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So the summer track season ends
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A pretty good start, I'm happy
Today was the last day of the Blackburn summer 2006-2007 track season, we finished off with a tortourous 40km pointscore as the last event of the club championship, and then a nice short 12 lap B grade scratch race, a handicap, an olympic (team) sprint and finally the 'all in' race. A pretty hard day at the office.
The 40km pointscore was driven at a furious (to me anyway ...) tempo every time Tom Leaper got on the front, and it wasn't long 'til I dropped my first lap, but I recovered and got on after being lapped, did some turns a few times and generally got blasted off the back every sprint, after 66 laps I'd blown to bits (and dropped 100 points/5 laps!), time to admit defeat and try and save some beans for races I had a chance in. For the record, Jamie Goddard won it by one point over Tom, and Alan Barnes took a very well earned third. A grade, Mr Barnes ... it's time and you know it!
A 12 lap scratch race! B grade was smaller than usual, and Alan Barnes wasn't racing (still blown from the point score I assume), but there was a dark horse, an older bloke I'd not seen before. I knew Alan Doran wasn't 100% today, so figured he'd try and shake things up early, and he did, but he didn't manage to get enough of a gap to break the field, and it ended up a last lap sprint, I had speed, but bad position, and ended up second with the dark horse taking the win by a few meters in the end. That was my best result in a B grade scratch race, so I was pretty happy with it. Dino rode exceptionally well in his first B grade race too.
We watched and cheered on big Nath (who is rapidly becoming less big) as he won the D grade scratch race (and also the 2nd div h'cap), and Rich, who rode gallantly in the C grade scratch, but relentless attacks after his efforts in the points race took their toll on him.
The div 1 h'cap saw Jamie and Tom sweep up everyone with 2 to go, and Jamie predictably won it. Dino again rode out of his skin to finish with the main bunch, with Emily cheering him on. Next summer, Emily ... your turn.
The olympic sprint was the usual painfest, and then an all-in to finish off, by which time there was stuff-all food left at the free bbq! No-one remembered to feed the entertainment!
Presentations followed for the individual club championship events and I now have some medals to find a home for, I'm pretty well satisfied with this season of racing. It's been a lot of fun, great intensity training, and being part of some of the lads really hitting their stride has been very rewarding. Dino, Rich and Nathan in particular have improved so much in so sort a time it's just been fantastic.
Glenvale tomorrow, if my legs work in the morning. Road season in a few weeks. There's flat h'caps at Modella this year. Good.
The 40km pointscore was driven at a furious (to me anyway ...) tempo every time Tom Leaper got on the front, and it wasn't long 'til I dropped my first lap, but I recovered and got on after being lapped, did some turns a few times and generally got blasted off the back every sprint, after 66 laps I'd blown to bits (and dropped 100 points/5 laps!), time to admit defeat and try and save some beans for races I had a chance in. For the record, Jamie Goddard won it by one point over Tom, and Alan Barnes took a very well earned third. A grade, Mr Barnes ... it's time and you know it!
A 12 lap scratch race! B grade was smaller than usual, and Alan Barnes wasn't racing (still blown from the point score I assume), but there was a dark horse, an older bloke I'd not seen before. I knew Alan Doran wasn't 100% today, so figured he'd try and shake things up early, and he did, but he didn't manage to get enough of a gap to break the field, and it ended up a last lap sprint, I had speed, but bad position, and ended up second with the dark horse taking the win by a few meters in the end. That was my best result in a B grade scratch race, so I was pretty happy with it. Dino rode exceptionally well in his first B grade race too.
We watched and cheered on big Nath (who is rapidly becoming less big) as he won the D grade scratch race (and also the 2nd div h'cap), and Rich, who rode gallantly in the C grade scratch, but relentless attacks after his efforts in the points race took their toll on him.
The div 1 h'cap saw Jamie and Tom sweep up everyone with 2 to go, and Jamie predictably won it. Dino again rode out of his skin to finish with the main bunch, with Emily cheering him on. Next summer, Emily ... your turn.
The olympic sprint was the usual painfest, and then an all-in to finish off, by which time there was stuff-all food left at the free bbq! No-one remembered to feed the entertainment!
Presentations followed for the individual club championship events and I now have some medals to find a home for, I'm pretty well satisfied with this season of racing. It's been a lot of fun, great intensity training, and being part of some of the lads really hitting their stride has been very rewarding. Dino, Rich and Nathan in particular have improved so much in so sort a time it's just been fantastic.
Glenvale tomorrow, if my legs work in the morning. Road season in a few weeks. There's flat h'caps at Modella this year. Good.
