The Cyclist Insurance Australia Ipswich Open
Day 1
Day 1 of the Cyclist Insurance Ipswich Open and my 2nd only ITT.
After my recent performance at the Closeburn ITT, I was hoping for another good day in the saddle and with only 16 starters in the Masters C ranks, my chances were going to be as good as ever.
A quick squiz at the weather forecast leading up to the event indicated that the wind could be a factor and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
When I set off on my pre-race warm up it became pretty evident that running a rear disk was going to be touch and go but I didn’t have an arsenal of wheel options and the disk was going to have to do.
Don’t smash yourself at the start, don’t smash yourself at the start, don’t smash yourself at the start. We all know that your first few minutes in an ITT can affect how you feel towards the tail end and although those words were ringing in my ear, adrenalin is a funny thing and before I knew it I was pushing at about 100watts over threshold.
I tried to settle into a rhythm…well as good as you could with the wind. It felt like you had to steer into the wind to keep a straight line, which certainly felt strange.
I got to the top of the first climb (at about 2.5kms into our 20km race) and by that stage had already rounded up and passed the rider that had set off before me. We were all let off in 1 minute intervals. Myself being the 5th rider off.
That first 2.5kms was probably the hardest section of the race with a 1.5km climb running at a gradient of approx. 4 or 5%. Not too bad but still hilly enough to feel it on a TT bike.
I wanted to be at around 4:15 by the top of the hill and I was sitting at about 4:30 by the time I got there. A little off target but with the horrendous wind, I assumed that everyone else was going to suffer and that the times wouldn’t be quite as fast as people were hoping.
I got to about the 4km mark when there was a truck approaching from the opposite direction. The roads hadn’t been closed for the event, so there was the occasional car but the wake left from a truck in what was already very very gusty conditions almost blew me off my bike. I had no idea how I stayed on board to be honest. It made for some good post-race banter and it was apparent that quite a few people also experienced the truck. One guy actually running off the road and into the grass.
By the 9km mark I had reeled in the next rider (Shane Elliott) who was doing a stellar job on a road bike and approached the turning point. 10kms down and 10 to go.
At the 10km mark I was sitting about 45secs off target. I was hoping to be at approx. 15:15 by this point but was sitting closer to 16 minutes.
The run back certainly felt faster and although it was still very difficult to keep a straight line with the wind, it was becoming more apparent that there was a nice little tailwind to aid us on the run home.
It wasn’t until about the 17km mark that I had reeled in my next rider (John Chapman) just before the very fast last 2.5kms of the downhill, homeward stretch.
The homeward stretch was an opportunity to test out the 54/11 and go go go.
My finishing time was 30:54…some 24 seconds off my target but still quite good considering the conditions. My time posted on the final standings was a 31:08, so not sure why the discrepancy.
It was then the wait to see how we had all placed.
My time was good enough for 3rd…some 30 odd seconds off 2nd (Brynley Abad – my team mate) and a further 20 seconds off first. Craig “The Sandbagger” Macdonald….Bahahaha
So my 2nd ITT and 2nd podium finish. I’ll take that.
Day 2
Well if day 1 was a day of horrendous wind, day 2 was all about enduring the cold. I arrived at the Mt Marrow School (our starting point for today’s race) at 5:45am and with time to spare, decided to re-acquaint myself with our nice little undulating circuit. Murder for some but probably suited to someone like myself who doesn’t mind the hills….all be them short ones for today’s kermesse.
The gauge on the dash registered 6 degrees and upon exiting the car it certainly felt like it. Brrrrrr.
Luckily the wind hadn’t gotten up just yet and Danny Graves probably thought that the temperatures reminded him of a nice barmy Tasmanian summers morning, but geez it was cold. I saw Shane Elliott in his thongs pre-race displaying what was in my opinion a valiant display of manhood. How he could feel his toes after 45 minutes of standing around in what were essentially bare feet was beyond me.
At least Dave Roest had the right idea. That orange beanie also made him pretty easy to find post-race too. Lol.
Brynley Abad (my MIA team mate) and I set off on our pre-race warm up which consisted of a few out and backs on the surrounding streets. Trying to get some heat in the legs and body was certainly a struggle and I like most of the field, decided to start the race in my arm warmers. Call me soft but bugger me they felt good and luckily I didn’t overheat as the race progressed.
The 1st lap was pretty tame, as you would expect from a Masters C race, and the field essentially stayed as a peloton for the lap with no heroics to speak of. Way too early to attack in any case and probably nobody but Bryn “When Are You Going to B Grade” Abad could escape that early and stay away.
Shane decided to exit stage left at the completion of the first lap. I think the standing around in thongs beforehand must have played havoc and possibly he couldn’t feel his feet??? Either that or he was missing his arm warmers. In all honesty I think today was just one of those days for Shane and with bigger fish to fry in a couple of weeks’ time at BOTB, he probably made the right decisions…well I am sure his legs are thanking him anyway.
Laps 2 and 3 saw the pace pick up a bit but people were still unwilling to attack and whatever did get away was soon brought back. I put in a few efforts on the hills, just to see how people were feeling, and most of the time they just let me go.
The wind did start to pick up a little towards the middle of our race and out the front by yourself was probably not where you would want to be. Having said that Brynley and I stayed towards the front, so as not to get caught up in any trouble and to counter any attempts of breaking aways.
Craig MacDonald was looking pretty good and started to come to the front and attack a little, which I was very surprised about, because I thought he would struggle in the hills, but again everything pretty much stayed together.
The final lap is where it all happens and tody was no different. There was a noticeable increase in speed and both I and Bryn were still well placed towards the front 5 or 6.
I was on the front on last section of climbs and decided to have a bit of a dig. I easily gapped the bunch and put my head down and went. I had a feeling that it may have been a little early (as I did see Daniel Mendes go from there last year only to be caught) but I went anyway.
By the top of the last climb I was fried and Bryn bridged the gap to me.
We had time to have a little chat between each other and I told him that I was cooked, so my job was then to try my best to lead him out for the finish.
I was 3rd wheel coming into the final turn and Bryn was just behind me in 4th or 5th.
He shouted to go to the front and drive and that I did. I hit the front and buried myself for about 400 metres, Dave helped with a bit of encouragement from the sidelines too, and then Bryn hit it. He smashed the bunch and as you have probably seen from the finishing photo, had about 2 or 3 bike legs between him and the sprint for second by the finish line. Awesome job mate. Well done once again.
Job done. MIA on the top step and my job as the lead out man completed with perfection….well I guess I am biased, because I am talking about "little old me" but all and all a great result for Bryn and the MIA team.
Special thanks to Dave Roest and ESI Sports Photography for the photos and Ipswich Cycling Club for running another great weekend of racing.