The thank-you section is usually at the bottom of my race reports, this time I'm turning it around. It goes first. I've raced with West Coast Masters CC since first coming to Perth in November last year with my bike, and I've always been impressed with their events. From traffic management, electronic timing, $1 cans of Coke, though to great race photos posted online. If you're ever in Perth with your bike (and you hold a vets license) pay them a visit. You won't be disappointed, and you'll likely have your legs torn off with the quality of the competition across all grades.
Last weekend was their annual Two Day Tour, a highlight of their road season consisting of four stages over a long weekend. Two new courses to race around and one I'm familiar with from last year in Kewdale.
The tour is points based, with the lowest points at the end of the tour deciding the places.
Stage 1 Prologue ITT Herne Hill 9.5km
Road bikes only for the prologue ITT. Handy as the roadie is the only bike I have with me here in Perth. The course was square, windy, and only 9.5km long. It wasn't long enough to go out too hard, if you do, you'll be across the finish line in no time at all, so no problem! :)
I had a good ride on each section of the course and the numbers were good. 12:41 on the Garmin, 12:45 official, quick enough for the stage win. That was the stage I was targeting, the pressure was off and the next stages were bonus kms. :)
A Grade Top 10 124Shane Miller12:45.326 225 Sam Smith13:10.15324.827 34Tom Ford13:37.20951.883 42Carlos De Oliveira13:50.39801:05.072 59Eddie Hollands13:52.53501:07.209 618Doug Stewart13:55.41201:10.086 76Chris Glasby14:04.41201:19.086 87Kim Halliday14:12.53201:27.206 91Brent Cochrane14:15.63301:30.307 1022Michael Tapscott14:19.03701:33.711
The wind had died down and we were all set for 8 laps... that turned into 9 through some random act of cruelness by WCMCC. Sam Smith was the first to launch an attack at 6km that I latched onto with seven others making the split. With the lead bunch in A Grade down from 23 to nine, we were all in a good position for GC points.
Two more break carvings took place with attacks at 42km (down to four), and at 73km in which left Sam Smith and I off the front heading into the final lap. My turns on the last lap had less punch than a Freo Dockers supporter. I'd dug a hole committing to making the breaks stick and was more than happy to take 2nd when Smith rolled me convincingly to the line. He was looking strong all day and didn't look like he even broke a sweat.
Rolling
Rolled!
I only knew Smith from looking up race result sheets. It was good to spend some kms with someone so committed to ripping up the road and racing hard all day.
Hills! Finally some hills! Von and I drove the course before we rolled out in our bunches for stage 3, and we liked what we saw.
The pace was either on or off on the first lap. Riders down on GC contention were trying their luck to get away. Doug Stewart spent some time off the front solo, before the they let me off the leash and hung me out for a lap on my own, hoping for company that never came across.
I eased up and waited for the counter attacks.... which went nowhere fast on the downhill. 30km in Sam Smith counters after another hill climb surge, I launch across and hear behind me "F*#K it boys, let them go, don't chase"... That's all I needed to hear to keep driving it across to Smith. I got across a few 100m later and let him know they'd let us go.... and off we went again on a two-up journey up the road.
Smith again showing his strengths on the pedals and commitment to the race by pulling solid turns. It was good to be back into the hills after months of flatland work around Perth.
Into the final few kms I couldn't take Smith to the line fresh, he had me covered yesterday in the sprint. I threw in a few attacks towards the line that didn't result in any gaps worth trying to hold to the line. The cat and mouse started 800m from the line, with Smith leaving me in front and initiating the final jump to the line. He had me by at least a bike length but I didn't want a repeat of yesterday and I didn't die wondering. We crossed the line side by side not sure who took it.
The expressions tell the story.
The throw won it with only 0.014 seconds in it. We were now 1-1 for head to head sprints.
Stage 4 Graded Criterium Kewdale 45min + 2 laps
Into the final stage, Smith and I were well ahead on GC points. He just needed to put his wheel in front of mine to take the overall, so the crit was a tactical affair. I had a few numbers marked, turns out one of them wasn't the right number, but it kept things interesting. Chris Glasby and Magnus Rudisele lapped the field moving Glasby into 3rd overall.
