The 1750

With some riders lining up at the start, moaning and groaning:

Alastair at the end of a 300km 3 day bender
BoB at the end of a week that started off with a race and his hardest ever Homebush sessions
Luke with half the office stationary supplies (including a desktop computer) in his backpack

There were always going to be attacks on the cards. Since the first flu of the winter 09 any sign of weekness has now become the sign for an attack. It was just a matter of when.

Waiting for Luke to arrive a Pinarello pulled up and went through the lights ahead of us. Luckily, Luke was still not there and Pinarello was allowed to ride off at the next green. It would have been unimaginable carnage had he been in the group through Pyrmont. This was enough to send everyone’s frontal race lobes into serious overdrive. Then Luke showed up with what can only be described has his new home office setup (including fax machine) in a backpack. It was ON.

Pyrmont and the Col were spent closely watching each other as we prepared for the inevitable fireworks display on Lillyfield Rd. However, Lillyfield started rather cruzy as we were all too busy watching each other to mount a serious attack of our own. And then Haza went for it. Let the show begin. I don’t know what it did to the others but something about the sight of a supposedly “recovering” Harry riding off the front of the group made one of my race lobes explode. I had to show him he was still recovering and I put in a seated attack up the hill at 50kph, being very careful to keep my upper body absolutely still so there was nothing to show just how far I was beyond the red line.

Some bad timing with the lights meant that the group had to take the long (calmer) way around to Fivedock. Or did it….. when we looked over to cross the road there was Haza, putting in another sneaky attack. It was short but it was enough to ensure that this would be the last we’d see of Alastair and Luke until re-grouping at Fivedock. They were off, like socks from the morning Group 1 at 4pm in a crowded office.

Around the bay and it was a short acceleration from myself and a half hearted attempt to drive it before Al took the bit between the teeth and set off with Luke, Travis and Mark in tow. I was cooked, but comfortable because I couldn’t even see hazza when I turned back.

Out of Concord shops and I stepped up the pace as we came down the hill. Accelerating into the golf course corner at 50kph knowing that it would hurt Luke in second wheel, whose cornering balls are yet to drop, I held the speed until he caught up and then let it fall to 45. My chances of a win were nonexistent so I drove it again up to 50 through the next roundabout. There was the woosh as everyone came past and I could smell burning as we came to the foot of the hospital hill. I was toast. But I did have just enough to re-take that pesky recovering hazza before the official sprint line.

Good racing?!!? I was bleeding out of my eyeballs. It was on from the gun, attack, attack, attack (even i had a go at it) until a 5 man break went clear at about 30min into it. Scotty didn't make the break and drove very hard to get back on, main field was reduced to about 8. Anthony was there, he's getting stronger and sporting a nice pair of deep dish carbon wheels. He did quite a few turns and I did a few myself. Nearly made the mistake of going too hard and not leaving enough to jump back in the train.

The break shelled 2 of them near the end, I managed to get 5th place with second in the bunch sprint. I thought I had it with a pathetic, but all that i could manage, 53kmph sprint. Albert flew past me at about 65kph with 10m to go.

What did i learn. Even in A grade some people can't corner properly. Maintain a good position so you don't have to brake in the corners and waste energy getting up to speed. I am cornering rather well with this new (to me) pushing the front wheel out by keeping your inside arm extended.