Well Sunday morning I lined up for my first road race (thought I better get one in before UCI).  Having checked the strava profile a few days earlier I was preparing myself for a tough day.

Arrived at Gidgegannup with plenty of time to get ready and psych myself up.  Was getting all the kit on and realised I left my helmet on the kitchen table (quick call to the wife confirmed this).  So the pulse rate went up a few beats.  Lucky for me Andrew Ballam was on hand and quickly located a spare helmet for me (Thanks Lachlan Midland CC).

So Greg Murray and I set off on a quick warm up before our race got underway, we dicussed tactics to see who would help who at the end, depending who was feeling stronger, 6ks in that didn’t matter anymore.

At the start, C grade was mixed in with B grade ladies and U19 men; the rolling start was more like a New Years day shopping rush at Myers.

We got to the start line in one piece (just) and off we went.  Being the first race of the season there was a bit of argy bargy and everyone was trying to find their grove. 

About 6km in the group started to split and a small group of about 10 stayed together and went on their way, me on the other hand adopted the TT pose and spent the next 44ks on my own.

Heading out towards the turn around point there is a lovely windy down hill section (O’Brien Rd) about 2.5km long, as I was going down at about 65k/hr I saw Luke Ellis coming up the hill sitting about 4^th wheel in A grade, he gave me an encouraging wave as I went fleeting past….Having looked at the grimace (pish posh – Luke) on his face I new I would be in some pain for the trip home.  Got to the C grade turn around point and made my way back, saw a few of the SPR crew making their way out with the same look on their face as I’m sure I had on mine.

I started up the O’Brien Road climb and I was feeling quite good wasn’t at my granny gear just yet.  Made up some time on the down hills but they didn’t feel as long as on the way out.  About half way back as my heart rate went past 180 I took a mouthful of sports drink (wrong idea) it promptly came flying back out.

I set into a bit of a rhythm and caught up to another rider, who promptly took a wrong turn on the way home I called out but he kept going, with fatigue setting in  I started to doubt whether I should follow, I stuck with my first choice and kept going up the road.  As I was climbing to the finish line going up the smallest hill I finally got into my granny gear, the hips were starting to feel it.

I crossed the line in 19^th out of 24 so I’m quite happy, considering I’m not a hill climber (needs to change). Was great to see all the SPR crew waiting for each other at the finish line.  

So that’s my first road race done and dusted, now getting ready for UCI on Sunday, looking forward to just getting out there and giving it a red hot go.

Cheers, Jason

Posted on behalf of Jason Gorden who picked a really tough first C grade race. Photo courtesty of Mr Ballam.

Not Training with us on Wednesday mornings for the UCI World Cycling Tour qualifier in April?….You should be, its a great even with a chance to qualify and represent Australia, you’ll get to race against Masters cyclists from all over the world.

Information on the 2013 Final is available – http://sport.be.msn.com/uciworldcyclingtour/2013/eng/final/

Recent News;

In July the UWCT takes us to a rehearsal of the most challenging UWCT Final ever. The Qualifier event in Trento, Italy, will feature most of the climbs and landscape of this season’s Final. In August and September, Brazil and Spain close the opportunities for riders to qualify to a legendary Final.

The town of Trento is so proud to be hosting the 2013 Road Masters World Championships (UWCT Final) that it will be hard not to feel already a World Champion once you get there. The rainbow colors will be everywhere and the top of the famous Giro d’ Italia climb, Monte Bondone itself, will be standing like a podium for the ones who reach its top on the road race.

Changes in 2013
– In events with a separated time trial qualifier, the 50% first athletes of each age group with a minimum of 3 riders per age group will be awarded to go to the time trial final.
– A team relay per country will be introduced as a test event in the 2013 Final in Trento. Qualified riders from the same country can form a group of 4 on a local city circuit of a few kilometers covering two laps per rider. Each team is formed by riders from different age categories (16-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55+) with a least one male and one female per team. The start order of the riders may be part of a tactical game. Riders make their relay by touching each other in the relay zone. There will be no Official Rainbow Jersey in 2013, but we do award the first three teams with medals.
– UCI travel will be offering travel packages towards all qualifier events and to The Final, helping riders organizing their trip.