I was expectedly worked over by the locals in the sprint with Eddy Hollands leading-out Smith and closing the door on my run back at him. Smith still had me covered regardless, so I guess if that's the only doing over I got this weekend, it was a pretty good few days. 2nd on GC and $200 to put towards more race entry fees. Happy days! :)
There's a hundred other race stories across all grades from the weekend. I've tried to keep this short and sweet, and I look forward to reading a few other war/race stories from the other grades.
Just over a week left for us in Perth, I'm hoping Melbourne can put on weather this good when we get back.
Champion Lakes is becoming my favourite TT course. What isn't to love about a smooth bike-path like 5km circuit? Apart from having to dodge duck shit here and there around the course.
Last Sunday was a few degrees warmer and we were met with a lot less wind than the July edition. Times would be quick for the 130+ riders on the start list.
Back again with the roadie dressed up as a TT bike.
Loaner trainer from Stuart Gee coming in handy!
Power was within a few watts of last time, my time was 16 seconds faster. 26:30 and 2nd place to a flying Matt Illingworth @8.4seconds. 45.2km/h on the roadie was pretty swift. I'd still love to bring out the full TT rig, if only for that long back straight section. It'd be magic sailing along that segment in a proper aero tuck!
My third ATTA event this year, returning to the same 20km course as we raced in May at Champion Lakes. I'd packed the clip-on bars and TT helmet again for this trip over to WA, so it be interesting to see how much difference they'd make on this course.
Pre event... I won't say how cold it was.... #bloodyfreezing
Making what I have as fast as it can be. #clipons #proas The Sicasso wheels came in handy! #AsSeenInRideMag
Power pacing was spot on where I wanted it. Passing people on the course caused a few dip/spikes.
Thanks to the aero add-ons and a nice pair of 55mm wheels, I knocked 48 seconds off my time and set the fastest time of the day with a 26:46. Hoping to get back on a 'fast day' to see how close I can get to 26 flat.... stay tuned!
Post race reward - The biggest coffee I've ever had!
Later that day......
I had the privilege of sharing a few insights about 'going faster' at Women on Bikes 2015: A showcase of women's cycling in WA. I thought they were worth sharing here too.
1 - There is no shortcuts. No helmet, wheel, or new gimmick will make up for lack of preparation. There's no secrets either, just hard work and preparation.
2 - Pacing: Go hardest when you're going the slowest. Wind, hills, getting up to speed from corners.
3 - Learn how to 'be fast' on any equipment. TT bike, road bike, razor scooter! Tony Martin swapped bikes with another team mate at the Tour and ended up winning the stage solo, on someone else's bike that wasn't his size/setup. As a TT champion he applied his extensive knowledge of speed to win the stage. Low, narrow, good pacing. This ride put him in the yellow jersey.
And a shout out for the ace wheels I'm rolling around Perth on.....
Any excuse to escape Melbourne at this time of year! Von was over in Perth again for work, so I followed along for the second time in four weeks. The weekend schedule aligned and we had the chance to sneak in another race with ATTA. Being out-gunned with just a road bike last time, I'd packed some clip-on bars and my trusty old TT helmet so I wouldn't be too far off the pace this time around.
The clip-ons were a butchered pair of ski-bends that are perfect for the road bike. I've finally got the front end balance just right for a makeshift TT rig. Add in a skinsuit, TT helmet, and 55mm wheels, it was all systems go for the 20km category.
Hot Tip: The rego/parking area for the Suerpentine is 800m south of the circuit on Hopelands Rd.
Fast roads, almost pancake flat, and a stiff headwind for the first section of the course. Head down, go go go, and don't hit anything was the plan.
20km Top 10: 1 Shane Miller 0:13:03 0:13:18 0:26:20.7 44.98 2 Lee Bolden 0:13:10 0:13:37 0:26:47.7 44.22 3 Troy Coulthard 0:13:37 0:13:49 0:27:25.7 43.20 4 Luke Howe 0:14:28 0:14:36 0:29:04.0 40.77 5 Kieran Scott 0:14:46 0:14:51 0:29:37.0 40.01 6 Simon Copp 0:14:31 0:15:12 0:29:43.8 39.86 7 Julian Krohn 0:15:02 0:15:18 0:30:19.6 39.07 8 Jenny Sammons 0:15:47 0:15:24 0:31:11.1 38.00 9 Rhys Wilson 0:15:52 0:16:01 0:31:52.3 37.18 10 Myles Allen 0:16:34 0:16:32 0:33:06.4 35.79
The team from ATTA always put on good events. No fuss registration, electronic timing, lap splits, a coffee cart on site, and results up before we had a chance to cool down. TT bike or not, I encourage anyone to roll up and 'clip' a number on if you're in Perth.
