RR: Kew Crits 15-05-05

Decided to have a crack at C-grade for the first time today, and found out how unfit I actually was. You can get away with it in D-grade, but certainly not in C.

My aim was to stay with the field for the entire race, and failed miserably.
Got dropped at at around the 15min mark, managed to get back on, but then lost touch completely at 20min, and just spent the remaining 15min+3 riding around by myself and another bloke..who didn't help any effort to try and get back on...damn wheelsucka (when he went past me he'd slow right down, and I'd have to pass him again).

After a significant rest from the crits, decided to do the time trial course on the Boulie, 1:30 over my time from a couple of weeks back...sheesh

Back to D-grade for the Aug crit.

Top effort GPL, just going from strength to strength, and Craigster on fire with a ripping 3rd...that win has to be just round the corner.

ess "2nd in A-grade" 93

essendon93 said:

Decided to have a crack at C-grade for the first time today, and found out how unfit I actually was. You can get away with it in D-grade, but certainly not in C.

My aim was to stay with the field for the entire race, and failed miserably.
Got dropped at at around the 15min mark, managed to get back on, but then lost touch completely at 20min, and just spent the remaining 15min+3 riding around by myself and another bloke..who didn't help any effort to try and get back on...damn wheelsucka (when he went past me he'd slow right down, and I'd have to pass him again).

After a significant rest from the crits, decided to do the time trial course on the Boulie, 1:30 over my time from a couple of weeks back...sheesh

Back to D-grade for the Aug crit.

Top effort GPL, just going from strength to strength, and Craigster on fire with a ripping 3rd...that win has to be just round the corner.

ess "2nd in A-grade" 93

2nd in A grade? wots that about?

And no. you cant go back to Dgrade, sooky lala 😄
(i think?) the thing with the crits is you gotta keep doing an effort like that every week otherwise your form is gonna drop. Like we chatted about, The 9km commute and a BR without anything else is going backwards

F"everyone's a critic"Dutch

flyingdutch said:

2nd in A grade? wots that about?

And no. you cant go back to Dgrade, sooky lala 😄
(i think?) the thing with the crits is you gotta keep doing an effort like that every week otherwise your form is gonna drop. Like we chatted about, The 9km commute and a BR without anything else is going backwards

F"everyone's a critic"Dutch

I would have only been on my bike for a few weeks, after a month of nothing so I reckon a D-Grade entry is a fair trade. I mean you'd be mad to go in C-grade after your extended lay off.

Dutch didn't you see the white colour on my back, it must be dem drugs your taking 😉 There was only 1 A grade entry

Sundays performance still grating at me, bit like the '83 Grand Final

essendon93 said:

I would have only been on my bike for a few weeks, after a month of nothing so I reckon a D-Grade entry is a fair trade. I mean you'd be mad to go in C-grade after your extended lay off.

Dutch didn't you see the white colour on my back, it must be dem drugs your taking 😉 There was only 1 A grade entry

Sundays performance still grating at me, bit like the '83 Grand Final

you big woooss!

i went thru about 6-8 races of getting dropped before becoming vaguely competitive.
You were makin the same mistakes you made in your first 2 races (as did i in my first 6!) of doing the 'yo-yo' at the very back of the pack, wasteing energy getting back on every hill. No wonder you got dropped!
You reckon only a few weeks gets you off C-grade? Forget it fella!
Besides all this gives you something to strive for. stop looking for the easy way out, sooky lala! 😄

Quoted message said:

Sundays performance still grating at me, bit like the '83 Grand Final

I quite enjoyed the 83 GF, 84,85 not so much. Ess, you must have been
about seven in 83? How do you remember?

I can't even remember the 91 GF, although that's probably more due to
the pile of Vic Bitters that were surrounding me by the final siren.

flyingdutch said:

you big woooss!

i went thru about 6-8 races of getting dropped before becoming vaguely competitive.
You were makin the same mistakes you made in your first 2 races (as did i in my first 6!) of doing the 'yo-yo' at the very back of the pack, wasteing energy getting back on every hill. No wonder you got dropped!

Maybe, I was craving a point where I could get a spell, and didn't have the juice to move up the field which I would have liked to do.

flyingdutch said:

You reckon only a few weeks gets you off C-grade? Forget it fella!

Pretty please Mr Dutchy🙂

flyingdutch said:

Besides all this gives you something to strive for. stop looking for the easy way out, sooky lala! 😄

Nah I was just looking at easing my way back in, My longer term goal would be to win in C, but thats a looong way off.

The only positive thing was my average speed, which was clearly up on what I'd done in the past, and considering I wasn't getting a tow for the entire crit.

essendon93 said:

After a significant rest from the crits, decided to do the time trial course on the Boulie, 1:30 over my time from a couple of weeks back...sheesh

Back to D-grade for the Aug crit.

Top effort GPL, just going from strength to strength, and Craigster on fire with a ripping 3rd...that win has to be just round the corner.

ess "2nd in A-grade" 93

Hey Ess,

I'm with FD on this - I really can't see why you'd want to drop back down to D-grade, and I don't think you'd benefit from it. I mean it's not really for the prize money is it? :p I ride with a lot of the C-graders on various bunch rides and I can't say there's a insurmountable gap between where they are and and where I am. As soon as I get that win I'm gonna move up, and I don't think its far away now. And when I get dropped from C-grade (which I fully expect will happen) it's not going to get me down, because I know that 6 months ago I was getting dropped from D-grade. Because to me, being dropped from C-grade but still getting exposure to more advanced riders and situations, provided you're not putting yourself or anyone else at risk, is far more beneficial to you romping home in D-grade and collecting $10. All IMHO of course.

