WOO.
Ok where do I start for my 2nd G2I. was the 50th G2I so was always going to be big. Decided to endure the necessary training this time. it is a 50/50 call. This started post Cunningham & I followed Nikolai's program closely except I didn't do saturday rides until the last few weekends! Bollo & I headed to zeee mountains. Coot-tha, Nebo, Glorious, GT, Mee, Tambourine, Beechmont, Dandenongs. Bollo & I also held the inaugural Camp Lactic in Melbourne when the World Champs were on. (Next year will hopefully involve jet-lag). During the long rides we quoted Kenny Powers from East Bound and Down, .... alot. We wish we trained like Kenny. Around 2000 clicks post cunningham & 36000 ascent metres. So a week out we finally entered the taper & I got a shock when I saw the gradings. I kicked and squeeled but I got the 'don't argue'. We had been planning for div 3, with my cousin Ritchie (above), Bollo and I rolling together. Ok div 2. crap. thank god i trained...
all smiles in the foggy start in grafton.130 peleton in div 2 held together to the base of the climb avg 35. it is a tough 70km & my legs were burning.
this played with me and 2-3kms into the 18km assault on Gibralter, I went soft and dropped off the back and said guday to some guys in a group. well it all became quite pedestrian and we came over the summit 10min down on the lead group. did a slow 1hour climb at 17 avg but at least the legs were now fresh. had about 5 mcdonald water bottles on the climb!
unfortunately, the group of 15 didn't have any appetite for chasing except for 1 or 2 riders and myself. we just couldn't get them going despite some words and bad @rse looks. so us 2-3 pushed the pace as well as we could on the front without the benefit of a chase mentality that we could have used as a group to claw back some solid chunks of time.
coming out of the deafening cicatas in the 50km forest section, we were faced with a fairly brutal 2okm/hr head wind. great. this slowed the progress quite alot. the 90km from KOM to Waterloo we avg just under 30.
coming through the last feed station, we had clawed back 10 riders and we finally started to crank the pace along
and avg 36 from waterloo into the finish line.
good pic from the old man. the country is in PRIME condition.
few quiet chats. he looks pretty bad. next year his right arm will be stickered.
crossing the line with richard allen who i had shared the lions work in our group. we decided 5km out to ride over 1, 2. good to cross the finish at over 60km/hr!
finish time 7.31.30 in 50th position and the body was feeling medium-rare. again awesome feeling & well done to Bollo, Ritchie, Stu, Nikolai and Chewy on completing their virgin g2i's. No DNFs. Well done on the SBS coverage and awesome riding.
Next year the B and C graders enter as a team to ensure we get in the same grade and I can have someone yell at me on the climb to HTFU!!
A MASSIVE THANKS TO ALL THE SUPPORTERS/HELPERS. YOU cannot complete this event without them and it stuffs their entire weekend up. Babs & Charlotte Bonner; Chris (Team Event Photographer) and Marelle Bonner; Dick Bonner; Sarah Board; Andrew Heath; Tessa Heath, Jack Heath. Special thanks to Babs/Char for accomodating the training hours. Special thanks to Heathy once again for all the hours put into making the weekend a massive success for the team.
Special note: we need to go to the pub post race next year. Chewy, you are brave for stepping outside the farm house yard. Next year I want to jump some contour banks with your ute.
Next year lets aim for: at least 8 in div 1; 5 in div 2; 5 in div 3; 5 in div 4.
Great weekend. Next the 40km noosa tri bike leg...... but lets get Div 1, 3 and 4 race reports up first!
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