Kirrawak State Forest Race Report

Moving a little further afield than in previous years, Chocolate Foot held their first round for 2014 in Taree last Sunday.  Having heard how sweet these trails were from last year, I made sure this one was firmly locked in the calendar well in advance.  Marking the first round of the premier endurance MTB series known as the Finish Line Single Track Mind Series, riders converged from up and down the eastern seaboard for what boils down to the most fun you can have in the dirt on two wheels.

Saturday night turned into something of a cross between a treasure hunt and the great race, in an attempt to find pre-race nutrition.  On the plus side we got to see the sights of Taree at night, and there were plenty of laughs and raised eyebrows amongst our steely MTB foursome of Chops, Phil, Tim and I.  As in all good boys nights out, we ended up playing pool and proving we should stick to cycling, when Tim pulled out the most amazing "single track" trick shot, rolling the cue ball the full length on top of the cushion that would have challenged the great Eddie Charlton.

Located just outside the sleepy country town of Taree, the park presents as a gorgeous leafy green pocket of eucalypt forest and the local club (Manning Great Lakes Tip Riders) take great pride in their trail network.  Ripping around for my first lap, I was struck at how smooth the trails were and also how perfectly radiused the many windy corners were.  This was indeed a track built with Flow and Fun in mind that would reward those who ride smooth and subscribe to the theory, slow is fast.  It even had white markings for obstacles, something that reminded me of early Saturday morning soccer matches eons ago.

Brad Tillack has been gradually building capacity and experience in this series over the last couple of years and has now been rewarded with his very own category, "Super Masters" where he can draw his sword against the many other 50+ warriors.  I’m a confirmed addict to this style of racing (first entering in 2007) and ended up causing extra froth in the coffee cup when the news got around; I'd not be riding solo, yes I finally found a friend (long time rival and good mate Phil Welch) prepared to team up with me and Masters (40-50yo) pairs would be my battleground.

The start was pretty civilised, these races tend to start with a long stretch of slightly uphill fireroad to sort the wheat from the chaff, and while there is many a boyracer who like to throw derision in the direction of those who potentially self-seed a row or two higher than their legs can deliver, it all get's sorted out in the mad rush for single track.

I had the first lap and enjoyed the feeling of fresh legs knowing I had 30 minutes recovery time at the end of the lap, so I let the horses gallop, there would be no room for pacing today, with atleast two other pairs fancying themselves in the stakes for a podium finish. 

By the middle of the day, the temperature was starting to climb and Brad was having to contend with a couple of issues, like some strange noises from the bike (or was it just his knees?) and a crash just adding to the drama of the race.  As solo riders come in each lap, the dust, drink, gu's, mud (and other unmentionable substances) tend to build up to the point where the rider resembles some creature from the murky depths.  Thanks to the crash, Brad also earned extra style points for the sizeable graze down his elbow and not a little claret flowing.  I was found reclining between laps enjoying some chit chat and a cool drink when Brad came in on red alert.  "Alright buddy you are OK?" I soothed, Brad got centred again, with a drink, some lube for the chain (and knees), and we sent him on his way in 2nd position.  "What's the gap to 3rd?" Brad asked. "You've got heaps of time Brad forget about 3rd, just keep circulating and you've got 2nd in the bag" I replied.  The addition of the SuperMasters category belies the swelling ranks of long time riders who are now still competing beyond the 50 year birthday. Brad completed the same number of laps (14) as the 2nd place getter in the Masters category showing age is no barrier to performance.

For Phil and I, it was a solid hit out with some intensity and some sharpening up of the skills.  Unfortunately the top step wasnt to be, as Trek Racing finished 20 minutes ahead after 15 laps in 7 hours, but there is no shame in coming 2nd to Rich and Darren who have always been extremely talented riders.  Ben and Mark kept the pressure on all day and finished just 10 mins behind Mike and Phil to round out the podium.

Russell Napier also made a cameo appearance in the shorter 4 hour format and finished tired and happy just the way MTB is meant to end.  Thanks to the crew from Chocolate Foot who put on a flawless event and to the sponsors whose generous support make these events just that little more enjoyable, as almost everyone get’s to go home with a little bit of bling for the bike shed.

