A grand week!

Ah what a good week of riding last week was.

It all started with my strong rides on the MRR, followed up with a great ride to Mt Eliza again and finished off with a GREAT days racing for both Polkadotlisa and myself on the Sunday.



MRR - Tuesday 4th March
Started with the pack and stuck with them the whole way to the finish. No breakaway with the traffic lights after last weeks hammering I did solo, but this time but I stuck to WAK’s wheel all along Doncaster Rd as the diesel pounded out the pedal strokes. I contemplated trying to go on the front but I don’t think I would have been any good so I just tucked up in close behind and hung on for the ride. Hehe

MRR - Thursday 6th March
At the start I wasn't "feelin' it" and got dropped by about 20mts up Canterbury hill but was soon back on the pack down the other side. PDL was flyin' down the other side and after I passed her, the little bugger came back on me DOWN the hill. Wow... she has really come far in the last few weeks, she can climb, go fast on the flat for long periods, can now go downhill fast and her cornering is pretty good too!

On Maroondah I started to come good with the legs finally getting stronger. Squeaza is with us now and I note how strong she is riding. You GO GIRL! I was back in the pack about 10th wheel but as we crossed Springvale I was starting to work forward (not out of any plan, it just worked out that way). Then with about 200mts to go till Mitcham Rd, I saw Mattyb about 20mts off the front so I pulled out and made a run on him. As I went past I did a classic, look back at him as I went by. Ah, all those long hours of watching the TdF have taught me a few psych out moves! LOL

Along Doncaster I upped the pace into the mid 40's to start with and Matt came up along side me and he looked a bit stuffed. So I kept my cards close to my chest and pushed on forcing the pace upwards. Just as we came to Springvale Rd I was about 3 lengths ahead of him and I "just" made it through while Matt had to stop. As I went through the intersection I waved "goodbye" to the rest and then put my head down in anticipation for the solo ride of pain ahead.

All along Doncaster I was pushing at about 90%, in the 40's most of the way and hitting the low 50's at one point. At the bus depot, a bus pulled out RIGHT in front of me, forcing me to swerve out into the next lane (quick head check) to avoid him. Grrrrrr!

Up Col d'Shoppingtown I was hurting and was expecting to be passed at any stage. In the distance up the hill I could see the taillights of Kathy, Simon (Squeaza's Bro) and Mrs Blybo (sorry- don't know your name). At the very top of the hill I was caught by the lights which seemed to stay red for aaaaagggggeeeesssss and while I was thankful for the rest, I was impatient to keep going as I was aiming for KOM.

Lights change and down the hill I charged, top gear, in the drops, flat out! All green lights so around I turn into Elgar Rd and I’m cranking hard for max speed. Unfortunately I got the red light down Elgar Rd and I lost a ton of time there but I caught the early start group as I turned onto Belmore.

Huff, huff, puff, puff I went, all the while hoping like hell I had enough to get to the top first, but alas half way up, Jim fly’s past with Mattyb hanging on for grim death to Jim, about 20mts back. Matt laughed as he passed me, saying that I was "a bastard for making me hurt so much trying to catch you". As the KOM line was coming up I was expecting a lunge from somebody from behind to beat me but no one was in sight so I did the two hands in the air celebration as my first KOM podium (3rd). HAHA Ah well, small victories!

I caught back up to Matt around the roundabout and put the power down over the last rise. KOV was out of the question with Jim loooooong gone so I settled with 2nd.

Finally caught Jim at Whitehorse Rd intersection and with a bit of a run up on him, I lead the way up KoBump for a while feeling stronger up this hill than I ever have (even changing UP a gear on this hill which normally has e in granny gear!). Jim passed me asking if this was a "comp hill" and Matt passed me again out of the saddle, giving it his all.

Along the flat of Balwyn I gave it one last push and took the lead to get to MRR first! Woohoo!

Over drinks I was so tired I could hardly talk for a while. Just wanted to rest my head on the table. After a rest and a drink or two, PDL and I rode home feeling refreshed and very happy with our rides.


