Australian National Masters Road Time Trial Championships 2014 (MMAS2)

First up - What a day! Another Masters Nationals TT done and dusted for the year. The one TT that is always in our thoughts as our 'target event of the year' comes around so fast. I mentioned to Von on the start line that it was hard to believe we were standing there today. The 'nationals' TT is always weeks or months away. Always plenty of time to train harder for it, right?

We were lucky to have the TT championships return to Ballarat after two years on the windswept course near Goulburn in NSW. In that time they had changed the course from the Avenue of Honour to.... you'd never guess... a windswept course out in Burrumbeet. And just like Goulburn, it has a wind farm nearby to remind you it'll be a bloody tough day on the bike.

And bloody tough it was. The 24km/h south west wind hung around all day and everyone rolling in had war stories to tell about their ride. With a late start time I was able to be Von's soigneur/mechanic/manager getting everything sorted for her ride. Always a stressful task as I built her bike, worked on her position, picked out the right wheel combo for the course, and talked her though the pacing strategy for the course about 50 times. (side note: While I 'say' I'm helping her, it is really the way I use to remind myself how to ride the course, shhhh).

When she rolled over the line in 1st place, taking the WMAS1 National TT title I was a little emotional. I was so proud of her. I can honestly say she works harder than I do when it comes to getting up early and getting in the kms. There will be more work for her in the step up to WMAS2 next year, which I'm sure she'll take on at full speed.

Back to the MMAS categories, man mountain and speedy unit John Cain (Giant Celtic) set the course alight with a 24:28 to win MMAS5. Flying! That was the last benchmark I saw before getting out on the course myself.

The iconic Mr Pink was a familiar face as the start line holder. To the amusement of those standing around, I had to tell him to "take me from behind" after he went to hold me from the side.... What I meant was to "hold me from behind", but he knew what I meant.

Thanks Mr Pink!

Nothing much to write up about a flat-out time trial other than it went to plan. The pacing strategy, the numbers, and the speed. All spot on. If Anthony Tan thinks the Women's World Championship Road Race was lacking entertainment, I won't dare give the world a run-down on how a TT plays out.

I rolled over the line in 23:45. 1st place MMAS2 and fastest on the day. The course was a little shorter than the 20km they calculated everyone's official speeds on. I held 47.4km/h. I haven't looked further into the data. That can wait.

MMAS2 Results:
1.     102     Shane MILLER (VIC)       23:45.25        
2.     107     Tom LEAPER (VIC)         24:28.89     +43.6    
3.     105     Jon HOUSTON (SA)         25:11.98     +1:26.7    
4.     112     Jesse GRAHAM (ACT)       26:09.80     +2:24.5    
5.     114     Joshua GOODALL (VIC)     27:10.47     +3:25.2    
6.     109     Lee LINDSAY (VIC)        27:14.97     +3:29.7    
7.     108     Peter VARRICCHIO (SA)    27:28.78     +3:43.5    
8.     103     Clinton BAIN (QLD)       27:51.88     +4:06.6    
9.     104     Simon BERRY (NSW)        28:13.11     +4:27.8    
10.    106     Rodney UPTON (VIC)       28:30.47     +4:45.2

There are a swag of people and companies I need to thank behind the scenes, I'll do that in person over the next few days. For now, thanks for reading. Time to roll around in the crit and road race here in Ballarat, then we're off to race the Tour of Fiji next week!

Links:
Official Results (Metarace)
Jo Upton Photos The Courier - Shane Miller aims for sixth national time trial title in a row in first day’s racing.
WinTV News - Sports Report Oct 1st 2014:

Australian National Masters Road Time Trial Championships 2013 (MMAS2)

With the push to be 100% for this TT it was a relief to have it over and done... and won! The earlier riders in the day were scoring PBs on the course with a lovely tail wind pushing them up the hill, later in the day we weren't so lucky with the wind almost at a stand still for us. Huge kudos to Man Mountain John Cain (Giant Celtic, MMAS5) setting time of the day and trimming a few seconds from my course record from last year.

Photo (c) www.tonyreeckmanphotography.com

In MMAS2 there were a few unknowns and a few knowns. Allan Sieper was a DNS. Peter Milostic was there to defend his MMAS2 title from last year. I had a pretty average ride to be honest. I knew I was gaining on Milostic at the turn around, but not by the same amount I put into him at the NSW State Champs a few weeks ago. The push to the line was over before I knew it. I didn't quite make it to Milostic's wheel, but wasn't far off.