Giant Anthem, what a great bike for a great track, Rubena on the front and Bontrager on the back is my current setup

Masters Pairs podium complete with Arsenal mascot following their dramatic win of the FA Cup final

Thanks to all the crew at TMC for your support, and hopefully we'll see a few more riders at the next round in Mogo.  Why not make a long weekend of it and join us on the beautiful Eurobodalla coast, you can even bring your roadie if MTB is just too much to ask, but I know TBG has a shiny Trek demo MTB bike just waiting for you to try.

Keep riding

Mike

Scody 3 Peaks Challenge

They don't call this one of the Top 10 hardest rides in the world for nothing.  Having completed it for the first time last weekend, I reckon the organisers have a fair claim to that title.  I had no idea Australia had such impressive mountains!

3 Peaks is a timed event for 1800 riders taking in Towonga Gap, Mt Hotham and Falls Creek. The 235km loop boasts just over 4500 metres vertical.  A new record number took up the challenge this year with the event selling out and also 11% riders were female which is great to see.  The challenge is to finish within the 13 hours deadline and avoid getting a tap on the shoulder from the Lanterne Rouge.

Heading into this ride, I have never felt so clueless before.  I'd never climbed this much on the road bike, my training had been a little sporadic over the last 6 weeks and the weather could turn very nasty indeed as I had heard so many horror stories from years gone by.  But I kept thinking "just 3 climbs, how hard can it be?" A sure sign of denial or just plain stupidity.  I was hearing stories of people setting up with 32t cogs or 28t with a compact.  Really?  In the end I discovered it's not the amount of climbing that get's you, it's the gradient.

The night before I carb loaded to an inch of my life with the Easy Riders crew I was staying with and settled in for the usual light sleep I normally experience before a big ride.  I was first to rise at 4:30am for a light breakfast just to top off the energy stores and I was on the start in the dark with many other keen beans by 6 to get a good place on the start grid.  The temperature and forecast was perfect and before long we were rolling out and cruising down from Falls Creek to Mt Beauty.  All the riders were pretty good and rode sensibly, except for one guy who I saw overcook a corner on my outside and head straight off into a ditch.  Not a great start for him poor guy, but it served as a great warning to take it easy and survive the first hour.

Ready, Set.....

The legs were feeling good and I got into a nice little bunch on the flat before setting the cruise control up Towonga, the first peak.  Over the top, it's a beautiful sweeping descent and I picked up one rider, we bridged across to another 3 and then the 5 of us caught a big bunch of 10 or so.  Cool, time to sit in and save some energy.  Harrietville is the next stop and we mostly all rolled straight through and onto the biggest climb of the day, Mt Hotham.  This is another truly epic climb, starting steep, then keeping a respectable gradient for the next 10km or so.  It flattens out for a while and just as you are getting comfortable, BANG! In come 3 big bergs in excess of 10% and it's at this point you start to realise a compact crankset would be handy!

Over the top of the highest sealed road in Australia and the views are beyond words.  I was stunned by the magnificent views looking back down the mountain and following the faint line that we had followed up the range for the previous 2 hours and momentarily forgot the pain starting to develop in my legs.  

Nearing the summit of Mt Hotham

Again I found a couple of willing wheels as we swapped off down the mountain and before long we pulled into the lunch stop at Dinner Plain to refuel.  I was surprised to find how hungry I was and spent the next 15 mins gobbling down lunch and repacking my belongings to complete the ride and send back what I no longer needed in my pockets.  Great organisation here, this whole process was very smooth and professionally run, so a huge thankyou at this point to the hundreds of volunteers who help to make this event so successful and so enjoyable

You cant stand around all day waiting for the right bunch, so I pulled out of the carpark and before long teamed up with a fit looking young guy and we were hammering the rest of the descent until he started to cramp so it was onto the front and steady as she goes.  Before long a group of 10 or so appeared including a couple of strong guys from Perth and Peter "Stealthy" Ogilvy.  Kudos to Stealthy here who stuck with me for the next 80 km's unlike Drastic who snuck through the lunch stop and set a cracking pace to break the 9 hour barrier!  Stealthy and I chatted away and stayed in touch with the bunch.  I was starting to lose my punch up the undulations and this was one of the hardest sections of the ride through to Omeo.  The section through to Angler's Rest was really cool.  It was kind of a winding false flat through a valley and we had about 5 or 6 guys taking turns and setting a good pace.  By Anglers Rest the temperature had soared to 30 deg and I needed water fast.

