2014 Northern Combine ITT Championships (inc. SKCC ITT Club Championships)

Waaaaay back in 2007 I won the Elite Men ITT title with the Northern Combine out at Lancefield. Those were the days when no TT helmets were AUS/NZ standards approved, disc wheels were a rare sight, and we were all riding with Polar 725 watches strapped to our handlebars.

A lot has changed in those seven years. And a lot hasn't. If we're not TTing on magic hovering space-bikes in the year 2020 with timing chips embedded in our heads, I'll be disappointed in the lack of progression.

The TT this year was two completely different halves. A 12km slog into a 40km/h headwind with a few crosswind sections to almost flip the bike out from under you, then the 12km return leg touching speeds of 60km/h.

I was the only rider in Elite with a two minute time gap.... causing some race starter confusion. Once they had sorted that out, I was off. The headwind was as expected, the crosswind section was very nasty. Twice I had to get off the TT bars to keep the bike on the road. I was fully expecting to be picked up and put on my arse at any moment. Unfortunately being shitscared doesn't equate to more power to the pedals like anger does.

The anger power came after the 12km turnaround at 60km/h+ during the flying trip home. There was more oncoming traffic than usual. Mostly competitors leaving the event. One even completing two points of a three-point turn in front of me. There was arm waving. There was swearing. If you are going to leave an event before all competitors are finished, please don't drive on the course.

I had my two minute man, Dave Kelly (Total Rush), well in sight at the last turn to the line. Two more front wheel lifts out of the last corner for a final scare. Across the line in 31:34.

Elite Men Results:

1.  Miller   Shane    St Kilda CC  Elite     31.34    
2.  Kelly    David    St Kilda CC  Elite     33.04  +1:30
3.  Chambers Tyson    Hawthorn CC  Elite     33.07  +1:33  
4.  Smith    Morgan   St Kilda CC  Elite     33.17  +1:43   
5.  Dowell   Nick     Brunswick CC Elite     34.36  +3:02   
6.  Samaras  Kosmos   Coburg CC    Elite     36.00  +4:26   
7.  Zgoznik  Michael  Coburg CC    Elite     36.45  +5:11
8.  Horgos   Anthony  CCCC         Elite     41:54  +10:20 
=8. Johnson  Ben      Footscray    Elite     41.54  +10:20   
9.  Barnes   Martin   Coburg CC    Elite     44.09  +12:35   
10. Taylor   Chris    St Kilda CC  Elite     50.12  +18:38   
    Ransom   David    Sunbury CC   Elite     ?    

Full Results

Jo Upton Photos

As predicted, the wind on the did stir things up a little. The time gaps were bigger than in previous TTs. Von had a great ride too, resulting in us being the Mr and Mrs SKCC ITT champions for 2014. Yeah team llama! With no Phillip Island TT this year, it is time to go into hibernation for a week or two before aiming at the next few targets.

Special mention to all the first timers who competed too. A few of us old-hats didn't have the kind of enthusiasm they all did at the start. We knew what we were in for! I promise not every TT is this hard, or hungry. The Vets put on a great spread of food after every TT. See the calendar here for more TT fun. I'll even personally I'll refund your entry money if you enter a TT and the wind is this bad again. :)

---

Getting Wiggo with it on the way home......

Northern Combine ITT Championships 2012. Wildwood ITT - Coburg CC. June 2012

Northern Combine ITT Championships 2012. 23rd June 2012.

Even with detailed Google Maps and in car navigation, nobody can find Balliang. If you're within 20kms of the race start and you see a car going the other way with a bike on the roof, keep going, they're lost. To keep it as easy as possible, I've always driven through Bacchus Marsh to get there. This route is handy for a quick course recon as this is the out-and-back road the TT is held on. I stopped for a few minutes at the 12km turn point on the Bacchus Marsh - Balliang Rd to see how windy it really was..... and it really was... 30-40km/h WNW. An epic cross wind with nowhere to hide.

The standard banter at the start of a windy TT is "Do I run a rear disc or not?". The rear wheel doesn't steer a bike..... and with about 40-50kgs+ placed on top of it when you're riding, it takes more than a little wind to disrupt it. The front wheel on the other hand is where things get interesting. There is a reason we don't run front discs on the road, and a reason we don't use shallow rims either. The best wheel to use on the road is somewhere in between. The trick on race day is to guess which front wheel is best to use given the conditions. My selection in order of 'windiness' is a heavy 50mm clincher, Zipp 404 50mm, or HED Stinger 90 90mm. The selection process isn't very scientific. Check the wind, and ride what you can hang onto, the Zipp 404 it was. Tyre pressure is a whole new topic, in summary it comes down to two road surface types 'rough as guts' or 'pretty smooth'. Bacchus Marsh - Balliang Rd is somewhere in between. Cross winds and TT helmet selection is also something that I'll tinker with once/if KASK or another brand get the AS/NZS certification on their short stubby helmets (Team Sky TT helmets). Equipment selection sorted... that was the hard part of the day over.

