Cyclosportif Peletons de Pinjarra - CycleOther

It was a team time trial ride pretty much, (yep just like Le Tour ;) ) I was feeling really good on the bike and sat on the front and pulled everyone along for a while, within 5ks I was absolutely roasting, so pulled off sat on the back and spent a good 2 or 3 k's attempting to take off arm warmers and vests while trying to hang on the back of a pack with a tailwind behind us. Would have been hilarious to watch.

10k's flat ride out to the hill with the wind behind us. we had a good paceline set up and everyone was rolling through nicely ave was around 35k's. All the while getting closer and closer to the hill which everyone had told me about being horrible and awful etc, you could see it coming closer. Beautiful scenery down here with all the rain we've had it was green as!

then the hill it wasn't anywhere near as bad as they'd talked up. ok it wasn't easy but it was managable. 10k's worth of climbing, our team split up but we just decided to climb the hill and meet up the top, too hard to figure out who to draft up the hill etc. so one of the guys and I just climbed off and got a really decent break after 10k's at the top of the hill. got my legs back and drank and waited till the rest of the group joined. then we made it into Dwellingup and turned back for the journey back to Pinjarra into a massive headwind.

Phew the wind was tough going but again it was managable. (I think after the last cyclo even everything is going to seem easy) So then we got to fly back down the hill again the group split up but we agreed to regroup at the bottom of the climb. Another guy from the team and I again set off on the front and FLEW down the hill, I clocked 70.1km on the speedo coming down the hill. It was absolutely fantastic!! Felt like I was coming down a massive mountain! the roads were really smooth no rocks or potholes to worry about so just got all aero and flew down.

we regrouped at the bottom of the hill for the 10k flat trip back o the start line it was a bit tougher with the strong headwind but we just took turns on the front and battled our way there. A group passed us and slowed so we passed them then they passed us back. So I spoke to my team and decided that weshould sit on the back of that group for a bit instead of wasting energy passing them then them passing us etc.

so we sat behind them for a good 4k's they were blocking the wind we were drafting off them and got our legs back. when some of the not as strong people on the team got their legs back and felt ok roughly aroudn the 5k' to go mark. One of the girls said right lets pass them. I made sure tehy were sure we could pass them and then keep pushing it and off we went. We flew passed the group and then pushed it really hard to the finish line. 35k's into a really strong headwind. and had an all out spring to the finish line with 1km to go!

Try and help the not as strong members of the team up the hill a little better, not sure how I could have done that though.
Get the team a bit more organised with the paceline.
Not wear arms and a vest (well they would have come in handy if the forecast was accurate we luckily avoided any rain at all!! brilliant)

Milled around the pub at the finishline. Had an altercation with a lovely Pinjarra localite. We were in the carpark of the pub and unknowingly blocking the drivethrough bottlo driveway. so a local in a clappedout landcruiser with 3 tiny kids on the front bench seat him with a cigarette hanging out his hand. Yelled out the window to us. "Oi get the f@#$ outta my way."
Me being the smartass that I am, said calmly(albeit a little rudely) "Oi mate calm down we're moving"
Him "Get the F@$# outta my way"
Me "Hey mate chill out get an attitude you've got kids in the car with you"
Him "I've got an attitude"
Me "that attitude is what i'm talking about"
Him "F(*^ off" squealing wheels screaming out of the driveway!

charming local, buying booze at 11 in the morning with 3 kids in the front seat smoking away, can't wait all of 30seconds to get out of the bottlo so he can go home and drink!


my legs :) it was a team event so its always a bit tougher to ride when everyone isn't the same ability as you. This is the first cyclo even I've done that I've actually enjoyed and have found it to be perfect for my ability level


great race, once again I didn't win anything in the raffle but the lunch after the event was great. long driveh ome afterwards and collapsed on the couch.
Here's a picture, I got a bit of a shock looking at myself on the bike, I look like a giant marshmallow :( hopefully Ironman training might help drop the marshmallow look