“This is the worst breakfast I’ve had for a long time: what is it? It’s an egg & bacon McMuffin, Dad, that’s why I’m having pancakes, hash browns and syrup. Enjoy!” And so the Collie Cyclo Sportif morning dawned with some carbo (in)digestion.
The Collie Six. Bill (refugee from Main 1 looking to rediscover his mojo); Vince (his first event and only started cycling 2 months ago); Judy (doing it for the sisterhood); Ross (doing it for the over 70s); John (trying to show his son he’s not past it yet); Keith (showing his dad that he is). Bill had cycled the 21km course on Sat and confirmed that it was a good road, gently undulating and some nice views which was quite correct: a really attractive route. So we met at the gantry, pumped up and ready to cycle as a team and help each other over the 4 laps. Good intentions …that were to go the way of the Dodo.
We cycled together reasonably well for the first two laps; a bit of a split on the long, gentle climb but we’d regroup and get the strongest riders in front most of the time. There were 18 teams entered for the 84km ride so it was not a busy, busy route (unlike Swan Valley). We were overtaken by a few groups and one stuck out: a lady had the most threadbare cycling shorts we have ever seen. A few patches of black thread but predominantly pink buttocks showing through.
Moral dilema1: do you mention this to the offender on the ride? Afterwards? Not at all?
As we crossed the timing station after our second lap it was clear that we were behind schedule. The starter had mentioned that we had to commence the final lap by 11.15 otherwise we would be pulled off the course (to avoid intefering with The Race). We had to average 45 mins per lap and we were about 5 mins behind so we had to increase the pace, which we duly did. About half way round we’d slpit into 4+2.
Moral dilema 2: do you abide by the Cyclo ethos and regroup and get pulled off the course? or carry on to complete it?
There was no discussion really: we knew that the 2 wanted the 4 to carry regardless and achieve what we had set out to do. So we did.. and then ..Ross yelled “Puncture” some 7 km and 14 mins away from the timing station.
Moral dilema 3: do you abide by the Cyclo rules and all wait while the tube is replaced and get then pulled off the course? or carry on to complete it?
Luckily there was no question. Ross told us to carry on. We looked back and saw the picture of martyrdom: back of his left hand on his forehead, right hand pointing to the heavens, plaintiffly crying “abandon me, abandon me for the greater good, ohh ohh”. Ross eventually got back on the bike and WAS pulled off the course (he tried to sneak round a backroad but was recognised). So the Collie 4 became the Collie 3 and on the final 3km we received our instructions from Bill: “I want you two work together to get your speed up to 58kmph with 400m to go, then I’ll whip out and sprint for the line”. He’s joking (he was: I couldn’t even get to 38kmph!) But we finished it just before 12.00 (according to my clock).
Meanwhile the Collie 2 had passed the timing station without being pulled off and although they were passed by The Race, they also completed the course.
So awards to Vincent for completing his first event and first ride of this duration; to Judy for supporting him particularly on the last lap and living the SPR spirit; and to Ross for his tragedian acting ability.
Moral dilema 4: do Bill, John and Keith deserve recognition for completing the course in record SPR team time despite abandoning their mates?
REGISTRATIONS CLOSE TUESDAY 7th August 5pm – 2 places in Main 3 and 3 places in Chasers
South Perth Rouleurs (SP) currently have two teams entered as follows:
Group
Members
Team Leader (TL)
SPR – Main 3 (60Km)
Jeremy O (TL); Raj J; Leigh O; Rosemary C; Jason G; Andrew W; Claire H.
SPR – Chasers (60km)
Carol Dowse (TL), Ross R; Vicky B; John K; Peter K; Graham R
0438326463
Note: there is a Masters Road Racing Championships are on the same day as this event which SPR is also taking part in, so although we do not anticipate there will be a lot of SPR teams at the Cyclo, there will be a lot out cycling somewhere.
Last weekend saw the final BWA Cyclo Sportif of the year ran out of Byford. Congrats go to SPR Mixed Nuts, SPR – SKM and SPR Chasers for their efforts flying the club flag. The most technical part of the course was leaving the car park up the mud slope but once we’d rolled out much fun was to be had, being out in the sun with the hundreds of other riders, cycling past the many cow filled paddocks, breathing in the crisp country air (ignoring the occassional whiff of road kill!) Our Mixed Nuts bunch had a fantastic time with both guys and girls sharing the load as we covered the 82 km with speed, style and a lot of giggles! There was a lack of karaoke singing this time ’round but certainly lots of pedals working together.