I've uploaded the full ride and data through to Kinomap so if you're keen to come along for the ride on the indoor trainer, lets go!
Other Random Perth Stuff
Dave Kelly was born here, on this very spot. I think.
Lunch and a very very small car driving past. #iphonepanoramadrama
Perth hills! This was Zig Zag Road.
Perth hills... just like Adelaide minus the Commodores.
A zig in the road.
And the matching zag.
Magic winters day. Bike paths that stretch on for days!
Standard fare for the opening
stage at the ToSW - Nowhere to hide, no excuses, and only yourself to
answer to when the clock starts ticking. The latter being a common demon
we all have to answer to in the first km of a time trial, and who
usually hangs around for the entire ride.
The wind was almost
the opposite to last year, so a different pacing strategy was required.
One that included having to overtake a commissaire's car on course that
failed to see me coming at the 3km mark. No time lost, just something to
distract me for a few seconds and take my mind off the effort.
There were no photos of me in the TT. Here is an artist's impression of events.
16:06
at 46.3km/h on the Garmin. Fast enough to claim the stage win for the
third year running in MMASA. Still, and like most of A Elite, nowhere
near the fastest time of the day set by Callum Scotson (SASI) of 15:17.
That was just phenomenal.
Stage 1 Masters A Grade Top 10:
Stage 2 - 85km Road Race
I
was in the yellow leaders jersey with no team. Luckily I had help from a
few others who were happy to see the race kept together, but it wasn't to be. A move slipped away, a few bridged, I gambled on the teams not
represented to get up the front.... which didn't play out.
On the last lap there were four of us driving the pace to limit the losses
to the 7 or so up the road. This only 1/2 paid off, we closed in on a few, but the lead group had
put enough time into us to take the GC spots. That's racing when the
race is a hybrid of teams and solo riders.
Stage 3 - Cemetery Crit
Ninja
rain, wet roads, and another early start. I was a DNS. Unlikely to make
up any time on GC, I just wasn't up to it. I'd have likely ended up in
the cemetery if I tried to race it like last year.
Gray
(Kosdown) and Booth (CharterMason) were only 2 seconds apart and put on a
good show. Boothy holding onto GC with some impressive powerhouse
riding.
Overall it was a pretty good weekend,
apart from the weather. The racing was good, the competition was strong,
and there were no issues with the time trial timing. Getting myself the
TT stage win and a tour leader jersey was a nice bonus. Having to
defend as a solo rider makes things more difficult, and takes a lot of the incentive of racing VRS away. Thankfully there are a few TTs coming up, and many other events on the cards to keep things interesting on the bike.
It was great having a few words to the Masters B and C winners after their crit. Ian Clark and James Timmer-Arends both put in some hard yards over the weekend to take their respective GC jerseys.
Next up, we're sneaking over to Perth for a few days with bikes. I hear the sun is still out over there! :)
The Easter racing carnival in Maryborough is always a
solid hit-out just as the winter road season gets under way. I wrote up
the event in detail here back in 2013, so I'll keep this write up brief...ish.
Von
and I raced with both Central Vets and Eureka Vets in the weekend
leading up to the Easter races in Maryborough. "What grade do we put you
in?" at Bendigo as a first time visitor there was a welcome change from the usual "Oh shit...". :)
Road Race - Friday 3rd April
SLane and I were in a three man break after 27km, then a two man break at 35km. We
cut it pretty fine on the way back into town, with the chasers only a
handful of seconds back coming into the the finish straight.I
got the jump on SLane and took the cat-and-mouse sprint.
No
tactics, just don't stop sprinting until the finishing line. My early
qualifying time was the quickest on the day, and I had a good run in the final to take 1st. I had more than one rider
come up to me saying they thought I was just a TT rider.