5th Australian Masters TT title in a row. Next year it is back in Ballarat and I hope the lead up won't involve broken bikes and broken bones. Next up, a few days off then back into training, racing, starving, and aiming the Shiv at the Tour of Bright TT. It is going to be FAST!

MMAS2 Time Trial Results:
Place    Name            Club                           Speed   Time
1   107  Shane MILLER    St Kilda Cycling Club INC, VIC 44.42   0:30:23.38
2   108  Peter MILOSTIC  Penrith CC, NSW                43.20   0:31:15.10
3   110  Adam SIMONELLI  Ipswich CC, QLD                42.28   0:31:56.02
4   114  Adam KISS       Goulburn CC, NSW               41.30   0:32:41.40
5   119  Mark KEEFFE     Lidcombe Auburn CC , NSW       41.06   0:32:52.60
6   113  ADAM LOCKWOOD   Norwood CC, SA                 40.34   0:33:28.10
7   116  David RUBIN     Manly Warringah CC, NSW        39.90   0:33:49.91
8   118  Alex ARANCIBIA  Sutherland Shire CC, NSW       39.55   0:34:07.84
9   112  Nicholas GEORGE Ipswich CC, QLD                39.31   0:34:20.53
10  120  Jason MAHONEY   Vikings Cycling Club, ACT      36.25   0:37:14.49

2012 Victorian State Masters Road Championships. August 4-5th 2012.

Frame numbers provided by the local primary school.....?

Time Trial - 21.7km. Saturday August 4th.

Von and I had driven the TT course a few weeks back after the Phillip Island TT so we were not riding it blind. Apart from a small rise at 1km, it was dead flat. The north westerly wind made the conditions the toughest in the second half of the course, right when you're hurting the most. The road surface through this section was best described as 'pretty shitty'. No potholes but a rough/cracked surface that was rhythm sapping. Just as you were able to find a smooth line a gust of wind would ruin it. Enough of my course analysis, the Strava segment has the goods: ITT Strava Segment

I was off last in MMAS1 chasing Michael Gallagher (Jayco VIS) at 1 minute. Team mate Stephen Lane (Kosdown) was at 2 minutes. Stock standard TT, go hard, look down at the Garmin, only 1km in, shit.... do that 20 times more or until you can see the finish line. I had Gallagher in sight at the first turn 6.5kms in and could see I was still gaining at the 11km turn. From there I pegged the effort into the wind and aimed for the top corner where the tailwind would kick in... from there I tried to catch and pass him but came a few bike lengths short on the line. Fast enough for my 5th State Masters 1 TT title and fastest time of the day which helped secure the 2012 Victorian Masters IRTT Aggregate Series (actual time). Gallagher came in with 2nd best time of the day which meant he was the best wheel to measure my effort from out on the road. Lane was only 6 seconds off the Silver too.

Getting away with the high socks while I still can!
Photo (c) Michael McRitchie

MMAS1 ITT Results:

1 Shane MILLER      Coburg Cycling Club    28:06.0
2 Michael GALLAGHER Carnegie Caulfield CC  29:05.1
3 Stephen LANE      Coburg Cycling Club    29:11.3
4 Tristan PARKER    Southern Masters CC    30:55.5
5 Nicholas EDWARDS  Brunswick Cycling Club 31:29

MMAS1 ITT Podium

Gallagher is now off to the Paralympic Games in London. Lane and I will prepare for the less prestigious 20km ITT in Ballarat.

Full Results: Cycling Victoria
ITT Photo Gallery by Kathryn Feldmaier

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Road Race - 95km. Sunday August 5th.

We were in Lang Lang early for the women's race.... and were met with dangerously windy conditions. I'm not talking it up either. Later in the day after taking 2nd place in the MMAS4 race Andrew Weightman (Cycling Inform/CCCC) was knocked off his bike by a gust and is now recovering from a broken femur. Andrew and Carole are at every single race I do and are always up for a friendly chat. I was gutted to hear he would be out of action for a few months.