If you’ve ever contemplated participating in a Cyclo but haven’t yet taken the plunge then think about this:
• High end bike $4000
• SPR Kit $250
• Cyclo Sportif entry fee for members $55
• Soaking up the sun on a glorious morning riding through the beautiful outskirts of Perth with great people, followed by a cooked lunch and prize draws …PRICELESS!
We hope to have more eager Rouleurs join us at these events in 2012, so if you’re keen to do something a little bit different with your SPR mates then stay tuned ‘cause early in 2012 we’ll be looking to build numbers so we can make a mark on these events (and have a lot of fun in the process!).
SPR Mixed Nuts...finish line pose!Mixed Nuts ripping it up...
next weekend (25th) is the date for the next cyclo-sportif to be held at pinjarra.
there are 3 distances 75km, 45km, 30km and each of them tackle the hill up towards dwellingup.
if you enjoyed the last event at swan valley, then this one will offer a bigger challenge as it is no where near as flat as the last.
there is more info here, but leave your details in the comments section if you are interested. we need your name, BWA or CWA licence #, distance you want to race and what group you usually ride in at SPR. we will then try to put you into equally matched teams so that it maximises your enjoyment of this event.
entries close tuesday 20th july at 6:00pm, so we will need all interested riders to post to the comments by the end of the weekend. that way we have monday to organise the teams.
this sunday sees a pretty big day for cycling in perth. the cyclo-sportif swan valley event will kick off in the morning to be followed by the track grand prix. while this is going on, there is a trade show being held at the velodrome. we have been invited to put up a tent at the trade show to promote the club and try to get a few more members.
we have 5 teams registered for the cyclo-sportif and there are some first timers and newbies involved. as such we need to borrow some jerseys. if you are racing and have a spare, bring it along on sunday morning. if you are not racing, but want to share, bring it along on saturday to the start of the ride. make sure you put your name in the inside in such a way that it is still there after it is washed. we need all sizes.
with the trade show tent, we are looking at just promoting the club and encouraging some of these cyclo riders to give our group riding a go. we will also have the powertest setup again so that people can see how good they are an possibly win some prizes. it is really just about showing people what type of club we are. however, i need some help. if you have some spare time on sunday from 11am onwards (or earlier for setup) then let me know via the comments. it won’t be very difficult, just talking to people mostly.
we also need to borrow an old bike to use for the powertest. it will need to have the seat adjusted each time so probably an alloy would be best and about 54cm. let me know if you can help.
cyclo-sportif is a participation style event similar to a team time trial. you ride in groups of between 5-9 riders and you have to stick together. you have to wait for the slower riders and have to stop if a team member gets a mechanical. this type of riding is very popular for this reason as you get to ride with people you like and they can’t leave you behind. if you have never raced before, this a great first step and many of us got a taste for it through cyclo.
this event is held in the swan valley so it is really close and easy to get to. it starts at the speeddome in midvale but then transfers to herne hill primary school for the actual circuit. it is a lapped event with three distances (31, 62, 78km) and all the groups ride at the same time.
this event is held in conjunction with the track grand prix which will run at the velodrome in the afternoon after the cyclo-sportif. we have a couple of spr riders taking to the track as well as a bunch of international riders contesting the different events. at the same time there will be a cycling trade show in which business will have their wares on show along the back straight of the track. spr will be also manning a tent to promote the club to the cyclo-sportif masses. this is a great way to gain exposure for the club using both the tent and having multiple teams racing.
so, what do i have to do???
well, if you are interested add your name to the comments and let us know what group you usually ride in (fast, main 1/2, transitional, development). this allows us to match the team on ability so we can make sure you cyclo experience is as enjoyable as possible. in the comments, also add is if you need to borrow a jersey for the event as we like to have the team all matching to promote spr. you need to also let us know your cycling australia licence, bwa licence number or if you have no licence.
the cost is $50 for BWA members or $65 for non-members. this extra cost difference is NOT a day licence and therefore if you do not have a licence through either BWA or CWA then you are not actually covered during these events. as this is a participation event (like the great perth bike ride), joining a club or BWA is not a prerequisite to be allowed to compete. if you want some level of coverage, then a recreational licence through our club at $77 will have you insured for this event, plus we have great member benefits. 🙂
anyway, when we have the teams together, we then nominate a team leader and they will then pay for the entire team. that person will then need to be reimbursed by YOU as it has come out of their own pocket. if you put your name down and then pull out later, then you still owe your team leader the entry fee.
so add your name to the comments ASAP as the teams need to be registered by 6pm tuesday evening. this means we need to have your nominations in by mid monday so we can split into teams and nominate a team leader. further info can be found here.
