Grafton 2008

[frankie]

Hi Everyone,

I'm keen on doing the Grafton this year. Any other takers?

Cheers,

Frank

[Adrian E]

Brave man!

[Simon Llewellyn]

We've done a lot of thinking about this question, last year I put the 'autobus' together to get everyone home & we had a good group with a really good finishing percentage. But now that we've done it, I"m not as inspired, the myth has been busted & according to those who say your not a 'true cyclist' in NSW till you've ridden the Grafton, we're all now 'true cyclists.'

One of the biggest problems is the cost, the entry fee alone is something like $130. Then you've got petrol, accommodation and food on top of that. All for a day of suffering which most of us don't even have a chance of being competitive.

The race has a really exciting aura & I really enjoyed it. I don't know if you've ridden it before? But if enduro is your thing you will absolutely love it. It is the challenge upon challenges, the king of them all. I know James & Eugene will be definite starters & Al drives up there every year.

[T-Bone]

Yeah, i should be there, just need to make sure i get the training in this year to reduce the suffering compared to last year.

[williamd]

I know that Micklan mentioned about doing Grafton
or was it Grafton doing him.

Peter O'Sullivan was also thinking of doing it.


Don't finish Horizontal.

[micklan]

It's at least 8 hrs in the saddle
like race for x-mins=30 + tour mins = 8 hrs
there are 3 feeding stations and perhaps x 3 King of the Mountain (KoM) stages, that is there are x 3 distinct hill sections, much bigger than a Dapto ankle snapper...

[micklan]

Hope to do it in 2009

[wallman]

I'm starting to ponder whether to have a crack at this. It looks like they are grading the race as A grade then divisions 2 and 3. If Div 3 is grades D and E a la Mudgee then I'm sort of thinking that I'd be (theoretically) competitive and that'll be much more conducive to keeping me going for 228kms than anything else. Does anyone with more experience than me have a feel for how the grades will be worked out this year?
Matt

[T-Bone]

Apparently grading will be better for the lowest grade than previous years.

I've been thinking about whether i can really fit Grafton into my schedule, and at the moment it's not looking promising. I can't seem to find any free days to do long rides (unless i skip several days of uni... ). The other problem is i've got 3 things due the week after Grafton.

So, it doesn't look promising right now, but i may reconsider if i can work out where i can fit stuff in. I may just try and build up some form for Bright, and see if i can break my run of bad form when i go there.

[Eugen Schilter]

I'm definitely in and go up by train if we do not form a party. All four times so far I asked myself on the start line whether I could finish it and 2005, when I was still half sick with little preparation, it came close to a DNF. This year Div3 pays to 30th but the Grafton is rewarding for the achievment of just finishing; simply too good for me.

[Eugen Schilter]

Support crew: Alan Sumner, Coral, Ron & William
Riders: Frank Campbell, Eugen Schilter (all in the van); Alex Shain; all in Division 3

My late arrival at Mascot (coming from Switzerland where had mourned the sad loss of my brother, my race preparations not ideal to say the least, with only 2 training sessins in 3 weeks) meant we left Sydney later than usual. Alan bought some milk and we had a short ride with Bill in warm Grafton; last bicycle preparations .. and a big bang ... down one latex! Rego showed 110 starters in Div3

Start Sat 7:30
Foggy but warm. The plateau (past90k) is said to reach 27C with NW winds. Alex lines up as member of a upmarket 'corporate' group. Off we go at a more steady pace. Four riders sneek away; no reacton so they will get the Gibraltar KOM (km88). The big bunch starts the climb and I lead 1/3rd up but then I have to concede and 2/3rd up I have to let go of the bunch of now 17riders who summit together. Gunnedah's Stephen Murray promises me his help after the hill ... problem is I can't see him nowhere and the bunch is racing out of sight! So I am alone just like last year; I am picked first by Stephen and then by a second bunch which contains about 20 riders, all tired like me. Inverells mighty Michael Jorgensen shows some leadership and implores us to ride sensibly in the crosswind which is similar or stronger than last year. My stomach just refused effective supply to the legs and the feed at km125 stays mainly in the back pockets.

At this point (km110) Frank, (having climbed with Bill, hors concours) fell behind and called it a day.

10k before Glen Innes I improve and cross Waterloo Range summit (km175) in second wheel. Wire Gully (km208) is ok but 20k to go (km208), as a first in my cycling career, both my legs cramp in a nano second. Agonising in the ditch I see Div 2 and Div 1 pass. After 10min some bystanders help; a feed of other drink and a electrolyte capsule help me to reach the finish. No idea what time. Rank is 28th.

No news from Alex

Because of the hasty preparation I used an unsuitable sports drink and, helped by the insufficient training, triggered the cramp.

Altogether a tremendous weekend for the DH-Graftoners. Thank-you the support crew. Thanks James F and Hew for the communication.

[simon.sharwood]

I caught up with Alex this morning (he teaches at my son's school). He finished in about nine hours but reckons he spent a lot of time waiting for his non-DHBC mates at the top of the big climbs that cost him an hour. (Of course he also got two nice big rests)