Happy, frustrated, satisfied, dissatisfied, annoyed, motivated...all words I can use to describe the racing just gone. Allow me to explain...
Team Pursuit
We lined up with a different squad to the one that won the elite state title back in November (Rob Walker out and Matthew Sander in). Matthew Locker and Tom Galbraith completed the Bikeline racing line-up. We started on a fairly quick schedule and were looking good, when it all went pear shaped. Matthew Sander had an issue with a wheel that had pulled a little. He washed off some speed coming into a very windy bank and I was caught ever so slightly under his wheel (my stupid fault). This forced me down the track a bit and I ran over one of the pads at the bottom of the bank. These pads are supposed to be to stop you taking a short cut, but they are not supposed to puncture a tyre and crack a Zipp disc wheel, which is exactly what happened. On the aero bars at pace, on the bank of a velodrome, with a punctured rear wheel, is not an experience I would recommend to anyone. I managed to not crash, but the team was in disarray and went on to qualify last of the six teams. This was extremely disappointing. We were a realistic shot at winning that state title.
Time Trial (666 m)
This is an event that is more for the sprinters, but I have reasonable speed endurance over a minute so I was keen to have a crack. I rode 48.8 seconds, beating my time from the Omnium last November by a full second and snagging the bronze medal. I was very happy to get a state medal in an event not really for a slow-twitch enduro like me.
Individual Pursuit (3000 m)
After a million rain interruptions (yes, a million, I counted them), we finally started the qualifying rounds. I rode a pretty well controlled race in extremely windy conditions (it was a block headwind coming up the home straight into the bank). I qualified against the current state champion and managed to put three seconds into him, in a time of 3 min 50 sec. I was really wanting to get a few seconds under 3 min 50 sec, but in the ugly conditions it was tough, and qualifying in the last round, I knew the time I had to ride to make the final so I was maybe just a touch controlled in the closing stages. I did qualify in second place overall, behind Robbie Reid who rode a 3 min 47 sec. Robbie has won the Australian MMAS 2 pursuit title before and won a silver in the World MMAS 2 points race in 2014. He goes alright!
Regrettably, the rain kicked in big time and the final was postponed. Robbie and I both lived out of town (Robbie had travelled from Gladstone) so the commisaires let our result stand from qualifying without riding off a final on Sunday. So it was a silver medal for me. The rain 'thing' is standard for racing at Chandler and this will hoppefully be the last time it happens as the new indoor velodrome nears completion. I think Robbie and I both had faster rides in us and it would have been nice to have a good crack at it, but it wasn't to be. I will take my silver medal though thanks!
Scratch Race (10 km)
I was down to race this event, but as it was postponed to the next day, I didn't stay around to race it when it was decided I wouldn't be riding a pursuit final either.
Bikeline Racing members had a great state titles also, with Rob Walker, Karl Morris, Megan Stevens and Matt Locker all coming away with medals. Thank you also to club member Laura Brazier who gave up her weekend to come down and volunteer by helping with the running of the event and by supporting her club mates - thanks Laura !
So there it is, two individual events and two medals. If you throw my Omnium silver medal from November into the mix it is three medal from three events in MMAS 3 state titles this season. Given that this is my first season back on the track for eighteen years, I have to be pleased with how this all went. I still have some physical deficits in terms of what I need to be successful, but my coach Mark Brady is doing a great job of helping me iron those out. My dodgy left shoulder is also still running at about ten to twenty percent weaker than my right one, and that hasn't helped at all in some of the high load situations you find yourself in on the track (especially standing starts). That situation is improving all the time though and I am hoping it is corrected before long.
So what now? The calendar is pretty quiet for a while so I will get back into some basic training. The state individual time trial title is not until June but I will have a crack at that. One of my big goals for this year is to get my body ready for track season next year. I will get this arm right, sort out my standing starts and work on my power in the one to five minute ranges. Also looking to have a decent road season as a foundation for next year; something I was sadly lacking this time around. I am very keen to race the track state titles again next year and then the track nationals in Adelaide.
There might also be a state madison title to have a crack at with a willing partner...