Drastic in full flight

Fresh water tasted great as I could no longer swallow energy drink and whilst the odometer looked promising with just 40km to go, this ride has a sting in the tail.  Undoubtably the hard part of the ride appears at "WTF" corner.  Right on 200km, the road kicks left and up and the next 9km @ 9% is no joke. It's now 32 deg, my eyes sting from the sweat and glare from the white road surface, I have to leave my sunglasses off so I can keep sponging the sweat out of my eyes and I am grinding up what seems to be a never-ending ramp.  I feels like an eternity passes before the odometer clicks over one more km and it takes every skerrick of my determination not to get off and walk (in fact a little later I do walk 200m or so up another steep ramp).  My cadence is so low, I cant get my heart rate over 75%, I just dont have the strength to push any harder and after pinning it for 200km on 9 hour pace, I give up a 70 places in the long haul to the finish.  I finally crest the climb alone and am left with a 10km flattish sector around the lake (with a head wind I might add) to finish in 9:19. Again the scenery is sublime and it's a great way to finish the ride. The sense of euphoria on finishing this ride proved what a great challenge it really is. I felt so much emotion at the finish and I was completely choked up as the crowd cheered on every finisher.

Thanks to Collette for this pic at the finish.  The smile says it all, "I did it!"

I'm calling it the toughest road ride I've ever done.  Last May I rode the second stage of the Tour of California from Murietta to Palm Springs:193km, 3000m vert and 47 degrees for the last 40km.  This was harder, and yet by 9pm that night, I was planning my return.  That's a good sign.  The sooner you forget the mutterings of "never again", the less it really hurt.

I hung around the finish for a while cheering on all the finishers and caught up with a few mates, but a shower, food and a nap were calling loudly.  Sunday night was one of the most glorious post ride celebrations I can recall with plenty of beer, steak and war stories to go around. Thanks to the Easy Riders bunch for an unforgettable weekend and for making me feel so welcome. Everyone was keen to hear about each others day, and an almighty cheer rose up when the last of our group made a grand entrance and beat the Lanterne Rouge with 10 minutes to spare.

Lake at the top of Falls Creek

Congrats to all Turramurra riders: Mary-Lou, Josh, Graeme, Soren, Dave, Tony, Simon and Andrew to name a few, I know there were lots more!  All I can say is if you ever get the chance to do this ride, go for it.  The scenery is just amazing, beautiful roads, great people, but don't forget your 28-34 gear!

Keep Riding

Mike

Some artisitc snaps here from Graeme Weatherill

MAMIL Musings

Blogging about cycling is kind of like cycling itself.  Sometimes you are excited to be blogging and have a great blog planned, other times the blog seems a little like a chore, but once you do it, you are glad you did for your own sanity.  Sometimes you question why you blog, of if you are blogging in the right place, but of course you just keep blogging because YOU ARE a blogger.  Blogging is in your DNA.  And of course there is always the lingering self doubt, am I becoming a better blogger,  Now replace the word BLOG with RIDE and you'll see what I mean.

Everyone's written the blog about turning up to a race feeling like crap, overcoming unimaginable adversity just to reach the start line then realising you mistakenly packed your unicycle, but somehow you still perform beyond your wildest dreams, drop your competition while texting your partner to explain why you'll be home 3 hours later than promised and to top it off you bring home the bacon and podium.

This post is not like that (OK there is one brief podium mention), it's just random collection of stuff bouncing around in my head, so keep reading or just look at the pics, I dont mind either way.  As one avid and entertaining blogger who is known to bring on a chuckle or two put it, keeping it fresh is a bit of challenge.

This year has started pretty well, with a change in focus and training for shorter races and more social time on the bike.  It's also meant some quality training at Cyclestudio Balgowlah with James "Chops" Lamb and Phil Welch.  With so many events available, I love sitting down at the beginning of the year and finding those races that are still on the bucket list.

