For those without your head in the sand (or TV's tuned to the golf) you would know that last weekend was a massive one for cycling madness up in Bendigo. The Bendigo-nians love thier two wheeled lyrca action and every event up there has a real great atmosphere to it, and its no surprise I was keen to open my racing season there.
Photo: cyclingnews.com
Armed with the "Essential Bruce Springsteen" three disc CD set pumping through the 20 year old stock Corolla speakers, it was time to pack the car and hit the road. Yeah it was only a two and a half hour drive, and not enough to even completely hear the Boss's full catalogue, but most importantly the feeling was there..its bike racing season again! The event was the Bendigo International Criterium, the Friday night fireworks session before two nights of fixed gear thrills, culminating to Sunday nights prestigious Madison Championships on the track. Leaving school early (sorry year 9A) it was a balmy country evening and with a select field of 75 hitters it was going to be game on. With the caliber of teams such as Drapac-Porsche, SA.com and the VIS guys there was no chance of hiding. Also scattered in the field were some international guns, such as UCI America Tour leader Svein Tuft, Zac Bell and Christian Meier all coming from the land of maple syrup and professional ice hockey boxing. Nice.
Lining up somehow I squeezed my skinny frame into the second row off the grid but lost it all getting caught behind some drop-kick who couldnt get his foot in quick enough. Still we were away and my word was the pace on from the gun. We were pinning 50km/h plus through the CBD circuit in front of a solid homegrown crowd who love their bike racing and it was all happy days. The first twenty minutes I felt like my lungs were completely on fire, trying to suck down as much air as possible and hold on for grim death while some machine / humanoid set the pace on the front.
Naturally the field got sorted out rather quickly but thankfully I made the selection and kept on keeping on. And for the rest of the race it was simply a matter of holding it together, not having enough horsepower in the legs to really make a surge to the front. So it was a bunch finish for this cat and a respectable one for a guy on a 5 year old, 9 spd 105, loaner training bike.
So suck it up all you pretty boys on your fancy carbon wheels who pulled out when the oven got turned up...here's to doing it Rocky style.
These things were awesome. Basically recumbants with a chassis over the top it was in my mind a very, very , very scaled down version of NASCAR watching these bad boys boot around the track causing havoc.
Any spots left of the Rock Racing roster..I know a guy who would fit in nicely..
The Green has a new bike pretty much everytime i see him..check out his new carbon track rig..nice nice nice.
Complemented with his fixie that came all the way from Boulder and has ventured out into the local road bunches.
I think I have found a new hotspot of backyard slums racing...certinaly putting in some hard training sessions out here.
1 comment:
Nice work Winny, When we gunna see you and Green partner up for the Big Event? The Grande Bendigonian Madison?
Cuz and I were lucky enough to get a start a few years back and even collected $400 start money!!!
Despite us clothes-lining a Jap who tried to ride in between us while slinging. I'll never forget the sound, something from a Kung-Fu movie. Wattccchaaaa
Pity Mr Miagi couldn't save him.
I think I still have the tyre burn on my calf to prove it.
It's an awesome weekend and a hell of an event.
Steeley
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