St Kilda to Mt Eliza (plus some extra pootling about) - Saturday 8th March
Nice weather with a few clouds to keep the sun from burning us while the wind was nonexistent and the overall air temp was “just right”. We started with a group of around 16 of us riding down to Black Rock. I stayed out of any sprint but turned up the pace after Black Rock as I ended up on the tail of a merging of what looked like 3 or 4 groups all mixed up. Not wanting to get caught up with any touched wheels, I upped the pace and rode around the lot of them which in hindsight was prob not the smartest thing to do. Ended up on the front and riding at a good fast pace. Then I looked up and “thought” I was about 500mts from Mordi so I really upped the pace hard into the high 40’s, low 50’s. One problem, I still had another 1.5kms to go and I ran out of steam, only to see the rest of the fast riders in the group pass me. DOH!

I had been riding with the front derailer rubbing a bit on the chain and it generally not feeling “right” so a quick fiddle at Mordi to hopefully fix it and onwards we rode. I was sitting towards the back, chatting when our group was broken by a set of lights. The front group slow pedaled to wait for us but Jon and Dez didn’t realise what had happened and didn’t want to ride slow so they went off ahead.

Into Frankston we rolled and I had Commi and his “MUST... BEAT... VIDMAN” comment as he passed me up Hopes Rise still ringing in my ears. So I picked up the pace more than normal or Hopes and just a the hill starts to kick up I jumped out of the saddle to really start cranking the pedals, only to have the chain start jumping about on the rear cassette. “Crunch-grind-clunk-thunk” it went. “Bugger” I thought as it made me loose a ton of momentum, but I kept pushing as hard as I could, even passing a few. But alas, I suddenly heard those familiar words passing me on the right- “MUST... BEAT... VIDMAN”.

We all stopped at Mt Eliza for a bite to eat and drink with plenty of happy chatter going on. These Sat morning group rides are always happy affairs with everyone in good spirits and new riders always welcomed. We had some new riders to the group turn up and I think they really enjoyed the company too (well I hope they did!).

After the break we all set up back and PDL said she was going to try and keep up with me down Olivers Hill. I sped off down the road back to Nepean Hwy and lead the whole way as per usual or a downhill. Down Olivers Hill, a 4wd changed lanes in front of me which forced me to touch the brakes a touch, but I still managed to better my top speed down that hill (and no, I’m not going to incriminate myself in public..LOL).

At the bottom I backed off and looked back, hoping to see PDL close by but I couldn’t see anyone at all. So I freewheeled almost all the way to the visitors center waiting for the rest to catch up.

Back to Mordi we all rode as a tight knit group in the low 30’s. But after the Mordi stop, it was the usual race to Black Rock for some of us with me leading most of the way. The second last uphill did it’s usual trick on me and saw me drop poff the pace and fall back several positions (mind you, we were riding in the high 30’s the whole way) but I surprised myself with my recover and I was soon back up to full speed and I closed down the 75mt gap to re pass Simon, Lisa and Nick. Nick responded when I caught up to him and we raced all the way up the incline to Black Rock with me slowly pulling away from him and taking the sprint by about a bike length. I raised my hands in the air in mock triumph and had a good laugh about it with the rest of the speedy group. Good fun!

We backed off the pace a lot after Black Rock, waiting for the rest to catch up and as I was on the front, I glanced back after a while and seeing several of our group behind me and plenty of other riders back as well, I wrongly assumed we were all on so I picked up the pace to about 32kph and kept rolling forward. As it turned out, the “rest” of the pack behind me were wheel suckers but in my quick head check i thought they were with us.

It wasn’t until we were back to St Kilda that I realized that it was just a group of about 6 of us on the front with the rest waaaay back. Sorry guys and gals. It was not my intention to drop you all. My bad.

W regrouped at the Old Beaconsfield hotel before riding as a group to Mart 130 which is a fantastic cafe located in Albert Park. There I had fantastic corn fritters with bacon, relish and sour cream. Superb!

After lunch, PDL and I wen around to a few bike shopped looking for new sunglasses to replace her broken BBB ones. Eventually found some really nice Shimano ones at Melbourne Bicycle Centre in Prahran and we headed home to make it 125kms for the day.

St Kilda Crits - 9th March
This was my 6th race and PDL’s 3rd but the big difference was we had both been put up grades with me now in D-Grade and PDL now in B-Grade womens (there is only Womens a and B grades).