Dale and I with our fastest of the day awards.
Time Trial 15km - Saturday 4th April
Flat out to the turn, then bring it home harder. I took 1st with with SLane in 2nd.I just missed going sub 19 minutes, and the car that crossed onto the wrong side of the road at the finish line...
Car up!
Criterium - Sunday 5th April
Xavier
attacked early. SLane attacked soon after. An echidna joined the race. I
bridged across to SLane. He wanted to lap the field. We rode flat out for
the next 30 minutes. I bid farewell to SLane when he kicked hard up the
final rise about 400m from the line. I rolled in 2nd, with both hands
on my handlebars... until after the line where I acknowledged the crowd
who stayed there watching the final race of the day. I still managed to
get in trouble with the officials for taking my hands off the
handlebars.... after the line... crikey.
Three wins and a second meant I had accumulated enough points to win the overall aggregate to be awarded the 2015 South Pacific Champion M35-39. The aggregate is a nice bonus for the weekend that ties all four events together to reward consistency.
Cec Cripps Open Handicap - Monday 6th April
With
a smooth working scratch bunch, we caught block (3min) at 26km, then
the next group around 34km. We swept up a few more before catching the
main bunch with 8km to go. At this point two cars decided to join (and
split) the peloton more than once. Words were spoken, loudly, and very
clearly with the drivers. With the bunch of 60-70 riders all over the road I almost
pulled the pin. It was getting messy and very dangerous. I had someone jamming their bars into my arse as I kept onto the left side of the road.
The hammer was
dropped and the group soon strung out. Limit was two minutes up the road and would sweep up the top
places, so it was a race for fastest time.
I attacked
solo on the run into town, with the same result as when I pulled the same move in 2013, chased down quick smart. I then latched on to anyone who wanted to
hit the wind. With a bunch kick brewing and a TLC lead-out train
starting on the left of the road, Eureka Vets' Matt Bowman rocketed past
on the right. I went with him as he pulled away from the bunch then
kicked off his wheel for fastest time.
Other Random Things
-
That isn't Australian Champion kit, it is Australian National Team kit,
which is close but technically not the same. There were a few people riding around in similar
kit on the weekend. Current or previous national champions, fans of the
sport, or just riders in 2nd hand kit. I'm proud to be all of the above.
UCI
time trial regulations are one of the most dynamic in the rule book. It
seems every six months the UCI publish changes, updates, or
clarifications. Things are progressing and becoming easier for
commissaires to review bikes and equipment before a race, if they choose
to. It is also a mandatory requirement of competitors to be up to date
with the rules.... a tough ask when things keep changing!
I've
had a lot of riders ask about pushing the limits when it comes to TT
bars/lever height to get themselves into a very aero-aggressive TT
position. Think Floyd Landis around 2006. That position worked
very well for a number of riders. And like Floyd himself, it was also outlawed by the UCI....
The Praying Landis - A positively dope TT position.
The initial checks were to ensure the rider's forearms were horizontal when they
were on their bike and in their TT position. This check was invalidated by the
new bike check process introduced in 2014:
....from 2014,
only the bicycle will be checked. The bicycle can be presented by a
person other than the rider. This will mean that riders are not
disturbed in their preparations just before the start of the race. -
UCI Update Info Bulletin N°4
To
ensure riders were adhering to the rule without being present, a -+10cm rule for the TT bars/extensions was detailed:
"The
height differences between, on the one hand, the point of support of
the elbows and the highest point of the handlebar extension (including
the gear levers) and, on the other hand, point of support of the elbows
and the lowest point of the handlebar extensions (including the gear
levers) shall each be less than 10 cm in order to guarantee that the forearms are horizontal." - UCI Update Info Bulletin N°4
It
appears the most recent update/clarification has no reference to
horizontal forearms as bike with a +10cm measurement means the riders
forearms won't be horizontal (although they'll be far from being a Praying Landis):
The handlebar extensions plus any
accessories (controls, levers, etc. and all their mounting accessories)
must be within ±10 cm from the level defined by the elbow/forearm
supports. Any moving parts have to be placed in the most vertical
position that can remain unsupported through their range of movement. - The Clarification guide of the UCI Technical Regulation - August 2014
The UCI have included
some excellent diagrams in their August 2014 Clarification Guide:
To check, rotate the levers to the highest point and allow to rest, and then take the measurement for the +10 cm position. If necessary, rotate the lever to the lowest point and take the measurement for the -10 cm position. The measurements of the upper and lower limits are taken in the front half of the handlebar extensions. - The Clarification guide of the UCI Technical Regulation - August 2014
Subtle but important detail there - Taking the measurement point from the highest point of the lever puts riders with most mechanical levers at a disadvantage if they're after maximal lever height. Chalk that up as a reason to investigate electronic shifting on a TT bike.