The Perth Winter Grand Prix is best described as a “Festival of Cycling” incorporating different disciplines and activities of the sport of Cycling.
The day commences with 1000 plus road cyclists leaving from the magnificent Speeddome venue to compete in a Cyclo Sportif event over various distances up to approx 100km and then returning to the Speeddome where at 11.30 the Track Grand Prix racing will commence.
The feature of this year’s track racing will be the running of the historic “Westral Wheelrace”. First run in 1887 in the gold rush town of Coolgardie the Westral is the oldest Wheelrace in Australia. Riders from Malaysia, South Africa, New Zealand, China and naturally the elite squad from the Australian Institute of Sport are expected to compete. Included in the programme will be Sprint, Kierin, Scratch and Points races.
While the Grand Prix events take place on the 250m Siberian Pine surface of the track, the perimeter will be the hive of activity with a Cycling Trade Show displaying goods, services, health, club contacts and food stalls.
A VIP lounge area catering for 200 invited guests and “Cycling Reunion” enthusiasts will have spectacular views from the fence line.
Tickets will be available from front entrance from 10.00am on the day.
If you are keen to enter the sportif ride than you will need to register at bwa – the link is below. After the ride you can use the track facilities to shower etc before lunch and racing commences.
SPR will have a stall on the day inside the velodrome – details still being confirmed at this stage. There will also be a few SPR faces on the track to cheer for!
Cyclo York Development Team (pirate and English J)
It be an ominous start as we got up a sparrows fart t’ get t’ York. ‘t rained quite a lot on th’ way but by th’ time we arrived ‘t had stopped, great! Th’ development lasses plus honorary member Mike Round (Debs husband) managed t’ find each other, register an’ get t’ th’ line(good start). On th’ way we noted about three other squadrons includin’ SPR members, good t’ be seein’ they be well represented.
We cruised off of the mark, found our way out of York and started our hike through very pleasant countryside. We passed the Enjo team with a flat, and then again as they had a second. The start was pretty flat and we worked well as a team sticking together nice and tight with some speed adjustments. Carol took the first turn at the front and wisely pulled off before over doing it. New girl Jennie with her broad Scottish accent jumped up front and stayed feeling very healthy, new candidate for transitional group I think. Mikes turn for a flat but he had it under control so we kept motoring, giving Mike a chance to stretch a bit to catch up with us. Very nice till we hit the Beverley turning point and began the climb at 30km mark 5 hills took their toll on our team work. Jennie took the first QOM keeping strong until Ruth took the roll on the last couple of hills. Fruit cake must have kicked in! Our group stayed fairly steady and strong as we passed many riders left behind by their teams. We started stringing out a bit and Mike called a regroup before the final push.
We completed 55km with 483m of climbing with an improved average of 25.2km/hr great progress since the Lancelin ride.
Thanks to great work by the development team girls, Carol, Deb, Gwyn, Ruth, Jennie and the ring in Mike. A great day in a very pleasant location. Look forward to the next one.
the last cyclo-sportif of the year and after our good showing at the state team time trials, there were a lot of people wanting to put in a couple of good teams. just like the team time trial, this would start at pinjarra. unlike the team time trial, this one had a very big hill in it.
the course was one that we had done a few times before and has featured every year since the inception of cyclo-sportif events. the only flat section is the first (and last) 10kms but there is always a headwind as it is so open. after that you tackle 10kms of climbing to take you up to dwellingup before it rolls along del park rd where you turn around and head home. there are a number of climbs both out and back along del park road, so even after you turn around, there are a number of climbs before the long decent.
we had two teams organised thanks to some running around by ryan, lisa and myself. both were doing the long distance but there was a clear “a” team and “b” team.
that “a” team had the following riders – ryan, brendan, steve, michael, judd, joseph, julian and david. (hopefully ryan will get a race report out soon…)
the “b” team had – myself, davina, lisa, mark, alistar, shane, brett, dan and julian (the brothers making their spr racing debut).
we made good time down to pinjarra thanks to the shmick new freeway and by the time i got there, the spr tent was already set up. a quick move away from the septic outflow and pretty soon we had it surrounded by almost all the teams cars. it made for a great meeting point made things like sharing pumps and tools a lot easier.
