2013 Cycling SA - Masters State Time Trial Championships

With Von being looked after by her parents in Ballarat, I snuck over to South Australia for their State TT Championships last weekend. This was my third year in a row I'd made the trip to their event held in the sleepy/dead little town of Langhorne Creek.

My mum also made the trip to keep me company on the drive. I did a course re-con on the Saturday and we stayed overnight in Strathalbyn.

The turnout was the biggest Cycling SA have had at a TT championship. 175 riders. A bit of a let down they didn't have an event sponsor and didn't promote the event more online like they have in previous years. Looks like their Executive Officer, Gary Simpson, who has been running the show is moving on... He wasn't around and his position has been advertised on their website. Gary has always welcomed us to their events and has remembered us when we've said g'day at the Tour Down Under support events.

Von and I get a mention in the race booklet from last year!

The day ran without a hitch. From the juniors at 9am through to 2:30pm when the last Masters were set off. I had a good ride out into the head wind, and sailed with the wind all the way home. They'd extended the course a few 100m at the turn, so while I was 1km/h or so faster than last year, the times are slower. I've still got a lot of work to do on the equipment side of things. New TT helmet and ski-bends are on the cards.... along with the never ending quest for more power to the pedals.

MMAS2 Gold and fastest 20km on the day. The Championship title goes to the first SA rider, which is how I think State Championships should be.

Bling!

Look where I'm going? Ain' nobody got time fo' that!
Event photo by http://www.chameleonphotography.com.au

Photo by http://www.chameleonphotography.com.au
(at a hefty $45/jpeg I'll use the tiny watermarked one...)

The pub presentations were a popular. Must have been the beer.

MMAS2 podium... This is the best mum could do with my iPhone :)

Just around the corner!

Missed it by that much....... OCD overload.

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Random Pic....

So on the topic of time trials.... The recent NRS round "Battle on the Border" banned the Elite Men from using TT bikes. While NRS women and support Masters racers could use them. Yet the most promoted, most publicised, most watched field had to ride road bikes? Aren't all these teams sponsored by well known bike brands? Shouldn't they want their blinged up TT equipment on show at the top level?

The rumoured reason? The old budget/costs excuse. The result? The teams with the budgets brought along disc wheels, aero helmets, deep front wheels, skinsuits... everything except TT bars. Making a mockery of the limitation. In fact, a lot of the riders rode with their hands in the TT position, dangling out the front in mid air. I'm not pointing the finger at the riders here, they'll always push the limits, they're there to go as fast as they can. I'm just pointing out that by 'banning' something that IS regulated (by CA/UCI) they introduce other problems like ambiguous definitions of what is 'a road bike' which puts lower level teams, or those who don't want to push the rules, at a disadvantage. All in the spirit of fairness, right?

I don't understand. Neither do they, because this is the photo they've plastered on the event promo website:

#BoB Marketing Team: DSQ