The Duo Classic weekend was one I wont forget in a long time.  Swooshing through the groomed single track of Kowen forest, catching up with mates on and off the bike and just being outdoors away from the hustle and aggression of the big smoke makes for one very cathartic weekend.  Pete and I won our category which was icing on the cake and I brought home my years supply of beer.

Exhibit A: Czech beer and tyres, what a great combination!

Duo Classic Masters Podium, partner Pete Selkrig scarpered to get back for a H&C concert so I got to keep the beer

This was a friendly duckling down Bobbin Head one morning.  

We ride through there so often, it's good to just stop and sit for a while and admire the scenery

I never get sick of the view from the top of Mt Stromlo

Cycling isnt all about numbers, but it helps

So where to from here?  The Ellsworth has been brought out of retirement and looks like featuring in a race sometime soon, actually it would have been today if Awaba hadn't experienced a flash flood.
3 Peaks is now the focus for next weekend; it's definitely been on the list for a while and just about everyone I talk to is going, should be one for the books.  And then CapPun the following weekend so it all happens in March.  There is the Peloton Sports Snowy Tour and The Mont coming up on the radar soon too and then a "little" trip away in April, yes I finally get to spread my wings and get a taste of Europe with my best friend Sarah.  First time for everything, never too late, good things come to those who wait, yes I just happen to be GenX.  Oh and something else really cool, I am teaching Tom to drive.  Yes it is a bit nerve racking but it's fun too and rather nice being driven around by your GenZ offspring.

Keep riding and blogging
Mike

Mr Hyde may not be so Evil after all

You could say that Peloton Sports has a bit of a Jeckyll and Hyde personality, but before you jump to conclusions let me explain.  For the majority of riders, the culture is very civilised, riders are cared for and accommodated into a bunch that most appeals to their desired pace, thereby demonstrating the very kind Dr Jeckyll.  But step up to the plate and take on the A bunch and things take a decidedly different turn; the evil Hyde rears his head and the ride takes the complexion of a life and death struggle.  It is a full on battle where many a rider is put to the sword and only a select few survive and today was no exception.

In the end there were only 3 survivors today (huge props to Camo, Nathan and Rowdy), and this type of competition may not be for everyone, but it is in the heat of the battle when every fibre of your being is pushed to it’s limits that you find out what you are made of.  Of course not everyone can finish with the leaders and there is nothing quite so gratifying as falling into a small group of comrades and continuing to ride as hard as you can to limit the losses and stay away from the next chasing group. 

The ride started out friendly enough with 30 or more riders fostering hopes of glory.  At times the pace dropped to almost pedestrian and Rowdy was certainly on a mission today, so when Nathan dropped the hammer at Cowan he had plenty of followers keen to test the legs and a bunch of 12 or so tacked on the rear after a scintillating descent of Brooklyn.  There’d be no regroups today, so it was a steady gruppetto up Mt White and roll on.  Mill Billy put in a solid turn up the rise past Road Warriors and before we knew it we were again hurtling down a negative incline to the Mooney Mooney creek.  Again the group coalesced; only Camo and Rowdy tried their luck up the climb, meanwhile Julian pulled the turn of the day and towed a few others up the climb to realise a few PR’s.  Camo got a well earned rest at the top, only so he could plot his next attack.  We didn’t have to wait long.  With still about 12 in tow, we turned left onto Wiseman’s Ferry Rd.  Camo turned up the blow torch and it was pain and suffering all the way to Somersby Heights.  Every pinch, the attack came and it wasn’t long before the legs said enough and I settled in for an ITT as I watched Camo, Mark, Nathan, Garry, Julian and Tim ride away.  There was a slight reprieve when Julian fell victim Mill Billy’s CX riding style, but the result remained unchanged and soon there was a trail of gooey riders strung out all doing their best impression of Jens Voight in a solo break.  

Getting gooey on the road to Somersby

This is where the camaraderie began and Josh, Tim, Graeme, Jeremy, Mike and “Specialised Track man” pooled resources to set a cracking pace across the Peats Ridge TT.  Four riders were sharing the load with 2 just content to be there and that’s the way it went all the way to Brooklyn until the last two cracked and the Fab Four were left to finish the job.  Arriving back at the after party, we’d averaged 34kph over 140km with 2000m of climbing (TSS 350).