seeing we had some first time racers in our group, the topic of race nutrition & hydration was discussed pre-race. next thing we see is julian heading off in the car to get some powerade while dan minded the parking spot. it was interesting to see who ate what over this sort of distance. there were 56 teams doing the long distance and they were off at 30 sec intervals and we had the unfortunate “honour” of acting as a rabbit for the “a” team as we were starting only 1min ahead of them. a short warmup and soon we were on the start line. the game plan was set out. form a single line and do 30 sec turns at the front. if you were struggling do shorter turns. once we hit the hills we had to stay together. this meant yelling at each other to slow and pushing struggling riders if necessary.
the team that was meant to start 30 sec in front did not show up so we had 1 min to make up on our closest team. we were off. davina made sure that we didn’t smash it too much in the first few kms by getting everyone to do shorter turns at a slower pace until we had warmed up. this was great as i usually rode with the “a” team and had my ring hanging out from the start.
lisa driving the train
there was a definite head wind on the way out and we were hoping it didn’t swing around so that we had it on our backs for the return journey. the road turned left and right a bit so we had to echelon across the road to get the best draft. the long single file made this a bit hard in places, but we managed to slip through the first 9kms unscathed. along the way some teams obviously hadn’t read the cyclo charter and tried to hang onto the back as our group came past to get an arm chair ride. not really cool as this is a timed team event, but we soon dropped them as some of their crew couldn’t hold the pace.
at the 9 ½ km mark the “a” team swept past. not too bad. we were still passing teams and were travelling along at a comfortable pace so i wasn’t worried about them.
they were still in sight when we started the climb and stayed not a large distance ahead for the first half at least. it was interesting to see how the other teams tackled the climb. some just totally disintegrated as a group as people did the climbs at their own pace. we were past by a couple of guys from one team, but looked back to see that the rest of their team were still struggling a long way back. we were determined to stick together to get the advantage once the road flattened out a bit.
we crossed two sets of train tracks on the climb and one is just after a 12% section of the hill. it makes for a tricky decent on the return but no time to worry about that now.
we reached dwellingup with everyone intact and turned left onto del park rd. the road still climbed upward, but soon we were heading down. these were the climbs we were going to tackle on the way home, but they felt good now. mark had been doing some long strong turns on the way out and i asked him how he was feeling. i was worried that he might burn himself out but he said that he had an easy week and had energy to burn.
the road was constantly up and down but we were picking up lots of teams along the way. davina was making sure everyone was eating and drinking and alistar commented that he had never eaten so much on a ride before but it felt great.
we had just came down a very long climb that was the king of the mountain point for the pinjarra classic when we noticed that brett’s rear tyre was going down. we quickly pulled over to the side and actually got off the road as there were lots of teams following behind. this gave a couple of us an opportunity to get some more food down while mark, dan and brett seemed to be all trying to change the tyre themselves. many hands make light work or too many cooks spoil the broth. the tyre was difficult to get off but soon a new tube was in. one gas bottle later another tube was then put in. some initial air from a pump to make sure it was ok before smacking another gas bottle into it. ok. we were off again.
a lot of the teams we had passed were now up the road and we started clawing them back. the constant undulations and twisty roads meant that cars were having difficulty passing riders and seen we were stuck behind a car that couldn’t pass a few struggling riders. we were bunched up behind it and couldn’t get around either. this driver really didn’t want to put the foot down but eventually got enough clear air to get around. it was getting busy as riders were now coming back on the return trip so it was difficult to pass, but we got stuck behind the same driver another two times before they eventually got free. frustrating for them, but even more so for us as we were on the clock.
on the final climb up to the turn around, i noticed that dan had not done his seat bag up properly after the tyre change. he stopped at the turn and fixed it while we slowed right down to wait for him. we were soon off again and enjoying the descent when there was a pop and hiss in front of me and brett’s tyre was down for the count. as per the “three strikes” rule he told us to leave him and he would get a ride back with the sag wagon. i’m sure he can add his story to the comments as it took him a long time to get back.
mark was still doing big turns on the front and not seeming to be suffering for it. the climbs put dan in difficulty and a bit of assistance was needed but the group stayed together well. on the climb up to the king of the mountains, we got mixed up with a couple of groups that actually integrated with us for the climb. strangely not their entire group, but just a few of them. this meant that once we reached the top they all had to sit up and wait for the rest of their group to struggle along.
a few more rolling hills and pretty soon we were on the last climb before dwellingup. unfortunately it is not just one long decent as it kicks up a couple of times which caused a few gaps. people were keen to get home but the group still needed to stay together so had to slow to accommodate.
