Australian National Road Championships, Ballarat, 6^th – 10^th January 2010

A week of cycling indulgence: The Australian National Road Championships in Ballarat, with on Wednesday the 6^th the time trial (39k), on Thursday the 7^th the Criterium and on Sunday the 10^th the road race (162k). Aussie Crates has given Logan and me the opportunity to be here, and we took it. Initially I was going to do all three disciplines, but already before the time trial I decided not to do the Criterium. If I wanted to have a serious go at finishing the road race, which was the objective (together with doing well in the time trial), I shouldn’t do the Crit, something I don’t like doing (yet) anyway. I’m staying in an apartment with Logan, Michael and Freddy and the accommodation is breathing cycling. You could call it a mess with a gathering of bikes, pumps, tools, wheels, helmets, bike boxes, bottles and bag packs, but for us it is the furniture.

“It is really a mess around here”, Freddy complains: ”They charge a pretty high rate, so I expect some service in return.”

He is not talking about the bikes and gear lying around, but about the floor being unclean and the towels and blankets not being replaced. Fair point I must admit. A vacuum cleaner tries to hide in a cupboard, but when I discover that the dust bag is full and the suction power is zero, I give up.
Logan has an injury, showing the backward behaviour that some, and far too many, have in Australia: He has been hit by a plastic water bottle thrown out a cashed-up bogan-car (some Holden Commodore) in a descent around Roleystone, purposely trying to hit him. What kind of behaviour is that? The European in me can only feel sorry for these bogans: Holden still just is Opel. In Europe it is really not cool to drive an Opel. Why would you spend all your money on upgrading your Opel? That is something we did in the ‘70s and it was called an Opel Manta. Moustache required. And then purposely trying to hit someone while – probably drunk – driving, that is really backward behaviour. Logan’s eye will turn purple in the next few days. We laugh about it. Just gently lower your glasses a bit, Logan, and look Robbie in the eye: the ideal way to send shivers down McEwen’s spine just before the sprint.

10^th of January: National Road race Championship 163.2k

“You can only honestly believe if you have met your creator”. It sends shivers down my spine. I’m driving towards Bunninyong and the radio is tuned in on some sort of religious channel. The music is mainly country, the one you hear in the Mid-West of the States, and is pretty relaxing. But the words of commentator are words of indoctrination. It makes me laugh – good enough to not think about the conditions that are about to unfold outside my air-conditioned SUV. The prediction is 35C, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is going to be hotter. Really, I cannot think of any sensible argument why Cycling Australia would organize an event like this around midday. Especially if you know that conditions like this are more routine than exception. And with the course being pretty tough, it is going to be a daunting experience.

Logan and I agreed to meet Tony at the feed-zone at 10:00, an hour before the start. He is going to provide us with the drinks during the race. I labeled all my bottles with the lap I want to have them. I calculated to need 6 750ml bottles of carbohydrate containing drinks, the rest would be water bottles. With my back pockets full with gels, I would last the day.

Tony is 20 minutes late, so we start our warm-up. Not ideal, but we’ll manage. After 20 minutes spinning the pedals the sweat is dripping from my face. For some reason I do not think of the 16 laps, or the state I would be in after 160k; may be the mind blacks out any thoughts to really comprehend what actually is going to happen in these conditions.

Tony arrives at the feed zone and picks a spot in the shade. When I have given Tony the instructions on drinks and sponges, I do the last bit of my warm-up and head down to the start. At the local church I see two guys playing the bagpipes. I clap for them; people like this lift such an event and spirits to a higher level.

There is no one at the starting line with ten minutes to go. Riders gather in the shade of the trees in the finish straight. Subconsciously I shake my head: this is madness. I hear a whistle, time to hit the starting line. I expect no fast start, so I see no point of being on the front line. I’m in good company at the back – Rogers, Bobridge, Wes Sulzburger, Alan Davis think the same. Robbie McEwen does not start, nor is Graeme Brown. They claim this course is too hard for them. Moreover they are angry with the organization that the next 5 or so years the Nationals will be held on the same course. And I agree with them: a course for the Nationals should change every year, to give other riders, with different capabilities a chance. Robbie also doesn’t like it that it is an Open event. It wouldn’t be right if a foreigner would win it. On that I cannot agree with him. Not that I have the slightest chance of winning it, but it is the only reason I am able to compete here. Looking around in the peloton, I am impressed by the fact that I am surrounded by Pro-Tour riders contracted by Columbia and Français des Jeux. I cannot believe I will be able to finish a race close to these guys, there is no way I have made that jump in 6 months. But I will enjoy it as long as it lasts – anything more than one lap.

 Melting away in temperatures way above 30C.

