Gold and the champion's jersey

by Pip Read - Australian Masters 2009 Road Race Champion

Here in sunny Canberra the weather had been an improvement on what we had been experiencing in Geelong. After loading most of my cycling stuff into the car, as I'm heading to Sydney for the 2009 World Masters Games straight after the Canberra event, to say that it was packed to the rafters would be an understatement.

The first day I decided to allow myself a bit of R & R after the drive from Geelong. I had a sleep in before heading out for a short ride. I decided to climb Black Mountain, which in the past I've quite enjoyed, but this time my heart rate was through the roof. With the heart rate monitor alarm screaming at me I decided that one effort was enough for the day and headed back to the accommodation.

Race 1 - Australian Masters Time Trial Championship

All the races started at the very impressive Mt Stromlo cycling complex. This course was a 19km out and back circuit with rolling hills. We faced warm temperatures, a head wind out and a tail wind home, and an uphill start with a left turn out the front gate, followed by a 3k. Climb. Not ideal but the same for all. As I'm the current champion I started last in my age group, which I prefer as it gives me a carrot to chase. I passed all the riders that started in front of me before the turnaround and headed for home and a tricky right turn of the main road back into the complex. I finished first with a time of 32 minutes and a few seconds, a bit over two minutes ahead of the field. Race one done and dusted and with one gold medal and a bottle of red, I spent some time on the phone to Madam Lash on the Thursday night as my HR was the highest that it has ever been. I recorded 191bpm for a tick over 23 minutes, impressive but I was quite worried.

Race 2 - Australian Masters Road Race Championships

Unfortunately, and I suspect it was related to yesterday's race heart rate, I was feeling ill. Maybe it was nerves because it passed not long after the race started or at least I forgot about it. We started in the same place as yesterday with a field of 10, some I knew and some I didn't. With lower temperatures and less of a wind, the exact opposite of the previous day's conditions, this circuit included a very nasty down hill decent to Uriarra Crossing. Worried officials issued warnings on the circuit's technical route and my plan, for safety reasons, was to stay a decent way ahead of the others, and maybe breakaway on the way home. After the crossing we had a sharp left hand turn and another nasty climb.

By the time I crested the hill and looked over my shoulder no one was in sight and I decide to go alone, but as the head wind was quite strong and this part of the circuit was a false flat I was not that confident of my plan succeeding. As it turned out I stayed away to the end in a fairly uneventful fashion, except for the magpie that was having great fun attacking me on one of the uphill sections. I finished first by a good margin which meant gold number two and a better that even chance of getting the championship jersey for the third year in a row. With a rest day before the criterium, I looked forward to the next race.

Race 3 - Australian Masters Criterium Championship

This was the first race of the day, which was wet and there was a slight head wind going down the back of the circuit. It is always a bit tricky when you are racing on a little known circuit in the wet so I decided to follow one of the local girls. My thinking was that she probably has ridden here in the wet previously and should know the lines. I had raced against her in the past and was confident in her choice. I stayed toward the front of the race as most of the girls were working, although there is always one that sucks wheels and won't pull. I played with a few different lines and was formulating a plan for the last two laps as I was unable to lose anyone. Unfortunately this is when it all went pear shaped! Under the rules once you're in the last three laps, the pits/spares area is closed and, you guessed it, I flatted as we were heading for the bell lap. I ride on singles (glued on tyres) and after a quick calculation on points decided to just roll to the finish. After crossing the line for the last lap I realised that my rear tyre was not totally flat, the leak stopping stuff had worked but by this time the race was gone.

This was a bit of a downer after so much work, but at least I still had enough points to be awarded the champions jersey for 2009, my goal for the event and my third title.

I learnt never ever assume anything from the experience. I thought as the surface of the track was hot-mix and very smooth I had my bases covered with the leak-stopper in my new tyres. I thought I'd be safe, not that I could have done anything about it, that's just racing sometimes.

A big thank you to my fellow competitors and spectators. I think the championships were well run and my congratulations to all organisers and officials for a great event, great roads for racing.

I leave Canberra tomorrow (Tuesday, October 6) for some R & R on the NSW coast and then to Sydney for the World Masters Games. I need to find a replacement tyre. If all else fails I have a spare but would prefer to keep it in reserve, but once bitten!

Cya!

Pip