Day 1
Well the TDU week started off well enough. The group that i was preparing to ride with for the week, Cervo Rosso, was holding a dinner in the city prior to the traditional prologue stage on the sunday night. We got to the track early to claim a seat then headed for dinner which was great. Many laughs were had and a few sneaky ciders as Monday was a "rest day". After dinner we wandered down and some of us went our separate ways to get a good vantage point. We were lucky we left our chairs there as the crowd was 4-5 deep when we returned. To be so close and feel the rush of the wind as they stream past is amazing and this was just the entree to the week of racing action!
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| Kids are happy with their spot! |
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| Teams on their warm up lap |
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| Fast corner with not much room to move! |
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| The man, The legend...CADEL |
Not wanting to rest too much and rest seizing up i decided to ride ride from home to Glenelg to take part in the Team Sky "Twitter Ride". Huge turnout with at least 250-300 cyclists riding from The Buffalo to Outer Harbour and back. The whole Sky team turned up with support cars in tow (including their Jaguar!) When i got their i spotted A-Man and Boz. The three of us decided that we would turn off at Burbridge Road and head back to la Musette for a coffee (or 2). Unfortunately i got stuck on a work call and missed the roll out so ended up right at the back of the field and missed A-Man and Boz when they turned off. This kinda set the tone for my week but more of that soon enough. I looped back at the next round about and headed to the Cafe where we met AVO and Carlyle Ware. Carlyle is the head of Cervo Rosso international and had made the trip to Adelaide to ride in the Grand Brevet so it was great to finally meet him in person. 2 hours later and 3 coffees in A-Man, AVO, Boz and Carlyle had decided that they were going to go to Waterfall Gully and I said i would head home. A good 55kms in the bank by the time i returned so i was happy
Day 3 (Nurioopta to Angsston)
Each of the Cervo Rosso Grand Brevet rides started at the Tour Village in Victoria Square and finished after 100kms at the end of the official TDU route. Day one of the race finished in the Barossa Valley town of Angaston. This was going to be one of the longest days of the week as from Angaston we had another 35kms back to Gawler to catch the train to the city. We all met a the designated 7am time and after AVO greeted and welcomed everyone the groups were formed (slow, medium and fast). Mistake number 2. Looking at the riders in the fast group i had ridden with them all before and manged to hold my own so i lined up with them. we rolled out of the city at a steady but comfortable pace. Once we hit the hills a however i found that i was getting towards the back of the pack and working hard to hang on. Something wasnt right. The pace was high so i dropped off the back and made my own way to the first stop where each of the groups met up. After this stop i jumped in with the "medium" speed group but heading to Nurioopta i got dropped again! FFS i was really bonking and thinking back to my food prep prior i didnt do enough carbing which i really felt on that first day. We all made our way to Angaston and enjoyed some well earnt lunch and sweet treats. This soon perked me up although my ride back to Gawler was, again, solo as the pace was hot with many people taking advantage of the brief stiff tail wind on the way back. Caught the train from Gawler not knowing that i had to buy a ticket for my bike so fixed this up at the Adelaide Station and we all spun back to the village for drinks and chats. Home for an ice bath, pasta and bread!