Back to our MMAS1 race starting at 1pm, it was a pretty casual affair at the start. 9 entries only 7 racing.... They were going to merge us with MMAS2 but 9 was enough to make our own race. 7 was a bit of a let down.... but a race is a race. 8km of rolling along, a few attacks, chase downs. Still too early for a 95km race. I put in an acceleration on the front up the climb at 18km in, everyone not willing to let me go anywhere.

Driving it up the hill.... note the trees/wind!
Photo (c) Jo Upton Photography

Stephen Lane (Kosdown) attacked 1km from the top of the climb, another rider attempted to bridge across but was caught in no-man's land. While watching this unfold I was pretty confident I could get across to Lane..... so I jumped and did. The no-man's rider didn't spot the move and I was around him before he could accelerate. Lane saw me coming and put the hammer down as I got to him. Getting him the win was the plan, a 75km two man time trial wasn't...... We had a good gap from the chasers and had to take the opportunity.

20km in we started heading into the wind..... for the next 75km, give or take a few km on the top part of the course where we had a downhill tailwind. Lane was flying up the hills and having a hell of a time with the 50mm front wheel in the wind. I opted to switch to a shallow front wheel, and to the amusement of almost everyone, a $5 Melbourne Bike Share helmet with no vents thanks to the category identification head-bands we had to wear on the day. When trying to ride at 30km/h+ into a 40km/h head wind, give me proven aero advantage over looking cool any day. Even my TT shoe covers were used for the first time in a road race.

Leaving the style points to artistic gymnastics at the Olympics.
Photo (c) Jo Upton Photography

Lane easily out rode me on the hills, I had to tell him to back off or we'd both be riding solo. We kept an eye on our time gap until around 40km in, at this point we could no longer see the bunch follow car in the distance. We passed the time by eating fruitcake, trying not to get blown off the road, discussing front wheel choice (it was agreed shallow was better), and in the last few kms when the rain came, we started yelling at our legs and the follow car blocking our view of any approaching riders.

Don't tell the UCI... but I ran the MotionX tracking app on my iPhone
so Von could track the race and knew when we were finishing.

Although Lane was clearly the stronger rider up the hills and over that distance, and my motivation all day was to work my arse off for him, at 1km I still tried to make him 'buy' the win..... a Vinokourov style $100,000 figure was refused. Even a not-so-pro $10,000 figure was refused. Jokes aside, we knew we were well clear at that point and would 1-2 it. I told Lane to get to the front and drive the final km. No questions asked he did just that, and kicked to the line for the Gold. 2hrs and 75kms off the front in a break Lane started, seeing him take the win, and being a part of it was the highlight of the weekend for sure.

SLane taking the win!

Full Results: Cycling Victoria
Jo Upton Photography photo gallery.

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So they handed out the wrong medals each day........ so we held our own gold medal swapping ceremony last night at my place. 

2,500km, 10 days, two states, four races, and a new bike!

2,500km in the car that is (not on the bike!). It has been a busy schedule over the last two weeks. I managed to disguise a few races as 'weekend holidays' very successfully. No complaints from Von. She shared the driving and got in a few races herself.
 
2012 Back to Bright - HCC Social Group

This is an annual gathering of Hawthorn CC members, friends, and other miscellaneous characters up in Bright. After reports of a pretty ordinary weather in Bright from Rod Upton the week prior, we had perfect conditions all weekend. Friday I rolled over the Wandi TT course then out to Tawonga Gap and back with Von. I skipped the group ride on Saturday and headed up to Wangaratta for their club TT. Wang CC's setup at the sale yards is the best I've seen at any club. New toilets, showers, club rooms with a stocked fridge. Can't ask for anything more.

The 20km T shape course was changed to 2x 10km laps of a square block. I'd ridden the T course to check out the wind, no time to ride the new course so I was going in blind. I was off last and chasing my 1 minute man, Tully Lyster. It took 12km for the catch. Tully lifted and pegged himself just a few meters behind all the way to the line.