So is the praying mantis back? No. It'll be interesting to see if Cycling Australia have a jig that can measure this at the Nationals in a few weeks...
In the mean time, if you're "pushing the limits" pack some spacers or extra chunky arm pads to raise up the measurement point of the armrests.... or adjust your rear limit screw to stop your levers from reaching >10cm. You'll lose 1-2 gears on the rear, but you won't get a DSQ for the event.
There is banter around TT bikes for the 2015 NRS season. Will the NRS
organisers flip the switch and allow TT bikes for the men and ban them
for the women? I don't know the answer, but I did run some numbers about
what happens when you introduce even more rules to an already
rule-riddled discipline.
Back in 2012 TT bikes were banned from
our 3 Day Tour, the reasoning was something about people forgetting to
change their transponders. (IMO - a simple DFL time would have
sufficed). I wrote an article about making your road bike as fast as
possible, The Poor Mans TT Bike.
The conclusion to that article
still holds true today - Allowing TT bikes and equipment actually LEVELS
the playing field by regulating what equipment can be used.
Without
any UCI regulation as to what constitutes a 'road bike' TT set up, it
is open slather with big budget teams using disc wheels, deep front
wheels, TT helmets, swapped out stems, and their mechanics with the know-how
are happily setting their riders up.
The smaller teams without
the equipment/budget, the very teams that the TT bike ban is meant to
assist, are left at a HUGE disadvantage. If they were to race the TT
stage with their road-legal equipment they'll have to ride a lot harder
to make time cut, and to stay within GC contention/position.
Barriers in TTs.... unwelcome.
The Numbers.....
A
few assumptions made here. I've used estimates of the Women's NRS,
however the theory applies across the board. I've guesstimated the top
women TTers are putting out 315W over 20km, and the lower end of the
field are around 210W. No wind. Flat course.
Case 1 - Road bikes. (No TT equipment at all)
Power Speed Time GC Diff Notes 315W 40.6km/h 29:33 +20% cutoff is 35:27 210W 35km/h 34:17 +4:44 1:10 inside cutoff
210W
is 66.6% of the winners power, 35km/h is 86.21% of winners speed. In
other words, 2/3rds of the winners power gets you more than 3/4 of their speed. Not
bad!
Case 2 - TT bikes. (UCI regulations)
Power Speed Time GC Diff Notes 315W 43km/h 27:54 +20% cutoff is 33:28 210W 37.1km/h 32:21 +4:27 1:07 inside cutoff
Again, 210W is only 66.6% of the winners power, 37.1km/h is 86.74% of winners speed. Same 2/3 power and >3/4 speed.
Things
are pretty even here with a true level playing field for equipment in both
cases. In the example above, the 210W rider can be either on a TT bike or a road bike with clip-ons with their position optimally configured (a negligible difference for these examples).
Case 3 - Tricked up Road bike (315W rider) vs Standard Road bike (210W rider).
This is the 'reality case'. Top teams with the strong riders and strong budgets to match pimp their roadies with all the go-fast equipment. Lower budget / first time riders are typically on standard road bikes and equipment.
Power Speed Time GC Diff Notes 315W 41.5km/h 28:55 +20% cutoff is 34:42 210W 35km/h 34:17 +5:22 0:25 inside cutoff
The example rider on a standard road bike putting out 210W is A LOT closer to getting time cut, and a lot further down on GC.
Banning
TT bikes means the equipment used is a HUGE deciding factor. The GC
time gaps are greater. The result is the racing is less even.
Throw in a course with wind, corners, dead roads, hills, that cutoff will be a tour
ending reality for more riders in 2015, and that isn't fair.
"I'm a bike racer damn it, give me a real bike to ride!"