PDL was up first and she had 6 riders in her grade. This race had sprint points through the race which are like mini races at specific points where they race for cash (first across the line on specified laps wins $$$). PDL was a bit thrown by this at the start but she soon got the idea, taking 3rd in the first sprint and 4th in the second sprint. PDL was looking very calm and relaxed in the race and there was a group of about 8 of us BVers all cheering her on.

Come the final lap and a few of us walked down the finish straight to cheer her on to the finish. Around the final corner and we could see her up powering down the far right hand side. She was pulling AWAY from 3rd and closing in on 1st and finished a VERY strong 2nd. We were all thrilled for her, high five-ing each other and cheering for her. As PDL came around back to the finish after her warm down lap we all cheered and clapped for her and she had a HUGE beaming smile. I grabbed her and gave her a huge hug. Great Stuff! And just remember, she has only been riding since August last year! She will be a champ- no doubt!

Then it was my turn to race. *GULP*!

For me it was a bit intimidating starting in a field of 33 D-grade riders and with about 40 B-graders also on the circuit at the same time it made for a crowded road at times.

I started out with the intention of just finishing in the pack and would have been satisfied with anything more than last. However early on I found myself surrounded by the DeVeer kids and finding them very umm.. errr... how do i put this- "skittish", I decided to just move up and away from them.

The pace was more than I was expecting, steadily above 40kph pretty much from the start and up into the mid 40's for some laps. I was sitting around 5th - 10th for most of the race and was doing OK but definitely working hard and taking any chance to recover where I could.

It’s only recently that I have noticed my improved ability to recover quickly and I was taking every chance to do this with the fast pace taking its toll on me.

Around the middle of the race, up the top of the course where there is a nasty bump across the circuit, I found myself much further to the right than I had been hitting it all race and just before the bump (which was bigger on the RHS), my front wheel skipped off the side of a sizable stone just at the same time I hit the bump, causing me to veer over to the right by 3-ish feet. As soon as that happened I knew I must have pissed someone off and the marshal told me down the next straight to "hold my line as I caused someone to have to brake". I explained what happened and he said "cool no stress." I would have looked back and apologized to the rider behind me but I was somewhat preoccupied at the time (you know, cornering, riding at 43kph in a pack, etc).

Somehow I ended up in second wheel on one lap and i was left thinking "how the heck did I end up here", so I slowed down and sure enough, was back in 7th in no time (they were all pushing pretty hard).

Last lap and I was about 6th up the final straight, into the corner I came around the outside but misjudged my line slightly in relation to the guy's line on my inside and I came a bit close to him (yep, I heard the cursing). However I truly don't believe it was any worse that what I copped through the race myself with riders closing off my line and having to hit the brakes numerous times. A few times I even had to yell to the guy cutting me off "hold your line", but I bare no grudges. It’s just a racing incident. However, having said that, I will make sure to take even more care next time just to be safe.

Anyway, final straight and I was giving it my all in 5th. I was truly expecting to be swallowed up by the riders behind me but surprise-surprise, no one passed me and I finished 5th! I was spurned on in the sprint by hearing the riders in 3rd and 4th both grunting and gasping as they gave it their all about 2 bike lengths ahead of me (off to the right). I even heard one say to himself "FASTER!" hehehe

Afterwards I was impressed to see that I hit 52.3kph in the final sprint! I think in my first race my top speed was the neck snapping speed of 38kph so that’s a HUGE improvement overall!

So I was totally thrilled with my finish. Waaaaaaaay more than I was expecting I was capable of and waaaay more than I was planning. I just kinda got swept along with the top 10 riders and figured I would see how long I could hold on.

Oh yes, almost forgot- RDK came out and had his first race today in E-grade. He sat towards the rear most of the race, moving up to the middle on occasions but when the pace picked up for the last few laps, he was spat out the back and finished off the tail of the bunch. However we were all proud of him giving it a go and gave him a rousing cheer when he crossed the finish line (hands held in the air no less!). Careful mate, they'll disqualify you for that!

