A Knight St deja vu Monday, Cats departing Notre Dame 500 metres ahead, but not a drop of incentive in my tank to chase. Found Fox & Meags though, a steady lap to start the week, careful not to alarm the achilles after a weekend recovery off the bike. An annoying little northeaster prompted a push on the pedals to maintain the speed, Boundary a bonus with the breeze behind. Sunrise is noticably earlier (light in the sky at the River Rd dip) perchanced passed a Pussycat pair, possibly punctured, perusing pressure, peered a particular persons' pushbike prostrate, pending prompt patching. Kialla Central's peak hour traffic (4 cars) caused a brief retinal wrestle, back onto the empty Mitchell Rd was easier on the eye. An Archer Rd homestraight beckoned to meet timeclock commitments, the joy and enthusiasm of going to work Monday quickly forgotten with the sun slowly warming a clear sky. Miss yellow Suzuki got up close and personal (P plate) in her overtaking manoevre, must be quite an effort to use the four metres of road available in the other lane. Back to town to put nose to grindstone, to earn the dough to buy more tyres and chains and tubes and glue and patches and knicks and jerseys and socks and...........
A spin on the 17 cog down to the Couldabeens start in preparation for the Tuesday morning thrash. Numbers elevated (directly proportional to the temperature?) at the car park, AvantiTrev, Jase, Cougar, Shorty, Nick, SuperMario, Temple, BigMat, FeltMat, Rocket and Shane all keen to put some distance into the morning, keen to get into the new kit too (typo permitting). Climbed aboard the cardio escalator with Jase (leg #1) and Rocket (leg #2) of Channel Rd, through the Orrvale Rd left/right, then chin on the headstem to get a draft off Rocket, the little Kittel. BigMat and Shorty scored the short tailwind leg after the Kinder, all fairly sheltered from the northerly till reaching Boundary Rd. FeltMat and Shane were easy on the accelerator to the twin bridges, the speed crept slowly upward with the cream rising to the top. It was head down and tail up for a long stint beside Jase & Rocket in Mitchell Rd, the head aimed at reaching the chicane but the legs and lungs gave up 500 metres short. (inadequacy levels lowered seeing others take shorter shifts) Another dip at the front came round quickly, Shane in for double time nearing Archer, a half bike ahead for 2000 metres may promote him to HBK's shoes? I'd turned soft at Arcadia Downs handing in my resignation from duty, but was instantly elected the tow vehicle for bunch #2 when the speed splintered the pack nearing Conrod straight. I've set the Garmin screen to display h.r. in a smaller window (difficult to read when the pace is on), takes away the mental hurdle when 182bpm is illegible. Rocket had Shane, Jase, BigMat and Shorty stretched out, others behind me were feeling the pinch too. Nice to cross the line after battling a k of headwind, slowing to join the ones who had put in more effort than I for a collective roll through town.
Forecast was a tad iffy Tuesday night, a brief mist of rain at 4 had been dried by a northwester so took a gamble on the hospital bunch. Dion, Nath, Paul, GT Craig, Clive, Harpo, Axel and Bomber rolled out Graham street at 6, a brief spit from the sky dampened hopes but spots soon stopped. Collecting LegalSteve (leTour tourist), MachineSteve and Ange en route, it was cranking into the 40's on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, Bomber with the succession of Clive, LegalSteve and I try to match him, Dion the one to succeed. Testing times tapered turning south, a chorus of windswept wheels and sighs down to the Toaster, Bomber & Machine Steve taking the lead monopoly to Boundary Rd, wind now blowing in the 30's with a big shear atop the channel bridge. The puncture delayed Juzza, SpecialisedTony and Andy intercepted us via Old Dookie Rd, spits of rain started (more serious this time) as tempo tormented past the fig farm. The road had turned semi-gloss, speed increased again, wheels were pushed and shoved by the wind, my plans turned quickly to the option of Channel Rd. home, Axel, Andy, Harpo and Ange had similar thoughts of survival. With rain lashing and pushing into the northwester (now gusting to 56km/h) I shouldered the lead, difficult to drive at 34 with the heart rate climbing and conditions worsening. Ange then Axel shared the load, not much fun with socks slowly saturating and pelting rain blurring vision, but a combined effort got the five home upright but a touch sagged and soggy.