Solutions....
Is
it as easy as increasing time-cuts on TT stages? Not quite. GC time
gaps are still greater when there is a disparity of equipment in use.
This could also encourage riders to conserve more on a TT stage and 'save their legs', the
whole reason time cuts exist.
Do they need to better define what
can/can't be used in a 'road bike TT'? Maybe. It'll be outside the
already comprehensive UCI rules, then they'll have to ensure commissars
are skilled up on the new rules, and enforce them. Do TTs need
MORE rules?!
The most logical solution? No change. Allow TT bikes, as per
the published UCI regulations. Those who can't afford the cost/logistics
of TT bikes can use clip-on aero bars. That'll set them back $50 per
rider, add another $100-$200 for a 2nd hand TT helmet.
If you're
a low budget team, then invest in training time and know-how to make the
most of what you've got. This is all part of the sport. And an assumed
task if you're competing at the National level within Australia.
If the organisers choose to ban TT bikes/bars in the NRS, they are
choosing to put the very teams they're trying to help at a disadvantage,
not to mention stunting the progress and professionalism of the sport at the same time.
The annual Tour of Fiji hosted by Cycling Fiji has been on my 'must do' list since its
inception a few years ago. A multi-stage race, hot conditions,
challenging roads, and a time trial or two thrown in. The bonus being
Fiji is a tropical paradise. Well, a lot of it is.... and a lot of it
isn't. More of that in my next post. For now, here is how things unfolded out on the road:
Stage 1 - Nadi - Korotogo 70km. October 10th 2014.
At
8am the sun was already beaming down and the humidity was high. Thankfully with
a point to point stage the sun would be on our backs for the entire
stage.
There were a total of 47 riders on the start line. The field
consisted of a number of juniors, locals, expats, and international
riders. The range in ages and origins was matched with the range of
bikes the riders were on. I was taken back to my early cycling days when
seeing an original condition 2003 Giant OCR that was identical to my
first race bike.
With the traffic control convoy organised and official proceedings out of the way, we were off and rolling towards the Coral Coast.
Start line smiles... Photo by Suzie Turner
As first timers to Fiji, we
had no idea what kind of racing to expect. Within a few kms things
were strung out with a surge at the front. This shuffled the bunch into a
number of groups that would stick together for most of the stage.
At 20km in Peter Hutchings
(Hutch) set things alight up the first climb. Local rider #5 Anthony
Navolo (Tony) was glued to his wheel and looking comfortable. Hutch
continued to drive the pace while Tony kept him honest, staying right on
his wheel. I mentioned to SLane that #5 was showing really good form
early on, and he continued to do so in the following kilometres.
The temperature
was heading north as we headed south. It was getting HOT! A group of around eight riders were at the head of the race with 45km to go. Up the next
incline I pushed the pace and was given a small
gap by the bunch. 17yo Tony was soon across to my wheel. This kid
can ride! A few hills later he was still on my wheel and we were holding a good 30 second lead on the others.
SLane and I had planned on
conserving as much as possible on the road stages, then going
head to head against each other in the two time trials. However, there I
was off the front with Tony on my wheel.... the game plan changed. It was time
to see if I could help get young Tony to the line before the others and get
him a good GC buffer. Early in the stage he was positioned well in the bunch, responded to the right moves,
and deserved a shot at a podium place on the stage.
15km
to go and the two of us had a 2 minute gap. I told Tony that we just
might make it to the finish line ahead of the others if we were lucky.
We
had a leading police escort and a support car following our break. In the
support car was Tony's father and coach, Percy Navolo. Percy is the Nadi
Western Cycling Association (FNWCA) president and has represented Fiji
at the Commonwealth Games. He had been the driving force behind getting
his son on a new Mireda bike for the Tour. A few days later his son was
doing his father and sponsors proud by being the decisive move on Stage 1
of their national Tour.
With 10km to go, Tony was
feeling the effects of the heat and having to race the full 70km
distance. We had enough time to drop the pace, take in some food and
drink, then make one final push to the finish. Percy and crew in the
follow car were helping spur Tony on as we darted though Sigatoka with our police escort clearing the way, true tour style!
Dishing out the encouragement for one final push over the last hill!
