The final stage of the ToTR saw just two of the mighty Valkyries making the 4hr trek out to Albury, due to some scheduling conflicts, but KateM and I were lucky enough that her parents live half way to Albury so we stopped overnight for a home cooked meal and some time in their outdoor hot tub.
We discussed our strategy and tactics in detail and its interesting how much we have learned just over the stages of this tour; so we had a range of strategies, contingency plans and things to avoid to ensure a good result.
My focus, as it has been the whole tour, was on seeing if I have come far enough in training to get ahead of the lovely Jen from Griffith CC after coming so much closer at Coota in Stage 4.
I was feeling reasonably strong and mostly not sore (except for some shoulder and neck weariness from smashing out some roof painting with Cheska) but not being a climber I was realistic going into the race that hills are more Jens forte than mine.
I just hoped there might be some longish, flatter sections where I could use my strengths. My hopes were a bit dashed though when I realised that the start line was basically the foot of the steepest climb (7 or 8% over Talgarno Gap) which wouldn't give me time to warm into the race. I was also pretty concerned that I had neglected to bring any of the 5000 ventolin inhalers I own...
Arriving in Bellbridge to drive to the Bethanga start line though, the hills were completely daunting, and all around us. Driving over the hilltop finish all flagged and ready to go the smooth winding roads through bright green hills looked straight out of the TDF, and I began to get pretty excited about what would be some epic hilltop finishes.
At rego I was pleased to see that the women stalwarts of the ToTR had all turned up including 15 year old future star Elle Irvine, her mum Leanne and of course Jen Massey. Along with Kate and I there was one other local woman racing who looked a heck of a lot fitter (and on a seriously blinged bike) than the rest of us.
We lined up for the start in our combined Men's D/Women's B and C bunch and the old psychological banter started "you're not a climber, these girls are all really light, you'll get dropped on the first hill"
But this time there was another voice. I channelled the wisdom of our coach and heard "pick a good wheel, get away quickly off the line and just get on a good wheel".
So, we rolled away and I got straight on a wheel of one of the d grade blokes we have made friends with over the tour and set off, thankfully he knew I was behind him and kept it manageable, but pretty soon we were at the climb.
All of a sudden the unknown woman took off and attacked straight up the steep section like it was nothing, very quickly gaining a 20m lead on the whole bunch. The blokes initially didn't react until she was really opening up a decent lead so (looking a bit stunned) they had to respond and spat me out the back.
I heard Simon saying don't panic, keep going and we will try and catch them on the descent and so I kept it at a hard but manageable pace and soon enough we were over the crest and starting to move again, and lo and behold - there was Jen, also spat out the back, with a big bloke halfway between us. This is my chance I thought.
He picked up speed to go around her, so, keen to avoid my tactical mistake at Coota where we winded up towing her back into the race, instead of sitting on his wheel, I attacked further around on his right and suddenly we were ahead and she hadn't gotten on.
GO Go Go I screamed at the guy, which to his credit - he did (sometimes being a girl is very useful) and we were smashing it down the hill. Using our TTT skills as soon as I sensed him flagging I got on the front and smashed it then called him up as I tired. It was an epic pace line chase for a good ten kms being just off the bunch and we got within 30m at one point but hit a long climb and couldn't quite get on.
My new impromptu companion was riding an italian Basso bike, and I'm sure I even heard an italian accent on him.
There was a geat moment once I marshalled him to work for me as domestique when he suddenly be came just as excited about our epic chase as me and started yelling just as much as me "Ah-come on. We a gonna chase this bunch down!!! Lets go Lets Go!!!"
So exciting and perfect for a Giro, in the style of the Giro de Italia.
Wanting to stay away I kept us working and taking turns all the way into Bellbridge and around Lake Hume till we started to come around the loop and - on an amazing fast windy descent I suddenly realised I was having the time of my life and WOoHOo I took off!!!
Turning back towards the start line I realised I'd worn my buddy out and I would have to go it alone. Crossing the start line for lap two I felt tired in the legs but surprisingly confident. I knew what I had to do, I knew I could manage Talgarno Gap again and the Long undulation to Bellbridge and just comforted myself that if I managed to stay away for all that - it was only a 2.5km climb equivalent to stromlo. So I pushed on, working to keep the effort up and focusing on a high cadence. I saw another guy from MD dropping out but otherwise I was completely alone and a huge headwind had picked up.
As I approached the final climb my head checks got more frequent. Jen was nowhere in sight but I knew I couldn't out climb her and that shed be working to catch me on the final hill.
