Saturday Dam Ride

A good turnout yesterday for the Saturday Dam ride and plenty of good fun was had by all. On the way out the Magpie at the big roundabout touched up either Mitch or Phil (not sure which one) with cry's of 'speed it up' heard to try and get away from the black and white demon.
The G came along for a cruise as well and was doing it tough by his own admission but carried on regardless.
We ran into the Doc out near the Dam and he joined in for the return trip and of course he slapped on the pace keeping the mountain bike brothers happy; not so sure Mitch, Phil or the G were so happy.... Everyone was well and truly aware that if you were the last rider to the roundabout on the way home you would be morning tea for the black and white bombers so the pace was on. I ensured I wasn't going to be last and in doing so I bought enough time to look back to see who was last and the look of desperation on their face was priceless, may have been fear also lol.
Great to see Mitch and Phil turning up, gents might not feel like it but you'll be on for the whole ride soon enough, you guys have already come a long way. G if you were a little more regular it might be more enjoyable hahahahaha.
Great ride to start off the weekend.

2014 Gran Fondo Wrap

A very cool morning greeted the riders in this year’s Great Divide Gran Fondo but it wasn't unexpected with everyone dressed appropriately. Just after we had a quick brief and a customary photo, Schalk turned up after having returned home to get his water bottles he had forgotten about! After the take 2 photo it was time to roll out into the dark, the bitterly cold dark lol. 

The cold did help keep the pace nice and steady though and progress was constant, did I mention it was cold?. This year the bunch rode on each time somebody had to take a break and this made up for the late start by the time we got to Bilo, well almost. Everybody made the first climb on the range without too much trouble, no warm clothing coming off was a good indication of how cold it still was. The group broke up a little from here in as it normally does and everyone made it to Bilo in smaller groups for breakfast and most importantly coffee. This was where we said goodbye to Jamie and Vicky as they headed to Rocky in the car. Jamie rode to Bilo on a temperamental Sergio and Vicky played paparazzi all the way J  Thanks guys I’ve booked you a spot for next year, both of you all the way!!! 

We had a lengthy stop and everyone was in good spirits as we rolled out waiting to see if what looked to be a tailwind was actually a tailwind.

Well it wasn't as good as last years’ but we still sat on around 30 for quite some time before slowing ever so slightly as the day warmed up. The Fox, Marty (who was stuck in the big chainring all day with Di2 issues), the Dodgy Doc (Scotty) and Noel all took turns pulling on the front for this stretch and most of the ride actually. 40 odd k's after Bilo we met up with the support team for a quick stop and cold coke before making our way to the Dululu Pub, what I think is the most telling 30 k's of the ride. This stretch isn't hilly in fact it's quite flat, but the heat really starts to get to you along this 'unexciting' stretch of road. There were a few red faces appearing here. Everyone was more than happy to get to the Pub.

Lunch isn't gels and bars on this ride, its hamburgers and chips, steak sandwiches and seafood baskets! Beer was a popular choice also J

Time to complete the next leg of the ride - the 30 odd k's to Mt Morgan. This stretch starts out flat but we started our affair with a half decent headwind at this point so it was steady going. At about the 10k mark it starts to get a little lumpy and the legs really feel it as they’re asked to actually do some more demanding work after so much flat work. The group split into 2 here but it was better people get into their own rhythm at this point of the day on the hills. As we neared Mt Morgan we were stopped as a fire was up ahead and we had to wait for an escort. As we passed through the inferno we were lucky to escape with our lives as flames licked up at us trying to pull us into the fiery abyss...ok well maybe that was stretching it a little but if the wind had of changed directions it wouldn't have been too far from the truth.

We made our way into Mt Morgan and up the nasty climb into the town only to be greeted by old mate Magpie again; at least we knew to expect him this year. As we made the peak of the last climb in town Orla was digging deep and I said “You’ve made it Orla!”. Orla summed it up well and simply said ‘Fu#$’ Too funny.

A quick drink and picture and off we went with the climb out of Mt Morgan waiting to inflict pain and despair. 

While this climb isn't Mt Archer it is still a good drag and with 200 k’s in your legs it demands some respect. It did almost break some of the riders but after a little rest on top of the range and with the aid of sugar everyone was off once again. It’s fair to say Daryl, Schalk and Orla were really feeling it and to see them push on was special.

The descent off the Mt Morgan range was to be one of the highlights of the ride. Pretty sure you’ll see a link of the Fox coming down the range from his Fly6 shortly. Only recently reopened it’s as good as any road anywhere in the world (except Central Queensland), honestly. Wide and flowing with hot mix the whole way, this really is worth a trip just to ride it.

As we hit the flat it was into grind mode to get people feeling the hurt to the end. Marty, Scotty and Noel waited for us to catch up and we regrouped for the final push.