Day 4 (Prospect to Sterling)
Felt great when i turned up this morning after a solid meal for dinner, a great sleep and awesome breakfast. I made the wise decision to ride with the medium group from the start today after seeing Dr Pain turn up but this all went downhill when both the medium and fast groups combined. This turned out to be my undoing as the pace got hotter and hotter as we hit Gorge Road. i managed to stay on (albeit at the back of the pack) until a group nature stop. After this the riders of the fast group lifted the pace too high for me and i made the decision, again, to drop off. I am not a 250km+ a week rider at the moment so knowing that this was going to be in excess of 500kms i wanted to preserve my legs. Made a couple of phonecalls and returned a few emails at the bottom of Gorge road and flicked a message to the group informing them not to wait for me at the top of Checker Hill which was the KOM for this stage. Knowing that i was off the back i decided not to do Checker which was a real shame as i was so looking forward to revisiting this climb but i also wanted to make sure i saw the race in Sterling. I ventured around Gumeracha then headed in to lobethal where i was going to have a break but seeing the bakery was full i pushed on to Hahndorf where the town was buzzing in anticipation of the peloton coming through. Great coffee, donut and a coke and i was on my way again. I rode my way through to Mylor then up to Aldgate where the CR group were meeting but i decided to push up the hill to Sterling as i remembered the chaos of trying to get out of the area last year. This was actually a good move as met up with one of my best mates who due to injury couldnt ride with me this year. His company would have made a great difference as when we ride together we always stay together and pace ourselves to how the slowest of us is feeling, we actually ride together, but there is always next year. We hung out, chatted and watched the pro's loop through twice and enjoyed the race in warm but pleasant conditions. After the race i rolled out and actually managed to mingle with the pros on their warm down! The climb out of Sterling through "Bitch Hill" was much better managed this year by leaving earlier i avoided the crowds. Managed to get a great run down the South Eastern Freeway until the last hairpin before the Devil when i saw an ambulance attending to a fallen cyclist. Hope they are ok. Made my way, once again, to the village where i sat in the expo side and enjoyed a cold coke before heading home again and starting my nightly prep routine. Overall i actually enjoyed riding by myself today because i could do what i wanted and take in the sights and sounds of the TDU festival without smashing myself to hold on to a pack.
Day 5 (Norwood to Campbelltown)
Today i didnt even worry about starting with the CR group as i was completely demoralized by my 2 previous efforts i decided to just cruise around by myself. I planned to follow the same route as them but my Garmin was on the fritz a little so i lost track of the route. i ended up venturing down Gorge road again and out to Gumeracha and a bit futher on from there. i looped back through Kersbrook and back on to Gorge road heading to the infamous Corkscrew Road! This is a brutal climb and coming at over the 90km mark of the race today it would prove decisive. I had no intentions of trying to get a PB on this climb as the crowds had already started to build and bike were going everywhere. I just cruised up but actually managed to shift in to the big ring with about 500m to go. Wasnt sure if my legs were good or i was just a bit dehydrated! Not being able to find a decent spot at the top of the hill i rolled a little way back down to the 100m to go marker, on a bend which gave a great view of the riders which would be coming up. I had a great vantage point to also watch the social riders coming up and also the CR team. Boz and Rubber werent keen on going to the bottom where they were basing themselves and having to climb up again with the crowds so stayed with me. The 3 of us had a great time although it was very hot there the CFS ended up filling out bidons of ice as the volunteers ran out of drinks. The ice did provide some respite. As the race approached you could feel the anticipation in the crowd and when they turned on to Corkscrew Road the crowd erupted as the commentator announced that Cadel had broken away at the front! the roar of the crowd up the hill as he made his way was like the roll of thunder and i will never forget seeing him round the corner dancing on the pedals on his way to a famous stage victory. Seeing a World Champion and TDF winner do his thing so sublimely is something i will never forget! As the rest of the peloton made their way through and the green light vehicle had passed i bid farewell to Boz and Rubber and made my way down Montecute hill to Gorge Road in to Campbell Town where the finish was staged. My day got even better from here as when i made my way past the stage area i found myself in the middle of some teams heading back to the city! Belkin, Europcar, FDJ and Garmin were all riding back. No other sport in the world would everyday folk have the opportunity of riding side by side with elite athletes like this with no protection, no security etc. This was a real buzz and the look of awe on some of the others riding with us was just priceless.
Back to the village to my spot on the expo side for a rest then home again.
