Cromwell-Queenstown Easter Cycling Tour 2004

Saturday 10th April - Monday 12th April 2004

Jason Kelly

This event is an annual one that has been run for many years. Due to the “Warbirds over Wanaka” event and the fallout from the Le Race court case, this years edition of the Tour was not confirmed until much later than usual. This undoubtedly saw reduced field sizes from previous years in each of the A, B and C grades. The first days stages were moved to Bluff and Invercargill to avoid clashes with the estimated 100,000 people who were expected at the Warbirds event. This year four Ramblers traveled to the deep south – myself, Gavin Povey (winner of last year’s C grade event), Brett Ritchie and George Masters. We all elected to race in B grade this year.

 At the Friday night pre-race briefing, the starting roster handed out for B grade was headed by Olympian Sarah Ulmer. Unfortunately, Sarah withdrew prior to the start due to ill health. A number of other riders also failed to start which saw less than twenty B graders start the event. We were given wads of paperwork to comply with all the local requirements for traffic safety and risk management plans.

Saturday 10^th April 2004

Prologue – 1.5km Individual Time Trial up Bluff Hill – 8.30am start

The morning dawned cold with literally freezing south west winds accompanied by occasional heavy and icy showers. Brett recalls not getting much sleep on the Friday night due to the hail on his hotel window. A previous days preview of the climb in the car indicated an initial downhill section followed by a short steep climb which was followed by a long steady climb to the 1.5km finish mark for B grade (the A grade went right to the top.) With just about all the cycling gear on I own, it was almost warm!

By the time the B grade started, the road had dried a little and we all managed to complete the event without getting wet. George was the first Rambler to start and pushed himself to the limit to win the stage in a time of 4m 45s. Gavin was second Rambler and finished eighth in a time of 5m 28s. I was third away and struggled over the steepest section to finish 7^th in 5m 26s while Brett struggled even more in the cold and couldn’t feel his feet, had his wheel spinning on the icy road at the start and was just about thrown over his handle bars before creeping to the top to finish well down the field.

Stage 1 – Teretonga Motor Circuit Race in Invercargill – one hour five minutes – 2pm start

The weather had not improved in the afternoon with icy showers continuing. The C grade raced first and once they had finished, the A grade started with us starting very shortly after them. Due to the freezing temperatures, both the A and B grade races were mercifully shortened to just over one hour each from the scheduled 1.5 hours and 1.25 hours respectively. While sitting on the start line, a hail shower passed through and we all shivered with many riders wondering aloud what the hell they were doing there. With George in yellow by 17s, he and Brett had arranged for Brett to attack from the start line. With the freezing temperatures, this was also an ideal method of getting warm! Strong and gusty crosswinds made racing conditions even more difficult, especially with a wet track and constant attacks. The southern weather had got to me and I was suffering terribly from a bad head throb and empty legs. Early in the event, a rider crashed literally right in front of me and, since I have had two bad crashes in the last twelve months, I didn’t intend joining him. Forced to ride cross country a la Lance Armstrong in last years Tour de France, I managed to stay upright but was well off the back of the bunch. With a hard chase, I managed to get back on but was legless for the rest of the day and struggled to hang in the back. Up the front, Brett was absolutely wrecking himself to try and protect George’s lead as a local rider had managed to slip away up the track. With no other riders interested or able to chase, the local rider took out the stage with an impressive margin of 58s to take the yellow jersey from George. George was less than impressed with the result but, as it turned out, the other local riders knew the hills would soon eliminate the advantage gained in this stage by the stage winner.

Sunday 11^th April 2004

Stage 2 – Winton to Athol – 80km – 9am start

The weather dawned very similar to the previous day. On the drive north to the start line at Winton, heavy rain fell. It was not at all promising! The organiser had decided that the A and B grades would start together in this stage to get the riders through to Dipton faster which was where the C grade were to start from. The Ramblers felt this might be to our advantage because if a couple of us could get away and stay with the A grade, it was potentially possible to get a tour winning lead.

With strong cross winds from the left still prevalent, the A grade attacked from the line. This resulted in the larger combined A/B grade field echeloning across the centre line. With the real risk of disqualification for not following the commissaires instructions, I soon moved to the left hand side of the road and was promptly dropped off the pace with some other B graders. Just as we started to work together to chase, we rounded a corner to find the race had been stopped due to riders being all over the road. After a tough talking to about keeping left, the A grade were restarted with the B grade starting shortly afterwards. Brett was still not feeling good from his previous day’s efforts which was compounded by a bout of illness and continuing cold weather. As a result, his legs failed to work and he was dropped by the bunch. On the first King of the Mountains climb, Gavin Povey launched a withering attack but was pulled in by local riders before the KOM line. He and another three riders established a brief small gap over a chasing few with the rest of the field left behind.