(Photo: Richard David)
With
2km to go Tony put it all on the line up the final climb. He made it to
the top and launched off my wheel as soon as he saw the
finish on the fast descent. What a star! That's exactly how you win
bike races. And he did. On Fiji Day no less!
An emotional Percy
had to lift him off his bike, he was exhausted. Thankfully the
combination of sweat and large Oakleys hid my emotions too. What a
champion. And he would soon pull on the leaders yellow jersey for Stage 2.
Stage 1 Top 10 1 Anthony Navolo 5 02:06:38 2 Shane Miller 36 02:06:42 3 Stephen Lane 37 02:08:31 4 James McCann (E) 12 02:08:56 5 Stuart Gee 40 02:09:12 6 Peter Hutchings (E) 1 02:10:19 7 Petero Manoa 30 02:13:28 8 Jason Turner 14 02:18:24 9 Scott Smith 34 02:18:24 10 George Lal (L) 9 02:19:23
The
stage was extended by 4km and over a solid hill climb to allow for a better
start/finish location. This was a welcome addition to SLane and I as
these were the stages we were looking to really bite into.
A
rain shower just prior to the race drove the humidity though the roof.
With riders off at 30 second intervals, everyone was out on the road in
no time at all and chasing down their '1/2 minute man'. I was chasing
SLane who put in a solid first 8km that almost cooked us both! I bridged
the 30 second gap on the return leg and set about spraying him with
water (the only reason I took a drink bottle on the TT). We had a
cracking battle up the final climb before hitting the line side by side
taking 1-2 for the stage.
Direct hit! Filmed on the GoPro! (The water fight is at 18:15)
Tony did the yellow jersey proud by setting a good time that secured him 5th on the stage. Fast enough to keep him on the GC podium.
Stage 2 ITT Top 10 1 Shane Miller 36 00:23:21 2 Stephen Lane 37 00:23:52 3 Stuart Gee 40 00:28:17 4 Peter Hutchings (E) 1 00:28:18 5 Anthony Navolo 5 00:29:22 6 James McCann (E) 12 00:29:33 7 Mapa Bolea 22 00:29:54 8 Petero Manoa 30 00:30:05 9 Scott Smith 34 00:30:12 10 Carl Ngamoki-Cameron (L) 6 00:30:14
At
presentations that night I was presented with the leaders jersey and
SLane and I were given the opportunity to offer the development squad
riders some advice on racing, training, and nutrition. Many thanks to
Cycling Fiji superstar/Westpac GM/event sponsor Adrian Hughes for
arranging that for us.
In Yellow with Cycling Fiji President, Adrienne Ali.
The first
day in Yellow for me. SLane and I stuck to the game plan, letting the
others dictate the road stages while conserving what energy we could. The hills
started getting longer and steeper as the stage progressed. This was the Queen stage on Queens Rd!
The
local riders loved to push the pace at the start of the climbs. Jamming
hard up the start of the climbs and leaving us behind spinning away....
until they inevitably slowed down and we caught up again. We
tried to lead by example, "slow at the bottom, strong over the top".
After being peeled off the bike yesterday completely exhausted, #5 Tony Navolo was still
showing us his strength by always being up near the front over the top of the climbs.
Mid race pic! Tony driving the pace past the school kids.
The lead bunch split on the
steepest climb of the day. Tony, SLane, and myself holding a slim gap
over the field as we continued the journey along the Coral Coast towards
Pacific Harbour. We lifted the pace on the 5km flat section to the line
to hold a comfortable GC buffer. SLane and Tony went head to head in a
sprint resulting in a dead heat for them on the stage.
Stage 3 Top 10 1 Stephen Lane 37 02:11:40 1 Anthony Navolo 5 02:11:40 3 Shane Miller 36 02:11:43 4 James McCann (E) 12 02:17:18 5 Peter Hutchings (E) 1 02:17:18 6 Mapa Bolea 22 02:20:20 7 Carl Ngamoki-Cameron (L) 6 02:20:22 8 Stuart Gee 40 02:20:36 9 Jason Turner 14 02:20:36 10 George Lal (L) 9 02:20:36
As
we rolled around at the finish, young Tony pulled off his helmet
revealing a wild 'fro. How someone could ride in the heat with so much
hair was beyond me, so I joked that short hair (or no hair) was a cooler
and faster. Anyhow, time to put the legs up. We had 5 hours to rest and recover before the afternoon TT.
