Weekend Warriors...

This weekend is shaping up to be a ripper. First up on Saturday:

Entries filled in a few hours only and D'alfonso and Duggan managed to get a ride in B and C respectively. This is a great race on the Northern Combine calendar, and should be a great day. Look out for a race report and hopefully some pictures early next week.

Next up, Sunday:

Angry and Blakey have been out reconnoitering another great course for the next installment of the Melbourne Gravel Grinders. Always good fun with good crew. Get along!

2012 Mt Baw Baw Classic - Vomit & Glory

Words by Kent...

Well, Jez, Adrian and I did Baw Baw. Easily the hardest race I have ever done.

Weather: amazing.
Distance: 103 kilometres: 3600 metres of vertical climbing, culminating in Baw Baw.

Pace was relatively on from the get-go. My legs felt super heavy from the start and, thus, popped about 35 kilometres in.

Spent the next twenty ks with my head down, trying to get a sweet rhythm. Got through the feed station, got my other bottle from Steve (huge thanks to Steve for the help during the day). But my legs were fucked, and everything progressively got harder and harder.

Vespers hill is about 6km, with an average of about 6-12 percent. Tapped it out, tried to keep calm. The next thirty odd ks were windy and beautiful. I knew i was heaps far back, so I drafted the course ambo for a bit, before they got wise to it. Had to briefly stop when i was overcome by cramps...so painful.

Hit the bottom of Baw Baw. The first 5km is an easy 4-5%, and i span up it, trying to make up as much ground as i could. I saw the sign for the Gantry, signalling the start of the last 6km, with an average of 12-13%, with spots of 20%. I was already cramped up, in pain, out of water. I was fucked.

The next 40minutes are a bit of a blur. Passed some guys staring vacantly into space, some vomit (which turns out was Jez's). At one point I think i started crying, but it was taking up too much energy.

Never have i been to relieved to see a finish line.

Pretty disappointed i couldn't stick with the bunch. I had been hoping to be with them until the climb, then make my own way up. I guess it just wasn't my day.

Huge shout out to Jez (10th!) and Adrian (Ed: and you Kent!) for smashing it. Also thanks to Steve and Elaine for helping out.

It is a fantastic race, but brutal. I am spent.

D-grade Domination - Gene Mills - Pastoria

Words by Mills...

Once again my race started in a shambles of "What did Mills forget this time?"

Not being keen enough to have a 5 o'clock wake up the morning of the race, i partook in some of the now famous Duggan family hospitality, jumping on the train out to Sunbury and getting  chauffeured over to the farm the night before the race, where i was able enjoy the most pleasant sleep i've had in a long time. There's just something about getting away from the city and the beautiful country air of Riddells Creek.

Being too daft to actually check the weather, I thought i would just pack for all eventualities. Winter, autumn and summer kit, all got thrown in the bag with some food and a book for the trip. "Thought" being the key word in that last sentence...

So its the morning of the race. The legs feel good, and I'm well rested. I've been sticking to my training program (well most of the time) and i'm even feeling a little bit confident.

That last part changed pretty quick. "Sh!t". Where are my bib knicks?

I've got the full length winter kit, but i just found out it's going to be 27 today! Everything else is here; Arm warmers, nope to hot for them; rain jacket, no to hot for that; knee warmers and over shoes, wont be needing these today; but no bloody bib knicks... I threw on my brand new full winter knicks. Wind, rain, hail these things could handle it, but that was not what i wanted right now...

Duggan keeps reassuring me "Mate you'll be fine, it will probably be cold over there anyway. There's always a chill in the air over that way". Well really we couldn't of had better weather for the first race of the season, and I was gutted...

A short drive over to Kyneton in the team bus, Hogan arrives, we sign up and my legs are already boiling. I've not even hopped on the bike yet. After a little bit of confusion and a lot of riding back and forth between the start location and the Saleyards, we hit the start line and there's nothing to do now but ride,

A grade take off and you can hear the chatter through the rest of the grades about how long it will be before GreenEDGE's (and Brunswick's) Mitch Docker will turn up the heat in the bunch. B roll out not to long after. Duggan and Hogan are off next along with the rest of C grade, officially starting their winter road season.

