The Thread about Nothing....



That’s got me thinking, that was my second best open result on the road. The best was a second in an u16 open at Greenvale on the 56 Olympic course before I smashed my face up in a training stack. 4ths in vic junior crit and 50km title, 5th in the road title. A few top tens in Open company. Did win the B grade (2nd scratch) prize one year in Melbourne to Ballarat but it doesn’t count. That was probably the day of that pic I posted a couple of months ago.

Should have won an u16 country title at Morwell on the Hazelwood Pondage course but punctured about 15km to go after smashing the field. Might have come close as a first year u16 in a Vic title at Greta and as a first year junior in a vic title at Puckapunyal but a late race fall in the ditch and puncture respectively ****ed those up. ****ed a couple of Opens up as well where I should have gone close. An open at Wangaratta, that Junior 50km title, a stupid and really bad fall in the Preston Mountain Classic at Broadford and two Melbourne to Colacs spring to mind.

shoulda coulda woulda. It doesn’t matter, it was a long time ago, I don’t think about it very often and my head fell off after that bad fall at Broadford anyway. I wasn't enough of a killer at 15-19yo and didn’t have enough sang froid. I was cooler and more ruthless when I raced briefly at 22yo and again at 28-29 but was too fat (lost about 20kg from August 2000 to March 2001), smoking and didn’t have a base.
 
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Went to see an MTB 4 hour enduro today. I only went for the last hour because I get bored easy.

Some observations.

Looked hard as ****.
Four hours is a long time on the bike. Fours + hours on an MTB, 100% concentrating the whole time, on bumps, constantly changing terrain, dust etc must suck. Everyone was complaining of sore hands and cramps, and this was on a course one bloke said was “flowing”. Definitely up there with a mountain stage or Roubaix or an 80km TT or the Madison before they made it a short pussified event rather than a 60km + torture fest for stupid pain suckiness. One of my mates did say “this isn’t a 2000m handicap on the track”. Maybe not, but they hurt too. I’ve finished 40km point scores with quality fields and Dean Woods ripping off the front with six day form and finished completely spent. Cycling is hard, doesn’t matter the event, it’s rare it’s ever easy.

Everyone is friendly.
I walked up the course away from the pits. I’ve never been to an event where the competitors say “hello hows it going” when they ride past, while totally knackered, dodging trees, tree roots, drop bears and tiger snakes. This is a good thing. Then again, most of them are participants rather than competitors. If I get to a certain level of fitness and have paid start money I’m not geared that way. I’ll kill you. And your dog. And enjoy it.

It was a bit **** to watch.
An enduro is probably like basketball or indoor cricket. Good to play, **** to watch. I’ll have to go see a shorter event, one that is more a race than a slog fest. I’ll also go early so I can find an ace part of the course on a hill where they are suffering heaps or technical bit where they crash into trees and rocks and blackberries and stuff.

I had the biggest **** there.
Can’t drive a six inch nail with a tack hammer.
 
Loving the stories, Mr Classics.

Not a bad sprint by Pidcock in the Amstel Gold last night - the lad has a bit of a future, though I think the British commentators could afford to dial down their excitement just a tiny bit.

Just read a Nick Cave comment about this Karen Dalton song I discovered by accident via Nina Simone radio on Spotify. It's been mentioned because there's a doco about her coming out later this year. NC's comment on it:

«I was so profoundly moved when I first heard Karen Dalton’s extraordinary Something On My Mind on a cassette in my car – that I pulled over at the side of the road and wept. It wasn’t that it was sad, it was because that song was perfect. The Bad Seeds have been attempting to write that song for years now»

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And a shoutout to I Am Not Okay With This, on Netflix. This plus many other excellent things are on the soundrack, plus it's brilliant dark comedy.

Also in that vein, The End of the F***ing World (both seasons) rocks as well for the dark humour and the soundtrack. The ******** philosophy professor almost makes up for his appalling behaviour by having the most amazing mid-century home and a BMW 3.0 CSI.
 
I wouldn't mind a 3.5CSL though.

The ultimate sleeper, so understated :)

This most beautiful object was listed on Carsales earlier in the year for $170K and was snapped up within a week :eek:

d60wpglwhuxrgfgt6cxi2zrky.jpg
 
Would kinda wanna be at that price! Another nice one with fewer Ks but without full restoration went for half that, again within a week.

And, since I had some minor shoulder surgery today and am on the good drugs, you get to enjoy these:

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The ultimate sleeper, so understated :)

This most beautiful object was listed on Carsales earlier in the year for $170K and was snapped up within a week :eek:

d60wpglwhuxrgfgt6cxi2zrky.jpg
Yes classic cars have appreciated rather too well for us poor fellows. I was horrified to realise that my hotted up LJ Torana which I swapped for a LiteAce to get out of Lismore back in the day is probably worth $80k now.
And the racing Cooper S from my teenage years, don't wanna know. And even the 70s Celica. Bah humbug.
 
Yes classic cars have appreciated rather too well for us poor fellows. I was horrified to realise that my hotted up LJ Torana which I swapped for a LiteAce to get out of Lismore back in the day is probably worth $80k now.
And the racing Cooper S from my teenage years, don't wanna know. And even the 70s Celica. Bah humbug.

That XA Fairmont coupe (owned by one little old lady) I decided against as my first car ...
 
OK the pain meds have well and truly kicked in now

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(jump to the 20 second mark for the start)

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.... Not a bad sprint by Pidcock in the Amstel Gold last night - the lad has a bit of a future, though I think the British commentators could afford to dial down their excitement just a tiny bit. ...
And a pretty impressive effort from Jay Vine in his first pro race, the Tour of Turkey. And nice to see Cav back; it'll be interesting to see how he goes against the big boys.
 
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The bells just tolled twelve times here in Launceston. (Well nearly an hour ago now.) I'm not sure whether that is cool or archaic. It's definitely cold.
I'm sure I'm surprised to be surrounded by boffins and to still be hedging my bets in unfamiliar surroundings.
I'm also sure I wasn't hired to be a *****, so I'd best man up and start kicking some goals, even if I'm not a footy player. Oh ffs, sure it is a little bit different here, and a night on the town with workmates here is different, and I'm realising there are still some serious arseholes to deal with, but I've dealt with much worse elsewhere, and it's also possible to sidestep them and rise above it.
I'll give it a go.
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View: https://youtu.be/Bny5sidTGBY