2016; The year that was / 2017; The year that will be...

I reckon yearly reviews are always a bit tacky but so am I, so here we go...

2016 was a good year on the bike for me (no doubt about that). There are a few major reasons for that:

• No crashes.
• No surgeries.
• My shoulder continues to recover and get stronger after the two surgeries in 2015.
• A great run with illness (two colds all year, no sinus infections and one minor stomach bug).

This all resulted in minimal time off the bike (except planned breaks of course) which kept my fitness up and I really didn't have to do a big rebuild at any time.

In terms of racing, I participated in 51 different races (road, velodrome and a few team triathlons) across 35 days. I ended up with 3 wins, 13 second places and 8 third places. 24 podiums from 51 starts = consistency, but I would love to be winning a bit more...

To dig into this a bit more, I have divided my analysis up into three categories:

• Very happy.
• Happy but looking for more.
• Not happy.

Very Happy:

Charles Coin Memorial Road Race (Masters A): Very happy to finish 2nd behind a Tim Hoy in red hot form who would go on to take a silver medal in the World Masters Titles (45 - 49 years) not long after, in arguably one of the most important road races on the calendar. 

Queensland Omnium Championships (Masters 1 - 4, 30 - 49 years): As recently reported, delighted to take the win. Can't say much more about this one. A good day out.

Queensland Individual Pursuit & Track Time Trial Championships (Masters 3, 40 - 44 years): I was 2nd and 3rd respectively in these two titles in my first track season for 20 years. Coming into that racing with no strong road season behind me was not ideal so I was very happy to secure the two medals. 

Happy but Looking for More:

Queensland  Individual Time Trial & Road Race Championships (Masters 3, 40 - 44 years): I finished 2nd and 4th respectively, but am very hungry to move up some steps on the podiums. Both races fell in my preparation block for the Australian Titles so I wasn't in peaked form, so am looking for more next year. 

Australian Individual Time Trial & Road Race Championships (Masters 3, 40 - 44 years): I finished 8th and 9th respectively, but a bit like the Queensland Championships, I honestly believe I have better finishes in me. The championships are in Brisbane in 2017 so I am determined to move up more than a few places on home (almost) soil.

Not Happy:

Cunningham Classic (Masters A): I had a planned break only two weeks out from this very important race. My legs were not great and I did have a good crack at it, but it didn't come togther and I faded to a very disappointing 33rd place.

2017:

I am very much looking forward to the racing year ahead. I will have a very similar program to this year. The new additions will be a return to the Queensland Road Teams Series (QRTS) after a two year absence (if selected) and I am considering the World Masters Games in New Zealand. 

I am racing in dual colours next year (not both at the same time, just in case you needed to have that explained). I have officially registered the DRP Coaching kit and I am also racing with the Toowoomba based Colliers International Team (mainly for QRTS). I have also switched clubs, moving from Bikeline Racing (now known as the Darling Downs Cycling Club) to the Toowoomba Cycling Club. 

So all in all, another year like this one would be great. Good health, minimal interruptions and the backing of my amazing wife Nadine Russell and coach Mark Brady. It's a great combination!

Race Report: Queensland Championships (MMAS 1 - 4, 30 - 49 years), Omnium, 13 November 2016

I had finished second in this race last year so was hoping for a good result. The field this year was twice the size (twenty-two riders) and a lot stronger, so it was always going to be a tough day out. Andrew Patten and Robbie Reid were racing and given that both riders had won medals in the Masters World Track Championships previously, I was expecting them to be a handful.

I was not sure about my form as I had had a disrupted run in. Three days off the bike with a head cold three weeks out and then another three days off with a stomach bug two weeks out. The stomach bug had me especially worried as I just 'didn't feel right' afterwards.

The event was held on the brand new indoors Anne Meares Velodrome, which is an absolutely impressive facility and a very, very, fast track. The Omnium was raced in the brand new four race format (as opposed to the older six race format):

Scratch Race

Very early on I saw an opportunity to attack and I took it. I quickly gained half a lap and from that point on was totally committed. I managed to take a lap on the field and won the race. 

Tempo Ronde

This is a brand new event where there is a five lap tempo session and then fifteen laps where the first rider across the line each lap earns a point. It plays out kind of like an 'intense points race'. I took points early and managed to come second. Craig O'Conell from The University of Queensland Cycling Club won that race. He had finished second in the earlier scratch race so at that point we were tied for the lead. 

Elimination

A field of twenty-two meant a forty-four lap elimination which was always going to be hard work. I rode really aggressively on the front and managed to again come second. Craig took the win and the overall lead by two points. 

Points Race

I 'only' finished fourth overall in the points race, but I wasn't really concerned about that. I had a job to do; follow Craig around and take points off him. Fortunately, this is exactly what I managed to do. A point here, a couple there and a very timely fourth in the double-points final sprint of the day, gave me the overall win and the Queensland Title by three points. Peter Nowill (who finished third) has come across to cycling in the last few years from running and actually represented Australia at the 2004 Olympics in steeplechase. 

I was absolutely stoked with this result. My last six straight Masters State Titles results have been 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, 4th - so to finally crack a 1st was just a little bit awesome!

I am honestly not sure what to make of the new Omnium format. I think at Masters level some of the events are too short to be 'true' endurance events. I also miss not having the Individual Pursuit in there. Given the result here though, probably best to say that the new format suits me!

Looking forward to more track events in the new year...