After the finish of the racing, a few of us went for a ride down to Brighton to Startline Cycle Fashions with Sara, where she showed some improvement from last week and several bursts of speed up into the high 20’s on occasion. She really seemed to be relishing the improvement and I was glad to see her determination. On the way back (with a slight tailwind), Sara was sailing along at 26-28kph nicely. If she keeps working like this on a regular basis, before she knows it she will be able to ride all the way to Black Rock and back in the mid to high 20’s which is more than respectable.

So all up for the week it was about 350kms. Good stuff!

A grand week!

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Moving on up!

Well, we did it. We have now become cycle racers! Who would have thought it (not us, thats for sure)?

Polkadotlisa got out and gave racing a go and she did AWESOME (just like I thought she would). It took her just 2 races to score a podium in E-Grade (and subsequently bumped up to B-Grade women's) and I did as I had planned/hoped and took a win in E-grade and will now be racing in D-Grade.

Two weeks ago on the 24th of Feb, there was another Coffee Crits session where they teach women crit racing skills before the start of racing and after she completed that skills session, I talked PDL into signing up for E-Grade with me.

On the start line PDL was looking VERY nervous and I could fully appreciate how she felt having been through it myself just recently. She was pretty worried about her cornering speed and skills but I kept on reassuring her she would be fine.

As we started the race, the instructors who have us under control were trying to get us to do rolling turns. But this was a race dammit (hehe) and I'm gonna do whats in my best interests and so I stayed off the front. PDL however was encouraged to move up (which she did with an eye opening burst of speed) and she was left stranded there for 3 laps on a day with a pretty strong head wind up the back straight.

At one stage I moved up behind her and yelled out to her to "get back in the draft" but she didn't know it was me. Dang!

In the second last lap it was a friend from the BV forum Alison (Freckle) who was in the lead as we came up the back straight. Knowing how strong a rider she is I had a move in mind to try and work to my strengths (corner speed and quick sudden surges of speed). As we entered the last corner for the second last time I suddenly pulled out around Alison and powered into the corner as hard as I could. I kept the power down hard down the straight and past the bell (to signify the last lap) and at the end of the straight I glanced back to see if anyone was on my tail and I couldn't see anyone. WOOHOO!

I kept my speed up around the bottom corner and into the back straight where about 2/3's of the way up I hit the headwind and my legs said "cya later, I'm outta here". I dug deep and kept pushing but I was struggling and even had to change down a gear! :(

Somewhere around the last corner (can't quite remember), Ed (a guy I apparently inspired to give racing a go), went past me and left me for dead. I put my head down for the finish sprint and gave it my all and took out 2nd place which I was pretty happy with.

After the race I caught up with PDL and found out she was 3rd until the last lap when her legs gave up in the back straight and all the front group past her, leaving her with a mid pack finish.

She was pretty down on herself but considering she was in the middle of a energy slump after over training, it was her first race, and she spent too long on the front doing too much work, I thought she did awesome.

PDL was fine in the corners, she handled the pack racing without a worry and she looked a natural.

After that weekend, PDL was pretty intent on NOT racing the following week but I just knew that if she got out there and did it again, she would surprise herself and also wash way any negative self doubts she had after the first race.

So come March the 1st (Sunday) and we are off to the crit race and I had pretty much talked PDL into giving it a bash again. We both signed up and were surprised to see Stu (a BV rider) signing up for E-Grade also.

When I saw Stu there I thought to myself, "Well, there goes any chance for a win". PDL and I did our warm ups and before we knew it we were being called up to the line. All week I had been telling PDL to just follow me and NOT to go on the front unless she had a reason for it (to up the pace, or to make a break for it).

Race starts and we are under control as per usual. There is a field of about 19 riders with quite a few women and a few little kids (10yo's), and one guy on a hybrid with flat bars (I thought you weren't allowed to race with flat bars?).

Anyway, we are rolling about and all the young kids (I think 3 of them) are all yelling out to each other and I think the riders around them. At one stage one of the kids runs wide on a corner and goes around the markers and it told off by the marshals. Later on he did it again and was given a second warning. Dang kids! hehe
Good on them for having a go against us oldies though. In another few years these kids will be smashing old grandpa vidman as they sprint off into the distance. LOL

The flat bar guy was on the front which was fine by me. As long as I don't have to get my bars mixed up with him, thats cool. Slowly the pace rose into the low 30's and the pack started to sort itself out (flat bar and kids off the back, all the contenders up the front).