Stage 4 - Time Trial - Pacific Harbour (5.5km) October 11th 2014.
The
back block blast! A prologue style TT course with everything. Bridges,
potholes, gravel, even a few hills. In the time between stages SLane and I had done a recon so knew were to go. During that time, young Tony had located someone to give him a haircut
and rolled up to the start with short hair! I didn't know if I should have been
embarrassed that he took me literally, or proud that he actually took my
advice. Either way, lols! What a champion!
This TT course took a lot of thinking. Picking the
best lines, mashing a big gear at the right spots, big-ringing the hills,
and keeping safe as we raced past the local shops. I rolled in stopping the clock at just over 8 minutes. ~400W
no aero equipment and only just over 41km/h, tough, and rough! SLane and I locked
in 1st and 2nd. Hutch had the misfortune of a rear blow-out in the TT,
dropping down in GC.
A few riders took a wrong turn
and copped a +30 second penalty (the wrong turn was actually a 20m short cut!). This was the first tour and time trials for a lot of riders, so it was
more about the experience and listening very carefully to pre-race briefings.
Stage 4 ITT Top 10 1 Shane Miller 36 00:08:17 2 Stephen Lane 37 00:08:30 3 Stuart Gee 40 00:09:55 4 Carl Ngamoki-Cameron (L) 6 00:09:58 5 Christian Carling 7 00:10:10 6 James McCann (E) 12 00:10:21 7 Lui Pene 21 00:10:34 8 Stephen Sanday 38 00:10:39 9 Scott Smith 34 00:10:53 10 Jason Turner 14 00:11:01
Post race kms..... magic!
Stage 5 - Pacific Harbour to Lami (40km) October 12th 2014.
The
final stage into the outskirts of Suva. This was a regular training
route for the local riders and it showed. Christian Carling attacking
10km in and taking a number of riders with him. We kept them at a manageable gap until the break started dropping riders as the road headed upwards.
This
stage unfolded like a typical Tour race stage - Breakaways, attacks, chasing, and a bunch kick to the line! It seemed as if everyone was involved in animating the race at some point.
The pace
lifted in the final kms. The lead group was strung out, twitchy, and
nervous. Tony Navolo went for a solo shot at another stage win but was pulled
back in. The sprint opened up and Hutch weaved his magic and took the
stage win with the #1 race number on his back. SLane and I rolled in safely and securing the 1-2 on GC!
Stage 5 Top 10: 1 Peter Hutchings (E) 1 01:09:33 2 Mapa Bolea 22 01:09:34 3 Carl Ngamoki-Cameron (L)6 01:09:35 4 Shane Miller 36 01:09:36 5 Stephen Lane 37 01:09:36 6 James McCann (E) 12 01:09:36 7 Stuart Gee 40 01:09:36 8 Jason Turner 14 01:09:36 9 Scott Smith 34 01:09:36 10 Anthony Navolo 5 01:09:42
The
post race procession through central Suva was an experience in itself.
Thankfully it was a Sunday and the streets had little traffic. Official
event photographs were in front of the government buildings in town
before the final presentations were held over a BBQ at the New Zealand
Official Residence. Unfortunately we weren't hosted by Murray from Flight of the Conchords.... maybe next time. ;)
Top 10 GC - Tour of Fiji 2014
1 Shane Miller 36 05:59:39 2 Stephen Lane 37 06:02:09 3 Anthony Navolo 5 06:09:45 4 James McCann (E) 12 06:15:44 5 Stuart Gee 40 06:17:36 6 Peter Hutchings (E) 1 06:22:00 7 Petero Manoa 30 06:28:53 8 Carl Ngamoki-Cameron (L)6 06:30:27 9 Jason Turner 14 06:30:36 10 George Lal (L) 9 06:31:49 (Full Tour results on FB here)
Lane, Miller, and Naovlo
The crew, the team, the support - And still not all of them in the photo.
This is just the tip of the iceberg in regard to what went into getting
over there, the support we had, the running of the event, and the amazing experience that was our
seven days in Fiji. I'll post more tales in a day or so....
