A de rigeur early rendezvous with Temple and Wozz Saturday, 10% better progress than expected cranking south to Mitchell Rd, a week of torture may have educated my legs to a new standard? Jase joined us at Central Kialla, the 30k prologue broken into bite sized pieces to terminate back at the carpark for a Couldabeens conference at the startline. I'd elected to vocalise recent concerns, a call to order for smooth and sensible after last Saturday's shenanigans. It wasn't the sermon on the mount, but the 6am departure was deafened by a pin dropping (maybe I'd been a bit vicious with verbs or acrid with adjectives), but agreement finally flowed as the wheels of rotation began eastward. A fleet of cars appeared at the highway to incur an intermission, the prolonged pungency pedalling past Porky palace harangued heavily on Hollywood's hooter. Svelte and slick, two rows made an orderly way to the Toaster and up to the Emu, westward homeward without a glitch. Hallelujah! A 2k turn at the business end in Ford Rd with Pistol wasn't the torture I'd expected, and luck got me back in the draft before the competition of Wanganui beckoned. Pat seemed unsure of his turn commitment at DECA (till the lungs expire Pat!), 'twas a tidy sprint though, with Wozz delivering Hollywood to the base of Mt.Wanganui (but made him earn the chocolates), Rocket, Shorty and SuperMario sitting out the sprint in Crit conservation. Lucy and Lynda sprinted the cafe stage to be first seated, going parking, criterium tactics and the Ford vs Holden debate tempted tongues at the breakfast table.
Overtaken by an opportunistic upstart on a flatbar (while I foot fumbled to clip in at the traffic lights) fanned the flames of pursuit (and passing) on New Dookie Rd Monday morning, the bit of west in the south southwest inspiring a push to the Pine Lodge church. The heavenly hotmix soon ended, a coarse 20mm tarmac handbraked the speed till beyond Boundary, then 12mm stone a comfortable concession to the church. Heading south to the Toaster was about as inviting as a holiday in Aleppo, but spinning (78rpm) on the 17 making some progress. Worked west on Old Dookie through the methane of the hog hotel then atop the main eastern channel bridge, I could view the bunches bearing westward and a soloist southbound. Distances get skewed by darkness but no gain was made on the l.e.d. ahead (later Flyby'd as Wozz....no hope catching!) and I seemed to be holding station to the lights behind, once in River Rd a glance back better guessed the pursuing pack to be a k in arrears. River's length seemed a little shorter somehow, an oncoming collective of calm Couldabeens (birth of another Monday peace train) cruised into view at the bridge. I'd drawn myself into zone 5 (+160 bpm) by Raftery Rd (avoiding being Catcaught?), expecting an imminent swamping in Conrod straight, it was pleasing to see just a sunrise sky smudged orange as I looked behind.
More of the windy workout bearing south to Tuesday's turtles, a south southwesterly (22-39 km/h) to test the gluttons for punishment, Kenworth, Lucy, Jase, Nick, Temple, KillkennyPaul and AvantiMat
(Ric and RossT sitting in the caboose). Temple and I took turn one, the pairing with Nick to Orrvale Rd got me speechless. A repeat performance came around all too soon with just 8 working the wind, KillkennyPaul and Lucy bearing the brunt of Boundary's blast. Turns turned smoothly despite the crosswinds headed west, shared evenly amongst the drivers in a bid to keep the 6am hares behind. Lucy and KillkennyPaul steered us to Galbraith's gate but Temple's tempo turned tortuous, rounding up and gapping the apprentices in his storm ahead toward Arcadia Downs. Kenworth, Jase and I responded, burning wattage we'd rather have saved till the finish, swapping turns to Conrod's first dip, Kenworth buried himself till 300 shy of the line, Jase given the elbow ahead at the last dip. Temple drew alongside my third spot with just metres left, RossT emerging from a 30k tow to contend for a place may earn him the nickname of haemorrhoid! The stretched bunch reunited at the bridge for a post mortem tap to town, quietly chuffed at beating the hares home. (an messy finish mixed with felines I'm told)
Leading ten on a relentless 2900 metre leg to the Sanctuary Drive roundabout was a stupid idea Wednesday, a 25km/h southwester carving a deep psychosis into the brow, my 20k prior prologue poor preparation for the persecution. Wozz saved the day donating a draft to the alternate route, the road to respiratory recovery took till central Kialla for a tailwind North. Chatting with Pistol, Boof, Shorty, Car+Mel, Jen, AvantiTrev, Rocket and SuperMario as the rotations rolled, River Rd's progress wound up from AvantiTrev's 33 intro to be beside Boof at 40. Speed was on a similar simmer in Boundary Rd, a tailwind honeymoon soon over, turning into Channel Rd. A few had ducked for cover as the Cha Cha drew closer, I'd found myself in a spicy speed sandwich between Boof and Wozz as we swung into Kinder corner at 40, hanging on till hopeful corner for a Wozz draft (needs to be on a cake and pie diet to fatten up his matchstick profile though). Rocket lit the afterburners at Prentice Rd, taking Wozz and SuperMario with him, nothing left in my tank to stay in touch as the gap opened. My elbow at 181bpm enticed Pistol to slice the breeze in 4th, the last of my jellybeans spent in hanging on till Orrvale Rd's slow.