The gun shoots us away, a forced acceptance of being outside in this burning heat: here comes hell. The first climb is pretty calm; most riders are tapping at a high cadence. Logan sees a guy on the Valverde-Pinarello in the most kitted outfit he has ever seen, with yellow shoes and yellow watch. He is heavily breathing on the first climb. At the top of the 3k climb it is full with people. I hear two bagpipes – probably the ones I saw at the church – but the high frequency tones are uncomfortable. I see a barbeque, some people with huge water guns.

The descent is sedate: as if the bunch has already covered 100k in a Tour de France stage in week 2 and everyone takes a breather. Suites me, the more I can keep my heartbeat down, the longer I will last. I don’t even attempt getting to the front in the descent – the real shift will be made in the climb anyway. The pace in the second lap is a little higher, but still it is all quite manageable. The feed zone is quite chaotic. There are so many people, that it is hard to make out where Tony is standing. He is wearing a black shirt, and it does not stand out. I know roughly where he should be, but it would be nice to know upfront where is actually is. Two more laps to find that out. The descent is similar to the first. I notice that a lot of the top riders are taking a leak, while pushed by teammates. It is too soon in the race for so many nature calls, so I guess that they practice these things during races like these to be comfortable in the big races. When in the third lap nothing has changed, I hear Matt Goss of Columbia say to Matthew Lloyd that is the easiest start he has ever experienced. “This race is 16x 8 minutes, that’s all what’s to it”, reply to him, as if I know how this race is raced. Somewhat empty he looks at me. I can hear him thinking: ’Who are you?’

In the descent of the third climb I empty my bottle, as I will get a new one in the next climb. But when I get to the feed zone, I don’t see Tony. May be he positioned himself higher up, in the blistering sun? I can hardly believe that. When I have passed the entire feed zone without a new bottle, I realize that this is going to be very difficult. In conditions like these, 20 minutes without a drink is just deadly for the performance. My heart rate is getting close to anaerobic levels and I have to make an effort to keep the light gear going. Logan waves at me, he is a little more to the front. Probably he has missed Tony as well, and we are both stuffed. I sign him that I don’t understand it either. Close to the top I receive a full blast of water from a water gun on me. For a second I am not really aware what is happening, but then it feels as a late Christmas gift. And a couple of minutes later another gift comes my way. By complete surprise Logan is handing me my bottle, which he got from Tony. I don’t understand how that could have happened, but it the best treat all week. “You legend!” I answer him, quoting one of his one-liners.

When I rehydrate myself and I look at the half empty bottle, I realize that my scheme is not going to work: I need way more fluids than anticipated. In terms of carbohydrates it will be fine, but in terms of plain water it will not be sufficient. I also realize that the fact that I cannot reach my anaerobic levels, as was the case in the time trial, shows a lack of training in that specific zone. A little demotivated I commence lap 6. On the climb I start to struggle to keep my position in the pack, and have to make up ground in the downhill part. Together with Cameron Meyer I rejoin the peloton, but for very different reasons. I simply lack a high enough power to weight ratio, he just had a mechanical hick-up. A lap later I expect to get my next bottle. I am at the very back of the bunch when only at the very last moment Tony can hand over a bottle. It is a water bottle, rather than carbohydrates, but it will do for this lap. I am however getting annoyed with myself: the pace hasn’t really quickened and I am already struggling. It is an unwelcome wake-up call that I have to refocus on my training goals the coming months. At the front a breakaway has already been formed in lap 1, and they enjoy an advantage of almost 6 minutes. “Futile”, I think:” It will come together anyway in this heat”, thinking that Michael Rodgers will do anything to get that jersey after the ‘mistake’ last year.

 In the bunch at start/finish

Up the climb while the breakaway has already started the descend

Jonathan Cantwell and Matthew Lloyd leading the chase group

When I lose complete contact a lap later, I lose the appetite to continue: in this brutal heat there is absolute no point doing another four, five laps: I accept that I will not finish, and the training effect of 4 laps in 36C is nil. I now also understand why people were pulling out yesterday, with two laps to go. You are unnecessarily wrecking your body by continuing. I halt at the feed station:” Well, this is a big disappointment”, I tell Tony, but I am totally convinced that I could not have done more on this course. I just lack the sheer power to get my weight over this climb. After some initial complaints I change attitude and in the next lap I am handing out sponges to Logan. He suffers, but holding his position in the bunch – pretty impressive. The heat in the shade is already unbearable and with the tailwind on the climb tapping away almost becomes impossible: the oxygen seems already passed by before you can grasp it. Still the leaders in the breakaway are tapping away like it was the first lap. Travis Meyer is in the break, which makes me support this break, enlightening the West-Australian in me. He looks very comfortable – every lap he receives a lady’s stocking filled with ice-cubes. I find that a genius’ move, but when I discuss that with the FlyV teams they point to the ground, which is covered with lady stockings: it seems a very common thing to do.