D grade roll out, and same as below with C grade, it was hardly walking pace till the first set of rollers. No one wanted to be responsible for turning up the pace to early, but ever so slowly around the first half of the track the pace picked up. One rider went off the front and just sat 100m or so out there for a bit, but no one was ever worried, or maybe they just didn't show it by chasing.

The first pass of Bald Hill picked the pace up a bit and brought the grade together. Rolling down towards the finish for the first time, I felt as if the race had truly started now. I tried to keep up in the front half of the bunch at all times but didn't push it to much and tried not to do to much work. Not shirking though, I pulled my turns with the rest of the crew up the front. It was a good sized field for D and there was a big mix of ability in there, so I was always trying to keep an eye out for wheels I knew, or people who looked smooth on the bike. You know - when I wasn't to busy complaining about how hot my freaking legs were.

The second time around the marshaled corner and the pace picked up again, but the group wasn't willing to let any one go off the front so there was a quite a bit of surging as people would take there attacks and the rest of the bunch would chase as one to shut it down. By this point I was sitting up the front with about 10 or so other's know that this is where i wanted to be for the rest of the race, just cover attacks and being ready in case a break did go.

The first big hit out was up the short sharp climb before Bald Hill on the on the second lap, and from then on it was the same small bunch of riders who would stretch out the bunch whenever they saw a good opportunity to go. But the bunch held strong, and the race didn't separate, but there was definitely some movement in the pack as people came up to the front to try and make their final lap moves. Meanwhile, all I could think about was unzipping the ankle cuffs on these knicks and letting some air in!

Nice skinny jeans!

Coming in to the marshalled corner before Bald Hill for the last time, I started working my way up into the front six wheels or so, ending up on the front after the first small climb till half way up the hill. No one wanted to pass, but the three of us on the front didn't feel much like spending ourselves, so it slowed a bit on the flats and you could feel people getting nervous. I hit Bald Hill with a nice easy tempo not wanting to attack from the front and waiting for it to come from behind me. It did and i went with it,

Still on the front...

Near the front...

1 or 2 back at most...

I could feel my legs giving up, "keep going, so close, so close" i kept telling myself...

60m from the crest and i was done, the group past me. But there was only 6 of them.

I looked back to see the bunch had split. Everyone else was well behind me, out of the saddle again chasing down those 6 that had gone.

I caught one of them. Ok, keep going, only 5 more to catch...

Over the hill *click click* 53/12 Lets go, push, chase chase chase. 40m from the line the 5 in front crossed the finish in their sprint. I was in no mans land with a bit of time to finish and the bunch chasing down the hill in smaller groups, so I did what any D grader in no mans land would do when finishing with his highest placing in a road race yet. I made sure my jersey was nice and straight. zipped all the way up, sat up nice and tall and smiled for the camera as i rolled over the line, 6th...

I'm not gonna lie... I was pretty stoked...

Ed: We were later informed that Mills was very nearly fined by the commissaires. Not for taking his hand off the bars, but for celebration of 5th loser (Dave Morgan, pers comms, 2012)

Race Report - Jack McDonough Memorial - Pastoria

Words by Dingus Dave

For the first Northern Combine road race of the season, Mother Nature had turned on the goods; glorious sunshine and just a little wind. With another baby due in a few weeks, this would be my only road race for the season, and a slot in C Grade with Captain Duggan had me a little nervous. Since finishing up track racing a few months back the fitness had declined noticeably, and the quality of bikes, kits and legs assembled at the start line had even Duggan concerned.

We rolled out, and in usual style for the first race of the season the pace was hardly more than walking. I started to get worried that D Grade would catch us. But inevitably a few guys got impatient and tore off around the outside, Duggan included. I got stuck behind a wheel, and before I knew it I was in last wheel. I thought back to my last C Grade race, also held out here at Pastoria, when I was unceremoniously dumped out the back of the bunch on the flat. Damn, I wasn't gonna let that happen again, and moved my way up to join Duggan in the front third of the bunch.

