Unigames RR 2008

Details: 70 riders, Lancefield course 120km (4 x 30km, some undulations and windy.

Starts off pretty fast; belting it out very hard for the first few kms, different riders trying breakaways and so on. My plan and my teams plan: sit in do little work and see how things go. Eventually a break gets away, 3 riders I think, but none of Melbourne Uni’s three Drapac Porsche riders are in the move – thought to myself they’ll chase eventually. 15km in I was quite happy with my position about mid-‘peleton’, turned around and to my shock I’m at the back - half the field dropped in the opening 15km.

From the start line for the next 10-15km we race through a tough head/cross wind and on the second lap I was on the absolute rivet along here, with my only chance that they would back off the throttle soon. Fortunately made it through the bad patch only to sit through the next lap just below the rivet and sitting at the back. Scrambling for shelter from the wind most of the riders spent very little time on the left hand side of the road, it was a battle.

At approx the 80km mark, in probably the toughest section, Daniel Braunsteins (I think) and his bro apparently, make a move together to chase the break. They move off the front quite quickly and at about the same rate, I move off the back of the bunch. I pull up at the end of the 3rd lap pretty buggered, a bit disappointed but I just didn’t have the legs.

To some up: It felt like I’d just done an 80km TT, only there was nothing in the tank for the final 2km draining of the tank. Feel good today though.

Great Race. Good effort from all the Victoria University riders and GO VU!!