I get word from Tony that Logan has cracked near the top of the hill. Stuart Smith has set up his base camp close to the top and was encouraging me every time up the final bit of the ascent. Knowing Logan he needs to crack twice or three times before he quits, so I can see him continuing for a while. For Tony it is the sign to move to the top of the hill. I can handle one rider myself. I thank him for the ad-hoc arranged support. The next lap Logan is on his own, but still pedaling. I have a sponge and bottle of energy drink ready, but when he gets close he makes a faint but clear signal. This is it; I’m done, cooked, worn out. I don’t blame him, and it is a very wise decision to call it a day in these conditions. Exhausted and may be a little guttered he hangs over his handlebars. I have to ask him to get of his bike – as if he was waiting for some secret source of second breath, able to get going again.

I see the breakaway coming around again. The margin has shrunk and the pace is seriously on this time in the bunch. Riders are dropping like flies at the back. But the gap is big, still more than six minutes. The bunch has to make up one minute per 10k lap, and under these conditions that is a lot. I cannot believe that that is going to happen, except when the breakaway group is going to crack.

A combination of weariness and disappointment prevents us from being bothered to go and watch the finish: Bunninyong is cooking at 37C and 15% humidity. Not even the fact that the lead group is down to Travis Meyer, Aaron Kemp and local Damian Turner and Travis has a serious chance of winning. We pack up and drive back to the apartment. We listen to the live coverage in the air-conditioned car. Travis is on his own! And just before we exit the detour route we see him powering down the last downhill section. He is going to win! The gap with Kemp is too big. I remember being in a small break away with Travis in the Golden Spokes in November, which lasted the whole race. A race of a different caliber to say the least, but it makes me feel good.

This was a race of the kind we are going to do more of, but this particular one was too hard for the stage of training we are at. And the conditions didn’t help. However I know what to do to get there. Back to base speed training.