I grew as a person this weekend, i lost and grieved for my cycling ego…the Pemberton Classic Criterium taught me a lesson.

John, Rich & I arrived in Pemberton, two hours prior to the crits, walked over to the registration table and started to spot people collecting the blue B grade numbers…

Are those guys in B grade, they are part of proper cycling teams… Eddy Hollands, KD cycles, Cyclemania…they cant be in my grade.

Denial

I saw the cones, I assumed they were for traffic, not for the race, I followed them, climbed the other half of the course, over the summit and peered down the other side..that cannot be the course, thats just hills intervals…

Denial

The course map doesn’t tell the full story… so ive placed an elevation map below as well.

I was wrong.

 Denial

We started the race with ~twenty riders, we were pointed straight down the hill with a 180 degree turn at the bottom over potholled roads, right in front of the spectators at the pub, the other SPR guys had, quite smartly, decided not to contest the B grade race, so it was just me.

The first corner was sketchy, by the time we were all around safely, the front runners were back up past the start line just as the last guys cleared the cone…this wasn’t going to be good.

2 min in – Heart rate 95%

There is no way those guys should be able to ride with us, arent they a sponsored team, this is shit, why dont they control who enters what grade…sandbagging….all of them!

Anger

Another lap, another stack, i think someone dropped their bike each lap just in front or right behind me as we all rode through the bends a little faster than we ought to in an effort to keep in touch with the (diminishing) front bunch.

3 min in – Heart rate 98%

What sort of moron would would design a hotdog, hillclimb crit?..thats retarded, dont they know what crits are in the country??

Anger

4 min in – Heart rate 98%

This – is – horseshit!

Half the field had retired, if you were not with the first 5, you were not going to catch back on…most were deciding to withdraw rather than wear themselves out before the Sunday morning road race… good idea i decided

6 min, and 5 laps in – cooked

Retire – I pulled out, 5 laps was all i could manage, short & depressing strava log – http://app.strava.com/rides/4772974

Tomorrow should be better, the start will be slower and ill have a couple of SPR guys with me. Ben can tow me around all morning.

Bargaining

 I hope i last longer than 6 minutes tomorrow, i don’t want to ride 70k’s by myself.

Depression

I thought i was riding well, I’ve been training, ive got Strava KOM’s….i couldnt even last 5 laps!

Depression

John looks worried, he’s not laughing now…he’s an adventure racer, if he’s worried, im dead.

Depression

The road race saw Ben, John & I line up for B grade (B had two and a half laps) after being told we couldn’t move down a grade (was worth a try John!). The start was much more sedate and we settled into a nice rythm.

If I can finish, I’ll be happy

Acceptance & Hope

Lap 1 – Ben spent much of the race on the front with most happy to let someone else work, (someone needs to explain to Ben the difference between a training ride, and a race!) there were a couple of surges and half hearted breakaways. The road out of town is rolling hills where the route gradually ascends enough to give a nice downhill roll back into town, the riders regrouped at the top of pump hill as some of the stronger riders slowed down for a rest.

Lap 2 – was nice and steady, we had one rider off the front and he spent most of that lap holding a good pace riding by himself. The second trip over pump hill saw us loose a few more riders and my heart rate really picked up, I spent a little time on the front leading to the…

Lap 2 1/2 – Third and final time up pump hill where the lone rider in the break was caught. John and Ben were riding really well up the climb sitting toward the front, the Eddy Hollands boys were yelling encouragement at them so they could continue to sit in.

The finish – involved a long downhill were we got stuck behind the tail car for C grade…. than a bunch sprint to the finish, which i didn’t couldn’t contest, happy to reach my goal and roll across the line finishing with the front bunch.

Strava Log – http://app.strava.com/rides/4772976

The course was fantastic, smooth tarmac, quiet roads, lots of shade and well marshalled.

SPR did really well;

C Grade – 1st (wes) & 2nd (des)
B Grade – 10th, 11th 12th (i think)
A Grade – Jono finished with a strong sprint and Bonner crossed the line looking annoyingly fresh

It was great weekend down south, it was cheap and the racing (not the crit, stupid course) was great, hopefully there are more takers next year.

Picture’s courtesy of John Breed