 

The fab four today Graeme, Mike, Tim and Josh

So it seems the evil Mr Hyde isn’t really that evil after all.  The feeling of accomplishment and pride and mateship that comes from completing a ride, having given it your all is unbeatable.  We are indeed lucky to have a number of talented riders that are happy to measure the pace for the most part and then to turn up the volume and provide a platform to train harder and faster than you ever dared to imagine.  I’m not saying that just to to piss in their pockets, but to ride with these guys is a real privilege and it means pretty much any level of non-professional rider can turn up on any given Sunday and have a red hot go.

Strava tells me the last time I rode up Mooney Mooney was almost 3 years ago and today I beat that time by almost 4 minutes. That’s what PS has done for me, I’m fitter and healthier (and happier!) than I ever before in my life.  Peloton Sports continues to set the pace when it comes to recreational riding that is designed to reflect as close as possible the feeling of elite road cycling, and that holds true for everyone from the genetically gifted young gentlemen who would give the NRS a real shake, to the complete newbie who starts riding because he or she is looking for some new friends, to get fit or a variety of other equally valid reasons.  I hope everyone enjoyed the ride today as much as I did and judging from the conversation back at Bar Stelvio in between mouthfuls of lamington and a well deserved Australia Day holiday beer I'd say that’s a given.

Keep riding

Mike

Pitt Town Pain Train

I love the Pitt Town ride, mostly. Not too hilly, some nice fast flat sections, great scenery and a little longer than our other regular rides. On the flip side it can be a bit tough when
a) It's windy and hot, damn hot
b) Camo and the Jaeger-bomb are on the lookout for fresh meat
c) You always get atleast one local who feels it's his duty to take out the bunch and do his bit for the cyclist genocide movement.
You guessed it, we got the trifecta today and there were a few others looking to take no prisoners either like Lewis and Pistol Pete, not to mention Kane who loves nothing more than to ride off the front and leave us all wondering how he does it.

At just Day 2 of the MOM, most legs are still pretty pumped, mine on the other hand were feeling decidedly lacking, but the mind was willing. It was all pretty sedate through Annangrove and just for fun, MJ dropped his light and rolled off to retrieve it just so he could chase for 15km. No sooner did MJ appear and we hit Cattai Ridge Rd, a favourite hunting ground for the A-bunch. Camo made a little move and Rowdy spotted it first, moving up beside Camo. I'm not sure what he said, but in a matter of moments the bunch looked like it has been hit by a tornado and there were gaps opening up all over the place. I got a little assist from a friendly hand and rolled into Halcrows wondering what I had left. The Gresh prophesied something about the second coming and things getting real and it was a on. A full blooded assault on Halcrows. With about 1km to go Jeremy popped and soon after I was unceremoniously chewed up and spat out the back, but I wasnt ready to give up and hit the lap button to maintain a consistent power and try and pick up some others who might have cracked just a little further up the road. Strava showed just how brutal the pace was with Camo taking the KOM and Pete just a few seconds back in overall 2nd, nice work guys.

For me it was a matter of picking up a few comrades and keeping up a respectable pace to the top of the climb to make the cut, but only just.
Thanks all for a top ride, that one will pay off in the weeks to come
Keep riding
Mike

Boys Light Up....in Orange

Rowdy, Matt and Lewis

Stats
TSS: 230
IF: 0.88
Avg Pwr: 193W (NP 257W)
Distance 100km
Avg Spd: 33.7 kph
Elevation gain: 1128m

#ATOC Day 8....a gorgeous ride and some sight seeing in the city

So...
rule #1 - never call it SanFran, it's just the city and what a gorgeous city it is!

For our last stage, we planned to get out ahead of the Peloton and get into Santa Rosa in time.  We started with coffee at the Fairfax Coffee Roastery, Fairfax is held up as the birthplace of Mountain Biking with Gary Fisher starting out in this gorgeous little village.  The coffee was great and I have been surprised that despite the dish water generally on offer at the hotels, the US does have it’s share of proper coffee houses and they do it really well.

