I am on holidays at the moment and keen to race, so spent the night on the Gold Coast so I could do the two days of club racing on offer. It was a great weekend and well worth the trip.
2 July: Murwullimbah Club Race (A Grade) - 4th
It was only a small field of seven riders, but there was some absolute talent in there including the current under 23 Australian Criterium Champion and last year's New Zealand Elite Road Race & Time Trial champion. The 60 km course was flat at first and then undulating. I can't remember a harder 60 km for a long time. The first 20 km felt like a team pursuit ! The race broke up just after halfway and it ended with two in a winning break and I was in the next group of three. As hard as it was, I am very happy with how I rode.
3 July: Gold Coast Club Race - Nerang Criterium (A / B Grade) - Bunch
I love the Nerang Criterium course, which basically involves climbing up to halfway and then descending down the other side. There were six in A grade and eighteen in B grade, so it was a combined race, with A grade chasing down a one lap gap to B grade. This was really hard work but we managed to close the gap just before half way (the race was 55 minutes + 3 laps). My legs were definitely tired from the day before but I was still riding okay. I must admit that the last lap of the race didn't go to plan. I was in the wrong spot to follow the winning break of three that slipped off the front and then in the bunch sprint I had to take some serious evasive action to avoid having my front wheel taken out from under me. Anyway, it was a great hit-out and I ended up around 8th or so (not sure).
(Credit - Andrea Abbassi for the photos)
So all in all, a great weekend of Gold Coast Club racing. The Toowoomba Cycling Club is holding the Travel Medicine Alliance Stage Race (Criterium, Individual Time Trial, Road Race - over two days) this weekend, which I am very much looking forward to.
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