George and the local yellow jersey holder engaged in a series of one on one attacks in the cross winds. The remaining bunch managed to keep up without crossing the centre line too many times. As we headed north, the weather cleared, the sun came out and the temperature rose. Climbing the last major climb of the day, I was on the front pushing the pace only to hear George ask me to slow down. As he had the best chance of regaining yellow, I did so and by the time we had powered down the hill at over 70km/h, a front bunch of just six riders remained which included three Ramblers – myself, George and Gavin. From there, I did most of the work and we achieved a 2m 57s gap over the next riders and over eleven minutes over the previous yellow jersey holder. I lead out the sprint for Gavin and George but the Ramblers had to settle for me 4^th in the stage with George 5^th and Gavin 6^th. Due to some unwritten local rules, a local rider who punctured in the stage was awarded the same time as us despite getting a relatively fast wheel change and finishing well down the field in the stage. As a result of this stage, George held a 17s lead over 2^nd place with me 5^th, 40s behind George, with Gavin a further 4s back in 6^th place overall. Brett was now out of the running for GC.

Stage 3 – Cromwell Criterium – 30 minutes – 2pm start

Finally the sun shone consistently and all the extra layers of clothing that had been mandatory for the stages to date were gladfully shed. With George in yellow and Brett out of GC contention but a criterium expert, the scene was set for him to dominate this stage. The stage went largely to plan with Brett feeling very strong and his legs working in the warm weather. With some help from his fellow Ramblers who controlled the bunch, he established a clear lead and with six laps to go, appeared to have the stage in the bag. However, as we came around the back straight corner, we saw Brett standing in the gutter frantically trying to get his chain back on. He had got caught out by a big gust of wind and hit the gutter at close to 50km/h! Bugger, torn booties, lots of blood but no immediate pain as that came later. He completed the stage with the bunch and was patched up by the local first aiders. All Ramblers finished in the bunch so George retained the yellow jersey into the final day.

Monday 12^th April 2004

Stage 4 – Queenstown to Glenorchy – 44.5km – 8.30am start

The day dawned fine and clear and considerably warmer than Bluff though still cold enough for a polyprop. Brett tried to start but was still sore from the previous days crash and then realised he couldn’t change gears as his rear derailleur had taken a big hit so it was tour over for him. Gavin unfortunately awoke with a bad head cold. With George in yellow and Gavin ill, neither had any interest in pushing the pace. As such, I again spent much of the time on the front controlling the pace. George lead some wicked descents at over 80km/h but we were unable to establish a decisive lead. The result was a slow overall stage which, despite the slow overall pace into a head wind, still saw George and I in the front bunch of just six riders. George took out the stage in a high speed sprint and despite being hindered in the sprint, I finished 4^th to move up to 4^th on GC. Gavin was dropped up a climb mid-way through the stage to finish just over 4 minutes down in 10^th place for the stage but retained sixth place overall.

Stage 5 – Glenorchy to Queenstown finishing up Moke Lake Road – 41km – 12 mid-day start

The sun continued to shine and the temperature had risen enough to ride in summer racing gear. The morning’s stage had taken a severe toll on Gavin who was in very bad shape. However, on checking the results and seeing that he was still 6^th on GC and in the prize money, he was determined to finish and claim something financial from the experience. With a major hill climb before the notorious final Moke Lake Road, which some local riders say is worse than Bluff Hill, and tired legs in the peleton, another slow stage eventuated. One local rider rode away a couple of times but as I was unsure of his place on GC, I chased him down once the gap became uncomfortable. On checking the final results, this rider was in fact well out of contention for GC but I thought it was better to be safe than sorry! I helped Gavin across the top of one of the climbs before it became a free for all up Moke Lake Road. This climb has a number of switch backs on a steep gradient before settling into a gentler gradient and longer straights. Gavin launched an ambitious attack at the bottom of the hill but with the effects of his illness kicking in, faded to finish 10^th in the stage, over 1m down, but did enough to retain his 6^th place overall and a share of the prize money. Once he crossed the finish line, he had to be physically helped from the bike and into the car for the drive back to Queenstown. Gavin’s effort in this stage was undoubtedly the most gutsy ride of the tour and possibly of his life. George and I settled into a solid rhythm on the final climb, with me leading the way, and we took out 5^th and 6^th places in the stage respectively, six seconds behind the stage winner who had literally ridden himself into the ground to win the stage and the KOM points competition. It turned out that George and the stage winner had reached a financial arrangement on this stage finish. A pity they didn’t share this with us!

On completion of the stage, George, Brett riding Gavin’s bike, and I then cruised back to Queenstown. The Moke Lake Road downhill switchbacks almost claimed George as he raced down too fast. The prize giving was held that evening with George awarded the Tour leader’s yellow jersey and associated trophies and prizes. After three days and five stages of riding, final results were:

George Masters, 07hrs 03m 20s, 1st

Jason Kelly,        07hrs 04m 05s at 45s, 4th
Gavin Povey,      07hrs 09m 13s at 05m 53s, 6th
Brett Ritchie,      DNF

While Brett has vowed never to return again to the hell hole freezing place of the deep south, Gavin and I are interested in returning for more racing in very scenic, albeit cold conditions, against different riders. The tour is also a good excuse for an Easter break.

