BBN: 1:20 Regional Hill Climb Championships. Oct 2nd 2011.

A Grade Podium

I finally cracked the 14 minute mark up the 1:20 with a 13:49.23 on Sunday at the Blackburn CC regional hill climb championships. I've hovered around 14:30 for few years, then low 14's, now I've made the 13's.

29 TTs this year and this one has had the most responses, I guess everyone knows the 1:20 and has given it a crack at some point. I've put the ride up on Strava but that is a little dodgy with accuracy when it comes to held starts on the timing point, good old Cycle2Max is where its at: http://www.cycle2max.com/bike-hill-climb/1-20.aspx?id=548 A few times are not listed there, Trent Lowe's 13:02, Will Ford's mid 13... but that 1st place 12:48 I'm not sure on.. You'd make some serious cash from the sport of cycling if you could honestly rip that out unassisted.

I didn't get a chance to reflect on cracking that 14 minute mark on the climb until I rode it again on the way home. I rode it with a pretty big smile, passing a few punters in fluro Netti jackets on the way too. Even they love the climb! I don't remember too much about the race itself, it was all a bit of a focused blur. Riders zipping past on the way down, some yelling encouragement. As I passed Vaughan Bowman at 1km to go he yelled at me to put the hammer down for a 13:30. The power numbers showed I lifted there all the way to the line, so thanks for the encouragement Vaughan!

A Grade Top 10:
-------
  1    1    MILLER, SHANE           13:49.23  Hawthorn Citizens Youth Club              
  2  113    JONES, CIARAN           14:25.64  Carnegie Caulfield CC              
  3    7    MOWATT, JAMES           14:40.54  Carnegie Caulfield CC              
  4    5    KLAJNBLAT, JAKE         14:48.88  Carnegie Caulfield CC                
  5   12    SULLY, FERGUS           14:56.70  Blackburn Cycling Club Inc              
  6   10    MOREY, TRENT            14:56.88  Carnegie Caulfield CC             
  7   16    BIEN, NICHOLAS          15:00.20  Blackburn Cycling Club Inc               
  8   15    DENNIS, PETER           15:05.11  Hawthorn Citizens Youth Club              
  9    4    PARLEVLIET, CAMERON     15:10.17  Blackburn Cycling Club Inc                    
 10    3    BOWMAN, VAUGHAN         15:15.95  Carnegie Caulfield CC

Full Results: http://www.bbn.org.au/results/results111002.txt
Tons of photos by Michael McRitchie: http://gallery.me.com/mmcritchie#100072

Masters Nationals TT this Thursday in Ballarat. Then over to South Australia for the 2011 Australian Masters Games for a week. Then back in Melbourne for the HCC Road Champs, YarraTri TT, then Bright. Everything I've done over winter has been focused on these. No major hiccups on the way, no dramas, no excuses. Showtime!