What it feels like riding in a cross wind.

I was defending the title from last year, meaning I was off last chasing everyone. Nick Squillari was my minute man and was on a pretty good ride out to the turnaround. I'd pulled him back to within 20 seconds as we were approaching the turn. One last glance up to see where I needed to start braking and I see Nick sliding across the road. I wtf'ed for a moment and saw the corner marshals scrape him off the road as I hit the turn. It looked like when he got off the TT bars approaching the turn a gust of wind had its way with his front wheel and sent him flying. With the majority of the work done for the day we could switch to cruise mode with the mostly-tailwind home. I had a few catch-and-releases on the way back to the line to help keep the tempo high.

29:55. 46.something km/h. Enough for 1st place ahead of Mitch Cooper (Charter Mason Drapac Development), and Nick 'I take TT tips from Andy Schleck' Squillari who bounced back up onto his bike and lost next to no time on the return leg..... and who had also given his BMC TT bike a new bloody paint job!

Custom paint job!

Balliang was one of my first TTs on an almost real TT set up back in 2006. It was a 32km ITT back then, and I was schooled by Jake Sutherland by over 2 minutes. I'm still chasing those 2 minutes.

NC ITT Championships - Balliang. 2006

NC ITT Championships - Balliang. 2012.
Photo by Michael McRitchie

Elite Men Top 5:
1     Shane Miller       Coburg        29.55    
2     Mitch Cooper       Brunswick     31.33 +1:38     
3     Nicholas Squillari Geelong CC    32.29 +2:34     
4     Stephen Lane       Coburg        32.34 +2:39     
5     Luca Giacomin      Brunswick     32.55 +3:00

Full Results
Pics by Jo Upton (Facebook)

The Giant Celtic boys posted a nice write up of the TT over on their site too: http://giantceltic.com.au/2012/06/the-test-of-truth-in-a-testing-wind/

---

Wildwood ITT - Coburg CC. 16th June 2012.

With little notice Coburg CC created and held a very successful flash-mob ITT. $5 entry, same course as round #1 of their Summer ITT series, and one hell of a northerly wind. 25 riders across Aero, Restricted, and Women's Restricted categories. With such a small charge for entry, I put the offer on the table to cover 4 people on the day, this offer was snapped up. More people, all good! I just had to do well break even.

It has taken me three time trials on this course to figure out you can't ride the first 14km pacing yourself off power. The first half is just too rough, too hilly, and the climb from 10km-11km is a leg drainer. With the head wind and climbs the first 8km was done at only 33km/h, at the same power that'd usually mean 46km/h+ on a wind-free flat road. Even though the bike speeds were low, the wind speed was a 35km/h northerly, effective wind speed = 68km/h. Tough conditions.

A hard slog out to the 16km turn, almost side swiped by a ute driver trying to 'teach me a lesson'.... who missed me, prick... Then a quick spin to the finish line with the roaring tailwind. I planted a pedal at the 22.5km turn but thankfully it didn't lift a wheel.... then I had an encounter of the grandma kind in the final few kms when she passed me and slowed behind another rider. As I went to overtake them both, nana plants her foot and drifts into me. 'Ol purple rinse kept me on my toes!

Aero - Top 5:
1 Shane Miller    36.20
2 Stephen Lane    38.31 +2:11
3 Nick Squillari  38.41 +2:21
4 Gerard Donnelly 39.01 +2:41
5 Martin Lama     39.39 +3:19

Full Results: Coburg CC Facebook.

---

Random Visuals

Guess who's back?....
"Carvia"? Put some effort in you crazy bastard!

Northern Combine: Hell of the West - 2012

This race needs no introduction. For me it is one of the highlights on the club road racing calendar each year. Even with the NRS and Open racing on elsewhere the grades filled in record time, catching many riders out. This year was my 4th Hell of the West. Balliang has always been a favourite location since my 2nd road race there back in 2006 (pre-blog race report here).

Around 26 riders made the A Grade cut. Sponsors/team riders were from Kosdown, Bike Gallery, BikeForce, John West, Sole-devoGiant/GiantVotion (guys, what are you called these days?), along with representation from clubs. The attacks started pretty early on, solo riders taking it to the teams trying to get off the front. It was pretty evident that nothing was going to get away. Regardless of what jersey you had on, the selection was going to be made on the climb up the 13.5% 1km long Glenmore Rd hill. There is no amount of team work that will get you up that beast.