To purge the persistent practice of 30-40k rides, I saddled up at 5 on Thursday for a longer lap, destination clockwise toaster circuit and to intercept Goats in Old Dookie Rd to make a social second half. As regular as prune juice, the wind (S-SW) blew an advantage to the Emu and a hinderance to the Toaster and back to town, happy on the 14 outbound but grappling with a grratio inbound, swapping between the 15 and 17 in a search of something between grind and spin (a grin?). Belly, AvantiLeigh, AvantiAndy, Dipper, Sandy, Head Goat Phillo, Speissy, Phil and Hommy appeared exiting town, collecting Tina on the outskirts, then Geoffrey nearing Central Ave. It was up to Hommy and I to cut the breeze in Boundary Rd, his competitive cravings half biking me 5k faster, accelerating the moment I drew level. I rolled the turn at the bridge, Belly at least smooth and sans surge. Regular (and respectful) rotations resumed to River Rd, Hommy's heroics repeating as I attempted to draw alongside again. I hunkered down for a long haul, half a bike back and playing the waiting game for his expiring effort (sometimes stubbornness knows no bounds!) He finally pulled the pin near the church, Belly then contributing (kindly) to Laws Drive. The troops had rather rapidly all served another term by Central Kialla, Hommy now testing Tina into the SSW. My turn came up again, this time it was payback by driving a few lengths on Hommy up to 38 for a few hundred metres. Point proven, velocity was restored in Mitchell Rd, my mind already set on sitting out the sprint. Timing and a degree of fate / luck had AvantiLeigh at the exertion end of Conrod, Dipper at second wheel being gifted the win, a long line of laboured lungs behind.
There was a gathering of the clans as I idled the streets on a warm up Friday, Cats, Goats, Hurtlocker and Couldabeens were assembling, settling on the latter as the variety of life's spice. Pistol, Hollywood, Wozza, Cate, Kenworth, Shorty, Nick, Rocket, Lucy, Nev, AvantiTrev, Jen, Chops and Jase swelled the ranks for the 6am off, I settled into the midfield as Wozz drove the first leg, observing Pistol, Rocket, and Nev forming the second line while many ducked for cover in a soft shoe shuffle at the rear. Bo and Kel joined on the second k and we'd inherited FDC's Troy and Ralphy to the bunch en-rout to Mitchell. Beside Rocket at the front in Central Kialla, the tailwind and Rocket's enthusiasm (despite his tough 100 last night) took us into the 40's, making me officially knackered to pair with Shorty for the first k of River Rd. Thankfully there was a lengthy respite with 18 others doing shifts, the oncoming aforementioned clans worked west as we lapped up the tailwind anticlockwise. Channel Rd was mostly shielded from the breeze, sitting fifth wheel at Hopeful corner was a lucky berth. Wozz, Hollywood then Chops ramped up the speed at Prentice Rd, sympathy for Chops being left to suffer (post man-flu,10 cents short of a million dollars) urged me to the front to lend him a tow, but nudging the fifties couldn't hold off Bo (with Wozz at his heels), Hollywood nipping up on my left to steal third.
Week 7. 325 km. YTD 2,245 km
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