Quoted message said:Club News Alpine Classic John Clarke (aka Allan O'Neill) on the 200 km.
Strangely my memories of the Alpine Classic already seem to have been
erased, but as I unpacked my putrid cycling gear back in Melbourne I
found the following transcript of an interview between John Clarke and
Brian Dawe.
BD: So tell me how you enjoyed this year's Alpine Classic, Allan
JC: Great descents, Brian, always love those descents on the Alpine. I
did better than ever on the descents this year. Took some of those
corners just beautifully.
BD: But it's not really about the descents is it? Isn't the whole point
of the thing to do well on the climbs?
JC: Well that just shows you've got the wrong end of the stick as usual
Brian. You should get out of your ivory tower and talk to some real
cyclists. That climbing stuff is just a distraction. The sooner they
organise lifts like the skiers have, the better. That's the way to
really popularise the ride I reckon, especially in this hot weather.
Difficult to descend well with all that sweat running into your eyes.
BD: All the same, tell us how you went on the climbs.
JC: Can't say I noticed mate, I was just thinking about the next
descent. They're all so different you see, a 'bomb' run down the back of
Tawonga, sweeping curves on Falls, fast and twisty over Tawonga again, a
bit of everything on Buffalo. Too much to think about there to worry
about the bloody climbs
BD: But I did hear that you were putting in some training on climbs this
year, Arthur's seat repeats, Donna Buang?
JC: Rumour and innuendo; never train for the climbs, doesn't help your
descending one bit mate - a bloke might lose weight and slow down on
the descents.
BD: And you were publicly quoted as stating that you were going for sub-
9 hours this year.
JC: Which I achieved very comfortably thank you very much.
BD: But I have the certificate here in front of me saying 9 hours
52 minutes!
JC: Another Audax stuff-up. Look here at this computer: "Riding Time
8:53". Is that under 9 hours or is it under 9 hours? Almost as bad as
them getting lost on Buffalo and taking the wrong road for the Chalet.
Did you know the idiots confused Dingo Dell and the Chalet!! Anyone
could have told'em what a chalet looks like and it's not some bloody
carpark out the back of nowhere near a forlorn looking ski lift. Added
on at least 15 minutes! They couldn't organise themselves out of a paper
bag. Fortunately as you see, I still broke 9 hours.
BD: But that's riding time. Alpine Classic times are always
elapsed times.
JC: Yes, elapsed riding time, 8 hours 53. Are you deaf or just stupid?
BD: No, elapsed time is the total time from start to finish and it says
here that you started at 6:20 am and finished at 4:12 pm which is 9
hours 52 minutes.
JC: Geez you're a bit obsessed by this time business aren't you? Do you
work in the public service or something? The idea is to have fun mate,
especially on the descents. Did I tell you about those descents?
They're ...
BD: I'm sorry Allan we'll have to leave it there
I've enjoyed reading some of the race/ride reports contributed recently
by various correspondents. I have shamelessly nicked the one below about
the Alpine Classic from the Eastern Vets website; bit of a different
slant from the norm ...
from http://www.easternvets.com/articles/Alpine.htm
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