Brett contemplating the meaning of criteriums, while examining his wounds, after a high speed crash with a winning lead in the Cromwell Criterium

 

Gavin being restrained by Ken Lasenby at Glenorchy from taking a running start in the final stage

“B” is for Burglars

Stortford Open B grade Tour 2004

Saturday 24^th & Sunday 25^th January 2004

Jason Kelly

With the results of the 2003 A grade Stortford Open Tour still lurking, many riders opted for the “safe” option of the B grade for the 2004 tour. This resulted in a strong field of 39 starters which included Sarah Ulmer and two past B grade winners – Mark Coombe from 2001 and Bryce Martin from 2002. As the field contained nine Ramblers, an informal meeting of some of the riders had decided that we should try to work together to ensure a Rambler won the B grade for the first time since 2001. Dan Warren was also the designated sprinter.

The first stage, Apley Rd X 3, ended up being a fairly tame affair with most rider’s content to just sit in the bunch and cruise around. Patrick Kelly made the most of this on the second lap to open a small gap and claim the 5 King of the Mountain points on offer before being re-absorbed by the peleton. Jason Kelly and George Masters tried a similar tactic on the last lap, with George securing the 5 KOM points, but failing to achieve a decisive breakaway. In the sprint to the line, John Fitzpatrick edged out Sarah Ulmer who was followed by Dan Warren. All the Ramblers finished comfortably in the bunch in a time of 2hrs 09m.

The afternoon criterium was dominated by Dan Warren, Eliot Crowther, Sarah Ulmer, Bryce Martin and John Fitzpatrick who took all the sprint points on offer between them. George Masters and Gavin Povey watched proceedings from near the front of the bunch. With an average speed of over 41km/h, this was no Ramblers B grade race! While most of the Ramblers finished with the bunch, Grant Nicoll and Callum Millward lost some time.

The result of the first day was that 23 riders were all on the same time with Dan Warren holding a one point lead in the Sprint Ace category while three Ramblers, Patrick Kelly, George Masters and Adam Thomson, were first equal on 5 points in the KOM category. The lack of a team plan in the KOM category was obvious!

The 3^rd stage, the Te Mata Peak climb on Sunday morning, is designed to split the field. The team “plan” was to help Dan win the Sprint Ace while for the stage, I was to set the tempo for George to attack near the top. A few early attacks in the stage were quickly shut down and Patrick and I led Dan out for the sprint points. Part one of the plan was completed successfully with Dan taking the 5 points on offer. Once into Simla Avenue, Dan initially set the tempo before I took over. Phil Smith, last year’s winner of this stage, briefly took the lead before I again went to the front and pushed the pace. Approaching the KOM just before the gates, I eased up to let George take the 5 points but he had decided to conserve his energy so Earl Rowney pipped me for the 5 points while George took the 1 point for third. We continued to climb at a solid pace and with about 800 metres to go, as planned, George attacked. I sat up but Eliot Crowther, Ben Olesen and Luke Cornille went with him. Reaching the finish line, George positioned himself perfectly to edge out Eliot Crowther by 1 second and take a deserved stage win. I followed 20 seconds later, followed a further nine seconds back by Mark Coombe. On reaching the top and stopping my stopwatch, I had completed the Ramblers peak climb part of the stage in a personally stunning 16m 05s – easily a personal best. This meant George had completed the climb in 15m 45s and all of the top 10 B grade finishers had beaten 17 minutes! Phil Smith, who won this stage last year by 30 seconds from Scott Betteridge, finished 30 seconds behind George this year.

With George now in yellow, a further “team” meeting decided to help him retain this in the last stage around the Tuki. Dan was happy for any Rambler to go up the road as this would help him by them taking the Sprint Ace points on offer. Nothing eventful happened until over half way around the first lap when Bryce Martin rolled off the front. Recalling his ride away victory in the 2002 tour, I quickly jumped on his wheel and expected the balance of the field to do the same. After a few seconds, I saw Bryce look behind and then settle into time trial mode. Glancing behind, I could see we had a gap so I started to work with him. Rotating the lead between us, we widened the gap from the peleton. George had decided not to chase as he thought everyone else would have gone with him. Approaching the Sprint Ace line for the first time, I misjudged the rotation and had to settle for 2^nd but we had taken 1^st and 2^nd place which helped Dan.

Soon after this, my turns on the front were getting longer. Up the first little rise, Bryce struggled. Climbing up the "Undercliff" hill behind the peak, we were told we had a one minute lead on the bunch. By the time I reached the top of this hill, Bryce had fallen off my wheel and I was solo. I felt I had a fair chance of getting the 5 KOM points on the 2^nd lap so pushed on. Climbing up and over Coops Hill, I secured the 5 KOM points and was told I had a gap of about 45s. Now I thought I had a fair chance of picking up the 5 Sprint Ace points so settled into a good rhythm. The bunch meanwhile was only sporadically interested in chasing so my lead varied from 30s to over a minute (or so I’m told!) With the Sprint Ace points in the bag, it was back into the hills for the final lap. By the time I had taken the 5 KOM points up Coops on the 3^rd and final lap, my legs were fading and I could see the chasing bunch. It seems the bunch had finally decided that it was time to race!

