   The suggestion has been made that those 2 teams need sort it out between themselves with a rematch… or at the very least, Garmin duel at 20 paces?

Meanwhile, the Good Old Boys were congratulating themselves for contributing to the girls excellent result by being true gentlemen & overtaking the girls on the 2^nd lap & allowing the Femme Fatales to draft behind them… adamant they were only trying to help them, the girls were having none of it & showing true Cyclo etiquette of “no drafting” soon over took the G.O.B. for a second time to prove they didn’t need their help. In other words. Yes. They got “chicked”.

Importantly, everyone had a safe ride and there seemed to be a little less “white line fever” on the course and the only incidents were when one team (who shall remain unnamed) decided it was necessary to stop for a wardrobe adjustment (… girls?! Well, you never know where those dreaded cameras will pop up do you?!) .& despite employing the dubious tactic of placing an (ex) Policeman on their team, Didyabringabeer  had to wait 5 minutes for a wide load to go by.

Overall, a great day was had by all and while we are told numbers were down on past Cyclo Swan Valley rides (& it would be interesting to hear from anyone who feels there is anything different we can do as a Club can do to encourage even more to participate next year?) everyone who participated did South Perth Rouleurs proud.  Well done & thank you.