davina driving the train
the start of the descent saw davina hit a hidden pothole (i.e repaired but sinking again) that dislodged her drink bottle. i also hit the hole and thought of smashing carbon forks entered my head as it jolted my bike enough to ring the bell. however, i then had to make sure i didn’t hit the drink bottle as it skidded across my path. shane probably had a déjà vu moment as his bottle dislodged on the thursday group ride and jammed in between his spokes and frame causing the back wheel to lock up. the subsequent skid ripped right through his tyre, tube and started eating into his rims. not good. luckily everyone made it through the incident today.
so we were screaming down the hill and as we came around the corner, there was a guy waving a flag (but not very well) so we started to slow. as we exited the corner we realised that we had to slow real fast. there was a very large steam train chugging across the road with a number of carriages containing a whole lot of people happily waving at us. nice. apparently we were the only team that got held up by the train today.
back into the fray and we continued down the remaining hill to find that the wind had continued from the south and we would actually get a tailwind home. 10 kms to go and it would soon be over.
we formed into a line again but this time davina jumped on the front and stayed there for about 3 kms punching out around 48km/hr. we all just held on for dear life but enjoyed the draft while we could. as she peeled off, we all did short turns before mark and then davina both pulled out some big efforts. this long/short process continued for a while before dan was really feeling the effects of fatigue and was struggling to hold a wheel. with about 2 kms to go we formed up as two lines with mark and davina smashing along at the front so we could form the biggest draft window that we could to get the rest of us home.
we held together well and passed a number of teams that were just trying to make it home. as we passed the 500m to go sign, lisa decided to go for the sprint but went a little too early. we spat a couple out the back with that final effort, but that didn’t matter as i had the timing band on my leg and as i finished at the front, mine was the only time that mattered.
the “a” team were already at spr central and there was a litter of bike and bodies all around the tent. some of the guys had a hard time on that team too but a great effort was made by all. at the end of the day, only lisa and myself were the only two that stayed for lunch as brett was still making his way back with the marshals. our nine raffle tickets yielded nothing so we then joined the mass exodus back to the freeway.
a great job by the team today and a good introduction to a few riders as to what racing is like. awesome efforts by mark and davina to drag us around and a good finish to the cyclo-sportif season.
the 8th november is the next proper race with the golden spokes event which is a flat circuit around champion lakes. a good opportunity for those that want to get into the racing scene as there are no hills to make it too hard.
The day started off at 7am for the drive down to Byford. When reaching Mead Rd, I was surprised to find an empty housing estate rather than the start area.
After going around the block (or hectare?) I eventually saw the cyclo-sportif sign lying next to a fence.
Crawling down the side road I found a parking and it started to rain lightly. Not a good start to the day.
Amusement for the next hour as cars turned up and did 10 point turns to backup to Warrington Rd to find a parking space.
Eventually the SPR gang started to turn up in and we all met at the briefing point.
After the usual briefing and pinning the tail on the donkey with the numbers we all huddled together waiting for the start.
Lorraine hobbled up and helped us with our misc car keys and wallets.
Finally the B team got to the line and started off.
As we went down the road, the wind from the right kick in and Doug assumed the position to let me half wheel him for some shelter.
Snuggle’s must have started to get frisky and moved up to the front for some long pulls, and then dropped to the back for short breaks.
After the 3 time, I yelled to him that we needed to get a blood/urine sample from him after the event.
I think he snorted and me and went even harder???
It was about 13k’s in when I heard ‘ease up’ from the back and I relayed the message to Snuggles (phew).
As we approached the climb up to the Serpentine monastery we decided that the best approach would be to go up the climb at our own pace and regroup.
I went off the front at my own pace expecting to be passed eventually and didn’t want to hold everyone up too much.
As I went around the first corner, the first of a couple riders from other teams had already dismounted and started the long walk up.
About 50 meters and I dodged a few who were zigzagging.
As I got to the 3/4 point, Tim and Paul went past and I met them at the top a minute later.
When I found out Tim had a fair about of body weight on me, I vowed to join in more Sunday hill rides! Great effort from the big guy!
After a quick break, BD said hi to his breakfast again, we were off.
I rode my brakes for most of the descents and Melvyn kept an eye on me to make sure I didn’t lose contact with the group too much.
Eventually we hit the dam and had another climb and I saw Tim pass me to head to the top again.
More descents on the rough country roads after this kept us on our toes.
The ride back into Byford was comfortable until it started raining for the last 10k’s in.
When we crossed the line, first thing on everyone’s mind was to get changed into something warm and dry.
Lorraine’s refuelling station was open with chocolate brownies and coke which was most welcomed!
Off to the lunch and Cameron Myer’s garage sale.
All in it was a great day and thanks to everyone for coming and flying the SPR colours.