With about 8km to go to the finish line and after a 50k individual time trial, 11 riders caught me. With less than a minute separating the first eight riders, changes in GC were still achievable if a small break could be established. Several riders tried this but the peleton was having none of this and the stage ended in a bunch sprint. John Fitzpatrick took out his 2^nd stage win of the tour from Eliot Crowther and George. However, with bunch time awarded, George had done enough to win the Tour by the slimmest of margins – one second – from Eliot Crowther with myself finishing 4^th and Mark Coombe 5^th and first Vet. Dan Warren won the Sprint Ace and I took second in the KOM, behind Earl Rowney, with George 3^rd. Overall, we had achieved what we planned and set some personal Te Mata Peak climb standards that will be difficult to match, let alone beat.

2003 Cromwell - Queenstown Easter Cycling Tour

18^th – 21^st April 2003

by Gavin Povey

We (Jason, Brian, Roxanne Kelly and I) left Hawke’s Bay on the Tuesday before Easter for our trip to the South Island.  After a very calm and sunny ferry crossing, we arrived in Picton later that afternoon, before driving down to our overnight stop at Kaikoura.  Jason and I went for a quick training ride first thing next morning out the back of Kaikoura, when it was meant to be hosing down with rain, but fortunately it was bright and sunny – the weather man got it wrong again.  We visited the seal colony bright and early, where there were no seals, but I was attacked verbally by a female road shark in Kaikoura! We returned later on to find some seals and checked other sites around the area before heading to Christchurch later that morning.  Checked out the Antarctic Centre, Port Hills and Cathedral Square etc before eating out at an Indian restaurant in Riccarton where Brian’s taste for fine wine became apparent – we needed to teach the waiter a thing or two!

Thursday morning we headed off to Dunedin in the pouring rain along the boring flat Canterbury plains highway and checked out the boulders at Moeraki before arriving in Dunedin just after lunch – I was noticing the change in temperature down here so bought a beanie (it would come to a lot of use later on!) at Larnach’s Castle when we were there – fascinating place.  Also checked out the Cadbury Chocolate Factory (but couldn’t get in – they were fully booked!), and took a few photos of Baldwin Street – geez that’s steep - 38% at the steepest point – you couldn’t ride up there if you tried.  Jason and I became professional photographers when we got mobbed by hundreds of Japanese tourists there!

Good Friday – Day One

After waking bright and early, we headed our way even further south from Dunedin before taking the main road to Cromwell through some mountainous terrain.  It had snowed up on the tops a day or so before and there was still a bit of a chill in the air, and we were keen to start the race, which was the main purpose of our trip.  We arrived at the Golden Gate Lodge in Cromwell (where we were staying the night) around lunchtime before having a bite to eat in the main shopping area across the road – this is when the Kelly’s began to learn of my secret weapon for this race – mince pies.

Prologue 5.5km Cromwell - Bannockburn Hotel

The race finally got under way with the Women starting first followed by the C grade (which I was starting in thanks to my lack of preparation for this event which Jason conned me into doing). Jason had entered the B grade so he started a bit later than I did.  It was a flat course to start off with, followed by a short descent over the Kawarau River, before a steep one kilometre climb to the finish.  There were around 80 riders in total with only four North Islanders competing.  I managed to catch my minute man just before the climb and finished in a time of 8:45, which placed me third equal in the C grade peloton @ 13 seconds.  Jason, who was coming off a bit of a viral infection cum cold, finished in 9 minutes flat in 15^th place in the B grade field @ 29 seconds. Afterwards we checked out the gold sluicing sites and old Cromwell town, which has been partly reconstructed after the Clyde Dam drowned it.

Easter Saturday – Day Two

Stage 1 88km Cromwell – Cromwell around Lake Dunstan

Woke up to another brilliant Central Otago day with what felt like a five degree frost!  I had three layers of cycle clothing on and was still freezing.  The C grade peloton started at a sedate pace, but slowly picked it up a few k’s later.  Numerous individuals were making timid attacks off the front only to be hauled in a few hundred metres later.  The stage was essentially rolling but mostly flat and that snow up top looked closer than it really did.  Towards the end of the stage, I had a serious go off the front, only to be hauled in a couple of k’s later, thanks to the huge size of the bunch, so it was only going to be a bunch sprint.  I kept close near the front and finished comfortably in tenth place saving myself for later on.  A similar situation was happening in the B grade but a couple of guys got off the front and stayed away from the chasing pack by just over 20 seconds.  Jason finished in the bunch after doing a lot of work chasing those two down.

Stage 2 30 minute Criterium – Cromwell Town

The only objective for both Jason and I was to finish this stage in one piece with the bunch and to keep out of trouble.  The circuit was a 550m block in the middle of Cromwell, which made great viewing for the local folk and spectators, but not a lot of room to manoeuvre for the riders themselves.  We both finished comfortably with our respective groups and got bunch times, which we were both happy with.  Straight after the race we packed the car and headed for the hotel in Queenstown, and on the way checked out the Kawarau Bridge bungy site, which I was considering while I was in a mildly dehydrated state!

