Weekend
Saturday morning saw a good number turn up for the bakery ride leaving Roberts Bakery at 7am. Notable absentees were Mick Cain who had ridden down to Sydney for the MS Sydney to Gong ride and Mason Manwarring who was tapering for the same ride. Interesting to note the two riders training principles.
Heading out to Cadia road was a nice sedate pace, and along Cadia road until traffic building up behind nessitated single file, so Mick rolled through and found himself off the front of the bunch so in tribute to Mick and Mason, put his head down and just kept going, not digging deep but just riding a good tempo. Grant Roe jumped across the gap and sat on his wheel as they crested the rises on Cadia Road and picked up Brian Kennellly who also sat on the train.
In the main bunch, a few guys were trying to get the bunch working but Mitch Bland was finding few helpers and Ray was struggling with the early pace.
Turning into Orchard Road, Mick got a gap but sat up and waited a bit for the bunch which pulled him back, being led by other FFi Rider, Owen Macphillamy.
Rounding the turn into Forrest Reefs Road, Mick and Owen kept rolling turn but with the bit of wind a few people were struggling with finding the sweet spot where to sit. While taking his gloves off Troy found himself rolling of the front and in a familiar position so kept going, possibly thinking of the sprint into Forrest Reefs and a long solo attack.
Behind in the bunch guys were struggling pulling turns with some riders riding in a blocking manner, sitting in second wheel but not pulling turn which hampered the efforts of Macphillamy and fellow helper Andrew Foxall.
In the last several hundred metres, Macphillamy jumped away from the bunch in the hope of bridging to Troy but Troy made it to the speed signs first claiming the sprint.
Heading around the back of Tallwood the pace remained high with Mick, Owen and several other guys pulling turns. Up the pinch at the back of Tallwood, Mick put a little more gas on and across the top doing more long turns on the front coupled with the cross head wind caused a splinter in the bunch which went from ten or so members to only four by the left hand turn back up to Forrest Reefs.
Mick decided that today was not the day to wait and again kept the pace constantly high with Macphillamy helping.
Around the airport, Mick made the effort to get on the back of a passing cement truck in the hope of having a quick trip back into town but could not close the last few metres, instead causing a spinter, with Macphillamy closing back to Troy and both pulling turns into town.
Coming into town they made the junction with the members of the early bunch that had turned short, including Ray Selmes and Shakey.
Garmin File for Mick can be found at:
https://connect.garmin.com/activity/56243329
Average speed:35km/h