[Event] West Coast Express 2018

[Mamil]

Race Report

 

In a fit of enthusiasm and masochism I braved the cycle path and rode to the start from the southern suburbs. I grossly overestimated the amount of time this would take me and stood around in the arctic pre dawn shivering uncontrollably and wishing I'd paid the weight penalty for my lovely windproof.

 

Started in F for F@#$ing freezing and predictably got dropped on the hill up to Mamre - another droppee and I time trialed nicely to catch up with the chap towing his son. No satisfaction in that, actually felt a bit embarrassed overtaking them and even more so as they held our wheel into Atlantis where mercifully a large batch of all sorts caught us.

 

Hung on to this crowd to the finish - all shame banished as I drafted behind the guy pulling his son to stay in touch with the group on the little rollers before Melkbos.

 

In my world an average speed of 34.6 is creditable even if I got dropped on the only hill on the route.

 

Cycled back slowly because an Aussie told me it's good for building lactate threshold ...... I did wonder at what threshold I'd start lactating but reached home feeling smug about my 146k round trip.

 

Cyclo sportif 5 next weekend ... woohooo!!

[LeoKnight]

Race Report

 

In a fit of enthusiasm and masochism I braved the cycle path and rode to the start from the southern suburbs. I grossly overestimated the amount of time this would take me and stood around in the arctic pre dawn shivering uncontrollably and wishing I'd paid the weight penalty for my lovely windproof.

 

 

and this after also riding yesterday, well done

[Sebastian77]

I saw some photographers on the route. Does anyone know where we can see the pics?

[Pure Savage]

I saw some photographers on the route. Does anyone know where we can see the pics?

Probably a link on PPA in the week, takes a few days.

[Pure Savage]

I saw some photographers on the route. Does anyone know where we can see the pics?

 

['Dale]

It was 1 degrees when warm up started. My coldest start to a race ever. ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

Did my best to wheelsuck anyone from Pure Savage as it was my first race in 6 months.

 

Ended up in a small break at km 67 or something and they were determined to fight till the bitter end. After one turn in a pain cave of a paceline, I waved the white flag and sat up as I knew there'll be turning into a headwind fairly soon and that would make it a suicide break ????

 

It's always an interesting season opener.

Great to see so many peeps crawling out from under their duvets to play with their bicycles ????????

 

????

Edited September 9, 2018 by 'Dale

[Pure Savage]

It was 1 degrees when warm up started. My coldest start to a race ever. ❄ ❄ ❄

Did my best to wheelsuck anyone from Pure Savage as it was my first race in 6 months.

 

Ended up in a small break at km 67 or something and they were determined to fight till the bitter end. After one turn in a pain cave of a paceline, I waved the white flag and sat up as I knew there'll be turning into a headwind fairly soon and that would make it a suicide break

 

It's always an interesting season opener.

Great to see so many peeps crawling out from under their duvets to play with their bicycles

 

 

Was so excited to see you in the break, then woosh, parachute

[Karman de Lange]

First time not getting dropped from starting bunch , first top 100, first top 10 bunch finish.. probably cannor complain, but bloody hell, it was freezing❄️❄️

Edited September 9, 2018 by Karman de Lange

[milky4130]

I saw some photographers on the route. Does anyone know where we can see the pics?

Check “Cycling With Double ST” on Facebook in a day or 3 otherwise it should be on either WCE FB Page or PPA’s.

['Dale]

Was so excited to see you in the break, then woosh, parachute

Ja nee ????

Sorrie Bru

Need to grow more race legs ????????

Edited September 10, 2018 by 'Dale

[Pure Savage]

First time not getting dropped from starting bunch , first top 100, first top 10 bunch finish.. probably cannor complain, but bloody hell, it was freezing❄️❄️

 

It was freezing at the start, then got slightly warmer, then cold again before heating up. Then once it warmed up there was a little breeze for the way home

['Dale]

First time not getting dropped from starting bunch , first top 100, first top 10 bunch finish.. probably cannor complain, but bloody hell, it was freezing❄️❄️

 

 

I had two layers of arm warmers

And jiffy bags over my toes

[OneLove]

First time not getting dropped from starting bunch , first top 100, first top 10 bunch finish.. probably cannor complain, but bloody hell, it was freezing❄️❄️

Well done  ... Come on we want a full race report.

[FootballingCyclist]

Got there at 6:30, sloooooowly got out the car and back in and started questioning my own common sense as it was 4deg and I was in, what felt like the coldest part of CT. Anywho, got my HR strap on which nearly gave me frost bite, then the shirt on, jacket back on and went for a warm up ride, full finger gloves and and I still struggled to brake going around the bend because my fingers were frozen. Eventually got back to the car and got "race ready" when we heard the guys calling for "A,B,C" riders(figured I then still had a bout 15mins to go as i was starting lower down with my mate in "I". Started trotting over the field slowly and heard the guys asking for "M, N, O", looked at my mate, chucked my jacket at his Mrs and cyclocrosed(ran with bike on shoulder) across the field to the start, I managed to get through to the back in M group 1min before the start. Needless to say I was a mess, helmet not fastened, Shoe dials not tightened, glasses not on, gloves not on either. Managed to tighten shoes, tighten helmet, put glasses on and then attempted to smash a GU, well I did, all over my legs(which is the worst thing ever as I had sticky GU all over my legs for 78kms)

 

Anyway from the gun I worked my way forward to the front where I caught the Star and Infinity guys and a few CT Giants youngsters, did my turn on the front as we turned right towards the climb and went out a bit too hard, got shat out the back like a newborn on Purity! Rode the whole loooog, what felt like 90km drag by myself and then saw a nice group coming along, tapped off on the flat part and let the group catch up, we all did some nice work on the front and avrg speed was looking good, After the turn to Atlantis I saw the bunch was a good 30+ strong, so did my turn, pulled right and so the race turned into snake world, asked if anyone else was going to come through as I felt like a train driver with everyone on the back(the same 3 or 4 guys were on the front all the time) and 1 guy shouted "it's just a fun ride".. So myself and the other guys decided to drop out baby plastic hammers and ride away, were helped out a bit by a guy on a tandem with his daughter on the downs and we pulled them along on the flats, Ended up with 6 or so of us turning right into that final stretch with 1 rider breaking away with about 1km to go, I thought we could reel him in but he stayed away and with 300m to go I tried to go across but realised he was too far, stayed with the group of 5 and was right on the back, "sprinted" from last wheel and managed to pip them with about 2m to go...

 

Got to the finish in 2:20, in absolute agony and my new bib(1st time I wore it) chafed me from start till finish on the inside of my groin between "lucky packet" and inner groin, it was extremely painful(still is) so also was hard to find a good rhythm on the flats.

 

Anyway, enjoyed the race, Marshall's were superb, few parts of the road were horrible(an A riders rim is completely finished because of a step off on the road), I feel the announcers could have been a bit better in terms of start times etc though as it was almost impossible to hear them from the car park, and didnt want to go across too early and wait roo long and get cold legs(again).

 

In a nutshell, thanks Outriders for a great event, My 1st and wont be my last. Looking forward to next week.

[Mamil]

Yes, have to say - the marshals on the motorbikes are outstanding. Their presence alone is worth the price of admission to these events.

 

I am also of the opinion that a core cadre of the marshals who look after the starts at the PPA events could be outsourced to take care of "service delivery protests" - noone can make me feel like a first grader who's not lining up straight quite like a PPA marshal.

['Dale]

@Footballer

Never wear new kit on race day.

Or new chain or new race fuel

 

Heal up ????