NSW State Masters Road titles - Orange

Road cycling & upcoming rides
Eleri
Posts: 1753
Joined: 31 Dec 2009, 08:43
Location: Erskineville

Postby Eleri » 05 May 2016, 12:57

Ride report from Craig Weller

Three members of the newly formed DH racing team ventured to Orange last weekend for the annual NSW Masters State Titles along with two women. We were spread over multiple categories with Simon Berry the spring chicken in MAS3, Pete McSwiggan and Sandra Tracy in MAS5, and Eleri and Craig Weller representing the senior citizens in MMAS6. John Mason and Mark Lacey had entered but were out with lurgy and injuries respectively.

Saturday: Road Race

Held on an undulating course around Molong – the road was a typical country track with plenty of pot holes, loose gravel and rough edges. However, the roads were relatively quiet and safe from traffic. The morning was looking quite miserable and the heavens opened up as us in the MMAS6 were into the first lap – the weather did clear and by the afternoon the roads were dry and the weather fine.

Eleri was the only one to bring home some silverware with a bronze! Top effort!! Peter was hoping for bigger hills and finished a very good 10th in a very competitive group – “another 500 metres of climbing and it would be a different result”! An amateur mistake of having too much air in my back tyre (resulting in no traction on the wet climb) caused me to be dropped and thus out. Simon, suffered a puncture on the first lap and after a disastrous wheel change from the spares vehicle and a chase with a directional mishap had a “day from hell”. Sandra finished not far behind the main bunch.

Overall a testing course which kept the riders honest.

Sunday: Criterium

Sunday dawned a little kinder but with a stiff northerly breeze and threatening clouds - fingers were crossed that the track would stay dry. The course was on in industrial estate just out of town. It was a quick, wide and smooth surface with corners that were able to be negotiated at high speed and the finish was uphill into a headwind.
Peter McS and myself were starters – in MAS6 a group of 4 jumped after the first lap and I could not get across - thus rendering the rest of the race a group ride with a bunch of about 10. We were able hold off the break, so we weren’t lapped, but that’s about the extent of the excitement. Pete worked hard with his group, but like the previous race, 2 got away and were able to hold off the chasing bunch. Sandra also worked hard and finished just off the bunch. Eleri flatted a couple of laps in and gladly gave up.

An excellent circuit built for the strong man/women who can maintain a high power load.

Monday: Time Trial

The ‘Race of Truth’ was on the last day – the weather Gods were shining with a beautiful morning and a breeze that started light but was freshening as the day went on. It was a slightly undulating course with a hilly finish.
Three of us rolled off at various intervals – it was my main focus for the weekend. Aiming for a top 10, I was very pleased to come in 5th and not too far off the podium. The best thing was that I knocked off a nemesis who I’ve been trying to beat for years. Pete was next away, a solid ride saw him finish 13th – having tired legs from the weekend of racing and a no warm up perhaps inhibiting a finish higher up the order. Simon’s top weekend continued with a flat tyre impeding his warmup and legs that would not comply (perhaps it was the boozy lunch he partook in Sunday) – he finished 13th in a group that is extremely fast.
Not to gloat, but the ‘old bugger’ was able to show the two ‘young whipper snappers’ a clean pair of heels! Its game on in the time trial stakes!!

I encourage all master’s racers to enter these events. They are well run and are starting to get decent numbers rolling up. The next event is the Australian titles which will be held in Griffith on October 1-3. It will be mainly participants from NSW so don’t be put off by the fact that its national.

Happy Riding, Craig

jcaley
Posts: 461
Joined: 25 Oct 2012, 07:14

Postby jcaley » 05 May 2016, 14:35

Great report Craig. So I need to get faster than Peter McS to get into top 10 contention - whew!


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