Easter Sunday – Day Three

Stage 3 65km Remarkables Skifield Entrance - Athol

Well we thought Saturday was cold, but today it felt like the South Pole was literally next door.  I could feel the icicles forming on my face!  After staying in our very upmarket hotel room (compared with any other hotel room I have stayed in) at the Aspen on Queenstown up the hill, we drove past the airport to the Remarkables skifield entrance where the stage was going to begin.  There was a major frost overnight and it was below zero at 9 o’clock when we started and the sun did not shine over the mountains until at least halfway through the stage, but we got there.  Again, this stage was rolling, and followed Lake Wakatipu south to the metropolis of Athol.  A very scenic road it was.  About five riders rode off the front of my grade in the first few hills just down the road a bit, and stayed a few hundred metres off the front, but we could still see them just up the road all the time, so that was a good sign.  Again, my tactic was to try and save myself for tomorrow, so finished around about 8^th place in yet another bunch finish.  In the B grade, another couple of riders got away, but only gained a few seconds on the peloton by the end with Jason finishing up near the front once again in the bunch.

Stage 4 12km Time Trial: Athol to Garston

This was always going to be a fast stage with a slight tail breeze and a bit of false flat mixed in and we knew that this stage was going to be important to maintain our places on GC.  By the end of the stage I was quite shocked looking at my speedo when it read an average of 41.3km/h.  That was certainly going to help the cause, or so I thought! But, once the results came out, I found that some of the women were over a minute faster than I was!  I finished 4^th in C grade in a time of 16:48, and after the last few stages, thanks to others getting time bonuses in the final sprints, dropped down to 4^th overall at 49 seconds.  Jason had a good time trial as well finishing in 16:20, 11^th in B grade, averaging just under 43km/h.  The winner of A grade averaged around 48km/h!  Visited Arrowtown after the stage and on the way saw the classic Kingston Flyer steam train.

Easter Monday – Day Four

Stage 5 44km Fernhill, Queenstown to Glenorchy

This is the stage I got up bright and early for thinking it was the C grader’s last stage of the tour when we weren’t meant to start until this afternoon!  So, packed everything in the car and followed Jason in the B grade.  On the way, checked out this afternoon’s stage finish and this afternoon’s route, which is on the same road, but in the opposite direction following the north side of the lake.  The weather was a little cloudy with a tropical temperature of around 5 degrees.  This road was the hilliest of the tour and I knew then I might have a possible shot at the overall.  The B grade race split into two groups during this stage with Jason finding himself in the front bunch around the halfway mark.  However, once the bunch got towards the flatter patches about 10km before Glenorchy, the two bunches yet again combined.  Jason did a lot of work during this stage, and finished again in the bunch, being a minute or so down on GC at this stage, still with a sniff of prize money.      

Stage 6 42km Glenorchy to the end of the seal Moke Lake Road, Queenstown  

I was feeling pretty nervous at the beginning of this stage knowing what lay ahead.  After forcing down another mince pie (one of the most important food groups!), we rolled out of Glenorchy at a leisurely pace, still all in one large group.  Finally we reached the hills and I decided to attack and got a decent gap on the chasing peloton.  One guy caught me up near the top of one of these climbs (who was from Christchurch, helping to protect the yellow jersey) and eased up immediately in front of me.  I overtook him and he fell back to the group and I held around about a 20 second lead on the peloton, whom at this time were beginning to split up into smaller groups.  There were KOM points available about 10km from the finish, but a group of about seven or eight, including the yellow jersey, caught me just before this climb.  I crossed the line here in fourth place and sat waiting in what was left of the bunch for the final ascent.  There was a sprint not too far along from here, but I chose to save myself.  Just before the final climb, there was quite a steep climb where I just sat in, keeping a close eye on everyone, including the yellow jersey, who appeared to be getting fatigued.  Finally we arrived at the Moke Lake Road intersection where the final climb began with four steep switchbacks at the bottom (almost of Burma Rd gradient), which eased out a bit across the top to the line about 1.5km away up the side of the mountain behind Queenstown.  I made a final attack on the first switchback that nobody could match in the group and rode away from the yellow jersey to take the stage with a healthy gap (not knowing at this stage if I had done enough).  The B grade stage was again similar with Jason riding off the front and holding a 1m20s lead at one stage. He lead to take the stages KOM points and was caught by a chasing bunch on the stage’s Sprint Ace but still took 3^rd place points in that. The yellow jersey also fatigued badly from the chase, as did Jason from his time out front, but Jason climbed reasonably well and finished 5^th in the stage in B grade, 50 seconds behind the stage winner, and enough to pick up some GC prize money.

Later on, after trying some gold panning and visiting Coronet Peak and the Crown Range, we arrived at the prize giving to see a copy of the final GC results.  Well, I was quite shocked to say the least.  I won by only 8 seconds thanks to the yellow jersey finishing 51 seconds behind, and it was thanks to him not gaining any time bonuses on the last stage that I managed to do it.  I also got 4^th in the KOM thanks to my last stage win.  Jason was also pleased with his results, after struggling to hold off a cold throughout the tour.  He finished in 7^th place on GC @ 2 min 9 seconds behind a 2003 Tour of Wellington rider who took out the B grade tour.