We spent the rest of the race pretty close to one another, and never too far away from the action. The first ascent up Bald Hill was reasonably calm. A few small attacks, including one from Brunswick junior James Payne, had been brought back without too much fuss. A full-on team attack came on the small pinch a few kilometers into the 2nd lap, as three of the Boomchika lads flew from the rear and put the hammer down on the short climb. Thankfully I was sitting about 4th wheel when this happened, and concentrated on staying calm as a few blokes went past me. Had I been at the back, there's a fair chance I may have popped right there.

But nothing was really getting away, as the bunch eased into the headwind on the back of the course. Second time up Bald Hill and the pace was noticeably hotter. I could hear Atkins (from the fine blog http://cyclingracingcoffee.blogspot.com.au/) next to me breathing heavily. As we crested, I counted about 14 guys in front of me. I turned around to check out the damage, and it was just ones and twos  all over the road. A few guys latched back on during the descent, and so it was down to about 20 riders for the last of three laps.

I didn't see how, but a Bike Gallery guy had got off the front, and had a few hundred metres gap. As we approached the small pinch where the Boomchika lads had attacked on the 2nd lap, I was near the back of the bunch and so moved up to the front to cover any moves. The Freedom Machine rider, who I think was the same guy that smashed the St Kilda D Grade crit a few weeks back in a two-man breakaway that held off the chasing bunch for the best part of 40 minutes, was putting the hammer down. I put in a few big ones and followed him off the front of the bunch as we descended the other side. He was about 20 metres in front of me, with the bunch another 30 or so metres further back. I considered going on the attack, but thought better of it, and sat up to wait for the bunch.

So we now had Bike Gallery out front by a few hundred metres on his own, with The Freedom Machine in no-mans land and the bunch happy to let them dangle out in the slight head wind with 15km or so to go. That was until Duggan had had enough. I was still near the front, about 5th wheel, when the Duggan steam-train came past shouting something about legs. He went to the front, put his head down, and started to bring the two boys back. It was single file as Duggan put the hurt on. Soon, he was off the front by 30m, Boonen style. I was clearly failing in my role as Terpstra trying to hold his wheel.

We took the final left hander, and it was job done by Duggan with the race all back together. There's a small climb just before you get to the Bald Hill climb proper, and Payne, who must be all of 50kg, attacked here and strung the bunch out. I moved up past Duggan, but I was hurting. As we got to the final climb of Bald Hill I was in about 8th wheel, with Duggan not far behind me. One last effort, I told myself. Payne attacked again, with two guys trying to go with him. I tried to follow them, and moved past a few guys into 4th on the road. They were pulling away from me slightly, but I wanted to put distance into the bigger guys behind before the final descent to the line.

I could feel one guy on my wheel, but was pretty sure we had put a gap into the main bunch. The guys in front were getting away. Barely more then 200m left, and I was starting to die. A slow, inevitable death, as my legs gave up. 50m to the descent, and a group of 6, including Duggan, came past me. I should have caught a wheel, but I was gone. Super effort by Duggan to haul his sprinters frame up that hill, after doing a mountain of work earlier that lap.

I was stuck in no mans land on the the descent to the finish. One or two guys out front, a group of about 6 chasing them, then me on my own and another 6 or so 50m back. I tried, but couldn't make up any ground, and got caught by one or two riders in the final 50m.

What's wrong with this picture?

Duggan got up for fourth, and I rolled in just outside the top ten. Top day, capped off by a few brews at the pub for presentations and a pie from the fabulous Kyneton bakery.

TDR Junior Development Programme...

Needless to say, Audrey was pretty excited about her new kit....

Calm before the storm...

Right - HEAPS has been happening and continues to happen around here. We'll start with a bit of a round-up of what's been going down.

Coburg CC had their last crit for the season at the National Boulevarde and TDR turned up in force for close out a fun summer season. A four man breakaway including Preston's Mick Read slipped away from the B-grade bunch, taking out the win. In C-grade, Greg Hogan got up for the win with Paul, Brad and TDR's very own Mills making up 4 of the top 5 places. Isaac Gibbs won out his second ever crit race and will be one to lookout for next summer!