Results:

We made it to the local paper too. Here is tall man Tony Reeckman and I at presentations. Standing next to Tony makes me look like a rugby player. I was cooling down when they called me up, so I ran over to the club rooms with one shoe cover still on, thinking nobody would notice.... check the photo... that'll teach me. (Click the photo to enlarge)

 

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B2B Mt Buffalo Handicap

Chief handicapper Robin Brown pulled off one of the most impressive estimation list to date. The top 10 riders were all within 2 minutes of each other. I knocked a minute off my time up there even before the Tour of Bright, but still a minute down on a PB. I ended up fastest time but only manged 8th in the handicap. Fellow Coburg CC ring-in Abby Grave took the win by only a few meters. One year scratch will get up in this race, and I'll keep going back giving it a shot.

The magpie whisperer.

Wandi TT turnaround. I love this course. It is the new blog banner too.

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South Australian State Masters TT Championships 2012

Just a short trip over to SA.... not. We stopped off in Horsham to see the family on the way through, and we had a late breakfast with old-school pro Doug Issell who's now the man behind the Wal Smith Memorial Casterton 50 Handicap. Von and I are already locked in to race and volunteer with the Northern Combine on that race date, which is a bugger, as I'm sure Doug could have helped us with some generous handicaps. Next year for sure!

The SA TT champs were back at Langhorne Creek, same as last year. We drove the course a few times to get familiar with the landmarks that would break the effort up. This included giving the landmarks nicknames... "3k tree... or 17k tree on the way back"... "4k bush"... "5k house". Anything to break up a dead flat time trial is welcome come race day.

Bike check. The jig was getting a workout.

MMAS1 entry numbers were thin as always, 5-6 on the list. David Stevens (Brennan IT/MMAS4), world masters pursuit champ and CA Masters of the Year 2011, had flown over for a few days to compete and head to the track with the SASI team. He'd be the guy to watch for the fastest 20km time honors across all age groups.

Photo (c) Chameleon Photography

I came in 14 seconds off last years time with a 24:49 @47.1km/h. Gold for MMAS1 and fastest 20km of the day from David Stevens who clocked a 25:59 in MMAS4 for Gold. Von won WMAS1 and was so proud of her medal she wore it all the way home.... all 695kms of it! haha!

Full results/photos: http://www.sa.cycling.org.au/default.asp?Page=46434

Synchronised zipping.

MMAS1 Podium.

It was a long drive home....

A long drive requires the worst food possible.... Ararat around 8pm.
Like Bargearse, I ordered "CHIPS".

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Mt Donna Buang TT (Blackburn CC / Cycling Victoria)

We arrived home from SA around 10:30pm, unloaded the TT bikes, then prepared and packed the road bikes. Long day! Up again at 6am for the drive out to Warburton. The legs were feeling pretty good for the warm up, aside from the rain and freezing conditions. I thought I'd go alright after Buffalo the week prior.... but after 20mins in it was lights out. I cracked pretty hard on the steep section into Cement Creek and had nothing all the way to the top. I almost turned around and rolled back down, but I thought wtf, keep going. 2.2 degrees and frozen fingers, my standard final 1km smash-to-the-line was at max heart rate and not stressing the strain gauges in the PowerTap too much. 10th place out of 15. Climb time was spot on what I did in similar conditions 4 years ago.

Matt Clark won with a high 46min, followed by Genesys Pro Jono Lovelock, and Budget Forklifts' Jason Spencer. Nick Bensely had an absolute stomping ride too, check his write up here.

Full Results
Photos by Michael McRitchie

Like a scene from Ghost... and like Demi Moore I might have looked the goods,
but on the inside I was feeling like a 49yo lady, sans the coke addition.

Von before the race in Carl's hat. Coach Carl even gave me a hug
after the race to warm me up. Ace bloke! 

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New Bike!

After 5 years the Scott CR1 frame has finally been retired. I'm forever grateful to have some very generous people and sponsors behind me who make these kind of upgrades possible.

Yeah yeah, mismatching wheels... a Beach Rd no-no.

Shimano swapsies from the Scott. The plan is for SRAM Red. One day....

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Random Visuals:

Creeping? I don't get it.

25km/h?! That is creeping. SA is a confusing place on the road.

Crossbones cupcakes! Yeeeaaarrhhh!

Von testing the beds....

Strathalbyn, city of churches.. Or a screenshot from Quake 3.

Last of all... Random Audio:

I put this together after listening to a few pumping tracks in our travels.... and who better to have mixed in but the Tan Man himself. You can download the MP3 and put it into iTunes. Enjoy.