The 2012 Club Road Nationals in the Hawkes Bay was the team’s final race before winter, and was one of the more fascinating, finely balanced races of the season. Mike, Tristan, Chris and I had been given the duty of covering attacks in protection of our team leader Andy, who after Silver last year, really wanted Gold.  Tristan had given me a leg up in my tasks with the loan of a pair of deep section carbon clinchers to use for the day.

As the most populous team in the field, we knew we had to be represented in anything that went away. And when Mike fortuitously slipped away after only 15km in a group of 4, we were happy to see what kind of response came from other teams. The calm, cool weather, and the course, whose terrain lacked a single defining difficulty, provided conditions for a successful breakaway, and the leading group of 4 quickly built a 3 min lead within 20km of setting off. The bunch was resided to getting through a few more kilometres before expending a lot of energy, laps 2 and 3 were relatively pedestrian. Clicking through half way was seemingly a psychological switch from which to launch into some aggression. With the lead group having gained over 5min, strong attacks began from several riders looking to define the race by leaving the field and mopping up the breakaway en route to victory. And this appeared to have been executed when Dan Barry, who after probably 10 attempts, slipped away in a group of 3 with 75km remaining. We grew increasingly anxious as the gap grew; we had covered almost all of his attacks but ultimately failed to keep him in the main field. Having let a race favourite get away, the day appeared to be slipping away.

Patience it seems was the order of the day. The fifth lap of six was the defining lap of the race. Attacks came on every rise during the relentless 15km section of the 29km lap. The peleton’s resolve was whitling away, as was Barry’s dangerous breakaway. The critical move came from Sam Horgan who rolled of the front on an innocuous, slightly downhill part of the course, taking Andy and Brad Tilby away with him. The response from the peleton was somewhat delayed, and with so many riders looking after their own ambitions, I could see the chase was far from concerted. It then left the question with 3 dangerous riders together in pursuit; how fresh were the front 4 riders. With one lap to go, their lead was still appreciable, but could they still influence the result. The peloton eventually switched off their chase, and the infighting for the U23 podium began in earnest. Nothing managed to stick and it was evident that everyone was pretty tired. We reached the top of the course and bumped into Josh Page who had been out ahead and looked good to contend the medals however he was rather poorly and not interested in latching on to the bunch despite my encouragement. I later learned he had an unexpected excursion from riding the bike to empty his stomach contents. Shame, because up until then he had done everything right. Meanwhile at the sharp end, Sam, Andy and Brad had finally found the front of the race and continued forth. They were unable however to shake the two Dans (Warren and Molyneux), who had been out front all day. As they went to the line, Dan Warren, after 160km in the lead, edged out Andy for the Silver medal, while Horgan just had too much for all of them and took the race by over a bike length.

The peloton approached the line about 1min 30 sec later, after having met back up with Mike Naylor within sight of the line after his 160km escape, Nice ride Mike, even if it was a bit heart breaking to catch him so close to the finish.

The distance (174km) was likely the main contributor to the calculated effort from the bulk of the riders. While the course and the calm conditions meant the race didn’t really smash to pieces, the best riders did successfully define themselves be it through hard fought heroics, or podium positions.

I love the moment on the start line before any big race where you are completely alone in your thoughts. You ask yourself if you are ready. You have goose bumps on your arms. You have no place to run, no place to hide, its business time. On the start line of the 2012 Elite Road Nationals, this moment is shattered for me when Mike slaps me on the back and reminds me I told him 6 months ago I was going to medal in this race! Stretch goals or the dreamer’s disease, I’ll let you decide…

Races tend to follow patterns, but with the established hierarchy of NZ cycling missing (Roulston, Hendy and Julz), it was a nightmare trying to anticipate who was going to control the race and how it was going to play out. I guess most riders felt the same way because when the gun sounded the speed immediately ramped up to 55km per hour as everyone wanted to be in the early break. The unknown question was “if the break established who was going to chase it?”. At this point I realised the race was going to be loose without rules.

The first time up the much vaunted Dyers Pass climb, Paddy Bevin was pushing 600watts (as reported on his SRM live feed) to try to establish the break. Only Lap 2 and the bunch was tapped! The early pressures up the climb contributed to a group of 10 guys slipping off the front of the field around the back of the circuit as everyone grabbed a quick breather. I was right there when the move went, I watched as prerace favourites Paddy Bevin, Josh Atkins, Paul Odlin and Robin Reid moved away. I had to decide if I wanted to go or if I wanted to stay with the bunch. I decided to wait, I thought it was too soon for me. I’m not sure I chose wisely.

