Bacchus Marsh->Ballarat

Not a race report..... just a ride. We headed to Ballarat for Mothers Day on Sunday - so to knock out some training I was dropped off in Bacchus Marsh and rode the rest of the way. Back roads, including the best bits of the Hell of the West course.

As I rolled out a group of Vet cyclists past me. I tagged on the back of the bunch and asked if they were heading out? "No, we're heading to coffee, want to come?" was the friendly reply. They asked where I was heading, then one of them told me tall stories of just finishing 120kms with repeats of the Hell of the West climb... which the rest of them all laughed at. I'm sure they had put in a sold 30kms... somewhere... haha! They gave me the rundown on their weekend rides and invited me to join them if I was ever in town. All this within seconds of meeting them. Doesn't get any more friendly than that. It put a smile on my face as I rode out of town.

The nice tail wind to the HoW turn-off then 75kms of head wind for the rest of the way to Ballarat. Since I wasn't 'racing' up the HoW climb I thought a 25 on the back would be fine. Yeah right, ouch. Two car loads of people coming down the climb passed me as I was heading up - wondering wtf I was doing out there, and so I was I at this stage. 20kms into the ride and I was toast!

20kms of flat roads later I hit the undulating hills. I didn't give any thought that Mt Egerton would actually be on a hill. It was. I rode past a llama farm too. These weren't alpacas, they were real llamas! Lots of loooonnng windy kms later I was in Yendon, passing over the Australian Nationals TT course I did a few years back, then I was soon on the Nationals Road Race course. Home stretch though the bad-lands of Sebastopol (where I didn't get my wheels stolen, phew!) and out to Alfredton for lunch. Great ride for something different. No traffic issues, the roads were good too.

Geelong CC 'Club Tour' this weekend, so more country roads. Three stages, with stage 2 being a time trial.