Of course the wind sensed the weak and blew like crazy into our faces the whole 15 k’s to the highway, it was truly horrible. As we turned onto the Bruce we didn’t have the tailwind I had been promising but it wasn’t a headwind either. As we neared the finish we of course got stopped by lights! It is Rockhampton the city of stop lights!

Everyone finished together at the Information Centre with a great sense of relief and achievement. 240 k’s is a long way in anyone’s books. Most of these people hadn’t really done the miles to do it easy and they suffered a little for sure, but it’s the sort of ride that most capable riders can do if they put their mind to it.

 To the people that rode this year Marty, Schalk, Daryl, Orla, Noel, Scotty, The Fox and Jamie thanks, you’re a great bunch of people. I had a great time and I’m sure you did too; I’ll see you all next year I’m sure J

Of course I have to thank the incredible support team, Jody, Nicole with her own small team and Suzette, without you guys it wouldn’t be the same. The stops along the way when the going gets tough are something to look forward to. The way you make us all feel special every time we stop or go by is very much appreciated. Thanks.

There were a few riders who didn’t ride for their own reasons, I feel for you guys as not coming would have been a tough call, next year for sure though. 

State Champ x 2

Well done to Cat Newell for winning the Queensland State Elite Women's and the Masters 2 Women's titles. To take out the Elite is something special let alone the double.
Champion!

Almost Gran Fondo Time

Well this time in 48 hours it will be all over for another year. There will swearing, shivering, wind, I'm sure a few 'how much further to Dululu?' and a few 'just around the corner' lol, laughs, thoughts of I can't go any further (but you will), more swearing, no comfortable spots left on your saddle, some mild pain, definitely a sore arse towards the end, at some point the belief you will make it, then the best feeling as you roll into Rocky and you see the finish; quite rightly too you've just ridden 240km!

Ok it looks like it'll be a cold start, rug up as the first support vehicle will meet us on top of the range to take some clothing if it warms up, hahahahaha warms up heading towards Bilo!
I'll have the fridge with me to put you stuff in and anything else just throw in the back.
We leave at 4am sharp so be there early enough for a few words of encouragement beforehand.
Biggest tip for the day is don't wait till you're suffering to say something, speak up early. Butt cream will be handy too lol.

See you bright and early Saturday.

Mark

Thursday Roll

Great to see our new faces back again and the ladies riding as well, you guys certainly bolstered our numbers this evening! Great roll today with steady pace only picking up a little towards the end, but not by too much. What makes it amazing was the fact that 'Bloody Wayne' was on the front for most of it with the Fox! until he popped lol. Brad you're getting there mate, keep turning up and it'll come back, no need to tell you the boy didn't even break into a sweat :-)
There were a few nervous faces there tonight when the talk turned to the Fondo. It's fair to say not to many have done much leading up to the ride this year but not much we can do about it now, it's going to be a cracker with some great stories to tell by the end of the day.

There was something different about tonight, can't put my finger on it but it was like something was missing........ :-)

Tick Tock

Less than 2 weeks until the 2014 Great Divide Gran Fondo swings into what will be a very long day on the bike. For some it will be a journey into the unknown while others will know what to expect and can't wait for it to begin. The weather conditions really make the day, if it's windy and hot it makes for a more than memorable experience, even with good conditions it's a bloody long way.
Unfortunately we've had the withdrawal of Kaye from the ride and her beaming smile and sense of humor will be missed. On a positive note Orla from Gladstone looks like she'll be kitting up for her first crack at the Fondo; Orla I promise that you'll have a great day out full of emotions (mostly good lol).
To all other riders attending it's time you sorted out how you are getting to the Calliope IGA for the 4am start time. Be there ready at 3:50am for a quick brief before we roll out.
Dinner will be at the Frenchville Sports Club at 7pm which should give everyone enough time to freshen up. If we have good winds and finish earlier I'm sure we can start dinner early.
Any questions it's time to ask now! :-) If you have specific drinks, spares etc you need taken contact me sooner rather than the day before please.

Mark

Rocky Racing

Great weekend of Road racing in Rocky over the weekend with an invitational event with riders from Mackay and Bundaberg Clubs attending. All grades had great numbers but most significantly A Grade numbers were the best for some time and it was a real A Grade pace, evident by Mick Newell and Paul Andrews big grins on Saturday lol. Mick England came away with the win in the end with a late move hanging on for the win.
Sunday was a Handicap and the pace was on for the scatchies from the get go. The back markers caught the pack on Lap 7 of 10 and slowly reduced the bunch of well over 20 riders from there. In the sprint Matty Jenkin stretched the legs and came away with a well earned win. The Gladstone region certainly has some great talent.