Duggan doing his best to tuck in...

Kent closing gaps...

Mills presumably opening gaps... 

Paul on a Sunday cruise! 

Many thanks to CCC for holding such hard, fast and safe crit racing all summer!

Duggan headed down to Harrison Street and the Brunswick outdoor velodrome following the crit for the Brunswick's Easter 100. 200 lap points race. Sprints every 10. Whilst a long time in the saddle, particularly when having to repeatedly chase and take laps with Coburg hard-man Glynn Matthey, it was great training.

Duggan's total for the day: 160+km. 100km+ racing.

Whilst track season is finished, BWK continues to race on a Tuesday night throughout the winter. We'll be trying to get along as much as possible to keep the speed in the legs for... ROAD SEASON!

Yep. It's that time again and it starts this weekend with the first Northern Combine race at Pastoria, and the CSV Open at the Mt Baw Baw Classic.

TDR have riders in both events with Duggan, Hogan and Mills at Pastoria, and Kent, D'alfonso and HK's own Soayer, heading out to tackle Mt. Baw Baw. It currently looks like this:

The boys will be hoping some of that snow burns off before Sunday...

We'll be trying to continue our race reporting as best as possible. If you see us at any of the races over the winter, come up and say g'day! The more faces we know, the better we can describe your Cancellara-esque attack in the cross-winds at Newham in D-grade!

Bon voyage, Summer...

Words by Dingus Dave...

Race Reports - HCC Crits

It was the final round of Hawthorn's summer of crits at the Teardrop. Kent had been smashing it all summer, without ever getting that elusive C Grade win. Last week was the closest we came, with Hogan attempting leadout duties to the bottom of the final climb to the finish and depositing Kent at third wheel. As the front three hit the line, it was only the width of a tire that relegated Kent to third. Close, again.

But in this final week, Kent had the plan worked out, with the idea being to ease off the front after the intermediate sprint. This is typically when the majority of the pack catch their breath and wait for the bunch to come back together after the inevitable splits on the sprint lap, so it's possible to get a decent break before people realise what's going on.

15 minutes in to the 25 minute race, fellow Brunswick rider, Diesel McDougall, had taken out the sprint lap and was dangling off the front on his own down the back straight when Kent bridged across. Hogan watched from the pack as the two got away to a decent 20 second lead, with little chasing from the bunch. This was it - the plan was working perfectly. Kent had worked his butt off in the first two laps after breaking away, but was then able to recover and hit a nice tempo, with he and McDougall staying just in sight of the bunch on the back straight.

But strangely, without a massive effort from the bunch, Kent and McDougall started being reeled in. Down the back straight after 20 minutes of racing, and it looked like they were sitting up. Hogan came round the hairpin to see Kent rolling into the gutter with a flat rear tire. Faaaarrrrkk. Disaster for Kent.

And with the sun disappearing quickly, 3 laps were called early, only one lap after Kent had to retire.

WIth two laps to go, the pace was slow as folks eyed each other off. McDougall, having recovered from his breakaway, got impatient and smacked it down the back straight with 1.5 laps to go. Hogan was feeling pretty good, having sat in the whole race, and thought to grab McDougall's wheel, but was poorly placed about six back and couldn't find a gap. As the bunch rounded the fast left hander on the last lap, Hogan was in fourth wheel, with McDougall still out in front with a 50m gap. But the guys on the front weren't going fast enough to catch him. Hogan hesitated - it was probably too early to go out and try and catch McDougall on his own, but at this speed they might not catch him at all. He sat in another 100m until the inevitable kick came before the final hairpin corner. The legs felt good, and Hogan took the corner in second wheel, overtook the guy in front at the bottom of the hill and then took off after a tiring McDougall.

McDougall was dieing, and fast. Hogan was flying. McDougall looked back. Hogan put the head down for one last kick. He was catching. The line was coming up. Hogan was reeling him in. But it was too late. McDougall held on for a fantastic win, and TDR just missed the win. Again.

Huge thanks to the folks at Hawthorn for putting on another great summer of crit racing at the Teardrop!