Tour de Georgia
G’day,
I remember back to January when I had a break after the Nationals and Bay crits before building back up on the km’s before coming to the states. Everyone was asking what I was doing. I gave them a “just relax, its January, I want to be going well in April”. Well April has arrived and past before you know it. That’s not a bad thing, I’m happy enough with the way things went and I did everything right in the build up to one of my major goals for the season, Tour de Georgia.
I did my big month block of km’s in Jan/Feb and arrived in the US going reasonably well. That combined with a lot of racing my form came up well and I think couldn’t have gone into the tour feeling anything but confident. What I meant by my previous comments is now that Aprils over, what do I look at next as a major objective? For me it’ll be Philli week and Tour Beause in June. Sure I’ll be going into every other race motivated but they’re the next two races I want to aim for.
So Tour Georgia turned out to be alright, but not brilliant. I was really aiming to ‘shock a few’ last week. I finished 20th overall and three times in the top 20 in stage finishers which is good but like I said I was looking for something special.
The first two stages were long road stages finishing with short hilly local laps, both ending in bunch kicks. The first day we had Neill Shirley in the break for 90km and coming into the finish I attacked on the last climb on the last lap. I got brought back before getting caught up in a crash on the last corner. The second day I finished 14th in a sprint, that was more of a drag race over the last climb, round two corners and to the finish. They split the bunch (and so they should) but changed it back to bunch time after so many complaints. So some old mate that was in 70th position still climbing the hill as we’re finishing gets the same time, right!
The reason I needed those extra seconds is the third day was a 40km TT. Anyone that knows me knows I’m not a huge fan of these. It was hilly circuit with some technical sections, so it wasn’t as bad as it normally would be for me. I road within myself to finish 41st, and couldn’t be too disappointed. I did what I wanted and limited my loses.
The next two days we hit the mountains and also bad weather. The first day ended up in a 50 up bunch kick after the group split to bits over the last climb but was still 30km to the finish. The second of the two days finished up the infamous Brasstown after two solid climbs earlier in the day. Brass town was the only climb I hadn’t seen because when Hoppy and I did our three day training block in the mountains we left it to the last, when our legs were smashed. We went to the coffee shop instead, although still had 150km in the legs. Anyway, it’s one steep climb and is as hard as they say. I finished 20th in the stage and that moved me to 20th on GC.
The last day was suppose to be a flatish roll into the finishing circuits. It was anything but flat and if you had a bad day, you would’ve felt every km of it. The circuits were controlled, the early break brought back and it was a bunch kick. Tour over and it was off to have a few quiet ones at the after party.
The other good thing about this week was, it was a great chance to catch up with mates from European team, Aussie and non-Aussie. It was great for the moral to have a few beers to unwind every night with Nick Gates, Henk Vogels and Sean Sullivan. I almost forgot how funny it was to be rolling along in the quieter times in the bunch sharing stories with Gatesy.
The last three days of the tour was when our team also throw a publicity stunt by changing our team kit to orange camo. It got a few mentions and actually looked pretty cool.
Since Georgia I have just been kicken back at home in Nashville. The legs nailed for the first four days after the tour and I spent a lot of couch time in between coffee shop rides and a round of golf.
Today I arrived back in Athens for tomorrows Athens Twilight criterium. There’s a lot of talk about the race and how big the crowd is and how hard it is. With a 9pm start in the main streets of this uni town, it should be interesting. I was happy to hear this arvo that all the riders that rode Georgia have sore legs too and have also struggled to get off the lounge.
This week we have the US crit’s, six criteriums in eight days, then back to Nashie for two weeks before hitting the road again.
Cheers Willo
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Getting a feel for the States
G’day,
What to write about in this diary entry?? There is so much to talk about in such a little space. I haven’t had a chance to sit down and write anything in the last few weeks due to racing, traveling, settling in and training. It has been full gas, plenty of stories and so much to write about. Nothing like ‘another’ long car drive to get things done!
