2012 Grafton

Road cycling & upcoming rides
Eugen Schilter
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Joined: 13 Nov 2006, 20:05
Location: Eastwood
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Postby Eugen Schilter » 06 Sep 2012, 12:00

I'm in this one (27Oct); anybody else?
Image
It's 7 weeks to go thus time to crank up the training and test the feeding regime. It really feels good to do a long one every now and then.

I'm looking for company for a Macquarie Pass type training; usually back by train from Campbelltown. When does it suit you? The sooner the better. I am flexible but the 23Sep WE is no good (Karrajong).

Eugen Schilter
0434 527722
-----------
SCHILTEC
38 Vimiera Rd
Eastwood NSW 2122 - Australia
ph 02 9876 4310
fax 02 9868 7786
http://www.schiltec.com
http://www.blog.schiltec.com.au/
http://tahiti12.blogspot.com.au/

MarkL
Posts: 400
Joined: 31 Mar 2009, 11:14
Location: Leichhardt

Postby MarkL » 07 Sep 2012, 17:03

Hi Eugen,

Unfortunately I'm out this year. I've fully recovered from earlier injuries, however, I've lost a lot of fitness. I'm back riding and have improved but I'm no where near race fit, especially for the Grafton.
If you're doing a mid distance training ride I might try to tag along.

Cheers,
Mark

Sent from my HTC Incredible S

timyone
Posts: 4380
Joined: 22 Nov 2006, 20:29

Postby timyone » 08 Sep 2012, 11:20

Eugene! You read the forum! Sorry man, can't afford to race it! Would love to

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mikesbytes
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Postby mikesbytes » 08 Sep 2012, 11:37

I don't have the time slots to train for it, but I'm thinking of doing it anyway

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T-Bone
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Joined: 21 Nov 2006, 22:50
Location: Up the Hill

Postby T-Bone » 09 Sep 2012, 01:09

I've been sick too many times this year, plus have my last exams around grafton time, so i'm out until next year hopefully.

Eugen Schilter
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Postby Eugen Schilter » 29 Oct 2012, 15:17

My Grafton 2012 (C-Grade, 229km, 114 starters, pleasant temperature, overcast)

This year no mates, neither from the Dulwich Hill Club nor the Boundary Riders, and I know only five other C graders. Some gloom could not be dispelled but, despite my only 95% form, I was in the right mood (of not letting this chance go by).

So when the flag fell I was there to follow anybody foolish enough. A first try with a Grafton dill was nil. On a gentle rise (~km9), another group of six formed. My hopes flared up but the drive was lame and after 5k the peloton sniffed us again. In hindsight my aggression then at its peak as I was the only one who managed to latch onto a very comprehensive group of 5 riders attacking at the catch. One more rider bridged; this group of seven now drove it hard and I could hardly believe my luck. We swapped off so perfectly that after a while I imagined the bunch was now ‘half an hour behind’. At km30 however I apologized for missing a turn. At the first long climb (~km45) I realized a limit and subsequently cancelled by taking turns. Up the Jadgagery drag (~km50) the struggle became too much and the best I could do was cresting with a 30m gap in 6th position; a quasi surrender, just clinging to the hope that with the rider behind we can close the gap in the decent. We could not. Come Man River (~km55), with the five leaders still in sight, we assured ourselves that they will slow down after the sprint there. They would not. A rider ahead suddenly appeared, reviving our hopes of riding ourselves back into contention, only to find out that it was a (dopped) B-grader taking to us about god and the world. You guess it helped! Next was the illusion to ‘pick some of them up’ when they disintegrate on the coming climb. Soon after, my mate spends ’five minutes’ doing the unnatural and I proceed on my own, sensing the bunch. The fun now started: One rider catches me 200m before the start of Gibralter (km70); ‘my computer shows only 69.5km’ was his problem! I never saw him again but I definitely now see the bunch lurching after me. Time of reckoning has arrived. Starting to count as they passed. The bunch was just splitting in two and I even had to endure the smile of my two friends passing in the second group. Half way up the hill, in midst of smoke filled air and on freshly bluemetalled road, my count was at 40 (ie 34 bunch riders have passed me). I then somewhat regain composure and crest Gibraltar in about 30th position (as it was: 1 lone in front, 4 chasing, 15 chasing, then ‘we dying, salute you’). But this bunch was dead and my legs in no position to break away thus the race for glory was over. Km119 I pick up ok my musette from what I imagined was a beautiful girl. Even that could not dispel my depression, made worse by the thought of my friend Barry’s brave effort last year riding himself back into contention from a similar position on these same kilometers. Again our bunch swells to about 40 riders. In Glen Innes I did my traditional naughty (speeding through the feed) and this time a group of six formed making a 200m gap; but when they started talking, I lost hope. Waterloo Range and Wire gully were taken easily. With no sunnies (I left them in Sydney) my eyesight suffered; dizziness incipient. Still, on the last hill (5k to go), in an effort to do cosmetics, I throw in an effort. Cresting 1st, with even a bigger gap then last year, gave me a good feeling. It came to naught when the bunch, now down to 18 riders, nailed me back (only foes and no Barrybrake in there this year!). Dizzy vision while winding up the sprint through a roundabout felt like a toxic cocktail but the egoist in me had the upper hand. I did not let go and crossed 10th in the group.

