Tales from the llama...: FCC Midlands Tour - Masters A

Stephen Lane (Kosdown) and I had our rear wheels stuck to like shit on a blanket for the first few flat laps of the Automotive Testing course down near Anglesea. A diverse field of A Graders in the Masters event that would close everything down full gas, then let the pace drop. People getting gaps off the front then dogging turns or soft pedalling while the bunch got back on. This race tactic is also very infectious. So I joined in! :) I wasn't going to commit to working turns in a break anyone sat on. People say Masters racing is negative. I'd agree, then thrown in a few attacks just to stir them up.

SLane and I finally clicked to the style of racing we were up against. We knew the hill was coming soon. Finally off the oval circuit and into the downhill known as the Middies Super D. What a blast! It wasn't a descent as such, it was more of a brake free cliff jump.... while trying not to run up the back of the lead 'ute'. With a few differing descending skills in the bunch it was a chance to open up a gap and make people chase. I hear a few riders even went bush, no major damage reported. As the road kicked up we had a chance to make a race of it. Full gas up the climb. 1.7km at just under 5% was enough to shell half the field the first time up. Those who were left hung on all day to the same recipe. Drop like a rock on the downhill, stomp the uphill, do as little as possible on the flat sections - repeat until bell lap

On bell lap the tactic changed. I sat at the back of the group on the descent. SLane was on the front and had a good lead on the 8 or so behind him as he hit the climb. He took one look back and he was off! If anyone was watching my wheel, they had played the wrong game. Strava tells the story. My last descent of the Super D was 6 seconds slower, the climb was 50 seconds slower than the first time up. Roy Clarke and Mick Hay went off in pursuit of SLane early on the climb but never made the catch. SLane is in good form, he can climb and he can TT, and he did both very well for a solo win!

Cam Clamp (HCC) put in a massive surge for our battle for 4th, which we both got rolled for. 5th and $50 for me, not bad! FCC put on a great show. The closed road circuit was spectacular. The racing itself was an interesting reminder of how Masters/Vets races play out.

I get my Vets license next week, my race calendar is about to double!

MMAS A Top 10
1. Stephen LANE (Coburg Cycling Club INC)     2h00:32
2. Roy CLARK (Carnegie Caulfield CC)          +28
3. Michael HAY (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
4. Matthew HEATH (Footscray Cycling Club INC) +53
5. Shane MILLER (Coburg Cycling Club INC)
6. Cameron CLAMP (Hawthorn Cycling Club)
7. Guy GREEN (Blackbun Cycling Club INC)      +1:00
8. Peter BOLTON (St Kilda Cycling Club INC)   +1:14
9. Leigh PARSONS (Southern Masters CC)        +4:11
10. Matt LEWIS (Brunswick Cycling Club INC)
Full Results: PDF
Full Results: Online Timing
Footscray CC Facebook: Photo Set #1. Photo Set #2.