Sunday and Monday Riding
Sunday morning saw FFi Racing and Orange Cycle Club converge on Bathurst Cycle Club's local scratch racing. With Mason Manwaring sneaking into C grade, leaving Rodney Farrell, Mick Troy and Owen MacPhillamy in A grade to battle it out.
Heading out the road to Ryans turn, Farrell found himself in a break and pulled some strong turns allowing Troy and MacPhillamy to sit in and save themselves for later in the race. Coming through Perthville, the race was all together, making a perfect opportunity for Owen to attack. With no response from the bunch, he quickly established a lead. Mick then went to bridge the gap and readily closed it, but having two FFi riders up the road caused a stir in the bunch leading to the break being closed down. A well timed counter attack prior to Georges Planes saw a lone Bathurst rider up the road. This was a perfect opportunity for Mick to go on the attack and so he did. Quickly bridging the gap before getting into Georges Planes and doing a lot of the work in the hope that they would stay away until the finish. Back in the bunch Owen and Rod got an easy ride with their team mate up the road. After the Newbridge turn, the gap stayed consistent before several big turns from some or the Bathurst riders rapidly closed the gap which led gprs Mick being caught at the top of the hill on St Johns Avenue. Perfect team work was on display again when Owen immediacy countered, while never gaining more then 90m on the bunch, he had Mick policing the bunch. Coming into the finish, the gap was slowly closing again under the pressure applied by Bathurst riders but was still enough for MacPhillamy to hold on from fast finishing Troy which took the bunch kick for 2nd.
In C grade, Mason was regularly seen on the front of the bunch and.was regarded with the win in the sprint finish.
Mick and Owen then continued with their big kilometre count with a pedaling home from Perthville via Newbridge, Blayney and Milthorpe.
Monday saw another public holiday and another good opportunity for another long ride. A big bunch mtg at Greengate including someone the local triathletes to see what a real road training ride is like.
Heading out Forbes Road and onto Amaroo for the decent into Molong. Heading into Molong the Sprint was wound up a long way out with Mason on the front before Mick kicked but was not strong enough to hold off a fast charging Owen.
A quick water break before the climb through town and the next sprint which Mick took and then the rolling ride to Manildra.
Heading into Manildra, the sprint es lead out by Nathan O'Brian with Owen and Mick in tow. With Mick printing left and Owen heading right around Nathan, it was on for young and old. With Mick taking both sprints into town, the tally now stood at Owen: 1, Mick: 2. The long climb into Cudal saw a steady pace set by the Martins and on the decent, Mason capitalised on gravity and took a huge lead into the Cudal sprints, taking both. Owen: 1, Mick: 3, Mason: 2.
A regrouping in Cudal saw Mick Cain join the bunch for the long slog up through Bowen Park.
Bowen Park is hard at Tue best of times, let alone when you have 80km in lour legs already so each person went into their own little world of suffering, with the bunch being led by Mick, Mick and Owen.
Coming over Lidster, again the bunch splintered, with Mick and Mason forging on, while Mick and Owen dawdled in via a drink at the lake. Hitting the FFi Racing Pinnacle Hill Climb challenge, Owen punched it hard in the first section of the climb but blew towards the top while Mick took a slower and steadier start to the climb and finished off stronger. Owen clocking a 6.51 and Mick a 6.36 both from standing starts. No word as of yet of Mick or Mason's times.
Back into town, the sprint had already been taken by Mick earlier, leaving it as a dead race, but a long attack from Steve Martin ment that Mick had to wind the pace to 68km/h to get Owen back on terms with Steve for him to take third place on the line.
Final points for the day; Owen: 1, Mick Cain: 1, Mason: 2, Mick Troy: 3
Mick's Garmin file for the Monday ride can be found at: connect.garmin.com/activity/61700794
Also many of the photos that Owen took on the ride can be found on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28884&id=100001190079568&l=fac221d624