The Plan

After last week, place. Either by attacking on the climb, a lot, or leaving it for two laps to go and taking two others with me.

The Race – 41.17kms / 36.7kph

Subjectively….

More riders keen to have a crack than normal and more riders pedaling up and over the hill as well.

I let a couple of solo breaks go and was unwilling to let multiple riders off the front (besides the 1st one which had the other two Drouin riders in it).

MM seemed to be practicing for his 3DT break aways. His was the best early break with a gap of 20secs at max. That was shut down bu the 30 minute mark.

At around 45 mins I was on the front and setting the pace at around 40 along the front straight. This apparently was too much for the rest and I was off the front. I kept the power at a reasonable level up the climb and after that, GP joined me. We had a good gap which we blew out a good gap. Cresting the climb, the rest of the bunch was still to come around the corner. He said I could the win if we stayed away. Today I was keen to give it a go.

I was thinking that at the 3 to go mark, we’d have 3 to go (52ish mins). This turned out to be 4 to go so with 3 to go, the rest of the bunch started to chase, lead by PM. They caught us on the crest on the second last lap. RM went to the front and kept the pace up. I thought he was going to have a crack, but then wanted help and I was the next rider in line. I went onto the front.

On the final climb, GT surged 2-3 times and ultimately rolled over the top. I think I found myself on the front again from the crest. The chase had decimated the field and there were 5-6 riders left.

Heading to the line, I was pondering where to hit the gas. I decided to go from the second crossing. Within 50m of the line, I saw GT coming up fast and increased my power to hold him off for the Masters 4+ Gippsland Criterium championship win. Not bad given how stuffed my legs felt during last night’s Zwift session and today’s”warmup”.

According to the Video

Lap 1 6:01 (includes from carpark)

I hit the front pretty much right away. After that it was GP followed by Thommo.  GP lead up the climb.  I kept pressure on the pedals down the other side.  No getting away this time. Down the hill past the church, GP and I had a little gap.  Nothing much really and it was closed by bend three.   Again we were a teeny tiny bit off the front into bend four. GP head along the main drag and across the line.

Lap 2 4:46

MM and PM took off on the climb taking SC with them.  Given two were Drouin riders / we still had about an hour to go, I was happy to let them go.  Not happy enough to given them too much of a gap so on the down side of the hill I wound up catching them.  This break was way shorter than I remember it.  They took after bend two and when RM took off past the church, no one responded.  We were one bunch by bend four. Along the main drag it was MM leading from PM and I, the three Drouin riders in the race.  MM and PM lead up the climb.  Over the top, PM and I got a little gap which was closed half way along the flat. MM hit the gas on the climb past the church and rode away to get a 11 second gap by bend three.  I was on the front either pacing MM or moderating the pace of the bunch.  I remember thinking, if MM gets away, the plan getting on the podium was still in motion.

Lap 3 4:50

Up the climb PM took off.  This livened the bunch up and I was soon at the rear.    Down the other side, I hit the front just rolling along.  PM had caught MM by the time we exited bend two.  We appeared to be back together by bend three with the exception of MM who was slowly riding away.  TS seemed keen to chase MM down and lead us along the main drag.

Lap 4 4:43

I wound up on the front up the climb.  Over the top and down the other side kept the bunch’s pace up.  RM upped the pace over the hill past the church and it looked like the chase to MM was on.  I returned to the front as we passed the rec and I gapped the field.  That only lasted until halfway up the main drag.  Nobody came around me though, so the case to MM was not on.

Lap 5 4:48

SC charged up the climb. The bunch did not respond.  PM provided the pacing.  Down the other side, RM ensured we caught SC.  I slipped to the back.  After bend four the chase appeared to have started this time.

Lap 6 4:37

Heading into bed one, I figured out there were 10 of us in the race.  The bunch split a little up the climb.  Down the other side, it regrouped.  RM moved back to the front until shortly after bend four when TS decided to hoon off the front.  That did not last long as we were almost on MM as we crossed the line into lap seven.

Lap 7 4:39

CB lead us up the climb.  RM then hit the lead half way up.  PM was third.  Me forth and MM fifth.  From bend two to four, it was an easy mid pack roll.  Along the main drag, I sat out in the wind observing.

Lap 8 5:02

CB had another stab at getting away on the hill.  I chased and had pegged him back by the crest of the hill by the church. Meanwhile. PM seemed to be stuck to my wheel again.  As we passed the rec center, I returned to the front then rolled off it.

Lap 9 4:41

On the climb I was five seconds ahead at bend one.  Two of the open riders passed me on the climb.  Not long after that, GP joined me.  The two open riders made good pace men as I tried to keep them 50m off the front. As we passed the church, GP said I could have the win if our break succeeded.  I expressed my this probably would not happen as we probably had four laps to go.   Exiting bend four, the bunch was entering bend three.   Nice.

Lap 10  4:36

As we crested the climb, the bunch was not in sight.  It looked like our break might stick.  Even so, we did not slacken the pace.  Coming across the line, the chase bunch was still out of sight.

Lap 11 4:35

Entering bend two, we were still out of site of the chase bunch. I was expecting (or is that hoping) that we would get the bell crossing the line.  Instead we were notified we had two to go.

Lap 12 4:49

PM was leading a chase down at this point and the two open rider had pulled away too far to be any use at pacing.  As we passed bend two, the bunch had become visible and was only 50is m behind.  We were caught as we crested the hill past the church.  Rob M went to the front and I though he might keep going so jumped on his wheel.  He ran out of legs pretty fast and I was on the front by corner three.  GT took the last past the rec.  GP was on my wheel. The bunch now consisted of six riders, GT, me, GP, TS, RM and ??.

Lap 13 4:33

GT attacked at the base of the hill, paused as I caught him and attacked again, then gave up on that idea.  ?? attacked down the hill and GT gave chase.  We reformed as we passed through bend two.  RM attacked up past the church.  I gave chase.  RM’s lead was pretty good by bend three.  It was closed by the rec center.  I came around him as we entered the home straight, wondering where I should launch.  I decided to go a little before the last week’s sprint began.  This opened a good gap as I peaked a little over 1 000W.  I could see GT coming up fast with 20m to go so put in a little extra and stayed in the lead.  Woo hoo, first place.  The last time I did this in a Gippsland Criterium Championships was 2009 when I won B grade.

Official Results – Masters 4+ Grade

Summary

A good effort considering the minus 20 training stress balance.  It may be confirmation bias, but I’m pretty sure most of the sprints I start on the road, I win. Average power was up a little on last week, normalized power was down and critical power had not changed.  Not quite to plan.  I rolled off the front to form a break.  By the time it had been caught, the field was reduced to about 6.  They were good odds.

Thanks to my sponsor, Drouin Cycles, Performance Division.

Stats for the Day

CTL: 142
ATL: 161
TSB: -20

Power Stats

Average pwr: 219W
Normalized Power: 273W (95% FTP)
Critical power (CP): 225W (2.83W/kg – 78% FTP)

Intensity Factor: 0.95