After the celebrations from the previous night and having only one more day in Queenstown before I had to fly out, we checked out the Skyline Gondola and took some photos from the top of that world famous view of Queenstown and the Remarkables.  Tried that precarious luge and checked out most of downtown itself before saying bye to the Kelly’s who were driving back. 

A big thank you, especially to Brian for the moral support - and encouragement to find that gold nugget in the river, and Roxanne for being the team manager who gladly looked after our gear while Jason and I were racing.  Thanks also to everyone at The Hub who got my dura-ace sorted (it must have been the bike!) 

 
It would be great to have more Ramblers support down at the tour next year. It is a good challenging tour with very good scenic stages to match – hey it may be cold down there, but at least it didn’t snow this year!

Rotorua Open 2003

The Rotorua Open was held on Sunday 13th April 2003 just south of Rotorua. Four Ramblers members rode in the event which was held in fine and mild conditions with little wind. Due to an organisational hiccup, the A, B and C grades rode 20km further than advertised which meant the A grade raced over approximately 130km, the B grade over approximately 110km and the C grade over approximately 90km.

In the A grade, Jeremy Vennell continued his good form to secure 3rd place while Andrew Bott finished 5th.

In the B grade, the additional distance saw the remaining peleton disintegrate at the 100km mark which saw three riders break clear. Jason Kelly managed to chase and pass two of the breakaway riders to finish a clear 2nd place, approximately a minute in front of the chasing peleton and a minute behind the winner.

Austen Thomson finished 4th in the 20km under 15 event.

Twin Peaks Tour

B grade

Sunday 16th June 2002

Jason Kelly

The Twin Peaks Tour is a one day, three stage event, which starts and finishes in Palmerston North. This year, A, B, Vets and womens grades were held over different courses from those used in previous years. While all grades climbed both the Saddle Road and the Pahiatua Track, the A grade had a 15km longer first stage and a 22.5km longer third stage than the other grades.

Driving down to Palmerston North on the Saturday evening, torrential rain and strong winds with the possibility of more to come on Sunday, combined with a head cold, made me wonder if I really wanted to race in this event. However, although Sunday morning dawned showery, this soon cleared to be fine, sunny and mild. A very light south westerly wind remained for the whole day.

Due to typical Manawatu organisation, my entry form said registration was at Memorial Park and the race started at 9am, which I foolishly forgot to translate into Manawatu language which actually translated to mean (obviously!) that registration was at a bike shop some two kilometres away from Memorial Park and the B grade race was scheduled to start at 8.50am. As such, I only just made it to the start line on time. I also had no idea of the course, its length, sprints and hill climbs (yes, there were some), finish line placement or other useful details. Looking around the starting bunch, Scott Betteridge was the only other Rambler in the B grade. There also seemed to be a few Vets present and it turned out that all the Vets (and women), whether A, B or C graders, all rode in the B grade and for B grade and Vet (and womens) prize money. This confused the organisers with their initial results and made the B grade race harder than would normally be expected.

The first stage started in Palmerston North with 33 riders and headed out towards Ashhurst. I realised the course had changed from previous years when we turned left off the main highway well before Ashhurst. The bunch rode at a moderate pace and all attacks were quickly rolled in. There was a sprint at 12.4km and a hill prime at 22.9km. Neither of these caused any real problems to the bunch who remained basically intact. Returning to Ashhurst, it became apparent that we had the Saddle Road to climb. The pace went on from the bottom of the climb, lead by the A grade vets, and I soon found myself at the tail of the leading bunch of six riders. After a while, I slowly drifted off the back and settled into a steady climbing mode. Scott Betteridge rode up and passed me and we then climbed together to almost the top. With a few hundred metres to go, Scott accelerated away and took 6th place for the stage, just 50s down on 1st, and I ambled to the finish line (as I still had no idea where it was) and was caught by another two chasing riders to be awarded 7th= place, a further 9s behind Scott. The leading rider had completed the 39.2km stage in 1hr 14m at an average speed of 31.8km/h. The weather was very cool at the top of the Saddle but at least I finally had a chance to study the course.

Stage 2 was a 13.6km individual time trial from the Woodville Railway Station to Pahiatua and started in reverse order from the results of Stage 1. I started off at a solid 40-42km/h but soon slowed and struggled on the slightly uphills parts of the course. It was still fine, sunny and warm with little wind. Two riders passed me and I managed a time of just 22m 40s while Scott Betteridge almost caught me, completing the course in 21m 25s. Again, the organisers let themselves down as there was no finish line and no indication of the end of the stage. By the middle of Pahiatua, most riders felt they must have finished the course and started to slow down. Later riders did have the luxury of a single road cone at the presumed finish line which was on the entry to town.

Lunch was probably the highlight of the day. Held at the Pahiatua Recreation Centre, hot macaroni or lasagne, fruit and drinks were available. This was included in the race entry fee and there was food left over. The initial results posted during this time showed that Scott was 2nd overall in B grade, just 7 seconds off first place. I was further back but still just in the prize money. After a brief discussion with Scott on tactics for the last stage, I re-checked the results to see they had been changed and all the Vets inserted into the general B grade results. This pushed Scott down the field and myself out of the prize money.

