My 2016 / 2017 Track season had all been about two Queensland events and then based on my performance in those, I would make decisions about the Australian Masters Track Titles and the World Masters Games (more about those later). I put a big fat TICK against the first Queensland event when I managed to win the Masters 1-4 Queensland Omnium Title in November and I am delighted to report that there is now also a TICK sitting next to the Queensland Masters Track Titles.
Masters 1-3 Points Race
This 20 km event ended up combining three age categories covering 30-44 year olds. I was leading early on, but Sheldon Olivier from the University of Queensland Club was consistently quicker than me in the sprints. He overtook me on points and ended up winning by a good margin. I managed to hang on for the silver medal.
Masters 3 Individual Pursuit
The 3 km test would prove to be the highlight of the weekend for me. I went into the qualifying round anticipating being happy with a 3 min 40 sec and being elated with anything quicker. When I put in a 3 min 36 sec and broke the state record, I was just a little chuffed. This qualified me in first place and the next day I won the final in an almost identical time (0.31 sec slower) just to prove it wasn't a fluke.
Masters 3 Scratch Race
10 km is a short event for me and it was always going to be difficult to shake the sprinters before the finish. I had a little drama before the start as well. I punctured my beloved rear disc wheel warming up on the rollers. I had to race with my spare which is nowhere near as fast as the disc. As you can imagine this annoyed me no end. I tried to race aggressively and a lot of the quicker guys did drop off, but Hamish Wright from the Mackay Club (a very, very good sprinter) was still there at the finish and he won it well. I hung on for the bronze medal.
So what now? I have decided to compete in both the Australian Titles in less than four weeks and the World Masters Games (these are not world championships, no world titles on offer, that is a different event) in eleven weeks.
My immediate focus is on the Australian Titles in Sydney. I will race the Individual Pursuit and the Scratch Race / Points Race (they race one or the other, not both). I am also very happy to have been invited to race in a Queensland Team Pursuit team with Andrew Patten, Sheldon Olivier and Stephen Storer (three very good masters track cyclists). I believe we are a real chance of securing a medal at the titles.
Wish me luck!
The 3 km test would prove to be the highlight of the weekend for me. I went into the qualifying round anticipating being happy with a 3 min 40 sec and being elated with anything quicker. When I put in a 3 min 36 sec and broke the state record, I was just a little chuffed. This qualified me in first place and the next day I won the final in an almost identical time (0.31 sec slower) just to prove it wasn't a fluke.
Masters 3 Scratch Race
10 km is a short event for me and it was always going to be difficult to shake the sprinters before the finish. I had a little drama before the start as well. I punctured my beloved rear disc wheel warming up on the rollers. I had to race with my spare which is nowhere near as fast as the disc. As you can imagine this annoyed me no end. I tried to race aggressively and a lot of the quicker guys did drop off, but Hamish Wright from the Mackay Club (a very, very good sprinter) was still there at the finish and he won it well. I hung on for the bronze medal.
So what now? I have decided to compete in both the Australian Titles in less than four weeks and the World Masters Games (these are not world championships, no world titles on offer, that is a different event) in eleven weeks.
My immediate focus is on the Australian Titles in Sydney. I will race the Individual Pursuit and the Scratch Race / Points Race (they race one or the other, not both). I am also very happy to have been invited to race in a Queensland Team Pursuit team with Andrew Patten, Sheldon Olivier and Stephen Storer (three very good masters track cyclists). I believe we are a real chance of securing a medal at the titles.
Wish me luck!
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