Last time I wrote I was in California and had just finished the Central Valley Classic in Fresno in really bad and wet conditions. Things got better from there as we headed further south to Malibu. The weather was 100 times better and the place we were staying at was sensational. You’d be mistaken if you thought we were staying at Deb’s house (our host) for a holiday of luxury. Thanks Deb for the great week…
We eventually got into the racing side of things after a week of relaxing and training in the bergs. The race was the San Dimas stage race consisting of a 5km uphill TT, a 170km Road Race around a circuit that took its toll towards the end and finished off with a criterium on Sunday afternoon.
After a week of fantastic weather the conditions turned to rain again for the TT. Time trialing is not normally a forte of mine but it being uphill certainly makes it a less of a weakness. I shocked a few, and myself to finish fifth.
The next day after having Phil Wong and Pete Hatton in the early break it all came back together and on the second last time up the hill a break of five was formed. We got a decent gap on the field thanks to the efforts of Glen Mitchell and myself. The other three were along for the ride seeing there was this Toyota United vs Healthnet battle going on. We had nothing to lose especially seeing those two teams were controlling the race. Last time up the climb Mitchell attacked and I went over the top, dropping Tim Johnson. You’d be mistaken for thinking the Comm games were a week early with all the four remaining guys being from the Commonwealth nations. Mitchell, Karl Menzies, Heath Blackgrove and me came into the last 2km together where I went for it. I almost thought I had the win till big Karl came over the top of me with 50m to go. I finished fourth and moved to third on GC. Blackgrove took aver the lead.
The criterium was looking to be a roll around the block until once again the skies opened and it turned into 90mins of hell. Menzies and Gord Fraser went on the attack from the gun and put Toyota United under pressure and we even through a few guys on the front to help. It came back together and nothing ended up changing on the GC. That was 90mins of pure stress, my shoulders were sorer than my legs. I was pretty happy with the weekend and I ended up on the podium. Pete Hatton also rode well to finish in the top ten.
Next on the agenda was Redlands. I have heard a lot of stories about this race and it lived up to its name, although only three days long this year. I rode a pretty average TT on the first day and that put me off GC for the weekend, where I ended up 17th after the three days.
The criterium on the second day was interesting with nine corners and 170 riders, the math doesn’t add up! Anyway I won a few priems early and was setting up to lead out either Hoppy or Evan Elkin. Hop got caught up in a crash and Evan broke a seat clamp so I was forced to sprint myself. I managed to finish in the top ten which is a rarity for this mountain goat.
The last day of the tour was the infamous Sunset loop and it is as hard as they say. After two laps the field was down to fifty odd and midway through there were 30 riders left. The last few laps I tried everything and attacked non stop but hats off to Healthnet who did an awesome job for Nathan O’Niell. They rode strong and kept it together for a bunch kick. We came into town and did five laps of the criterium circuit. It was strung out and a sprint for whoever had the legs left. I ended up fourth and Evan finished tenth, showing he’s got some great form.
Redlands even had its own version of monopoly, called Redlandsopoly, which I won. Hoppy had to find something he can beat me at….
After three weeks in California, Hoppy and I finally got the chance to get back to Nashville and spend some time in our new pad. We were only there for a week before hitting the road again to go south. The week started with a few recovery rides and one 5hr ride in the Tennesse country side. On the weekend we went to a smaller local race where I won and Hoppy was third. It was a good hit out and, a wins a win.
Apart from that I got a chance to kick back on the lounge for a while, check out Nashie, and catch up on things. Nashie is certainly an interesting town, 800,000 people and not as hill billy as I first thought. Although we did go for a few beers one night and it was a bit of an eye opener for this Sydney sider, with cowboy hats and line dancing goin on everywhere. I haven’t yet got into the country and western music.
