Yes, best of luck TP. Look forward to the warts and all report.

PS OT but love the new rig!

Your mother is secretly a Milram fan.

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I never took drugs to improve my performance at any time. I will be willing to stick my finger into a polygraph test if anyone with big media pull wants to take issue. If you buy a signed poster now it will not be tarnished later. --Graeme Obree

And now unemployed it would seem

Seems also that I've landed in C grade??

http://www.vic.cycling.org.au/?Page=39529

never ridden an open before and I alnd in C grade

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Baum Ristretto, Baum Mondrian Corretto & the '89 Merckx! | "If you could eat it in one sitting, hold your line." | twitter.com/Tinea_Pedis

Standard Classic race procedure I believe, everyone goes down a grade... or two. Or three. Really funny watching guys who demolished a field the week before trying to convince the race officials that "their form is really off and can barely ride".

_________________
"Physiology is all just propaganda and lies... all waiting to be disproven by the next study."
"I'm not a real doctor; But I am a real worm; I am an actual worm." - TMBG

I actually expected to be landed in D.

Some of the other guys in C grade are would tear my legs off 9 times out of 10.......


Ah well, it's done. Game on!

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Baum Ristretto, Baum Mondrian Corretto & the '89 Merckx! | "If you could eat it in one sitting, hold your line." | twitter.com/Tinea_Pedis

How did it go Tinea Pedis?

Weather was shocking! Strong SW winds which is from the direction the race takes. Rain, hail and even snow down to 500m, so covered the low surrounding hills - snowline in Australia is usually 1200m!

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http://climbinglama.blogspot.com.au

Hardest race of my life. No doubt about it.

Was with the front half of the field each successive time it fractured (of which there was a lot!) - was there when the front 3 went and was getting back (later on) on to find another 8 or so had gone up the road to chase them. By that point we were about 120km or so in and the big boys still with us (which included Joel Person, surprisingly) were happy enough to let that be the break(s) of the day.

Then for some retarded reason there were MORE attacks after it had started sleeting! Such a ridiculous inability to form a second echelon once the first one hits the gutter, never mind the fact that by this point it was (or should have been) more about finishing than who you can drop - as there was only minor places left. Anyway, it was then that I lost contact (was about 180 or so gone) and limped into Camperdown at the 190km mark and pulled the pin.

I'm so, so shattered that I didn't make it. Even this morning I woke with a sick feeling in my stomach for not finishing especially given the conditions before the race even started (will be interesting to see who gets a 'DNS' next to their name) and the conditions that I'd managed to endure up to that point.

When waiting for my lift to arrive it was over half an hour before the next bunch of about 8 or so riders came through - that's how far back the rest of the field was. And given Pollock won in close to 8 hours there's little chance they would make it in with less than 9 hours in the saddle.


What a day. Victoria certainly threw up some of the worst weather she could muster, that's for sure.

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Baum Ristretto, Baum Mondrian Corretto & the '89 Merckx! | "If you could eat it in one sitting, hold your line." | twitter.com/Tinea_Pedis

Wow, good effort TP! The weather truly looked horrendous. From other reports I've read there will be a LOT of DNS, and even more DNF.

There's only one thing for it. Build a lighter bike and do it again next year

_________________
"Physiology is all just propaganda and lies... all waiting to be disproven by the next study."
"I'm not a real doctor; But I am a real worm; I am an actual worm." - TMBG

Ta mate! Weather was certainly the worst I've ever raced in. There were some smaller guys getting blown clean off the road

And lighter bike wouldn't have helped me

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Baum Ristretto, Baum Mondrian Corretto & the '89 Merckx! | "If you could eat it in one sitting, hold your line." | twitter.com/Tinea_Pedis

Awesome effort even to start given yesterday late winter blast!

Don't be upset with pulling out - what it's done is shown how well you can go with this years preparation. Just think how you will go next year with another 12 months work in the legs!

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http://climbinglama.blogspot.com.au

Top efforts once again mate.

I had a less than ideal race with lots of bad luck that ended way to early for my liking. Started off not to great got caught a little to fair back at times but worked myself back to the front of the main group by the 60km mark. coming into the first feed station i positioned myself in a great position, sitting 2nd wheel grabbed my bag perfectly then with about 5m of the feed station finishing my race was over. the guy in front of my slowed up then moved up the road i told him to stay up, he came back down the road took out my front wheel, my race over with a gear leaver thats now in 2. A bit shattering to end the race that way after spending the last 12 months working for a top 10 finish. i was feeling really good and the tough cold conditions really suited me, i think i was one of the few happy with the weather. Now its all over time to start planning for next years race.

Pics of my leaver which is only held together by my cables.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51984884@N06/5088240144/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51984884@N06/5087640807/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51984884@N06/5087640327/

Blasphemy! A light bike always, always helps.

'Least that's the tact I use to obtain additional funding from the "bank".

"Damn I could have gone so much better in that race if it weren't for these heavy un-aero pedals. I could have stayed with the bunch, if only I had Lightweights *hint**hint*..."

_________________
"Physiology is all just propaganda and lies... all waiting to be disproven by the next study."
"I'm not a real doctor; But I am a real worm; I am an actual worm." - TMBG

TP, it wasn't racing for minor placings at that point, the early breaks you are talking about actually came back on the first major climb at 193km, and the race was in one front group of about 35 over the top of the final climb which is where the 3 who won it rode away.

One of the roughest days I have had on the bike, probably mentally as much as physically pushing into that wind all day. My whole body hurts today from trying to keep the bike upright for nearly 8 hours!

Played that card to get the PM

And one of the funny chats with another rider went;

Him: "first Warny?"

Me: "first open in fact"

Him: "way to start!"


And hotshot that does blow, would have been handy to have you further along in the race.


Mav?? From what I saw and was told it went: first break of 3, chasing bunch of no more than 10, main bunch. Is that incorrect? And given who was up the road there was no incentive for any big team to chase them down.
I'll stand corrected, but that's how I saw it unfold.

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Baum Ristretto, Baum Mondrian Corretto & the '89 Merckx! | "If you could eat it in one sitting, hold your line." | twitter.com/Tinea_Pedis

And to think the winner takes home $2000 dollars for an all day slog in the worlds 2nd oldest bike race, yet, if you dress up like a DH and run around with a cup of beer over an obstacle course you can win $100,002.
http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=27172
Australia's richest foot race, even piping the Stawell gift, the Carlton Draught Plastic Cup.
Shows how far cycling still has to come in this country.