The damp track was drying by morning, wind had dialed down too, worth a Wednesday lap to loosen the legs. Blown down to the starting grid by the WNW breeze, PistolPete, Rocket, Wozza, Shane, FeltMat, Nick and WobblyTrev had made the pilgrimage to Kialla to squeeze in a few k 's too. An easy roll down to Mitchell and over to Central Kialla, avoiding thoughts of the task that lay ahead in Channel Rd. Nick & FeltMat drew the short straw of a windy leg to River Rd, Shane lapping up a big share of the tailwind before others shortened the roster. Nick copped another windswept leg in Boundary Rd, Shane almost earning a WBK tag. Rocket and I paired at the front for the first of the Channel Rd slogs, as much fun as a tummy full of cold dim sims (well, that much wind anyway), gusts of 37km/h quite a chore. I was delighted to relinquish the lead beyond the cypress trees, Wozza working well with wind whipping westerly, when a wintery week went without widing. PistolPete Voeckler (in new Europcar kit) paired with Nick (Terpstra) for the Cha Cha, FeltMat (Hayman), Wozza Visconti (Movistar kit), Rocket (little Kittel), Shane Jelte Slagter (most agressive rider) and TeamWobbly stamped out the 8k's home with nothing left to impress on the mexican bonanza.
Coggo did a Richard Simmons workout at Friars Thursday morning, a stretch and ab session while gritty Goats gathered. Rolled away at 6 bells, a few familiar faces (BigPaul, Snowman, Brendan, Tum, Kate, Dipper, LegalDave, Hommy, Sandy, Bickers etc) rotated as the track turns commenced, a few faces as yet unknown. Tum, in short sleeves and legs, is obviously from the land of the long white polar ice caps to survive 9 degrees) The handbrake was released turning with the Boundary Rd tail wind, wheels humming in appreciation. The rider ahead of me lubed my chain and leg via his left nostril >:-/ , and after voicing my thanks, his apologies were accepted. Hommy and Sandy took a Harpo hiatus via Channel Rd as the pack speared south. To clockwise or anti-clockwise in River Rd? that is the question (a call in favour of anti was confirmed). A few took up rearmost respiratory respite as pace placated patience, a solitary punctured pussycat was in roadside repair near the dip, seeking solidarity? Kate was still taking tenacious turns through Central Kialla, but Mt.Nicolaci expired her efforts. Considerately off the throttle through intersections and turns, the bunch solidified along Raftery, building for the Conrod blast (albeit against the 20+km/h northerly). Sitting snug at fourth wheel with 200m to go (and a well timed lead out from Tum and Dipper) handed me the win (with an investment of 190bpm and 47km/h), maybe a little rude as an invited guest, but Coggo informs me there's no friends in a sprint.
A blow dried and desolate Old Dookie Rd Friday morning, hardly heartwarming at 4 degrees. Some mercy from a brewing WNW helped the Mavic's strike a B minor out to Boundary Rd, thoughts suppressed any record breaking times, a short lap to enjoy as reward for surviving a windswept week. Passed the pub, a distant glimmer of bike lights approaching as I steered into Channel Rd, with furrowed brow and gritted molars to face the 25km/h ravages for the 8k slog home. Foolishly glancing back at the S bend I saw bikes in pursuit, funny how fast the competitive spirit is activated. 30bpm was added to the effort (with only a whisker added to speed) and by the cypress trees legs were protesting, some hope of holding a gap possible. This carrot was running low on reserves with two rabbits closing in at the school, by Kensington gardens all was lost when Europcar's Pierre Rolland and Movistar's Alejandro Valverde (cunningly disguised as mild mannered PistolPete and Wozza) caught and passed, at least their manners towed me to the finish.
Week 31 240km YTD 8,243 km
Word of the Week
"Chainnointed" (verb) To bear the greasy tatoo of a chain on a leg
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