Apart from the Tornado warnings every second day the weather has been great. The only other interesting thing is when Hoppy an I went to pick up his scooter he bought, 160km from Nashville. With a top speed of 70km/h, on the way home I could get Hoppy on the wheel behind the mini and with a wind resistance could get him doing 80km/h and we got home that little bit quicker. That was an epic in itself. When we told the owners of the scooter Hoppy was going to ride it back, they looked at as like we had a screw loose.
That week went very quickly and before we knew it we were on the road again. This time Hoppy and I went south to Georgia to check out a few of the stages for Tour De Georgia, and then head to Jacksonville, Florida for two races. Hoppy and I spent three days in the bergs doing 5hr rides, checking out the TT circuit and the two of the harder road stages. The TT circuit is nasty and has a 3km climb in it which at times hits almost 20%. The two penultimate road stages are very hard with some tough terrain and will deffinatly split the men from the boys. Thanks to Herburt from lightspeed for putting us up, great pad mate!
Next we were off to Athens for a night to pick up three riders and head to Jacksonville. The weather in Florida was sensational but as soon as we pinned the number on for the Saturday night-time criterium it turned on some hectic weather. Not only rain, but gale force winds and lightening. Luckily for me when it started raining 10mins into the race I was already up the road with six other guys. We held on till the finish where I grabbed another third. I had a drag race with the eventual winner to the last corner (where there was a river crossing the road by this stage) to see who had the bigger balls, which turned into me hitting the brakes first and hitting the last corner second, then getting passed on the line by one other rider. (I really have to start learning names of riders in this country). The boys did a great job leading Hoppy out for the bunch kick which he won and Pete Hatton even hung on for second in the bunchie. So, three in the top ten was pretty good.
Sunday’s race was a flat 160km and as a team we rode really well. Apart from Hoppy and Pete, we also had Phil Wong and Marc Anderson. A break went up the road early and we let it go. At the halfway mark, we through the bunch in the gutter and rode as a team to not only split the bunch but catch the break. A few laps further on and the bunch split again and we had Hoppy and I in the move. There were 20 riders left and coming into the finish the game plan was for me to set Hoppy up for the bunch kick. Coming into the finish I went to chase an attack and as I got to it I had a gap. A quick yell over the radio from Hop and I kept going with one other guy. We started sprinting 200m out and with 50m to go I once again thought I might hold on but the bunch got to me just as I was in spitting distance from the line. I sat up and finished tenth and Hoppy ended up fourth.
Hoppy and I are now on the way back to Nashville for another week to relax before we head back to Georgia for the Tour De Georgia which starts on Tuesday. It’s a big goal for the team, being a Georgia based team, and a big goal for me so I hope for a big one.
“The life and crimes of Ando”
To finish off I will give the second update of funny man Marc ‘Ando’ Anderson who from here on will get one paragraph a month dedicated to him. Problem is he does so much funny…, or I mean stupid stuff, it’s hard to mention it all. The man loves ‘a dip’, which for the Aussie’s like me that doesn’t know what it is, it is the tobacco shoved in the bottom lip so it looks like you’ve done five rounds with Tyson. I haven’t met anyone so southern American like him. His crash total out training is now up to three, the first being where the Einstein rode through a 10m long line of moss on the road and the second being in front of 100 spectators in some soft sand. Ando’s Aussie slang is really coming along well with the help from the three Aussie’s, with words and sayings like… coat, rip into, goats, over this tour, grippo, etc. They are now intrenched in his vocab. To top all that, the other arvo we squeezed in a quick hour ride before dinner and after a 5hr drive. He got a big rev up from us when he headed out the door with a bottle of water, a bottle of mix, a sqeezy, a banana and a power bar. I thought he was up a 5hr epic. You’re a legend mate!!
Lastly, I’d like to make mention of the new arrival of my cute little nephew Oscar James Wilson, who of course I haven’t seen yet. Though, apparently he’s not so cute at the moment seeing he hasn’t stopped crying since entering the world.
It might be time for me to have a stint at the wheel.
Cheers Willo
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