The Gran Fondo Report

The following is my account of the epic day that was the Great Divide Gran Fondo.

The day for me started at 2:25am after a really ordinary sleep that I’m sure most people can relate to when there’s a big event on the next day and you have an early start. Once I picked up the guys we headed to the starting point at Calliope to get ready for the 4am start. Once there the first flat for the day was found with Wentzel having a rear flat before the bike even came off the car.

At just after 4am we set out into the darkness for what was to be a very long day. The ride was to be ridden at around 26 khr so that we still had some energy at the end of the day. At first some found this pace a little hard to stick to while feeling good but in time the pace evened out. By the time we hit the Bilo range we were all pretty warmed up even though it was still a little fresh and we just cruised up the grind that lay in front of us. At the top we regrouped and set off to Bilo.

There are some great downhill sections across the Bilo range and we all had a ball. As we hit the last 10 k’s into Bilo we picked up a tailwind and set a good solid pace all the way into town. I couldn’t help but think this tailwind was not a good thing, as it turns out it was the last tailwind we experienced until the last 5 minutes heading into Rocky many hours later.   

On the way into Bilo the awesome support team cheered us on and took photos and it was a great feeling I must admit. In Bilo we hit the first coffee shop we found and an hour and a half later (just a little over plan....) we departed with a very full belly. One of the highlights of Biloela was the Shim that stopped for a chat. Blonde wig, fake boobs, very tight and small hot pants with accompanying bulge in the front which was the only thing to give old mate away........50 in the shade would be kind he was but he did make us laugh, imagine the surprise Glenn had when he encountered him in the toilet!!!

As we turned and headed towards Rocky we were introduced to the headwind that would be our riding partner for the rest of the ride. Nobody really cared it was what it was and we just knuckled down and set about churning out the k’s.

By the time we hit Jambin it was around 30 degrees I think and some of the guys were looking a little hot. After a few minutes in the shade we headed back onto the road once again.

 

15 k’s later BANG! The second flat had found us and it was a tyre blowout to make it worse. The Spare tyres were with the backup team but all attempts to reach them were unsuccessful. Turns out they were in the food court and couldn’t hear the phones ringing....once we reached them they were into full swing and in no time they found us and we were ready to roll once again.

The temp was around 34 degrees for the next stint along the flat and windy country that lies between Jambin and Dululu. This was where the first reduction in pace took place so as to make sure the whole group was in with a shot at finishing. I should mention this stretch is where I mentioned Dululu was just around the corner and spirits lifted, only to find the sign that said Dululu 13 k’s away just around the corner......popular I was.

As we reached Dululu we went across the Dee River I think it was, it looked so good I’m pretty sure if the pub wasn’t 400 metres away the whole group would have jumped in.

The support team had pre ordered for us as we were now over 2 hours behind the plan and lunch at Mt Morgan would have been far too late. Everyone ate very well, I must say the beer, coke, steak sandwich and bowl of chips I had was awesome J The Dululu pub is a great stop which so much character and history.

After the compulsory photo shots in front of the pub we set of to Mt Morgan which was about 30 k’s away. The road starts flat but the hills start about halfway there gradually building. Schalk and Wentzel were feeling the pinch by now and tackled the hills at their pace. By this point this was the biggest ride most of these guys had ever ridden in one day and with minimal preparation there was always going to be a point where the demons would appear. I rode with Wentzel into Mt Morgan where we were greeted by a magpie, on a hill of course before we reached the support crew at the Golden Nugget pub. This was our quickest stop with a quick coke and hello to families before heading off to what were the best climbs since the Bilo range.

 

 

Once again we regrouped at the top of the first bigger climbs and this is where Schalk was happy to plug away at his pace for the rest of the ride and Wentzel made the call to pull the pin down the road a little further after the downhill off the range; he was hurting.

Daryl Glenn and I headed off and rounded up Schalk just before the descent and proceeded to enjoy the ride down the range. Once off the range we headed for Rocky and our spirits were high as it was now in sight, well mine were! As we turned and headed straight towards Rocky the headwind was doing its bit to make the last part of our journey miserable, once again. The pace was a little quicker now and while we covered the distance pretty quickly it was hard work with all the aches and pains coming from everywhere, especially the backside area. As we turned left at the highway we finally picked up some tailwind and just cruised the last 5 minutes or so into Rocky where out finish was to be at the Information centre.

There was the support crew once again and we were welcomed like kings as we pulled up, what a great way to finish a massive day on the bike. Peeling off my shoes and feeling the lush green grass underfoot was something special. Schalk came along a little while later after taking a wrong turn and heading to Gracemere and getting a flat on the outskirts of Rocky...wouldn’t have been a ride if he didn’t get a flat. Wentzel ended up calling it a day with less than 15ks’s to go. While this doesn’t sound far he was well and truly spent and the headwind was very cruel.

 

I would like to mention our awesome support team made up of everyone’s families. They had a ball too I’m pretty sure and made the day more than just a ride. We couldn't have done it without you. The feed at Sizzlers was a great way to finish off the big day.

If you’re wondering, yes there will be a 2013 Gran Fondo, stay tuned J .

 

The wait is almost over!!!

The new Coffee Grinder Kits are on their way! All going well it should land at my place this Friday. Once it's arrived it will be sorted and collection will start most likely on Monday if it actually does turn up....woo hoo!
There will be a new order in the not too distant future as there's been a lot of interst from plenty of people ;)

The Great Divide waits....

