As riders left Steve Xerri and myself were soon leading the pack on the road to Broadford. Soon though to be joined by three new faces and the irrepressible Leigh Paterson. The bunch pretty much held together to Broadford. I was yo yoing off the back every time the road went up and had to ride hard to catch up on the downhills. This was a pattern for much of the way to Seymour. Leigh had headed off into the distance and the new faces were strong riders and pulled away a little as well. Steve dropped his muslei bar and that gave me a chance to catch up and we rode to the first checkpoint together.
Steve, Jimmy Chant and myself left Seymour together. Steve took the lead and virtually didn't relinquish it till just before Nagambie and the second checkpoint. He certainly demonstrated some strength as he drove on at the front without let up. I was hanging on for grim death and cursed every rise in the road as I had certainly left my climbing legs at home and the ones I had brought were laden with lead! Leigh powered past on this leg after his usual longer stop and so for fun I surged to catch him a couple of times from about a 30m deficit. What an idiot I am! What was I thinking? I didn't have energy to waste on senseless acts like that. Jimmy supported that theory.
We took about 20 minutes on the stop at Nagambie where Steve and Jim were trying to convince me that my meat pie, which I had flooded with sauce and the 600ml strawberry milk was not the optimum food I should be having. But hey it works for me. Leigh was a late arrival having punctured on the way into town.
A detour off the normal route on the way to Longwood was required but the front runners failed to take it and they added a few extra k's as they arrived at Longwood after Steve and I. Jim was tiring a little and pulled in to the pub shortly after us followed by the quick men.
Steve about to head off from Longwood
Reflective gear models - Yours truely and Jim
The leg to Seymour and I was starting to tire myself so Xerri-jet pulled away just after Avenal and I settled in to my own rythem. A quick stop for me at the final checkpoint at Seymour had me leaving with Steve again before the others. I was carrying a little extra weight now as Leigh had given me my gloves that I had left on the bench outside the Longwood pub.
It wasn't long before I started to fall back as the undulations began. Steve pulled away, the quick riders flew past and Leigh passsed me as well before Broadford. Steadily on I rode taking time to relax a little now in contrast the first three quarters of the ride where I was really under the pump.
I finally pulled into the finish at about 4:45pm tired but satisfied. The day had been a really good workout. Thanks to Lorraine and George and their assistants. It was a great day. Lorraine had promised sunshine and the afternoon had had plenty of it. Thanks to Steve and Jim for company (and breaking the wind) during the ride. Special thanks to Carol for driving me home.
No comments:
Post a Comment