All Spokes Hunter Cycling Festival
Another weekend. Another set of races, this time in the Hunter Valley with three races on the programme.
(Jen Poile)
The weekend started with the NSW State Criterium Champs in Broke. It was a tough rectangle course on rough roads. It was plenty aggressive enough which I couldn't help but being a part of with plenty of digs off the front or bridging to small breaks that formed. Had to put on a bit of a show, Jen, the girlfriend was there with me for the weekend and spectating on the side of the road with a camera… always the showman.
Unfortunately I lost too many places on the bell lap when Mick Curran (NKC) displayed his bike handling skills after locking up his rear wheel, sending a few of us into evasive action. Luckily Mick held it up but I lost a bit too much momentum so rolled in on the back of the bunch for 8th in the Elite mens.
(Jen Poile)
The afternoons race was a difficult one to judge, after a reconnisance drive the night before when passing through town, and a pre ride that morning, the bike/wheel combo was a tough choice. There was 7km of flat to the base of the climb, followed by a 1km pinchy ride up someones drive way topping 20%.
I made the decision to go full TT bike and disk wheel as well as debuting the new Louis Garneau Vorttice TT helmet. Looking at the splits on Strava, I had the quickest time to the base of the climb by 12 sec but lost 18sec to the elite mens winner Brodie Talbot by the top… The choice of bikes will still be hotly debated. This gave me 2nd in the Elite mens in the TT and 5th fastest time of the day.
Sunday morning dawned chilly and ready for a 100km road race. It was on fairly flat roads with a couple of rises but on very rough roads. After an aggressive couple of k's, a small bunch managed to roll off the front which unfortunately I wasn't a part of and no matter how much I tried to bridge the gap to the lead bunch of 6 the peloton wasn't letting me get across.
The Gallop (Jen Poile)
Coming into the sprint finish I jumped on the back of the Racing Kangaroo's train for the kind of finish that I like, drag up hill sprint finish for the last 200m. With some hair raising last couple of kilometres dodging between traffic that had got caught up on the racing circuit I kicked late from 3rd wheel but wasn't able to catch Jack McCulloch who took a flier but managed to grab 2nd in the bunch kick which should have landed me 6th for the day and classed as 2nd in the Elite mens category.
My Drag race with Craig Hutton with "Moist and Chewy" getting the better
All in all a great weekend of racing with the form coming along nicely for later races in the year in the NRS with the Torq/BSS Team.
A big shout out to my lovely girlfriend who came along for the ride. What a way to celebrate her 21st birthday later this week with a weekend away in the Hunter… for me to race bikes!
To Torq for continuing to keep me fueled, Monza for the Cube Litening with SRAM Red which was stellar for all conditions I threw at it.