Melbourne to Warrnambool 2010

Road cycling & upcoming rides
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T-Bone
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Postby T-Bone » 04 Oct 2010, 21:02

I thought i'd make a topic for all the news from the Warrnie, taking place 16th October.

For those that don't know, it's a nice 260km race down in Victoria.

This year me and Alex are heading down there to take on the challenge.

shrubb face
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Postby shrubb face » 04 Oct 2010, 21:12

261kms

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mikesbytes
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Postby mikesbytes » 10 Oct 2010, 17:45

261kms
Picky

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T-Bone
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Postby T-Bone » 14 Oct 2010, 18:10

Well, i've been plonked into C grade, and Alex B grade.... :shock: Plus it looks like they've made teams for everyone that didn't make their own, Cyclesport Victoria for me, and City Memorial Bowls Club Warrnambool for Alex!!

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mikesbytes
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Postby mikesbytes » 14 Oct 2010, 21:21

Does that mean that Alex has to wear white?

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Postby shrubb face » 14 Oct 2010, 22:01

Oh no :(

Well as im going to die, id like to say good bye to everyone now.

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T-Bone
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Postby T-Bone » 14 Oct 2010, 22:49

Not too much to worry about as we all start in the one giant bunch!!

kiwiames
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Postby kiwiames » 15 Oct 2010, 09:27

good luck guys it sounds like hell.

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Adrian E
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Postby Adrian E » 15 Oct 2010, 09:41

City Memorial Bowls Club Warrnambool!!! I wonder what sort of domestique services are on offer?

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mikesbytes
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Postby mikesbytes » 15 Oct 2010, 10:05

I hear there is crap weather in Victoria. Hope it misses you

MarkL
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Postby MarkL » 15 Oct 2010, 11:46

Alex, you can't die- Grafton next week :twisted:

Good luck guys.

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Postby shrubb face » 15 Oct 2010, 12:02

We are aboit an hour from the border. So far we've forged about 3 rivers which have decided that they want to cross the road and its only getting worse.

timyone
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Postby timyone » 15 Oct 2010, 12:26

oh far out, crap windy weather could make it all bad hey :S
good luck!

orphic
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Postby orphic » 17 Oct 2010, 07:23

Soo are you guys still alive?

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T-Bone
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Postby T-Bone » 17 Oct 2010, 17:19

Still alive, though we didn't make the distance.... I think approx 90 out of 220 or so finished.

Supposedly it was some of the hardest conditions in the races history. Waking Saturday morning to 5 degree temperatures and rain wasn't the most promising, but luckily by the start at 7:30 the rain had stopped though there were still short showers at times during the race (nothing that went for too long), and the air temp was still 5deg. The worst of it was the horrible cross/head winds that i've been told were around 60km/hr.

Starting the race, straight away my fingers froze, my face froze, my legs were cold (needed my stronger warming oil), but i was in the bunch trying to hide from the wind, so i couldn't complain too much, and there were some signs of blue sky. At 15km or so as we turned to get the full force of a cross wind, the main bunch splintered into small groups (i believe as a result of the first sprint), and this left me, Alex and many others pushing hard to hold the wheel in front and bridge gaps that formed in front of other riders. At 20km as Alex pushed hard to bridge a big gap, it became the last i saw of him as i found out later his breakfast wouldn't stay down.

For the next 15km i held onto the back of a group of 12-15riders chasing the get back to the main field, and luckily at 35km we found them seemingly stopped (not sure why) and we were back. The bunch cruised along and then at 42km as i attempted to eat a powerbar, the pace was up again, and after spitting the food out i found myself back in another small group with some of the same riders as previously. I did attempt to do some work on the front, but very quickly realised i was best off sitting on the back. So i remained hanging onto this small group, and amazingly at 70km we once again found ourselves back in the main bunch as they cruised along at 27-30km/hr. Obviously no one wanted to start to race too seriously with a long way to go in the terrible weather.

Next up came the first feed, and after grabbing my bottle i was in the long line trying to bunch up again, but the hard work in the wind had taken its toll and i couldn't push quite hard enough, so eased up slightly. The bunch wasn't really getting any further away from me for a while, but i wasn't getting any closer either, and then eventually i had to ease up slightly. Soon i found myself hanging onto another small group that had appeared from behind, but even that was hard work, and as the paced increased slightly i was on my own, and that's how it remained for 20km until i caught another rider. Not long after with 25km to the second feed (125km done) another group came from behind and this one brought Alex with it. Deciding we would escape the horrible conditions at the feed, i once again could only really sit on the back until 10km before the feed when my legs decided to cramp. So once again i was by myself and happy to get to the car after 150km of horrible wind.

Now in the car, we drove to the race finish to see who would win, and with the finish time over 1hr later the the expected finish time it was Rhys Pollack who took out the win (time of 7hr49min).

I'll guess after all this, i'll have to try again next year, and surely the conditions can't be so bad 2 yrs in a row.

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T-Bone
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Postby T-Bone » 17 Oct 2010, 17:20

Just reading cyclingnews, 212 starters, 93 finishers, and 50 punctures. :shock:

Terry
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Postby Terry » 17 Oct 2010, 19:36

Nice report James, hopefully conditions will be better at the Grafton.

timyone
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Postby timyone » 17 Oct 2010, 19:55

thanks for the report :D

Eleri
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Postby Eleri » 17 Oct 2010, 20:35

Well that sounds like a long way to go in order to be beaten up by the weather. The weather definitely won if only 44% of the field finished! Sounds horrible I have to say.

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Postby shrubb face » 17 Oct 2010, 21:11

Ill post a full report later, but really it was pretty horrible. Breakfast didnt get along well with my stomach and found a much better home in someones front lawn.

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NOOG
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Postby NOOG » 17 Oct 2010, 21:33

You should have trained your stomach up as well. A few more cherry pies (with cream) at the top of Macquarie Pass would have done it.


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