Unconventionally, yesterday's club champs started with pursuits.  In MMAS2 there was 4 of us (I thought only 3! Didn't realise Wayne Arazny was in his 30's.  I'm up against Alex Vaughan in qualifying.  I'm on 104" for this, as a bit of an experiment.  We take off and I basically match Alex each lap, just trying to stay in front of him, and when the bell goes for the last of our 10 laps I sprint for a bit.  Afterwards, Wayne sets a faster time than I do and Martin Lama is miles quicker than everyone.  So Alex and I get a rematch for the final.  This time I resolve to catch him quickly and get it over with.  I'm still on 104".  It takes me 5 laps to get him, and I'm absolutely trashed by the effort.  The officials blew the whistle a touch early, and if Alex had decided to kick on, I'd not have been able to go with him and he'd have got me.  Still, there you go.  3rd in the pursuit. I'm going to pay for that effort today at the Sprint Series. I wasn't really planning on riding the pursuit, the plan was to qualify for the final (1v2) then do a 2 lap sprint to see if I could catch Martin unaware, but I didn't figure on Wayne being there, being fast and being in my age group!  This got me again, later ...

Next up is the 500m ITT, I've got my new Bontrager RXL shoes on, and they are the ducks nuts.  Super-comfortable. Still on 104" (51x14).  I think I rode a 42.something for the 500. Not too bad considering the monster gear, gusty wind and fatigue from the pursuits.  Not sure if that got me a second or third in MMAS2?  Martin rode a 39.something to win it.  Dino set a PB for his in MMAS4, but Mick Thomas got him by 0.15s!

Chris Dann won everything in MMAS3 as expected.

The scratch race, and there's 4 of us, Martin, the unbackable favorite, Wayne, Alex and myself.  My plan, gap Martin off the front ASAP and then race for 2nd.  A bit negative, but Martin's been winning A grade scratch races and the rest of us are riding C or D grade scratch.  I'm on Martin's wheel from the start, and as we roll turns the first time he comes to the front I crystal-crank it (now on 86", sanity prevails!).  Martin's away 20m clear in a jiffy, but ... Wayne's jumped across the gap with him.  Ok, I figure Martin will drop him soon enough and then Alex and I will be able to pull him back.  Except that Alex and I don't combine so well and they work together and get a lap on us!  Oh noes!  After they get the lap Martin kicks away and Wayne's about half to two thirds of a lap clear and Alex and I finally rolling turns smoothly and gradually pulling him back, but he's still a lap up even if we catch him.  Racing Alex now for third.  We have a gentleman's agreement of sorts and we don't sprint until the last 100m or so, I pip Alex by half a wheel at the end.

So at the end of the day's racing I have a 3rd in the pursuit, 2nd or 3rd in the 500m ITT, 3rd in the scratch race, and a 2nd in the sprints last weekend.  Is that good enough for 2nd in the club champs for MMAS2? I don't know.  Last week the results were up very quickly (thankyou Rob and Doug!).  I know this morning the pursuit effort to catch Alex is going to have an effect on my speed at the sprint series.  No matter I guess, I'm not in a position to influence the aggregate anyway, if I can do a 13.7 or less I'll be happy with my F200 and anything after that will be a bonus.  I'd better get my backside into gear, do my warmup weights and get to the track to set it all up!