man i love racing at tempe!!
Last night was a bit quiet in the A grade department, but we had an A grader road cyclist (young lad) on a bt, and the randwick lad who i can never remember the name of who is good at sprinting as well as Alex Chugg and me.
In the first 6 lap race i died after 3 laps, unable to hold on in the wind, as they kept the pace over 50. Alex came third in the sprint, and that little road lad had no trouble sprinting for the win. We then did a longer race were Alex made a break away, and i slowed them down for him.. though i was coincidentally going the same speed as i had in the first race... though in the end, after a few moves of the road lad attacking, then doing turns until it got to me, and then him attacking again, i rolled through for second place after we went past alex on the last lap.
We then did semi and finals match sprints for the A grade. I was edged out by randwick sprinter (who was on 88?!) and Alex took on road boy in the final. Alex went early, and maybe a bit of lack of experience from road boy had him swininging up and down on the back of alex, making some strange moves for the lead. Alex edged him out to take the win, Alex then raced sprint guy for the final, and came second. In the three/ four race i had road boy, who i had been coaching in the break period, it turns out i suck at coaching, but i was able to keep him on my hip untill he went the long way around in a slow break, where i jumped onto him and sat him for half a lap followed, then tried to get past him. He kept me on his hip, but i took him over the line.
In the lower grades, we had half the feild on our side, our boys all there for experience. In the first race a guy in green made a massive break away, Hugo followed him, and then spent an amazing amount of time sitting in the chasing wind half way between the bunch and break, before nathan also made a break, and then sat half way between all of them. Hugo was caught, and the other guy was relegated to A grade.
The B/C missing out was a good race to watch, nathan did bits and peices on the front, and wore him self out, looking destined to be dropped, but in the end came second, Hugo had a good race but got boxed, and Julio was some where in it all, im not exactly sure where.
Last race was 10 laps slow, then faster for the rest. Alex had a break away for the last three laps that i some how missed, and i ended up some where half way back before Nathan called me in, in front of him, i then sat on bucko who took me to the front, then i sprinted around the bunch, with road guy on my wheel (hes improving by the hour?! (has a coach?!)) and edged him out in the sprint. Crazy!
All in all, Hugo got a heap of race experience, Jullian is getting his groove, and nathan is fast, but needs all the racing he can get, and some of the experienced riders did well against him.
Great night, totally good learn to race experience, really relaxed, and even the elite A grade cyclist lad had fun
though me and alex by the end kept beating him in sprints