The third stage was a 44km road race from Pahiatua, over the Pahiatua Track, and finished outside the Pacific International College on Aokautere Drive, just out of Palmerston North. From the start, Scott and I took the front of the bunch but failed to break away so just settled into a gentle cruise. No one else was interested in anything but a very brief turn at the front until we started to get into the hills. The Vets again pushed the pace up the Pahiatua Track and the bunch soon splintered. Going across the top, a bunch of four were just out in front followed by a bunch of five including myself and Scott. We chased down the Pahiatua Track and were only just holding the front four. With a big effort, the gap would reduce slightly. After a few big efforts by various members of the chasing bunch, at speeds of around 75km/h, we caught the front four and formed a bunch of nine. I had to finish at least 9 seconds in front of the 11th rider to guarantee myself some prize money so I pulled the bunch along. Reaching a nasty hill in Aokautere Drive, the Vets initially pushed the pace but soon settled down and I reached the top with them. Scott unfortunately just drifted off the pace on this hill. We soon reached the finish line and I secured 4th place in the stage in a time of 1hr 16m at an average speed of 34.7km/h. Scott finished about 30s later.

Overall, the Vets took out the top places with Scott Betteridge 6th, 2m 20s down, and I finished 9th, a further 53s down and managed to gain just enough prize money to pay the entry fee. All but one of the B grade riders completed all the three stages.

Prize giving was stated to be held promptly at the conclusion of the third stage. Translating this into Manawatu language meant it actually started almost two hours after the last rider finished the course and  concluded around 5.30pm.

Almost in Yellow

B grade Queen’s Birthday Cycle Tour 2002

Saturday 1st June - Monday 3rd June

Jason Kelly

The Queens Birthday Cycle Tours is a three day, five stage event, and includes A, B, C, D and a womens grade (who ride in the C grade unless they choose to compete against the men in another grade.) Each grade is limited to 50 riders and this year the number of entries was such that the organiser put riders down a grade to accommodate them all. It was rumoured that there were 19 A graders riding B grade! While some riders supposedly complained at being put down a grade, the Taranaki organisers give the same prize money to all grades and as the organiser pointed out, they should be grateful that they were riding in a lower grade. The A, B and C grades had the full 50 entries and the D grade had around forty entries, giving a total field over all grades of just under 200 riders.

In the B grade, the Ramblers had three riders - myself, Scott Betteridge and Hayden LeCompte.

The event started in Hawera on a very cool and frosty Saturday morning with a 4km individual time trial over an out and return course. The course is mainly downhill on the way out with a resultant climb on the return journey. With little wind, conditions were not too bad but I still only managed a time of 6m 51s compared to the fastest B grade time of 5m 50s! Both Scott Betteridge and Hayden LeCompte were faster than me at 6m 39s.

The second stage was on the Saturday afternoon. A thin veil of high cloud ensured that the temperature had barely risen all day. A cool official maximum of just 10°C was reported. The stage was a 76.7km road race over gentle rolling country. Again, there was little wind. As such, the stage was uneventful with virtually all riders finishing together in a fast time of 1 hour 57 minutes at an average speed of just over 39km/h. There were no serious attacks and no changes in general classification.

Day 2, the Sunday, brought two more road race stages. The morning stage was 38.7km and started and finished in Inglewood. It took in the first half of last years National course, including the major hill climb, before branching off into generally more rolling country that is typical of the area. The weather was again cool, but, with a maximum reported of 14°C, was much warmer than the day before. A strong south-westerly wind with the occasional shower made the stage appear more interesting. However, any early attacks were rolled in at will by the bunch. The major climb was comfortable and the bunch stayed largely together. In the last few kilometres, one rider managed to slip off the front but the bunch appeared pre-occupied with thoughts of the race to come and made no serious effort to close the gap. The stage finished in another bunch sprint with the solo rider gaining 31 seconds on the peleton. Scott and I both finished in the bunch while Hayden lost 1m 17s in the last few kilometres after being snapped off the main bunch in the cross winds.

Between the end of the morning stage and the afternoon stage, torrential rain fell and the wind strengthened. However, by the time the imposing 38.7km stage from Inglewood to the top of Mount Egmont (well, to the end of the road anyway!) started, the weather had cleared to mostly fine and sunny with a strong south-westerly wind, a wet road and the odd shower. The stage again started off down last years Nationals course and was initially a gentle downhill, tail wind affair. The bunch was sitting on around 50km/h but one, and then two, riders rode off the front and started pulling away. Realising that this should be the decisive stage, I decided to chase them and did so unchallenged by the bunch. After a few kilometres, I caught the leading two riders and we decided to work together and see what happened. Shortly after I caught up to the front two riders, we turned the corner into the wind and started gentle but constant climbing. After a few more kilometres, the bunch was well out of sight behind us and as we reached yet another climb, one rider dropped off and were down to just two.