Once again the Bonk Breaker Boys/Helen’s Masters Team joined our group.  We were tapping along at a steady pace, along a beautiful road to Reyes Point; a tranquil area with just a few boats houses on the waterline.  Suddenly the call came that with 40km to go, the Peloton were catching us.  In a split second our pace lifted and we could almost feel the chase breathing down our necks

After another 20km of sustained effort I “attacked off the back” of the last four riders and was left to finish the ride TT style which works for me.  I loved riding  through the streets of Santa Rosa with the crowd cheering me on.

So this is pretty much it, our dream of living the life of a pro cyclist is almost over and it has been an absolute blast.  Mind you it’s not all  beer and skittles.

From long days in the saddle when you just want to fall off the bike and sleep, to times when you cant remember your hotel room number, you look in the mirror and think “Boy, I don’t look too great!”, the daily chores like washing your kit in the bathroom sink and trying to keep your bike running smoothly. And of course being away from home, I miss my kids and Sarah dearly and perhaps even the routine of a day job and being home for regular dinner. We’ve been staying at the Hampton Inn hotal chain mostly and they have been sensational. I wouldn’t swap this experience for anything, I have been incredibly blessed not only to be a part of this Masters team with great cyclists who are now life long friends but also to give back a little bit of hope and inspiration to those who have had to mortgage their health in the hope of a full recovery from some form of cancer.  I met a lovely couple today, Steve and Cathy.  So similar to us and Cathy has had breast cancer recently, but has been 6 months cancer free.  I hope and pray she continues in good health.

My facebook page already has all the video and pics from today so check it out

Keep riding

Mike

#ATOC Day 7 .... the Queen Stage

After a much needed rest day while the pro's time trialled, we were ready to get back into the saddle for  the Queen Stage, a 150km stage with 3 climbs (all with some 16% ramps) culminating in a 20km climb to the summit of Mt Diablo.  This climb is a beauty, a real European style climb with ramps and corners and flats.  At about half way up you look left and think "Really?  All the way up there?" It's a long way.  I was stoked with my form up the climb and the mountain was littered with cyclists and cycling fans.  The last 200m is the toughest and the entry lane to the finish line was cram packed with fans.  Being on the Amgen team, I was allowed through the final check to complete the climb and the fans were screaming at me at I put every last calorie of energy into the summit.  What an amazing experience! My only regret is I had the GoPro on the wrong setting so I missed some amazing footage of the fans, but those few minutes will live in my memory for years to come.
the day ended with a lovely family style meal with Malcolm's family in 20 Sycamore St Mill Valley.  It was just a lovely way to celebrate the approaching end of the tour with some great wines from the napa valley and some really goo food.  Thankyou Hill family, you guys are so dear to us.
The ride today centred around the town of Livermore, a beautiful little all American town.

#ATOC Day 5 - tough day at the office

Some more beautiful scenery today as we head north, but the block head wind for the last 75km was very tough and required focus and discipline.  In return the finish was situated in a gorgeous little beachside resort known as Avila Beach.  I woke up feeling very average and decided discretion being the better part of valour, that I would sit out the morning session and see how I felt later. After supporting for the first couple of hours, I was feeling much better and climbed aboard the peloton for the last 100km.  Tonight Janis, Heidi, JR, Paul and I had a wonderful Thai meal together at the Thai Elephant in Atuscadero and I drove a car on the "right" side of the road for the first time. Lot's of fun!
Highlight of the day was being there was Jens Voights inspirational solo attack at 5km from the finish.  What an amazing cyclist he is!
Also thanks to the Bonk Breaker boys who rode with us all day and helped us out with some great tasting bars
Enjoy the Vid

#ATOC Day 5 from Mike Israel on Vimeo.

#ATOC Day 4 - the best day, George turned up

Video here speaks for itself, see if you can spot the pro

#ATOC Day 4 from Mike Israel on Vimeo.

