No time for vegemite toast so I grabbed one of those Snickers(?) energy bars on the way to Port Melbourne. Very chocolatey, probably not the best thing pre-race but I needed something to eat. I was there quite early, having allowed extra time for my typical ‘where the hell am i’ navigational performance. This early in the morning I could actually concentrate on finding the streets I wanted rather than dodging cars. Nice. Rolled around until registration opened. $15 entry!? WTF?! Glenvale is only $10.. lucky I had a bit extra on me..

The circuit is a fair bit rougher than Glenvale (older roads have warped with industrial traffic I guess) and some sides of the circuit are coned off as single lane only. This wasn’t much of a problem with only 15 or so riders in C grade. I’m pretty sure the numbers are much higher than this normally but many riders were competing in the St. Kilda Festival crits later on the same day. Fine by me.

C grade started quite slow. The race was only 40min+3 (Glenvale is 55min+3) so if it stayed near this pace until the end I was sure I was going to kick arse! 🙂

It didn’t. A few breaks went and for some reason I found myself in them. I wasn’t paying attention. The new surrounds had thrown me a bit. In a small group like this it’s harder to hide so I was driving the breaks I was in and chasing down any others. “Hey, this was supposed to be easy” I was thinking to myself. There was some yelling about doing turns or something but I think we had dropped a few people off the back by that stage so our ‘break’ had become the new ‘peloton’?!

With two laps to go I did my last turn at the front, keeping the pace high, just in case we weren’t alone out there and then slotted back into the field.

One lap to go and I’m in a promising 4th wheel, behind a tall Preston guy. I figure, unless these guys are gun sprinters, I’m set. As we approach the final corner, my eyes widen as I realise the guy directly in front of me has just created a gap between himself and second place. To make matters worse, the guy in second place didn’t hold the wheel in front either and has created a similar gap to the leader. SHIT! This doesn’t happen at Glenvale! What are these guys doing?! I have to go NOW.. no point holding a wheel.

The finishing straight is shorter than Glenvale and with the large gap between 1st and 4th I give it hell, sure my ‘easy win’ is now history. Pass 3rd, pass 2nd, throw for finish line, arrr! If only I had another 5 metres I would’ve caught 1st! Oh well, 2nd is still nice, but I was cut about not dealing quick enough with those gaps forming. Another lesson learned.

$40 into the kitty and I’m off to the St. Kilda Festival crits to watch a bunch of people I know race. The Fitzroy St. hotdog circuit had large numbers of racers so each grade looked a LOT more painful than my race.. okay I’m soft, I’ll admit it! 😛

I’m in the money..

Glenvale today saw the ‘I’m feeling guilty I haven’t done much riding this week due to the storms’ racers rock up.

The weather was fine so numbers seemed high in all grades.

My race was all about positioning again and this week I made damn sure I did bugger-all work. I was staying up near the front and watching people go – I wasn’t going to chase! I’d hit the front, do a half-arse turn (no one seemed to care, we were getting passed by D grade!) and then roll over. Often no one would take up the lead anyway. It was a very slack start for most of the field.

A break went away at some point (half way?) with three riders. Later on, I saw the two riders get picked up. Yes, two riders. I didn’t make the connection that there was another rider still out there. Even if I did, this is C grade, there’s no way a solo rider can stay out alone for the end of the race, or so I thought..

C grade backed off as D grade had their final lap and then the speed went back up. I kept fighting to hold a good postition. It did seem relatively easy this week with people not wanting the front wheel and what not. Perhaps I’m just getting better at it?

Final lap and I’m in prime position, 3rd wheel. I just know I’m going to do well today.

Before the final corner, everyone gets cagey and slows down, no one wants to be a leadout..

Someone jumps and I take their wheel. It’s messy and bunched up behind me but I’m too busy to notice.

I find another wheel, a pair of riders on the right, and move over to get on. It seems like I’m going to pass them so I don’t move across all the way, fearing being boxed in by riders coming up on my left, I hang out in the wind down the straight. It turns out I can’t pass them and that’s how we finish, the two riders then me, just beating another guy for third.

I claim third and a spectating rider queries me on what gear I was pushing in the sprint.. “it looked BIG mate!”.

Thanks. I’ll take that as a compliment 🙂

I end up hanging around taking photos of A and B grades.

Spotting rickster I tell him of finally placing!

“Third in the bunch sprint?” he asks.

“Yeah”

“Ah, you actually got 4th, this guy here was half a lap in front of the bunch” he says pointing to a Kelme-kitted dude.

“What the hell?! Half a lap?! So I don’t place after all? Ahhh!! FUUUUCCCCCKK!!!”

“They pay 4th place” he says.

“Really? Oh well, that’s kinda okay, I guess, maybe..”

So I score $30 and a massage voucher for racing to 4th place.

I’m pretty sure Kelme-dude will be in B-grade after this and if he’s not I’ll be questioning Carnegie’s ranking procedures!

I’ve got to hang onto wheels for longer too – I tend to overestimate my ability to pass at the end of a race (especially when riding into a head wind).

Mal’s Words:

Curtis Yirildirim escaped the C Grade bunch in the opening laps, and spent much of the first half of the race alone at an impressive pace. Eventually, his escape came to an end, and after a brief regrouping Josh Morrison (Burnley Finance) powered away, and held off the chase to record a convincing win.

Greg Hunter led the chasers home, from John Sheard (Pro-Motion Bicycles) and Stuart Birnie (Croydon Cycleworks). Lisa Friend (Bianchi) was too good for a strong Women’s contingent, out kicking Michelle Murrell and Andrea Bishop in the dash to the line.

from: www.carnegiecycling.com.au