Race Report: Avanti Handicap

Raced the 80 km Avanti Handicap at Lowood yesterday with about 220 other punters. I was very happy with my group / handicap (I felt very comfortable). I was in group of about 15 riders, chasing 20 minutes to the front and 17 minutes in front of the scratch group. Our group dwindled to 7 riders by 20 km, but we worked really well together (with just a little verbal encouragement / abuse from self). We ended up sprinting for 19th (I came 2nd in our group sprint and was 20th overall). We were actually only 22 seconds off 2nd place at the end and if you hadn't worked it out, we didn't get caught by anyone; which is always nice. Great news is that top 20 paid so I was in the coin! The second photo is actually my bunch finish. It was nice to have a strong sprint in this race as I have been finishing awfully up until now.

Race Report: Queen's Park Criterium

The Tour of Toowoomba (national series) has just finished and there was a support event criterium on around Queen's Park. The course was 2.4 km with a long drag up Margaret Street and it was very, very windy. I was in the Masters B / Elite C race with about 35 starters. It was surprisingly hard and there were only about 12 of us left for the final sprint. I came 6th. I had nothing left in the sprint (again) which is becoming a worrying trend. I'm nowhere near a 'pure' sprinter, but in hard finishes like the race today, I used to go very well (albeit a long time ago). This might be a fitness thing, or another gap in my training and racing...dunno. It is starting to give me the shits though.

Race Report: Toowoomba Criterium

I 'bit the bullet' today and had my first Toowoomba club race in A grade. It was a 40 minute + 2 lap criterium on the shorter Toowoomba circuit. There were 15 starters and I'm very pleased to report that I finished in 6th. The pace was a lot faster than B grade, but I rode strongly and never really felt like I was in big trouble. I didn't have a lot left in my legs for the final gallop but hopefully that will come in time.

Brisbane Training Camp

Had three days in Brisbane for work so thought I would make the most if it and get some good rides in:

Wed: 45 km, climbed the long side (2.5 km climb) of Mt Coot-tha twice. Not sure what gear I used to ride up Coot-tha in years ago, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't 39 x 21!

Thu AM: 65 km, met up with Michael Davis and three of his Rappida Vecchi team mates for a ride around the Mt Cotton circuit. This was a very hard and hilly ride and I only lasted 35 km with them. I wasn't the first one dropped though! These boys train hard!

Thu PM: 45 km, did two full loops of Mt Coot-tha (climbing the long side again). Funnily enough I climbed a lot better than I did yesterday.

Fri: 45km, did a river loop with my old friend from the Rockhampton cycling days, Jason Reed. Finished off with coffee and brekky at La Dolce Vita Cafe on park Road. 

Nice three days in all...

Race Report: Canelands Classic Handicap

Went to Childers for this race over the weekend. The 74 km course had to be changed to a slightly shorter (but harder) one at the last minute, due to the 140 mm of rain that fell over night. There were 42 starters and the front markers had 36 minutes head start from the scratch bunch. I was in the third last group to leave, 11 minutes in front of the scratchies. Scott Davis (who has just finished a long career as a pro with Team Astana) was in my group. Scott is an old mate so it was great to catch up with him. He's still as strong as an ox. Our group worked very well and we never looked like being caught by the two groups behind us. We caught everybody except four front markers who stayed away. I ended up in a big group of about 25 and finished 3rd in that group up a very hard uphill finish for 7th overall. This was by far the best I have felt in a race so far and am very pleased with how things went.