We hit the dirt minus two riders (mechanical/punctures) and lost another within a few 100m on the dirt. Hell was living up to its name only 19km into the race. The lead car was kicking up dust, riders were smashing the big ring with their rear wheels skipping all over the road, a few gaps started to open up. I was somewhere mid pack and loving every bit. The pace slowed up on the final km of dirt allowing a few riders to rejoin the main bunch.

From where I sat in the bunch I could see Samaras and Welsh (both Kosdown) driving the bunch for the next 25kms to the base of the climb. It was a case of sit on, shut up, and enjoy the ride. Everyone was delivered to the base of the climb never having to hit the wind, and nobody was up the road. If you're a contender you're marked anyway, there is no hope you'll get away from the other hitters when the real race selection is dictated by the berg.

Fergus Sully (BikeGallery) attacked at the base of the climb and easily took the KOM points, if there were any. Next over in order was Brent Woodcock (SKCC), Nick Katsonis (Kosdown), Oliver Phillips (Brunswick), Deano Sanfilippo (John West), me, Shannon Johnson (Kosdown), Jason Laird (Kosdown), and Ben Douglass (BikeForce). Across the top I drove the pace to keep the gaps behind us open. I didn't want anyone getting back on. I was content to keep driving it myself, then Phillips rolled though to give me a breather, much appreciated! We swept up all lead riders except for Sully who took a few kms to pull back from his solo stomp. This group of eight was the selection. Three of us worked turns on the front to make it stick. The others enjoyed the ride.

The race had unfolded exactly like last year. The selection made at 60km into the race, leaving a few working turns and a few passengers. Time to start riding to our strengths, and mine is no secret. Not riding with others. So off I went.... and was chased down. Off I went again... and chased down. Off I went... you get the picture. Katsonis threw in a few attacks. Laird jumped up a short rise and was allowed 50m up the road for a few kms before Sanfilippo pulled him in with a nice burst on the front. Shortly after, Woodcock and I had a two-up break with 100m gap for a few km... again we were shut down by the always attentive bunch.

Trying to go solo. Photo by Michael McRitchie

There was good reason the selection was made up of these riders. There was no 'got in a lucky break' or bunch positioning advantage that can happen on a flat course. They'd all stomped over that climb, no drafting, and each of them had the legs and experience to win it. Here was my rider breakdown as I was on the attack and not causing too much damage. Well, no visible damage anyway. Katsonis, Phillips, and Sanfilippo all have good track smarts.... experienced at watching moves.. jumping on them... and have a good turn of speed. Douglass is a steam train that can shut anything down given a few crank turns to get his engine up to speed. Laird was a climber and had cooked himself for a few kms in a solo break. Woodcock was an unknown to me but motored along in the small break we had, we might be able to get away again?... Sully was a pocket rocket, best climber by far and also willing to throw in an attack. Johnson is unbeatable in a sprint, if the group stayed together we were racing for 2nd, he'd have us all for breakfast.

At 10km out my attacks were getting sorter and shorter. I had to apologise to a rider on my wheel when one of my jumps opened a gap and I had nothing to keep driving the pace, the legs were shot. I'd resigned myself to tapping it over on the front and watching them disappear up the road when the bunch kick to the line went. I went to the front to tap over a tempo that should keep everyone happy enough to sit on and sprint. Johnson should have covered from here. A few minutes went by then Sully attacks solo. Farrrrkkkk.... ouch... 15 seconds all-out and I was across to him.... the others still on my wheel. Tempo again. Rolling past the section where Elliott and I attacked last year for the win. Onto the final 3km long straight section of road. I dropped back to Johnson and told him I'd have one more shot, failing that I'd lead the bunch out with whatever I had left. At that moment Sully attacks again and I burn the final match I had to respond to that move rather than initiate my own. I get across, he spots me and slows, I launch off his wheel from there solo.

I took one look back and with the bunch hesitating I had to give it a shot. What I thought was 1km left to race was 2.5km. These would be the 3 of the longest minutes of the race. The Glenmore hill effort an hour earlier was tame compared to this. The finish line only came into sight at 1km to go. I still had a gap, the bunch was now single file and storming towards me. Almost impossible to explain how much thinking goes into this moment. If I could hurt myself a little more, now is when it counts. If this is the only race I win for the rest of the year, make it this one, it is the f'cking Hell of the West. 10kms ago I'd talked myself out of still being a contender in the race. Here I was out the front with less than 1km to go. Head down. Holding form. I've no idea where the energy was coming from but the power meter kept lifting. I slowly watched the specs in the distance turn into people.... then into a chequered flag waving... one last head check... it took everything out of me, I got it. Back to back Hell of the West wins. The finish line shots tell the story.

Some might say it is only a club race. Some might say we had the numbers and it was a sure thing. Read above, I'll disagree.

Full results here
Thanks to Rod and Jo Upton, Adam Katsonis, and Michael McRitchie for the photos.