After a very calm and serene morning, I headed out to Heffron for a couple of races on Saturday. As I left home at 2pm, the wind just started to pick up, and by race time was pretty full-on - it is almost as if the wind wakes up when the clock strikes 2pm! But you wouldn't expect anything different for a Heffron Race Day, would you?
So what has happened in the last week. Well, along with almost zero sleep, a stomach bug that has me 3kg lighter in 4 days, and a very stressful week at work, and some personal issues, I set the bike up with the trusty Zipp Speed Weaponry fast wheels, and I'd say I was due to fly on the weekend. Either that or crash.
Race 1 - C Grade Club Championship Crit - 12km
Race Report
Location: Heffron Park - Club Championships
Grade: C Grade
Race Distance: 12.2km (6 laps)
Conditions: Windy, NE, tailwind down the main finishing straight, but block headwind on the back of the course, pretty strong, again. Temperature about 25C. Sunny.
Unfortunately, due to a washout earlier in the year, a shortened Crit was held before normal Saturday racing. I was a little concerned about the shortened format, with a lack of racing expecting a fast and hard race. From the outset, I was on the front and thought, "Lets blow this race apart". Mid-race (okay only 3 laps, but the pace was on) I was feeling really comfortable. Coming up to the bell, I had the field stretched and ready to produce that rarely seen, but often talked about, Smarty Surprise Attack, when, pffft - rear puncture at 45km/hr! Race over. Bugger!
Calm at the startRace 2 - Saturday Race - 28km
Race Report
Location: Heffron Park - Club Racing (Cat 4)
Grade: C Grade
Race Distance: 28.5km (14 laps)
My Average Speed: 35.3km/hr (48:30 mins)
Placing: 12th in Bunch Finish
Conditions: Windy, NE, tailwind down the main finishing straight, but block headwind on the back of the course, pretty strong, again. Temperature about 25C. Sunny.
So after replacing a $16 tube with a nice little glass slash, I thought I'd give the afternoon race a go as well. Why not.
So the race started as any other. I dropped my chain and went straight out the back end of the peleton. This wasn't meant to be my day. Even felt like doing the bike discus at one time. Luckily, the pace wasn't too fast and I got back on before the end of the first lap. I settled onto the back of the bunch and felt quite comfortable. The pace wasn't overly fast and I could counter any changes in pace - maybe the first race warmed me up properly. Unfortunately, the 30 strong bunch was really tough to work through towards the front, and a bit hairy at times too. I managed several times to get into the front 8 riders, only to lose ground when the front riders sat up into the wind. I just decided that today I would finish with the bunch, no heroics of last week and see how I fared.
So, quite quickly 8, then 10 laps passed, then the bell-lap. Still hanging on, feeling quite strong, I forced my way through the field at the netball courts only to be pocketed. Backing off and going around lost me a lot of ground, but I sprinted the full length of the straight catching many in front of me to finish 12th. I'll take that, this time.
Typical sitting in.
And again...This comeback is going to be up and down me thinks.
1 comment:
Keep it up Greggy, and have fun we don't race for sheep stations.
I'm dreaming of a Heffron headwind.
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