Otway Odyseey, 19/02/11
da...@topbike.com.au
Race Report, in Haiku:
We took 2 juniors
to the Otway, I beat �em
(but not everyone else)
Now keep reading if you want the full version.
This is my 5th Otway, so far I�ve completed 2 shortys (50k) and 2 x 100s.
I had October and November off with a little shoulder op, so the shorty
was the natural choice for me, once again. I was 9th last year, and want
top ten today. We are also hosting two junior brothers from Atherton,
Luke (13) and Will (14), both stringbeans, who are planning to continue on
to Adelaide, the following week, and race MTB National Champs. We last
saw the boys at home in October, but since then, Will has grown about a
metre. He stands 180cm today, and by the end of the weekend, I reckon
182. He�s almost growing before our eyes.
We went to the line together and placed ourselves on the front row of the
fast group. With 500 starting, this is the best place to be. I point out
a couple of the �wheels� amongst the front group, Steve Drake (national
road champion �93, Comm Games �94) and Brent Tanzen (MTB national team,
circa �97) to name a couple. I had forewarned the boys about the �talent�
so the nod was passed, and they knew who to follow, up the unmade road
start.
Bang goes the gun. For the first k or two, I�m third wheel, good, I�m not
going near the front. This is doubly emphasised on the first climb, as I
slip backwards. I see Luke go up the road, but I�ve lost Will. I slip
further back, and on a longer stretch I count 22 in front of me. My top
ten finish is a looking a long way off. It�s still wide open, unmade
road, still going up. I struggle on. Past the top of the �red carpet� we
go, on and on, and on. Bloody gravel road climb, boring as hell. I�d
prefer to watch paint dry, inadvertently biting my tongue.
Shortly before I�ve just about had enough, the course turns left, into the
forest, and down. Yay. Here I morph into the Pac man. I chase and
chomp. 22nd. Chase, chomp. 21st. Chomp, chomp, chomp, 18th place and 3
in a row. The cyclist�s hat-trick. Chomp, Steve Drake. Chomp Luke.
Chomping down now towards the �Red carpet�. Once here, it�s tight single
track, and the chomping is slowing.
Caught behind two, the front guy yells �I�m no speedster in the single
track!� No shit Sherlock, I think to myself, but politely respond �Let us
through on the road crossing and we�ll love ya forever!�. Crossing the
lake road, he dutifully acquiesces, and I send my love to him for that.
But now it�s hammer down on the timed descent, I want the top ten, and I
need to be quick down the red carpet. Slide the back wheel here, a
two-wheel slide there, hold it together over the rocks, (a fall here could
ruin your day) (at least) pedal on the false flats, aero crouch and coast
on the steep ramps. It�s good, I don�t get held up again, and I score a
clean run.
Now I�m on my own, on the long road-haul back to the transition area. I
see a group behind me, chasing me down on the road. They�re too far back
to wait for, then work with, so I try and stay away. I fail. They catch
me. It�s Luke, my team mate, turned 13 the day before, hitched a ride and
caught me. Goes past me, with another. Two regurgitate from the pac man.
In transition I grab a bottle as MBW yells �you�re in 13th�...
We talk before they escape up the road, disappearing on the next climb.
The top ten is getting away from me again. I had 11th, now I don�t.
With 10k to go, I catch Luke again. He�s wobbling up a little climb like
he�s about to fall, but tells me he�s OK. I tell him to eat and he nearly
runs off the course reaching immediately for his pocket. I suspect he may
have gone out hard, a bit early, and maybe not eaten enough, but he�s
still talking OK and looking determined. I�m impressed enough to leave
him to it. (Plus, now I�m in 12th).
I catch and pass the guy in 11th. He�s also impressed with Luke�s ride
and we chat briefly, he offers to sponsor Luke and Will, with tubes.
Yells out his website . Cycling is a lovely sport.
In the distance I spy 10th, while I can make ground in the tight stuff, I
lose it again on the open climbs. I crack and un-crack a few times. In
the tight turns of �Casper Black� I catch a group of four. Here�s my top
ten! But I can�t get past, I�m trapped in the single track, trapped by my
own advantage... I crack again. The track opens up, I pass just one,
Will, while the others piss off up the road. Will�s going backwards with
5k to go. Another four from behind come past me here. I breathlessly
curse, crikey! (or something similar).
In the fading final kilometres I find a little something, and pull back
one place. Salvaging 13th, and 1st in my class. Later I learn I picked
up 5th overall down the Red Carpet, which makes me very happy. Will comes
home in 15th and Luke, god bless him, exits the course 10 metres before
the finish, and loses at least 5 places, while we steer him back on, so he
can cross the line proper.
Both the Marnane boys race nationals here in Adelaide on Thursday, and
while they placed 2nd and 4th on Saturday, they were one and two at the
halfway mark, which is about the length of the race they�ve been prepping
for. While they�ve picked up one sponsor (http://www.rocketsports.net)
please cross your fingers for them, later this week.
Annabelle Drew
been working. Curse you!
Had any thoughts about our interviewees this Sunday?
Will we be riding from albert park at 8am? If not, where shall we meet?
Kind Regards,
Annabelle Drew
Landscape Architect
t: 9328 5427
e: annabe...@netspace.net.au