Brunswick Cycling Club

Stage 1: Tawonga Gap (105km)

You never really know how you’re going to go in a race (M4/5) and the controlled section keeps niggling at that thought. The red flag came into the car and smack! Tom Crebbin (Hawthorn) was up the road. After the first sprint prime I nonchalantly rode away from our 70 strong field and hung off the front about 50m. Sitting on about 75% heart rate I was just testing the waters. As soon as I was brought back into the fold, Anthony Chandler (Blackburn) attacked and I whipped around and grabbed his wheel. We caught Tom and worked 40km/hr turns gaining a 2 minute lead on the bunch. As we turned right and blistered along Happy Valley Road this little chappie was not happy. My legs felt like planks. I was in beautiful company but just couldn’t get the body to work properly.

As we started the Rosewhite Gap climb I said to the boys “You can take the KOM”, which is another way of saying see you later fellas. On my own now I still had a lead on the bunch but as I approached the KOM (for 3rd) I looked back, which some say you should never do in a bike race, but it was worth it. Eventual tour winner Mick Day (St Kilda) appeared out of the rocks or trees or leaves or something and was gunning for the points. Sorry Mick, worked too hard for this and a little kick got me the points.

Back in the fold, down the Rosewhite descent and right along Kiewa Valley Hwy confirmed I was right. I’m in big trouble. Guy Green (Hawthorn) attacked just before an incline and when it all came back together we had the incline to contend with; which I didn’t. Bye bye bunch. A chase bunch had reformed from behind, but I couldn’t hold any of their wheels. John Marcan (Sunbury) was there. John, mate, we race all the time and ride well together. See you later bud, can’t hold your wheel. Stragglers rode passed me and I became a straggler to them. This was undoubtedly one of the worst races of my cycling life and I still hadn’t reached Tawonga.

Have you ever raced up the Category 1 Tawonga Gap climb at 10km/hr? Its real hot and you can almost count each piece of aggregate in the bitumen as you crawl along. Three riders smacked into the earth wall on the Tawonga descent and were taken to hospital. Rolling in 27 minutes down on GC and 48th spot was not a good start for the tour. I went straight back to the Coach House Inn and caught 2 hours sleep hoping for recovery before the afternoon TT. I woke with a fever.

Stage 2: Time Trial (15.7km)

Time trials don’t really have much personality. You just ride fast and that’s it. Except for this little ditty. One bloke punctured 500m from where he was staying, walked back to his room and got a spare wheel. Damn, my front wheel was binding on a brake pad. Still no change on GC (48th).

Stage 3: Mt Hotham Ascent (57km)

The yellow jersey put a rider up front and we toasted along at 40km/hr to Harrietville. It’s criminal that the organisers put a sprint prime at the base of the climb, but what the heck! An attack was launched immediately after the sprint, as we kicked into the climb. Being so far down on GC the resolution was to ride Hotham as an experience. Slowly but surely I found my rhythm and actually started reeling in riders. Was feeling good at the Cat 1 ‘Meg’ KOM and managed to crack a joke to some spectators about what I thought was Ewen McGregor descending on a safari-style motor bike. Man, the hallucinations you get climbing are great. There is a 10km false flat on the way up and I lost my rhythm. I ended up chewing the bar tape behind a couple of riders before catching a group containing Tim McGrath, Malachi Moxon (St Kilda) and Marcan. The top of Hotham makes me think of Mt Ventoux. Tundra-like vegetation and nothingness. A bit like my lungs. Overall 40th on GC but encouragingly 12th in Master 5. I’m a tour rider and need another day to make amends.

Catch you next year!

CSV Report & Results »

Round 10 of the BCC roller derby was held at The East Brunswick Club, in conjunction with the 2008 road season presentations. After the medals were handed out, round one kicked off with a series of 1 lap match races, based on qualifying times.

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The Inaugural Victorian Women’s Omnium Championship held on Sunday at Disc saw the largest turnout of women to an event ever (close to 50) in the State and was a massive success as a result.

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After all the wind and rain over Friday and Saturday, it was kind of exciting to get up at 5 Sunday morning and make my way to Harrison St to see if the track had been blown closer to the creek!

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As the sun came up over a chilly Sanctuary Lakes it was also a new dawn for the Melbourne to Warrnambool. For the first time in its 113 year history, the race was staged as a teams event. Thirty five teams rolled out for the 300km journey. Team Rapido were represented by Northern Combine riders; Ben Johnson, Jason Costin and Cam Woolcock. I was a late scratching due to picking up a cold at an Adelaide conference a week before the race.

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Brought to you by…

The Halloween themed Roller Derby #9 got off to a flying start with A-grade rider Darren Rogers the first to qualify. Darren’s time of 8.53s was the best of the night although Philthy, resplendent in a ghoulish green mask and Monkey t-shirt gave it a good crack and came within 0.1s with an 8.63s qualifying 200m time.

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Ciao!

I had a short break after worlds, and now I’m training for the last race of the European season, the Chrono des Nations, a time trial in les Herbiers, France. This town and the surrounding region has had le Tour de France pass through many times over the years, and they’re cycling mad, so the race has thousands of spectators and a great atmosphere. They even use the start ramp from the TT at TdF, and I’m sure more than a few locals get up on it in the wee hours of the morning to imagine they’re Fabian or Cadel (but not Schumacher!)

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Generously sponsored by Little Creatures Fitzroy Dining Hall, boogiboy designer clothing, a’qto streetwear for cyclists and Melbourne UCI Track World Cup.
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