Pain is weakness leaving the body

SRS #5- Dardanup (WA) 65kms, 600m ascending.

An early, cold start this morning for the 2 and a bit hour drive to Dardanup. We were starting the same time as the C grade men (but not in the same race). This creates confusion as you need to keep an eye on the wheels you want to, mixed in with people who are not even in your race. If a woman goes up the road (the men have got smarter this year and do not chase), and you are in the wrong position and surrounded by men, it is harder to get out (of the bunch) to chase her down (because she is not in their race). The C grade men are mostly beginner or more mature riders with less tactical race skills, this makes rolling through, chasing down attacks and group riding more interesting. It proved to be an interesting training race in many ways. After a week of “Death Valley”, big gear efforts that made me cry-seriously (and I love big gears) and HR efforts, it was a matter of suck it and see how the little Fleet girl would back up.

There was a bit of alliance building in the Dardanup Hall carpark this morning and I was trying to guess who was working with who before the race started (or whom as it turned out…but I will come back to this). Early on in the race, Rebecca Armstrong was looking to go off the front, perhaps looking for someone to go with her, I thought about it (with only the two of us it was a bit early to stay away) and then I thought about letting her go for a bit and working to pull her back. I am trying to get away from negative racing and encourage the women to ‘have a go’ rather than rolling around and sprinting at the end, so we let her go unchallenged. The men make it interesting and she was joined by a few making a bunch of 4 or 5? and stayed away for just over half of the race.

Team EH Bike Services – Sarah Fraser (and Keith Gill) moved to the front, controlling the bunch. So my conclusion was Sarah and Rebecca were working together (it has been a while since this has happened, but all good). I wondered what Melissa’s plan was, it has been suggested strongly on numerous occasions that she try something different to avoid a bunch sprint. I rode up next to Melissa and straight out asked her if she was working with anyone today; “nothing, I am riding solo” (this is important to the story).

Rebecca’s break was caught with about 20kms to go, shortly thereafter Sarah attacked on the peak of the climb and got away solo. Shortly after one of the men did a big attack (catching me off guard) and joined Sarah. There were two of them, so I assumed (incorrectly) that our bunch (of about 6 now) was going to work to get them back. We were joined by a bunch from the back (making about 12 riders). In short, over about 15kms the bunch of 12 riders was unsuccessful in pulling back a 2 rider 30-40sec (max) break. I was so very disappointed that everyone seemed to be happy to sit in for the bunch sprint to take 3rd. I sat up for the final sprint.

At the end when I asked Melissa what was going on, she replied “We had Sarah up the road”. It was at this point that I felt honored, and confused, it seems 3 of the State’s best riders were working together to beat me? How awesome! I could not even respond to Mel's comment, I was so fatigued, and had to get off my bike and fall in a heap-soon. This is going to be great for me, making me a stronger, faster, smarter racer. What a perfect end to the training week!

Race data:

Av speed: 34km/h, Av HR: 164bpm, Max speed: 65km/hr, Max HR: 190bpm,

Women starters: 10 (with C grade Men starters: 20-ish).

Results: 1. Sarah-Jeanne Fraser 2. Melissa Hoskins 3. Holly McClellan