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Mon, 27 Jun 2005

A tale of woe - 11:54

This weekend I raced two races, the first was a graded scratch race with the ACT Vets cycling club. Again the race organisers decided to combine A and B grade together. I did not mind too much as my form is getting better, but it must be quite disturbing for the guys who are just making their way up from C grade or from being off the bike for a few weeks. A least they started the fast guys one minute behind the B graders. But, they were onto us pretty quickly, on a hilly section, which of course lead to the demise of a few of the guys at the back of b grade. My biggest issue is that B grade does not race, they just hang onto the coat tails of A grade, the guy that can hand on the best wins! Not a way to win a race in my mind.
Anyhow, for those who know me and know the hill on the old Federal Highway would know that I was most impressed with myself to be able to stay with the fast guys when the screws got tightened on the hill up the highway. When the bunch crested the hill and I was still there I thought I was in with a very good chance as the bunch was mostly A grade with a few B graders thrown in. The tale of woe started about a kilometre down the road when I realised my rear tyre was half way down and was all the way down by the time I pulled over and started swearing to myself. Then the rain started. I think this was only the second time ever I’ve made it over the hill in the front group.
So, on Sunday I rode the ACT Crit Championships. The field was somewhat diminished being a rainy day in the middle of winter and 6 months away from the crit season, but we had the race anyhow. The Masters race was combined with the junior’s race, which made for quite an interesting combination. In the end Fabio Calabria won the juniors and Ian Downing won the Masters, with Steve Jones Second and Guy Buchanan third. The tale of woe from me is that I punctured (again) with about 5 laps to go. I reckon I would have given it a good shake given that I had beaten Steve in a sprint the week before. But, that is all the past now. Just to let you know the tube I put in after the crit failed at the stem. The new tube lasted till Fyshwick on the way to Sutton Road and that was the last of the punctures. (Hopefully for quite a while) I did buy myself a tube in Dickson from Mal after Ian pulled off and went home as I thought it would be just my luck to puncture again and be tubeless
So, next week is either another country handicap (Coota to Coolac) or the local club race. More that 100 turned up for the ACT Vets Federal Highway race (grades A to H) I reckon the inspiration may be due to the tour starting soon, or maybe the “Hell on Wheels” doco on at Electric Shadows during the week.

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