Result: 29th in 7:19; sprinting for 20th.
Worst ranking ever. (2008: 28th in 8:01). Not much glory but content and happy at having tried. Not buggered at all. :)

Peter T
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Postby Peter T » 29 Oct 2012, 16:16

Eugen, that was a great story! Well done on that hard ride.


wallman
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Location: Marrickville

Postby wallman » 30 Oct 2012, 13:45

Well done Eugen, it seems like the breakaway stayed away to the end, is that right? At least you were in the right move and gave yourself the best opportunity for a result that you could.

Eugen Schilter
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Postby Eugen Schilter » 30 Oct 2012, 23:02

... it seems like the breakaway stayed away to the end, is that right? At least you were in the right move and gave yourself the best opportunity for a result that you could.
Yes it did. I have included this and some other hindsight in the report; see below

------
My Grafton 2012 (C-Grade, 229km, 114 starters, pleasant temperature, overcast)

This year no mates, neither from the Dulwich Hill Club nor the Boundary Riders, and I know only five other C-graders. Some gloom could not be dispelled but, despite my only 95% form, I was in the mood of not letting this chance go by.

So when the flag fell I was there to follow anybody foolish enough. A first try with a Grafton dill was nil. On a gentle rise (~km9), another group of six formed. My hopes flared up but the drive was lame and after 5k the peloton sniffed us again. In hindsight, my aggression then was at its peak as I was the only one who managed to latch onto a very comprehensive group of 5 riders attacking at the catch. One more rider bridged; this group of seven now drove it hard and I could hardly believe my luck. [Hindsight: this was the winning move, the group was never caught; this is the first time in C-grade that the 229k race was decided in the first 20k, so this year my tactics were right but you also need grunt] We swapped off so perfectly that I felt the bunch must now be half an hour behind. At km30 however I apologized for missing a turn. At the first long climb (km38) I realized a limit and subsequently cancelled my taking turns. Up the Jackadgery drag (km41) the struggle became too much and the best I could do was cresting with a 30m gap in 6th position; a quasi surrender, just clinging to the hope that with the rider behind we can close the gap in the decent. We could not. Come Mann River (~km50), with the five leaders still in sight, we assured ourselves that they will slow down after the sprint there. They would not. A rider then appeared ahead, reviving our hopes of riding ourselves back into contention only to find out that it was a dropped B-grader; talking to us about god and the world. Must have forgotten to turn off the brain at the start. Next was the illusion to pick up some of them as ‘they will certainly disintegrate’ on the coming climb. Soon after, my mate spends ’five minutes’ doing an unnatural and I proceed on my own, sensing the bunch. The fun now started: One rider catches me just at the prominent sign at the beginning of the climb (km70) reading ‘GIBRALTAR’. He: ‘Is this now Gibraltar?’ - ‘Yes’ - ‘It’s only 69.5km! the damn organizers can never get it right!’ Didn’t see him again but I definitely now see the bunch lurching after me. Time of reckoning has arrived. Starting to count as they pass… The bunch was just then splitting in two and I then had to endure the smile of my two friends passing in the second split. Half way up the escarpment, amidst smoke filled air and on freshly bluemetalled road, my count was at 40 (ie 34 bunch riders have passed). Composure somewhat regained, I crest Gibraltar (km87) in about 30th overall position [1 lone in front - 4 chasing - 15 chasing - ‘we dying, salute you’]. This 25 rider bunch was dead and my legs in no position to break away; thus the race for glory was over. At the km119 feedzone I pick up ok my musette from what I still think a beautiful girl (coming up to Grafton by train on my own, I had no handler and the friendly race organizers – ask and you will be given - helped me with an unknown person). Even that could not dispel my depression, made worse by the thought of my friend Barry’s brave effort last year riding himself back into contention from a similar position on these same kilometers. Again our bunch swells to about 40 riders. In Glen Innes (km161) I did my traditional naughty (speeding through the feed) and this time a group of six formed, making a 200m gap; but when they started talking, it was as good as over. Waterloo Range (km175) and Wire Gully (km208) were taken easy. With no sunnies - I wisely left them in Sydney - the eyesight started to suffer; dizziness incipient. Still, on Gibsons Hill (5k to go, last climb), in an effort to do cosmetics, I throw in an effort. Cresting 1st (of the bunch) with an even bigger gap then last year, gave a good feeling. It came to naught when the bunch, now down to 25 riders, nailed me back (only foes and no Barrybrake in there this year). Dizzy vision while winding up the sprint through a roundabout (300m to finish) felt like a random trigger bomb but then, as usual, the egoist prevailed. I did not let go and crossed 10th in the group.

Result: 29th in 7:19h; sprinting for 20th.

Worst ranking of my 7 Graftons (2ndworst: 2008: 28th in 8:01h; last year: (2011) 11th in 7:04h). Not much glory but content and happy at having tried. Not buggered at all.

Subtle observation: At the critical moment (ie Jackadgery) it was bad to have one rider behind; risky thinking of the kind: 'hey, I can escape this hurt if he catches up to the group in the decent with me sitting on'.

Also: Out of the seven Grafton I have done, five times I started the 16km long Gibraltar climb in the bunch (the other two times I was ahead in a break). All five times I was eliminated from the bunch :( . If you want to be in the first group on top of Gibraltar you either are in a break or you better climb bloody well :wink: .

Results list:
http://www.graftontoinverellcycleclassi ... _grade.pdf
A-grade Cyclingnews report and photos:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/grafto ... 12/results

Eugen Schilter
0434 527722
-----------
SCHILTEC
Eastwood NSW 2122 - Australia
ph 02 9876 4310
fax 02 9868 7786
schiltec.com
blog.schiltec.com.au
tahiti12.blogspot.com.au
tahiti12photos.weebly.com


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