I sat in around 3rd/4th wheel with PDL mostly behind me. With about 10 mins to go, Stu made a break for it off the front. It was about then that Stu's question to me before the start was ringing in my ears- "Will you be chasing any breakaways?" to which I dismissed saying "Nah, its E-Grade, there won't be any breakaways of note". LOL

With Stu opening up a 50-75 meter gap, the guy in 2nd made a lunge for him but I didn't panic. I just upped the pace without going too hard. I have discovered that the hard surges to keep up are what hurt you- NOT the actual speed. So I moved up in due course until I was back on Stu's tail (3rd) where upon Stu started weaving across the road, wanting to get off the front. But of course, we all followed him- left... right... left... right... hehe

Two laps to go and I have lost sight of where PDL was. I didn't want to mess about looking for her to much so I just pushed onwards. Last lap bell and I was feeling good in about 3rd/4th wheel. Stu was back up the front and I moved up on him after the first corner and surged forward HARD into the 90 degree corner. My aim was to fly through the corner FAST and make a break for it (making my surge later then last week so I would have some thing in my legs for the finish).

I sliced through the corner a good 10kph faster than at any other stage during the race and kept powering on up the back straight. As we came around the sweeper past the barriers, I could see a riders shadow right behind me (I assumed it was Stu) and as I could feel the early beginnings of burn coming on, I backed it off to keep something for the finish straight, all the while watching the shadow to my left.

With 20 meters to go before the final corner I piled on the power again, accelerating HARD and flew through the corner, barely pausing to lift my inside pedal. I felt the tyres slip just a touch through the loose stones on the road works in the corner but I was un-phased and kept hammering.

Up the straight and I could hear people yelling and the commentators yelling too. I was worried that I would see Stu come past me but as I closed in on the line there was no sign of anyone either side of me. As I crossed the line on the far RHS of the course, the chequered flag was waving and .... I was alone on the road - 1st place! I did a fist pump in the air as I crossed the line out of pure joy! Sure I know its just E-grade at a local club crit but I was thrilled to have achieved my aim and to have ridden the race EXACTLY how I wanted to.

After the finish on the warm down lap (after catching my breath), I looked around to try and find PDL but I couldn't see her anywhere. It wasn't until I got back to the finish line and saw Kathy and Dave that I found out the she finished 5th (or so we thought). PDL pulled up and she was grinning from ear to ear and I told her that I won. We were both on SUCH a high- it was awesome!

Later on during the next race, we were standing around chatting when somebody said my name was being called out for the presentation, so I ran over (well, as best you can run in road shoes) and was given my 1st place voucher ($25 for Total Rush cycles in Richmond). Then while we all stood around talking, PDL's name was called out as being the first place female and that they had a special award for her. Turned out as the first place woman, she was given a voucher for free race entry and as she was given the voucher she was told she was up to B-grade womens! Wow! Were were a bit confused as it said 3rd on the envelope but assumed it was a mistake.

The rest of the day was spent chatting to friends and then when Sara turned up, we went for a ride with her down beach road to just before Brighton and back to get Sara back in the spin of cycling again after her break from it. Sara did great and she had the right attitude to it, gritting her teeth and showing some guts and determination when it got hard for her. Good to see! :)

Cut forward to today (Tuesday) and I checked the St Kilda Cycling Club website to see the results up (gotta see my name in 1st hehe) and low and behold, PDL finished 3rd and not 5th as we first thought. Turns out it was 2 instructors that passed her off to the side in the finishing straight. It was like she had raced and done well all over again to see that she finished 3rd, and we were beaming with grins from ear to ear once again. Great stuff.

This coming Sunday, I get to watch PDL in B-Grade womens (GO LISA) and then she gets to watch me hang on for grim death in D-Grade. I think she is in with a chance to podium in Women's B-Grade (prize money!) while I will just be happy to finish with the pack in D-Grade.

Can't wait! :)

PS- Sunday morning the 1st i did my usual weigh in and I'm now down to 115.7kgs which is slightly ahead of schedule to reach double figures by my birthday. My clothes are all falling off me (hehe) and I'm looking and feeling great.

Moving on up!

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