Well! this morning Dan Ives and Mr Goldie ventured down to Lang Lang for the last road race of winter 2008 for Southern Vets. Coach ordered me to race for the second time over winter. My intention was to ride more races but the races I would have ridden were put aside to be with Jelena our granddaughter.
Some of my friends were surprised to see me turn up at such a tough course, well, tough by my standards anyway. For me racing did not go so well and got unloaded up the winding climb into Nyora. Ended up taking the short cut back so had 60 k's of a reasonably hard hit out. Five of us came back together and into the head wind back to Lang Lang.
Interestingly the winner of C grade today Jeremy McNeice won D grade last week and was 2nd in a crit at Casey Fields only a couple of weeks ago. Jeremy is 48 or 49 and commenced riding to work 2 years ago. He commenced racing in June 2008 and he will surely go up into B grade in the near future. Stories like this are really great.
A person I have great admiration for is Debra Hobbs and after winning C grade last week she came in 3rd today against some strong younger guys.
What happened to me? well I am fit and although I did about 110 k's yesterday, easy I was fresh. Over the first two hills was fine but up the longer climb ran out of legs about 2/3's up but not to worry.
The five of us who rode in together saw Matt Chessum, Paul Mason and Michael Day sprint in with Geoff Thompson and another rider I did not know just behind them. Geoff Thompson is such a strong and tough rider for a man in his 50's and after recovering from his bad accident has made a remarkable return.
Just in closing again full credit to the Southern Vets officials and helpers who put so much into the preparation of the course with safety signage and organization work.
Looking forward to riding Carnegie and Southern Vets Crits after the World track Titles and think that hill up the back straight at Sandown (well hill for me) is about my standard.
I do marvel at people who can climb hill with ease or what appears ease to me.
Have a good week.
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