Finally it was time and I made the left up the 9-10% start feeling dead but was suddenly buoyed by the sight of another bloke ahead. If I could pass him, that would mean I'd come ahead of three blokes and all but one of the women. So I turned on my stromlo drill focus. Stick to a cadence, stick to a consistent heart rate and keep it steady - only 2.5km to go.
Little by little I edged past him and then it was 1km to go, and then a sharp switchback at 600m for the final pinch.
Worried that he'd chase me I got out of the saddle to open the gap up - which is when I realised I could see the whole valley - and that's when I realised that the rest of the women's field was nowhere in sight.
Reaching the top was a pretty big moment for me, after working so hard to improve through this series and I was especially grateful to the Griffith CC guys for waiting around to cheer the women over the line, as the marshalls had all left and weren't there to record places.
I'm pretty proud of how far I've come. Its been tough, but the view is certainly worth the climb.
Well done to Kate who smashed C grade again and took out the C grade series.
Can't wait till next year.
Showing posts with label tour of two rivers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tour of two rivers. Show all posts
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Stage one, Tour of Two Rivers
Todays race was a win for Epic Valkyrie tactics!
Arriving at the race we realised as soon as we got out of the car that today would be all about the wind. The gale today made the Stockingbingal handicap seem like a pleasant breeze. We sussed out the competition and there were four or five women in C Grade and me and one other woman in B. All the women were grouped to set off in the men's D bunch.
On the line I had a good position and knew that the pace would be intense off the line as I had a fair suspicion that the bunch would split early.
I was right and out of the gate into a cross wind the pace was hard but manageable but the wind made the bunch horrible.
No one wanted to pull turns and when they did the bunch was sketchy and really strung out. In an echo of the famous D Train I pulled quite a few epic turns which meant that I was prob working a bit harder than I should (although I could hear Brad in my head saying "remember Rach, what would Boz do?"). With that in mind I started trying to avoid turns which is a skill all it's own and I was pretty proud that I actually got a bit aggressive in a men's bunch and stole some wheels successfully which I was pretty proud to pull off in a race situation.
I stuck on D a fair while till shortly before the KOM my HR went above where it was at Coota and i blew up, and dropped off. Just like at Coota i thought NOOOO and gave it some efforts to get back on which i did and i would have hung on but the wind was INSANE!! and although I yelled at the three on the back, they wouldn't hold their wheels so I couldn't get a good draft and dropped off. Once i dropped off i had really bad chest pains even when my HR slowed to 138bpm and sat there for ages and it was SO painful so i slowed right down and took it as evidence of the last few weeks of exhaustion.
Once i knew i wouldnt get back on I cruised till a big bloke came by and I sat really computably in his echelon It was pretty funny as he tried repeatedly to surge and drop me but in such a massive draft I hung on easy. Some marshals came past and I slowed down for a chat about the rules of scratch where they suggested I could turn early if I wanted as long as I removed my number but I kinda felt like finishing. The big guy got away while I was chatting but we were nearly at the turn and all of a sudden someone was behind me.
I looked back and there was this tiny 15year old from womens C who had obviously been working her guts out to chase me down! I was so impressed I slowed down so she could sit in. We turned and pretty soon caught the big guy for a nice draft as I taught the junior where to sit in the echelon.
Meanwhile KateM approached the turn with a commuter in fluoro.
We rode along as a trio for a while when i started to do the math. O wasnt sure if the points for top ten were split by womens grades (in which case id be 2nd by default) or whether all the women would be lumped together. I realised this meant i was likely towing this junior in (who was amazingly strong) and risking a place.
It occurred to me that now might be a time to try a Lisa-cadel O'Grady breakaway.
I've never tried to breakaway from anything but I figured the tricks were : sudden, fast, and go hard enough and fast enough that the surprise of it psyches them out and they dont chase.
I looked ahead and wondered when you are supposed to attack and figured a good time would include the end of a climb and followed by a downhill. Sadly the course was dead flat and I knew the real issue was that once I went I'd be in the wind alone.
Nevertheless I wanted to have a go so I quietly clicked up the gears and then BANG! straight into the Simon Dwyer sprint drills and to my amazement I opened up a fairly big gap, and then held it for quite a while. Pleased that it had worked I eased up again and soon KateM (in her first ever road race) had caught on with the yellow commuter.
It was obvious fairly quickly that she was experiencing the kind of race bullying that so many women put up with before they learn (as Valkyries) to tell d***heads to F*** off.
Worried she had been having a rough time I offered to drop off with her but she was DETERMINED to teach him a lesson.
Stoked that she was refusing to let him demoralize her I wondered what tactics we could use.
The commuter was pushing everyone into a shitty and sketchy echelon where he kept getting cranky at everyone and getting on front.
