CSV: Calder Park Masters 9 Aug 2009

No drag cars, just road bikes... 20 or so lined up for A grade Masters at Calder Park on Sunday. Nice surface, nice big corners, and one nice north wind blowing! Two Kosdown riders were in the mix so we had a plan and it worked... maybe a little earlier than expected but 15mins into the race I was up the road with 6-7 other riders and we were pulling clear. Well, by 'we' I mean most. I'm all for cat and mouse near the end of a race if everyone knows the break is going to stick - but we had two hangers-on who were happy to not roll through. One of them was on the receiving end of my frustration - next lap around I asked if he was foxing or on the limit? 'Unfit' was the reply... well, I can't argue with that. Yet.

Weightman and Clarke had missed the break so I didn't know how hard they'd be riding to try and close the break down... so it was Gerard Donnelly, Steve Martin, and myself pulling the others clear of the chasing bunch. The hangers-on were rolling through but then dropping the pace, so they were rolled over quickly so we could keep the pace ticking over. 20mins to go and we were holding the gap from the chasing bunch, I ended up on the front for the lions share of the work, I was happy to just keep pulling on the front and getting a decent workout from the day.

Final lap the pace was off - I even had to initiate the final kick from the front (race suicide!) but after burning myself up on the front I wasn't a chance for the win. There was no beating Steve Martin, he has a great kick and can cover moves well. Gerard Donnelly wound it up nicely on Steve's wheel, and I was closing on him but it was just a little bit late. The surprise was 3rd place who was 'unfit', he was fresh enough to roll me for third... thanks. That was his tactic and it paid off. Had he got 1st there would have been three riders spitting chips!

In the wash up I had a chat to Gerard and Steve after the race. Gerard even said to me "No doubt you were the strong man today". That was good recognition. I was there for some threshold work and I managed to achieve some power numbers greater than I did in Ballarat at the state Team Time Trial a few weeks ago. I'd love to know the power differential of sitting on rather than pulling! I should have played my cards differently for the last two laps - next time.... Coming up... more time trials than you can poke a spoke at!!!