After battling into the wind and against the terrain for several more kilometres, I was somewhat disheartened to be told that there were still about 10km to go to the base of the mountain. The mountain climb itself is another approximate 6.5km ride. We “raced” on at speeds from around a mere 23km/h into the wind to over 40km/h when we turned to get some advantage from the wind and or the terrain. Still the bunch was nowhere in sight. We passed an A grader who just let us struggle by. With just a kilometre or two to go to the base of the mountain, we saw a chasing bunch catching us up. We were caught before the base of the mountain and the chasing bunch contained just three B graders but were lead by the A grader we had passed who had obviously gained a second wind and continued to drive the pace once we were caught.

Once on the mountain, the A grader continued to push the pace and rode away with one of the B graders he had towed up to us and took him right to the top of the mountain. Early on in the mountain climb, I was sitting in 4th place for the stage with one rider about 50 metres in front of me and Sarah Ulmer on my wheel asking me to take it steady. In the last two kilometres or so, Sarah Ulmer fell off my pace and with the wind funnelling down the mountain and a reported mountain top temperature of just 3°C, conditions were certainly harsh. Some brave spectators were on the road side and, after what seemed a long time, said there was just over one kilometre to go. Having been in first gear from very early on in the mountain climb, I had no gears left and started to push a little harder. I caught and passed the rider in front of me who then sat on my wheel so I pushed harder again. After a few more corners, a large expletive was uttered from behind me and I knew I had third place secured for the stage. I crossed the finish line in a time of 1hr 25m 14s, just over a minute down on first place, with a mountain climb time of around 24m 40s for the 6.5km distance. The main bunch had shattered in the cross winds and Scott Betteridge finished another 4m 44s down, followed by Hayden LeCompte a further 47s down.

Monday morning dawned mild with the threat of rain. I was somewhat stunned to read in the morning paper that I was supposedly now in 2nd place overall on general classification in the B grade - the result did not make sense to me. The paper also reported that the winner of the A grade, Aaron Strong, had said it took him 6 minutes to climb the last kilometre up Mt Egmont. I estimated it had taken me about 5 to 5 1/2 minutes. Perhaps my computer just froze??

The rain held off for the stage but a very strong and gusty south-westerly wind greeted us from the start line. Right from the start, two local riders attacked and rode off the front. After the previous days hard work, I had no inclination to attempt the advertised 77km stage as part of a three man break. The yellow jersey was in the main bunch but they, and everyone else, had no committed desire to chase down the break. The course was mainly undulating with one steep but short hill and plenty of false flats. With horrendous cross winds and tired legs, the bunch began to shatter from early on. By the end of the stage, just 65.5km covered in 1hr 56m at 33.9km/h, the front two riders had pulled 3m 35s on the bunch to take first and second place overall in the tour. I finished in the bunch for the stage and 5th overall while Scott Betteridge finished 10m 20s down for the stage and 37th overall and Hayden LeCompte did not finish the last stage.

It was only at the much delayed prize giving on the Monday afternoon that I realised how close I had been to wearing the yellow jersey. I found out that the rider I had lead the 4th stage with had lodged a protest against the actions of the A grader who had clearly towed the three chasing B graders up to us and then towed one of them up the mountain. The other rider had also protested about the service vehicle towing punctured riders back to the bunch as they had not done it for him but had for another B grade rider. If the A grader had not interfered, we would have almost certainly been first and second to the top of the mountain and due to the fact that the rider with me had punctured and lost time in the Sunday morning stage, I would have held the yellow jersey and tried my best to defend it on the Monday morning. Maybe next year .............................. 

Cycling Vocabulary

Anon Cyclist

For those new and old to cycling, you will hear cyclists say various things before, during and especially after races. As what they say can only rarely be taken literally, here are some examples of what they really mean:

What they say:

“I have not ridden my bike all week.”

What they mean:

“I have trained at least 600km (A grade) / 400km (B grade) / 300km (C grade) / 200km (D grade) / 100km (E grade) / 50km (F grade) this week.”

What they say:

“You rode well today.”

What they mean:

“I beat you today!”

What they say:

“You have been riding well lately.”

What they mean:

“I have beaten you in all the recent races!”

What they say:

“You look like a promising rider.”

What they mean:
“I am always going to beat you!”

or alternatively:

“Very soon you will be moving up a grade and we won’t need to race you any more.”

What they say:

“I’m feeling tired.”

What they mean:

“I’m about to launch an attack and drop you.”

What they say:

“Come through!”

What they mean:

“I want a rest and then when you’re tired, I’m going to attack.”

What they say:

“I’m not feeling well today.”

What they mean:

“I intend winning today.”

What they say:

“Let’s work together.”

What they mean:

“I feel tired and need a tow.”

or alternatively

“I want a free tow to close the gap so I can jump across by myself and leave you behind.”

What they say:

“I’ll just sit on the back and not race.”

What they mean:
“I intend just sitting in and waiting to win the sprint.”

You will undoubtedly have other examples which could be added to this list and the stories told are the same in all grades. Hopefully this new found knowledge will increase your enjoyment of cycling and ability to race.

Anon Cyclist