Realising that he would take turns thinking we didn't know what we were doing I thought we could play it smart, let him do the work and sit in to beat him in a sprint.
Unsure if Kate understood my plan, I sat in on her wheel and refused to pull turns despite his calling me out.
I also figured they'd be pushing to get the other girl ahead of us on the line so the plan was to hang in, avoid work and keep the pace constant so that the others were working and would be in the wrong position for the sprint.
It worked like a charm. Kate pulled epic determined turns meaning I could conserve and try to work out how far away we were.
Suddenly about 800m out the junior had a respectable attack but not fast enough to be a surprise and gave me the tip that we were nearly there.
With the energy I'd saved thanks to Kates hard work I got straight in the drops and gunned the sprint drills we have practiced in training.
The big guy who had mostly sat in tried to challenge but couldn't hold it and thanks to Ange B who had dropped a chain and had to turn early and was standing on the lone so that I knew where it was, I got over the line first of the last bunch.
There wasn't any prize money in it as the other B grader and one C grader who might find herself bumped up pretty soon had held on to D grade, but it was an EPIC tactical win in my book, and has finally helped KateM realise that she, is a bike racer.
ROOAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!
Go Valkyrie, Go Siren.
Oh and the commute? Dropped like a stone. After the race I congratulated the junior who said it was her first race, to which I suggested she talk to the national talent ID Program. Once again, the country clubs were stoked to see us there.
Arriving at the race we realised as soon as we got out of the car that today would be all about the wind. The gale today made the Stockingbingal handicap seem like a pleasant breeze. We sussed out the competition and there were four or five women in C Grade and me and one other woman in B. All the women were grouped to set off in the men's D bunch.
On the line I had a good position and knew that the pace would be intense off the line as I had a fair suspicion that the bunch would split early.
I was right and out of the gate into a cross wind the pace was hard but manageable but the wind made the bunch horrible.
No one wanted to pull turns and when they did the bunch was sketchy and really strung out. In an echo of the famous D Train I pulled quite a few epic turns which meant that I was prob working a bit harder than I should (although I could hear Brad in my head saying "remember Rach, what would Boz do?"). With that in mind I started trying to avoid turns which is a skill all it's own and I was pretty proud that I actually got a bit aggressive in a men's bunch and stole some wheels successfully which I was pretty proud to pull off in a race situation.
I stuck on D a fair while till shortly before the KOM my HR went above where it was at Coota and i blew up, and dropped off. Just like at Coota i thought NOOOO and gave it some efforts to get back on which i did and i would have hung on but the wind was INSANE!! and although I yelled at the three on the back, they wouldn't hold their wheels so I couldn't get a good draft and dropped off. Once i dropped off i had really bad chest pains even when my HR slowed to 138bpm and sat there for ages and it was SO painful so i slowed right down and took it as evidence of the last few weeks of exhaustion.
Once i knew i wouldnt get back on I cruised till a big bloke came by and I sat really computably in his echelon It was pretty funny as he tried repeatedly to surge and drop me but in such a massive draft I hung on easy. Some marshals came past and I slowed down for a chat about the rules of scratch where they suggested I could turn early if I wanted as long as I removed my number but I kinda felt like finishing. The big guy got away while I was chatting but we were nearly at the turn and all of a sudden someone was behind me.
I looked back and there was this tiny 15year old from womens C who had obviously been working her guts out to chase me down! I was so impressed I slowed down so she could sit in. We turned and pretty soon caught the big guy for a nice draft as I taught the junior where to sit in the echelon.
Meanwhile KateM approached the turn with a commuter in fluoro.
We rode along as a trio for a while when i started to do the math. O wasnt sure if the points for top ten were split by womens grades (in which case id be 2nd by default) or whether all the women would be lumped together. I realised this meant i was likely towing this junior in (who was amazingly strong) and risking a place.
It occurred to me that now might be a time to try a Lisa-cadel O'Grady breakaway.
I've never tried to breakaway from anything but I figured the tricks were : sudden, fast, and go hard enough and fast enough that the surprise of it psyches them out and they dont chase.
I looked ahead and wondered when you are supposed to attack and figured a good time would include the end of a climb and followed by a downhill. Sadly the course was dead flat and I knew the real issue was that once I went I'd be in the wind alone.
Nevertheless I wanted to have a go so I quietly clicked up the gears and then BANG! straight into the Simon Dwyer sprint drills and to my amazement I opened up a fairly big gap, and then held it for quite a while. Pleased that it had worked I eased up again and soon KateM (in her first ever road race) had caught on with the yellow commuter.
It was obvious fairly quickly that she was experiencing the kind of race bullying that so many women put up with before they learn (as Valkyries) to tell d***heads to F*** off.
