After a quick and chilly (2deg) 30 min drive from Miles to Chincilla for the start of the Round 3 Road Stage we had plenty of time before the race started. Luckily this time allowed for the temperature to increase. After relaxing in the sun for a while we readied ourselves for the 150km race from Chinchilla to the hill top finish at Bunya Mountains. Would it be cold enough to require a vest or arm warmers, or would a page of the Sunday newspapers suffice until we warmed up?

Gear choice for the supposedly fierce 12km climb to the finish was sorted. Kristian and I chose 12-25, although Kristian was rethinking this and wanted a 27. Dave failed to find a 27 so found himself a 11-28, Dan rode something made by SRAM and I’m not sure what Aidan and Jamie chose. Daves chain was ’slightly’ worn so it was a little concerning that he was running a brand new cassette but it all seemed to work fine.

By the start it was warm enough to take the newspaper option. The start itself was pushed to 14kms out of town due to some chopped up roads. We rode neutral to that point. There were several punctures during the neutral zone and we waited for them to catch up before the race proper started.

And start it did. In the first hour we covered 45kms, mostly as a result of non stop attempts for a break to go. From my position down the back of the bunch I could see Dan and Dave near the front, Felto trying to get in the break. Jamie was also up there. Kristian and Aidan were a little further back staying out of the wind and trouble. Compared to the previous day, there was minimal wind, with it mostly behind us. The roads were actually in very good condition. I had expected lots of holes due to recent rain.

Game plan was for Dave, Dan and Jamie to be at the front to try and go with dangerous breaks and for the other 3 to hide. I spent a bit of the first hour at the back of the bunch chatting with Frendo, but the surges as breaks went and got caught were a bit much so I moved up a little. I ended up at the front for a while and even bridged across to what would eventually be the break of the day. I latched onto the back of a 10 man group which unfortunately split again with the 2nd half sitting up and the rest of the bunch catching us. From there Kristian and I were blocked in on the left hand side of the road as another group of riders got across from the right hand side of the road. The break ended up with about 17 guys in it.

After the bunch chased for a little while everyone sat up. Most teams had people in the break although KOM and leaders jersey were in the main bunch. This left it pretty much up to us to keep the break in check which was a hard task with only Dan, Dave and Jamie on the front with the occasional help from others but with 17 guys off the front working.

The break soon has 3:25mins. I figured any of the good climbers who wanted to win the stage would have put their teams on the front but it didn’t happen. By the feed zone with 50kms to go they had 5 minutes. The feed zone was in a good spot, on a pretty solid climb. Frendo, kHz and I had just came back through the convoy from a nature stop as we hit the hill so I was actually a little stuffed at this point but the feed zone slowed everyone down for a while so I got to recover. It also allowed me to ride in my usual position of last wheel through the feed zone. Thanks for Murray, Jim and Donna for feed us yet again.

After the feed zone there was a nice pothole which took a few people out, I think Jamie and Bobo hit it but didn’t flat. I also saw someone hit a Kangaroo carcass. Dan was feeling it a bit and slipped back in the bunch and Jamie started cramping on a climb and drifted backwards. At this stage kHz and 3 others ripped off the front in pursuit of the break. The bunch once again didn’t do much chasing. The break must have been getting tired as they made it across near the base of the climb.

Just before the main climb, Dave got back on the front too keep the pace high but keep gapping everyone as they just watched him ride away. We also caught 4 riders who I presumed were the 4 that had gone clear after the feed zone but it turned out not to be. Eventually we hit the main climb and the bunch just exploded. One minute there were probably 60-70 riders, most of which I scooted around just before we got there, and the next there were probably 15 of us. Kristian and Bobo were also at the front. I was focused on not riding so slow that my Garmin stopped (5kph) so didn’t have a chance to look back and see what the carnage looked like.

The climb was tough to say the least, 18-22% ramps with ‘flat’ sections between and they just kept on coming. We’d been climbing for a couple of km’s and based on race distances we still had 9km to go!!. KOM leader Reuben got stuck in the big chainring up the 2nd ramp and fell behind. The climb was so steep he couldn’t get going again. David Melville stopped to help him I think and also couldn’t get going again. I didn’t see him again. I got tailed off on the 2nd or 3rd ramp when Corey Edmed accelerated, so I didn’t try to follow, just rode my own pace. Bobo, Kristian, Frendo, Peter Thompson and a few others were up ahead. Slooooooowly I caught riders, passing Bobo and Frendo and eventually catching Kristian on a steep section after he rode away from me on the flatter sections a few times. We also caught some of the younger riders who started out a bit faster, as well as some of the break. Corey had disappeared by now. Boothy who had probably been driving the break was stopped on the side of the road with cramps. Further back Dave was cruising up the hill in his 28.

By now I’d ridden through what was left of the front bunch, with only Corey and Peter Thompson ahead. I grovelled my way up to PT at the top of the last steep section. He was actually going a fair bit slower than me now but I’d run out of steep road to drop him. Unfortunately most of the actual climbing finished about 6km’s out from the finish. PT and I were caught by 3 others on a downhill section, and then Reuben came charging across with a couple of kms to go bringing with him Frendo, Kristian and Bobo. 8 or so of us came across the downhill finish together but the road wasn’t wide enough to get through and improve position at all.

Unfortunately there were still 8 or 9 of the breakaway ahead of us. Not by much though as Corey came 8th I think. Still with 3 of us in our group I think Budget was the only other team with 3 riders up the hill at that stage, although possibly ZipVit did as well with 1 finshing with us. kHz rode across to the break and then straight out the other side at the start of the climb, winning the race solo.

While the temperature at the top of the mountain was pretty cool there was a nice grass field in the sun to sit in while waiting for presentations.

I think it was another good result for us as a team, we seem to be one of the better teams when it comes to the climbs. Thanks to Jamie, Dan and Dave for sitting on the front for so long.

Until next time,

Ben