#ATOC Day 3 - Recovery..kind of

After the hell of Palm Springs yesterday, no one voiced any objections to a slight shortening of the ride today.  That being said we still taped out 80 miles with 5,500 feet vertical; do you like how I am using imperial now?  I even think I could safely ride on the roads on my own now without getting killed, it's only taken me a week to get used to being on the right side of the road, heaven help us all when I get home and start driving again!

The team for Day 3 ready to roll

The start in Palm Dale is in the "high desert" at around 1400m elevation and the one distinguishing feature is all the "Joshua Trees".

The Joshua Tree (yeah as in the U2 album)

Today's stage covered some more beautiful scenery with a 40 km gradual descent into Santa Clarita, yes 40km!!!!  It was one of the riding highlights with 5 of us in a train just motoring through this slightly downward sloping canyon.  There is some video below if you arent already bored of seeing guys descending fast on road bikes.

We did the Breakaway from Cancer mile walk up the final straight.  Again we got a little rock star treatment as we mixed with the community of Cancer survivors and supporters.  We also went back to Rob and Jills place for a swim and a cool off.  They have a lovely home in the hills overlooking Santa Clarita.  Rob's magazine Road Bike Action have been a great support to us with nutrition and clothing. Thankyou so much guys, I hope we can host you in Australia one day!

Well the washing is done, roomy Paul is ready, and I have a massage in 20 minutes to try and bring some very tired legs back to life.

Oh yeah, the pros finish was astounding and Sagan took the win by a whisker from our very own Michael Matthews.

The Americans are crazy over Peter Sagan

Keep Riding
Mike

#ATOC Day 2 - a very long day

Another amazing stage in the Tour of California today.  195km with temperatures north of 35 deg, finishing with a 5km climb average 10% at 47 degrees celsius called the “tram line”.  This climb has a wicked reputation with the local cyclists and sure enough it made for an amazing finish to the pro race.  The commentator wasn’t joking when he said it looked like someone had thrown a hand grenade into the bunch.  There were riders all over the place, but kudos to Van Garderen and the Columbian who rode to an inch of their lives, with the Columbian getting over in the end, for a truly inspiring win.  It’s also been awesome to see Cam Meyer riding so well and finishing strong in the lead bunch.

Back to our Masters team, you can see an awful lot of scenery when you ride almost 200 km and you will get a small taste from the pictures below that barely do this landscape justice. 

The first big climb of the day to Idyllwild was 1000m over 20km.  A beautiful climb and we kept it pretty tight.  After short descent, we rode across the mesa and a series of false flats got the heart rate up.  Thankfully Neil looked after us all and kept the pace steady.  The terrain gradually changed from green pine forests to arid desert with vistas so huge your eye could barely take them in and we were still hovering at 1600m elevation.

Support for the day was amazing and in the heat we needed lots of water.  Pete “Coffee Boy” Pattison took to the van after the first climb and looked after Jon and I all day.  Paul also had a ball and was busy keeping us hydrated and covered in water to get atleast some cooling effect from evaporation.  Every time I poured a cold bottle of water over my head was like getting a new lease of life, but in 10 short minutes I would be completely dry as I could feel the salt drying on my skin.  The tan lines are coming along nicely.  JR was also a great help and our drivers Heidi and Janice again did a sterling job.  This is no task for the faint hearted.

Also big kudos to Neil Shirley and Rich Meeker.  Two of the nicest blokes you could hope to meet in cycling and they did most of the work on the front today.  Malcolm rode strong and even though was cramping up the last climb, rode through the pain.  Finally KK was a great metronome for our bunch of 6 today, he kept us together and kept the chat going.

The descent into Palm Desert was one for the books.  The signpost “Beware downhill speed for the next 10 miles” says it all.   And we had already been descending for 15 mins! 

Another amazing ride and the hospitality tent was a Godsend.  The people there each day who have been impacted by Cancer are so excited about us riding for them and are so encouraging.  We now have a two hour drive to our next hotel.  We are all pretty smashed, but looking forward to a shower, dinner and bed.

Big shout out to Skatchlabs for the bottle to get me up tram line, thanks guys, but it would be remiss of me not to mention Cytomax who have powered the whole team the last two days, you guys are legend, I must have necked about 20 bottles today, thankyou

keep riding

mike

ATOC Day 2 from Mike Israel on Vimeo.