Worried she had been having a rough time I offered to drop off with her but she was DETERMINED to teach him a lesson.
Stoked that she was refusing to let him demoralize her I wondered what tactics we could use.
The commuter was pushing everyone into a shitty and sketchy echelon where he kept getting cranky at everyone and getting on front.
Realising that he would take turns thinking we didn't know what we were doing I thought we could play it smart, let him do the work and sit in to beat him in a sprint.
Unsure if Kate understood my plan, I sat in on her wheel and refused to pull turns despite his calling me out.
I also figured they'd be pushing to get the other girl ahead of us on the line so the plan was to hang in, avoid work and keep the pace constant so that the others were working and would be in the wrong position for the sprint.
It worked like a charm. Kate pulled epic determined turns meaning I could conserve and try to work out how far away we were.
Suddenly about 800m out the junior had a respectable attack but not fast enough to be a surprise and gave me the tip that we were nearly there.
With the energy I'd saved thanks to Kates hard work I got straight in the drops and gunned the sprint drills we have practiced in training.
The big guy who had mostly sat in tried to challenge but couldn't hold it and thanks to Ange B who had dropped a chain and had to turn early and was standing on the lone so that I knew where it was, I got over the line first of the last bunch.
There wasn't any prize money in it as the other B grader and one C grader who might find herself bumped up pretty soon had held on to D grade, but it was an EPIC tactical win in my book, and has finally helped KateM realise that she, is a bike racer.
ROOAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!
Go Valkyrie, Go Siren.
Oh and the commute? Dropped like a stone. After the race I congratulated the junior who said it was her first race, to which I suggested she talk to the national talent ID Program. Once again, the country clubs were stoked to see us there.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Tour of Two Rivers
Valkyries!
Sign up here ( a comment below to advise if you are keen for this tour)
2011 Tour of Two Rivers:
Stage 1
Saturday 10 Sep 2011 - Bertoldo Spring Classic (Griffith CC)
Stage 2
Sunday 11 Sep 2011 - Clasica Chrono Riverina Individual Time Trial (Griffith CC)
Stage 3
Saturday 25 Sep 2011- Riverina Clasica Road Race (Tolland CC)
Stage 4
Saturday 22 Oct 2011 - Grand Prix Cootamundra (Coota CC)
Stage 5
Sunday 30 Oct 2011 - Giro Delle Bellbridge (Albury/Wodonga CC)
NEWS
- Griffith CC will hold an ITT on the morning of Sunday 11th September, the day after the Bertoldo Classic race. This will now be stage 2 of the TTR. Griffith CC have negotiated special rates for riders at the Bagtown Inn, Griffith. Entries are now open for Stages 1 & 2
-For the first time, a promotion/relegation system, up to stage 3 will be in place. If a rider is promoted /relegated, that rider will take his/her points with him/her, however the points will be limited to the highest number of points the highest rider in the new grade has. Obviously relegated riders would not have this limitation. The Tour handicapper Barry O’Hagan will determine promotion/relegation.
-The Albury/Wodonga CC have got a new finish (map) for their race. It appears to be at the top of a hill ( 6.5 percent gradient) after 2.5km. Sounds like another race Philippe Gilbert will win.
Sign up here ( a comment below to advise if you are keen for this tour)
2011 Tour of Two Rivers:
Stage 1
Saturday 10 Sep 2011 - Bertoldo Spring Classic (Griffith CC)
Stage 2
Sunday 11 Sep 2011 - Clasica Chrono Riverina Individual Time Trial (Griffith CC)
Stage 3
Saturday 25 Sep 2011- Riverina Clasica Road Race (Tolland CC)
Stage 4
Saturday 22 Oct 2011 - Grand Prix Cootamundra (Coota CC)
Stage 5
Sunday 30 Oct 2011 - Giro Delle Bellbridge (Albury/Wodonga CC)
NEWS
- Griffith CC will hold an ITT on the morning of Sunday 11th September, the day after the Bertoldo Classic race. This will now be stage 2 of the TTR. Griffith CC have negotiated special rates for riders at the Bagtown Inn, Griffith. Entries are now open for Stages 1 & 2
-For the first time, a promotion/relegation system, up to stage 3 will be in place. If a rider is promoted /relegated, that rider will take his/her points with him/her, however the points will be limited to the highest number of points the highest rider in the new grade has. Obviously relegated riders would not have this limitation. The Tour handicapper Barry O’Hagan will determine promotion/relegation.
-The Albury/Wodonga CC have got a new finish (map) for their race. It appears to be at the top of a hill ( 6.5 percent gradient) after 2.5km. Sounds like another race Philippe Gilbert will win.
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