Only a couple of days now until we head out on the Gran Fondo and what a day it will be. A sore ass is assured, as will be hot weather, but can the merry men overcome these and other challenges to climb off the bike at Rocky with 245 klm's on the Garmin? We don't have long to wait now to find out.

Thursday Ride Record

Last Thursday saw us with a new record for riders with 22 turning up for the ride. There were quite a few Ladies in there as well which is great to see.
The group will split into 2 groups from now on to cater for the regulars and also the newer riders or those just wanting to take it easy. Craig and I will take turns at taking each group purely as pace setters and to try and pass on some basics. The larger group is to cruise on about 26/28 k/h and the other around 21/23. While the are not blistering speeds the please remember the Thursday ride is a social event where riders can meet other riders and plan other rides from there.
I am confident we will hit 30 very shortly with the warmer weather and longer days returning.

The first Thursday roll a couple of years ago....I think

Rocky Road Racing Champs

Perfect weather was supplied for the final road race of the year for the Rocky Club. After a late start the races began and so did the wind....On the trip out there was of course a nice tailwind for the long downhill. At the turnaround the headwind was very much in your face and the grinding began.
I'll tell the tail of B Grade from where I was sitting until I had my first ever DNF......
The trip out was very fast with speeds over 50 frequent and there wasn't anytime when the pace wasn't on. The turnaround saw the before mentioned wind come into play with some big turns pulled by the Rocky lads. There were a few attempts to mix things up here and there but nothing really. After the first lap of 3 everyone was together and the trip up the hill began once again. This time however there was a move from the Rocky lads that resulted in Sandy being spat out the back. Ryan was toast too but I'm not sure at what point he popped. Cat gave me some words of wisdom and also informed me her day wasn't far from being over as we rocketed along with the tailwind once again. Jason Paul and Paul Smith were very strong and did a lot of the work without any complaints, I could hear anyway. On the return they tried it on again up a hill and once again everyone had to dig deep. I'm not sure where Cat called it a day but maybe around here somewhere as she wasn't very well to start with. By the time we got to the last haul up the hill the guys went again and when they did I didn't respond but rather thought about what it would be like to do another lap and I decided that was enough for me, I was all but toast.
The Vman was still there as the field shrunk to just 4. As B Grade came into sight for the last time there were just 3, and yes the Vman was there! I thought for sure he would jump and take the guys but as it turns out he had jumped at the top of the hill with a rush of blood and paid the price with an empty tank; the other guys were running on empty too but held him out. Well done Vman and well done to Paul and Jason, they were super strong and deserved winners.
Ray took out C Grade and did it easy, of course he should have been in B grade but that's racing.......
Turns out there were a lot of DNF's on the day in many grades for many different reasons.

A Grade 75km- Jay Callaghan, Adrian Lohmann, Kevin Ronan; B Grade 75km - Paul Smith, Jason Paull, Vaughan Flowers; C Grade 50km - Ray Rhodes, Gary Hill, Bailey Goltz; D Grade 40km - Dave McIntosh, Reid Newell, Wayne Coleman; Under 13 16km - Scott Thomasson, Danielle Ruff, Xanthe Newell; Under 11 & 9 6km - Kayla Brady, Ellyssa Ruff, Caden Ruff.






Vman coming in third.

Saturday

Another weekend of great weather for riding has come and gone. Saturday saw a new starter for the group with Reg turning up to follow a few wheels and fitted right in working with Marty to keep the speedo humming along around 40. Not too sure what happened on the rest of the Dam ride because I turned around at the road works as I was taking it easy for the club champs the next day. I met up with a few people while I waited for them to come back and had a chat before they went on there separate way. I also came across another couple that couldn't even bother to wave or even look sideways to acknowledge the 'gday' I threw out there; a sad state of affairs......I'll leave that one alone.
Anyway Graeme and John came into site and I joined up with them and to the brew shop we went. The other guy's eventually caught up to us at the Boyne lights with Steve mentioning Marty's name and there was no need to tell me what had happened as I had a fair idea. From there we descended on the brew shop for a well deserved coffee, well for them in any case.

Gran Fondo

I have long viewed Gran Fondo rides from afar and thought wouldn’t they be an awesome experience. With racing finishing shortly, no big races for me on the horizon and an expanding waistline, I thought why not do my own Gran Fondo.

On September 29 I will set out from Calliope at 4am (yes that’s early to some of you) to make the most of the cooler part of the day and attempt to make it to Rocky via Biloela (245k's). Now I will not be setting a scorching pace but rather a gentlemen’s pace around 26kph to give myself every chance of making the distance. I plan to ride nonstop to Biloela and have breakfast and a brew before heading off to Dululu which is about 75 k’s for another stop to just stretch the legs and top up water bottles. From there the road heads up ever so slightly to Mt Morgan which is only 20 odd k’s away and where I plan to stop for lunch (I should get there about 1pm). From Mt Morgan there is about 6 k’s of up before the descent to Rocky starts and is pretty much down hill for about 25 k’s with a small bump to go over before some flat to finish off with. We plan to stay overnight in Rocky and hit Sizzler that night before passing out not long after that.

I do of course have a backup vehicle manned by my beautiful other half that will meet me at various stages throughout the day.

So far there are 2 others making the journey with me. Don’t feel like you can’t because you haven’t prepared for it because neither have we. I would like to think this will be a yearly trek and who knows what might happen in time. Like they say, ‘from little things big things grow’.