The flat stage. All so they call it, but there are a few hills early on that really test you. My plan today was to sit in and cruse along and just stay in contact!
Funny! Actually it could not have been more different.
The attacks started from the gun and I was happily camped on the back of the peleton, when I saw up front Matt G doing all the chasing. I was feeling pretty crappy to start with so the thought of going up front did not appeal... but not even Matts' bro was up there... Anyway after that chase and the pace slackened I moved forward...
Things were a bit more exciting as Scott G and Rod C were on the Pino tandem, this was not what I would call cricket, but the trick was to go with it... they were racing up ahead to get a gap before the next climb, so some of us decided to chase...
Another group got away including Will A, Steve C and one other... these guys made a reasonable gap and then Matt started to chase again... I went up there and helped - so much for the easy day!
I spent quite a bit of time on the front and perhaps delayed the tandem getting back on. It was obvious what was coming but I stayed on the front keeping the pace reasonable. Anyway the tandem finally went passed at over 60Km/h !!! I tried to chase but noone was coming nor were they really all that interested. Mike N was nicely tucked in behind the tandem. He was gone!
After a few minutes we started to chase properly including Matt, JK, myself and a handful of others, maybe 6 or 7 total. I was already quite tired by this stage. For a long time I did not think we were going to see any of them again.
We did catch the tandem, then there was a big gap and some interesting challenges - getting around a truck at a left hand turn that was stuck! I attacked!
They moved the finish another Km down the road this year... to make it a bit safer apparently. With about 5km to go there are a couple of steep climbs, JK nailed the first one and I dug really deep to stay with him and push over the top, then did the same behind Cameron H on the second one. I did this with the thought that the break might be struggling over the climbs. Anyway Cam and I put a gap on the peleton. I kept going and then Cam went passed. After that I could not go past again! He was going really well. Cam said to just sit in. We came up to the old finish about 100m in front. Cam dropped off and I went over the top first and hit the descent hard. Unfortunately there was quite a bit of flat on a dead road and a bit of a headwind and I just about stopped!
They caught me at the bottom of the climb to the finish and I came in nearly last! Oh well was another great day.
We never caught the break, won by Mike, Will 2nd, and then Steve C. Will now leading on GC. I tried for Matt but we just did not have the horse power. I think I needed the 11.
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