You can generally spot the middle-aged TT teams out there, they have the most expensive bikes, the most carefully shaven legs and the least talent. The other thing is that they will be the first to pull out if the conditions dont look good. The State Champs was not looking like a goer in the early hours as rain was forecast and I couldnt imagine anything worse than spendign a sunday skimming across puddles with a spray of muddy water in my face. But, a team is a team and you cant let your mates down, so off we went in search of Tent Hill.
Martin, David and I were a man short for the quad-team, but our spirits were high until we barged up against the red tape that a state event invites. After my fourth visit to the officials tent, my bike was finally accepted as legal. After several seemingly random geometrical ratio rejections (perhaps explaining my calf cramps at 20kms?!), the final insult was the order to tape bits of cardboard onto my $600 bars that a certain bike shop had assured me were legal! During our warmup, we realised all 3 of our watches said different times and so we really had no idea how long we had to go. Not quite panic, but lets just say we had a good hard warmup!
Finally the time came and we set off into a slight headwind at a good crack. We settled into our pace which we migth have been a bit disappointed with if we couldn't have looked forward to the slight downhill and tailwind on the return leg. The team ahead of us had disintegrated before the 5km mark, and their anchor man (who was at least 20Kg off his fighting weight), asked us for 'a cheeseburger and a defibrillator' as we passed by.
The 20km mark came sooner than expected and we turned for home feeling ready to push the pace up a bit. Touching speeds over 50kph at times, it was an exhilerating part of the race and we pushed out average speed up from about 39.5 over the first 20 to 42.5 for the full course.
A really enjoyable day out and next year we should plan a bbq and hang around for a party afterwards, celebrate all those medals!
Best to everyone,
Ollie
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