Day 6 (Unley to Victor Harbor)
During yesterdays ride i started to develop quite a bit of pain in my right side Achilles tendon which got progressively worse to the point that i couldnt really stand when i got home that night. Straight in to damage control with Ice every 15mins and any ointment that i could find was lathered on. This morning i woke up and could certainly feel it and it was obviously swollen. Not knowing what i had done i decided, probably stupidly, that i would start my ride then just see how it went at the start. if i had to pull the pin then so be it. I set my Garmin course to follow the Cervo Rosso route which straight away went up the South Eastern Freeway so it would certainly be a good test. I managed to climb it without too much discomfort so i pushed on through Sturt Valley and on to Heather Road. This was an unexpected little pinch of a climb! got up it ok and cruised through Mylor on my way to Medows where i had planned my first rest stop which was 50kms in to the ride so was gradually consuming my food supplies knowing that i could top up there. The ride to medows was beautiful and took in Retort Hill! not overly steep or long but a pain with a sore leg and a couple of hundred kms in the bank for the week. Got over it with no major issues when cruised to Medows. Got to the lovely bakery, grabbed a coke and was waiting to order a pasty and donut when i looked in my zip lock bag. OH SHIT! no cash and i left my credit card in my wallet after going to the supermarket last night! i was LIVID! i found a seat outside and assessed the situation. i had 1 bidon of water, three lolly snakes and one cocaine bar to get me through the next 80odd kms! i decided to eat the cocaine bar and set off pretty quickly to take advantage of the energy boost. i made good time to the Myponga KOM and caught up with the last of the BUPA Challenge Tour riders. This was a great climb which i surprisingly managed quite easily. This was the end point of the route i had to follow so once up the top of the climb i assessed my map. I mapped out a course that was about 38kms to victor. The route was undulating and by the time i got to the 115km mark i was getting in to a bit of trouble physically as i had consumed all my food and had all my drink. I was empty. Physically i had very little left to give and was unsure if i would make it the last 20kms to Victor. I was peddling in to a head/side wind for the most part. I was lucky that i turned a corner to the left and managed to get a tail wind for the next 5 mins which helped me up a hill and on to a fast 3km descent. This allowed me to get my wits about me for the last 8kms to the finish. I saw a 4wd pull off to the side in front of me and a arm waving out the window, i came to a stop just next to it and saw a friendly face in Michelle. She had seen my earlier facebook post while in Medows and was worried so took the opportunity to check on me when she saw me. After a brief chat i was on my way when another car pulled in front and another arm waving. It was one of my best mates (the one who couldnt ride) and his wife and baby girl. They too had seen my post and were offering water and showing genuine concern, thanks guys! they were heading into Victor so we arranged a meet up and we were on our way. When i got over the last small hill and saw the round about which leads to Victor i had a tear or two in my eyes from hunger, thirst, and a sense of achievement. I found my wife and kids in among the crowd of people and they were eagerly anticipating the arrival of my Father in Law who had ridden the Bupa ride. It was a great thrill to see him cross the line with 152kms ridden and all climbs done. i am super proud of him. We all chatted and watched the finish of the stage. At this point i still had nothing to eat or drink so was keen to make a move. To cool down i rode back to my F.I.L's house at Pt Elliott where where we were staying. I smashed down 4 glasses of water and 3 slices of bread with Nutella. It was a good hour or so until i started to feel somewhat clearer, then the fun began. The Cider was opened and we stat around for a few hours and shared stories of our ride and spent time as a family. We then headed to dinner before i turned in early in anticipation of the willunga stage tomorrow. This marked the end of my riding adventures for the week!
Day 7 (Mclaren Vale to Willunga)
The Queen stage of the Tour Down Under never fails to deliver. We left Pt Elliott at around 9am to make the quick trip to Willunga knowing where we wanted to sit we made the hurried trip up to the base of Old Willunga Hill, near St James Park. This is a great spot and one that we have frequented the last few years. Chairs in place and drinks in hand it was now just a 3 hr waiting game for the peloton to arrive which was made more enjoyable by Phil and Michelle along with their kids joining us which is always nice. I did enjoy yelling words of "encouragement" to riders i knew that were heading up the hill, although i dont know if many of them appreciated it ;-) A special mention has to go to A-Man who heard me yelling and made a loop back down just to ask me if i was ok. Thanks mate. The crowd continued to build and it got to fever pitch when the pros made their first pass up the hill. The kids with clappers in hand yelling at the tops of their voices was great to see, and hear. Being that they are another year older they seem more engaged in the race and had picked out their favorite riders and teams (Cadel and GreenEdge). It is certainly a sport that all ages, shapes and sizes can be involved in through one way or another. The race was brilliant to watch and to see Richie Porte's blistering attack at the base of the 2nd and final climb was amazing. I felt for Cadel though as it was plain to see how much he wanted this but ultimately he ended up losing the Ochre jersey by 1 second going into the final stage.