2010 Elite Men's Road Race Results

	Distance 163.2km			Average Speed 36.74km/h
Place	Rider	Name	State		Time
1	19	Travis MEYER	WA		4:26:31
2	21	David KEMP	QLD		+ 0:31
3	40	Damien TURNER	VIC		+ 1:08
4	32	Russell VAN HOUT	SA		+ 1:43
5	49	Hayden BROOKS	QLD		+ 3:14
6	11	Jack BOBRIDGE	SA		+ 3:29
7	29	David PELL	VIC
8	16	Bernard SULZBERGER	TAS
9	24	William CLARKE	TAS
10	54	Mark O'BRIEN	VIC		+ 5:09
11	39	Johnnie WALKER	VIC		+ 5:16
12	56	John ANDERSON	QLD
13	22	Darren ROLFE	QLD		+ 6:23
14	35	Jai CRAWFORD	TAS
15	7	Baden COOKE	VIC		+ 6:31
16	25	Zakkari DEMPSTER	VIC
17	17	Jonathan CANTWELL	QLD
18	14	Luke ROBERTS	SA
19	28	Cameron JENNINGS	QLD
20	6	Matt WILSON	VIC
21	141	Lachlan NORRIS	MTB
22	1	Peter MCDONALD	NSW		+ 6:35
23	42	Steven ROBB	VIC
24	2	Michael ROGERS	ACT		+ 6:37
25	4	Matthew LLOYD	VIC		+ 6:42
26	90	Fabio CALABRIA	VIC		+ 7:16
27	103	Mark FRENDO	QLD		+ 8:06
28	118	Brendan JONES	NSW		+ 8:11
29	9	Wes SULZBERGER	TAS
30	47	Daniel MCCONNELL	VIC
31	13	Cameron  MEYER	WA
32	89	Jay BOURKE	VIC		+ 11:27
33	34	Dylan NEWELL	VIC		+ 11:51
34	48	Andrew ROE	SA		+ 12:18
35	26	Drew GINN	VIC		+ 13:07
36	119	Tristan JONES	SA		+ 13:23
37	136	Sean MORAN	ACT
38	59	John CORNISH	VIC
39	15	Joel PEARSON	NSW
40	30	Patrick SHAW	VIC
41	8	Allan DAVIS	QLD		+ 13:48
42	110	Jon HOUSTON	SA		+ 14:11
43	163	Will WETTENHALL	VIC
44	27	Scott DAVIS	QLD
45	130	Shaun MCCARTHY	VIC
46	102	Karl EVANS	QLD
47	46	Steven PILSON	VIC
48	135	Sam MOORHOUSE	NSW		+ 15:26
49	129	Liam MCCARTHY	QLD		+ 15:41
50	161	Wade WALLACE	VIC		+ 26:34
DNF	50	Nathan JONES	WA
DNF	53	Casey MUNRO	VIC
DNF	60	James IBRAHIM	VIC
DNF	62	Samuel RIX	VIC
DNF	63	Stephen TREE	NSW
DNF	64	Peter DENNIS	VIC
DNF	66	Erik MELLEGERS	WA
DNF	71	Dimitri LAFLEUR	WA
DNF	72	Giuseppe CIRELLA	QLD
DNF	74	Steele VON HOFF	VIC
DNF	76	Mark HEWAT	VIC
DNF	82	Reece-Emerson VAN BEEK	VIC
DNF	83	Andrew NAYLOR	VIC
DNF	85	Peter AQUILINA	VIC
DNF	86	Aaron BATCHELOR	VIC
DNF	87	Nick BENSLEY	VIC
DNF	88	Donatas BLUDZIS	VIC
DNF	91	Logan CALDER	WA
DNF	92	Cameron CARLYLE	VIC
DNF	94	Phillip CHAPMAN	NSW
DNF	96	Brad DAVIES	SA
DNF	97	David DEERY	ACT
DNF	98	Rowan DEVER	VIC
DNF	99	Mark DIPPELSMAN	QLD
DNF	100	Rob DOYLE	VIC
DNF	101	Drew MCKINLEY	IRL
DNF	104	John GROVES	MTB
DNF	105	Mark GUIRGUIS	VIC
DNF	106	Steven HEDLEY	WA
DNF	107	Matthew HODGES	QLD
DNF	108	Tobyn HORTON	GBR
DNF	109	Michael HOSKING	QLD
DNF	111	Nathan HUNTER	SA
DNF	113	Mark ISAACS	VIC
DNF	114	Luke JAMES	VIC
DNF	115	Mark JAMESION	QLD
DNF	116	Craig JOHNSON	VIC
DNF	117	Kris JOHNSTON	ACT
DNF	120	Ben KERSTEN	NSW
DNF	121	Michael KNOFF	VIC
DNF	122	Kris KOKE	NSW
DNF	123	Peter LADD	VIC
DNF	125	** Unknown rider **
DNF	126	Marc LOECHERER	VIC
DNF	127	Chris MALLALUE	VIC
DNF	128	Steven MARTIN	VIC
DNF	131	Tim MCGRATH	VIC
DNF	134	Nicholas MITCHELL	VIC
DNF	137	Malachi MOXON	VIC
DNF	138	Adam MURCHIE	VIC
DNF	139	Tommy NANKERVIS	VIC
DNF	144	Cameron PETERSON	NSW
DNF	145	David RAWLINS	SA
DNF	147	Jared ROWNEY	QLD
DNF	148	Sam RUTHERFORD	NSW
DNF	149	Josh SMITH	SA
DNF	150	Cameron SPEARS	SA
DNF	151	Chris STEFFANONI	VIC
DNF	152	Jacob SUTHERLAND	VIC
DNF	153	Walter TATE	USA
DNF	154	Will TEHAN	VIC
DNF	155	Jon TOWNSEND	VIC
DNF	157	Lee TURNER	VIC
DNF	158	Christopher TYMMS	VIC
DNF	162	Matthew WERRELL	QLD
DNF	164	Robert WILLIAMS	NSW
DNF	169	Paul RICHARDS	VIC
DNF	375	Tom DONALD	VIC
DNF	5	Darren LAPTHORNE	VIC
DNF	10	Simon CLARKE	VIC
DNF	12	Leigh HOWARD	VIC
DNF	18	Alessandro BAZZANA	USA
DNF	20	Matt GOSS	TAS
DNF	23	Aaron KEMPS	QLD
DNF	31	David TANNER	NSW
DNF	33	Matthew RICE	TAS
DNF	36	Brendan BROOKS	NSW
DNF	37	Peter HERZIG	QLD
DNF	38	Chris JORY	NSW
DNF	41	Nicholas SANDERSON	VIC
DNF	43	Rhys POLLOCK	VIC
DNF	44	Chris PRYOR	QLD
DNF	45	Mitchell PEARSON	NSW
DNS	51	Charles HOWLETT	VIC
DNS	52	Ashley HUMBERT	NSW
DNS	58	Bradeley HALL	WA
DNS	77	Simon MCCARROLL	NSW
DNS	93	Billy CARSON	SKCC
DNS	95	Chris D'AMELIO	VIC
DNS	132	Mark MCKINLEY	IRL
DNS	133	David MELVILLE	QLD
DNS	143	Stuart PAYNE	VIC
DNS	168	Rico ROGERS	NZL
DNS	3	Robbie MCEWEN	QLD
	Number of starters 133			Riders abandoning the race 83
	Number of finishers 50