Anyway, I had a blast on Sunday. In foggy conditions and the temperature around 12 degrees, Craig V got us underway. I spent the first half of the race alternating lead with a guy on a red Cecil Walker frame, Laurie L, Nick E, Nick D and Tim W. At the 15 minute mark and shortly after C-grade passed us, I decided to up the pace a bit and made a jump from third wheel. Only a Half-Arsed Attack but I was curious to see what would happen. Unfortunately I'd not left enought time from C-grade passing so pretty soon I ran up against the back of their bunch. Not wanting to be accused of riding on their coat tails (I knew FD was watching) I dropped back to rejoin the bunch in fifth.

At the three-laps to go marker, the same 7 riders were still dictating the pace. I thought Cecil Walker Guy was looking ready for a move and was riding strongly enough to pull it off, so I moved to the front and brought the pace up to lessen his impact. It worked pretty well because when he finally made his move at two laps to go, he barely put 10 metres on the bunch and I caught his wheel easily. Ta muchly mate! At the penultimate hairpin, I was still at second wheel behind CWG, who was slowly fading, and as we rounded the corner (with much pedal mashing behind) Nick D made a strong move up the hill. I jumped onto his wheel and got a nice tow over the top. Much to my surprise, Nick faded as we crossed the line at the bell, and although it was rather earlier than I wanted I knew I had no option but to make my move or get boxed in behind Nick. I was pushing 52k's round the back corner, still trying to keep something in reserve for the final sprint, and moved out wide to avoid being boxed at the approach to the hairpin. I had no idea how much of a gap I had on the bunch, but I managed to stay in front until about 30 metres from the hairpin, when Tim W passed on my left and took the inside line. Once I was safetly through the turn, I ground hard on the cranks (damn, too high a gear AGAIN) and just concentrated on not giving up until the line. Nick E moved out from behind me and I knew I didn't have enough to hold him off so I ended up finishing in third. I think the three of us had about 5 metres on the rest of the bunch.

Well done to GPL on his C-grade third place and sprint wins. Sorry I didn't have time to chat at the end but the Missus had been taking registrations and was ready to go. See you at the ITT, hopefully.

Cheers,
Craigster.

essendon93 said:

The only positive thing was my average speed, which was clearly up on what I'd done in the past, and considering I wasn't getting a tow for the entire crit.

Hey, Dgrade's average was 32kph!!!

Obviously without 'The Dutch' they all go slow 😄

F"legend in the lunchbox"Dutch

Dave A said:

>

Quoted message said:

Sundays performance still grating at me, bit like the '83 Grand Final

I quite enjoyed the 83 GF, 84,85 not so much. Ess, you must have been
about seven in 83? How do you remember?

I can't even remember the 91 GF, although that's probably more due to
the pile of Vic Bitters that were surrounding me by the final siren.

I was 5, no don't remember it live, but I've seen it on Fox footy

craigster_jd said:

Hey Ess,

I'm with FD on this - I really can't see why you'd want to drop back down to D-grade, and I don't think you'd benefit from it. I mean it's not really for the prize money is it? :p I ride with a lot of the C-graders on various bunch rides and I can't say there's a insurmountable gap between where they are and and where I am. As soon as I get that win I'm gonna move up, and I don't think its far away now. And when I get dropped from C-grade (which I fully expect will happen) it's not going to get me down, because I know that 6 months ago I was getting dropped from D-grade. Because to me, being dropped from C-grade but still getting exposure to more advanced riders and situations, provided you're not putting yourself or anyone else at risk, is far more beneficial to you romping home in D-grade and collecting $10. All IMHO of course.

Cheers,
Craigster.

Ok Ok C-Grade it is then.
If there was crits on before I go away in June I'd definately be riding in C for them, I was just thinking lack of fitness on return thats all.

essendon93 said:

Ok Ok C-Grade it is then.
If there was crits on before I go away in June I'd definately be riding in C for them, I was just thinking lack of fitness on return thats all.

nice try. we're onto ya tho 😄

hey, if i cant race myself, I may as well have fun heckling from the sidelines 😄😄😄

PS i was 16 in '83. No feckin wonder you go up hill faster!!!

craigster_jd said:

I spent the first half of the race alternating lead with a guy on a red Cecil Walker frame

He's (bugger, forgotten name) a guy i have chatted to a few times on the mascot ride. newbie down from Qld who used to race up there, apparently

I think he rides the biggest frame i have ever eyeballed!!!
Once he figures the course/wheelsuckin out i think Dgrade are in trouble!
(i saw him take off and wondered if he was tryin to ITT to the finish but not surprisingly you were all togehter again 😄)

Hey GPL

Check out the front page of bicigaga 😄
au.groups.yahoo.combicigagaOpen ↗

essendon93 said:

Hey GPL

Check out the front page of bicigaga 😄
au.groups.yahoo.combicigagaOpen ↗

great pic! looks like the lead-up to the intermediary sprint ?

"flyingdutch" wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

great pic! looks like the lead-up to the intermediary sprint ?

Nop, that is the final sprint to the line.. IIRC Toby spent no time on the
front and had the best legs for the win.. damn tactics.. 🙂

cheers,
GPL