Day 8 ( Adelaide Street Circuit)
The last day of the TDU always brings mixed emotions, this year probably more than previously. It culminates a week long festival and celebration of such a great sport and of many kms ridden, new friendships made, realizations gained and for some tough lessons learnt.
This being a new circuit we had no real idea of where to sit to we assessed the map the night before and decided on a spot on the corner of Bartels road and Dequetiville terrace which worked out well because this was the first year that our eldest was able to ride in the Bupa Kids Mini Tour. This enables kids 6-12 the opportunity to ride a section of the track. I think that i was more nervous than Miss 6 as i hadnt had the chance to practice much with her but she did so brilliantly. I could tell that she was hesitant but she kept it upright the whole 20mins while others went for some pretty decent spills!
The place we sat for the race was great but unfortunately it was in full sun for the whole day on the hottest day of the week! ahhhh well lather on the sunscreen and we were fine! We packed a great lunch for us to enjoy, as a family, and that we did. Being so close to the track and the team staging area our kids had the chance to wave and yell out to the riders as they went past. Highlight of this was them getting a smile and wave from Cadel and Jens Voight. The stage was taken out by German powerhouse Andre Greipel with Simon Gerrans taking the General Classification. That drew to a close one of the greatest sporting events of not only SA but Australia as a whole and the record crowd numbers reported are a testament to this.
My week in review.
I dont get too hung up on numbers etc like most but my TDU stats for my rides are here...
KM's Ridden - 591.10
Meters Climbed - 5,782
Time riding - 23Hrs 2 min
Number of rides - 5
I loved spending time with my family the most this week. To be able to share this with my wife, 2 kids, mum and Father in law was very special and many fond memories have been made and plans are already in place for next year! Fingers crossed my Bro wont be injured as i could have used him this year. Fingers crossed!
What i learnt this week
This week was a real mixed bag for me. I was so excited to do the Cervo Rosso Grand Brevet as i enjoyed it so much last year but it was evident from the first day that either they all got better or i got worse or i just completely misunderstood this years ride and it was actually a training ride, not a social event. I was disappointed that the group fractured the way it did and i felt completely unsupported by the "team" which left me feeling quite despondent for much of the week. I am not a big personality and find it hard to fit in to groups so in that sense this has put me back a few places as this group is a little "clicky" and if your not in the "inner circle" you can feel a little ostracized and that is the slight feeling i have been left with. Granted my day 1 prep wasnt good but i guess i just expected a little better. No one seem too fussed but like i said, i probably just gauged the event wrong. I dont go out for competitive rides very often, i am not driven by strava glory which is contrary to many others.
I need to be better in my preparation for longer, multi day events. This put me on the back foot early this year and it is usually a point that i am VERY good at. I am attempting to stick to a clean eating diet but the negative to this is that it isnt very conducive to carb loading! i should have recognized this earlier but life just sometimes gets in the way
I actually enjoyed riding by myself more than i thought. Sure it would have been great to have the company and some people to chat to but the time to just be alone with my thoughts and know that i just had me to rely on was nice.
I have enjoyed sharing a common interest more and more with my Father in Law. Seeing him become more and more involved with cycling and his times improved has been great. Coming back from a broken pelvis mid last year it would have been easy for him to not get back on or just do short rides but these last 6-9 months he has really pushed himself., a new Cervelo bike hasnt hurt his enthusiasm either!
Whats next?
Honestly i dont know. I miss the next sportif due to my wife being overseas for work but after this week i probably wouldnt have done it any way.
i need to work on my overall bike fitness and i plan to do this predominantly solo or with my friend, CW, once he is recovered from his injury.
I want to improve my hill climbing and general performance.
Racing is not really on my radar at this stage. I may do 1 or 2 crit races before the summer finishes then see how i feel come the road season. I may seem a bit "nonchalant" but i just feel my competitive juices wavering at the moment and i guess i realised that the only person i am wanting to compete against on the bike at the moment is myself.
True Grit is my next main event in April so a decent amount of training must be done for this.
I had been close to getting a power meter but have decided to put this off until i get a new bike this year, IF i get a new bike that is.
My achillies is feeling better and a short spin this afternoon should work out any last niggles.
Overall i give this week a 7/10.
Until we meet again, one pedal stroke at a time!