The next 6 laps followed a pattern. The break would ride consistently and extend their lead on the flat section of the course each lap to approximately 1min 30secs. Whereas the bunch knew if a small group of strong riders could bridge to the front, it would be game, set and match. The result was the bunch would attack itself on the flats and go like crazy up the hill. The sight of Vink dancing on the pedals up the climb to the tune of 600watts became common place (worse still, post-race photographic evidence showed he was smiling!)… Each lap, the pressure on the climb caused the bunch to fragment into 3-4 groups of 8-10 riders. Every lap a few more riders would slip off too far and not make it back. At the halfway mark the break was down to 8 guys with a bunch of 25-30 guys trailing by a minute. WWR were well represented with Mike, Andy, Tristan and Greg.

Lap 7, the race turned on its head. 3km before the climb, a small group attacked off the front of the bunch. At first 5 guys slipped off, then a further 10 powered off the front including Bauer and Vink. This is the biggest problem with NZ racing, guys hesitate and look to other riders to take responsibility. In the space of 1min, my race was almost derailed as I sat boxed in and watched helplessly as 15 guys started to disappear. Reading the danger, I went past Mike, shook my head and said “this is bad, this is really bad, we need to go across on the climb, we need to get across fast”. The pace up the climb on lap 7 was electric! The bunch blew to pieces. By the top, a group of 8 guys including race favourites Vink, Bauer and Yates had established a small lead. Mike and I hung tough and were able to latch onto the chase group of 7. The race was over for everyone else.

The next lap saw a furious pursuit with 3 groups of 8 riders were spaced out over 40secs. I was in the 3rd group on the road with Mike, Scott Lyttle, Joe Cooper, Shem Rodger, Jesse Sergeant and Chris Macic (good company). We were riding strongly and clawing our way back into the race, km by agonising km! As we crossed the start / finish line, the front 2 groups merged with our group trailing by a further 15secs. We were still 10secs adrift at the bottom of the climb. Riding up the hill the crowd was going mental! Dudes were blasting you with water pistols, BBQ smells carried the air, music was blasting, people were going crazy and while I might have been delirious I’m sure I could hear a GFT chant ringing out over it all! I gave everything, cresting the hill with Shem, Joe, Mike and Scott. We set about chasing again. This time we caught the bunch around the back of the circuit. When the dust settled, the race was back together and the bunch was down to 18 guys. Mike and I were clinging on by our finger nails. Unfortunately for me, I burned all my matches during this 2 lap frenzy and the next lap up the climb the elastic broke, my day was over. Mike lasted 1 more lap and was pulled from the race with an agonising 2 laps remaining. For the third year running, a WWR member was the last rider on the course not to finish.

The final 3 laps witnessed Mike Vink do something special. He went on the attack and challenged the field to catch him. They couldn’t, he won! The strength and determination of this young man was phenomenal. He demonstrated iron will and a total refusal to lose. Following Atkins’ win in Southland and the final results at Elites, the young guns have arrived. Not only have they knocked on the door, they have smashed it down. They are fearless and race with reckless abandonment. Guys like Vink, Atkins, Bevin, Avery, Bennett and Williamson look ready to carry the expectations of NZ cycling for years to come. Throw into the mix the exceptionally talented junior graduating class of James Oram, Fraser Gough, Dylan Kennett, Hamish Schreurs and Dion Smith, and it’s reasonable to proclaim NZ road cycling might be about to enter into a golden age.

Overall, WWR had a mixed day at the office. Andy (sick) and Chris did not perform to their expectations. I strongly believe if Andy was healthy, he would have medalled in the Elite race. He’s a tough bugger and this was a strong man’s race. Tristan racing in his first Elite Nationals put in a really creditable performance. Judging by the look in his eyes after the race, he’ll be back next year to settle unfinished business. Mike and I had very similar races. In fact it was unusual if we were more than 3 wheels apart all day. Overall, we were both satisfied with our performance, we climbed with the best and we fought all the way. In the end we were just outridden by some pretty good bike riders. That’s racing.

Camaraderie

noun: comradeship, fellowship, companionship, friendship

1. Mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together

Maybe it could also be defined as one of the hardest things to get find or inject into a team environment.

Money can’t buy it and you can’t force it. With encouragement and time it can happen but it’s never guaranteed. Its unique attributes mean that it just has to grow on its own.

Sport is full of camaraderie, a team’s success, or failure, is defined by it.

Comradeship can make amazing things happen and any team manager of any sport would certainly know its importance, and would be prepared to do a lot to instil it within their teams. If only it were that easy…

It’s Monday and I’ve just finished my first day back at work. It’s quite the contrast to last week, my aching legs and weary body have been a reminder of what I’ve been doing. The Tour of Wellington finished up with the always challenging street criterium yesterday. I was on the sideline shouting encouragement, and a lot of advice, to my (team) mates.

A sport so simple in principle (ride faster than everyone else) can be a brutal and amazingly hard to be successful in. Decisions made in split seconds will define you, or leave a bitter taste for weeks, months or years. I could have… I should have… next time I will.

“I just should have come round earlier” was going through my mind. The Wallaceville circuit the day before had been my last stage of the tour (and the last stage for General Classification).

I’d had a pretty good tour sitting around midfield, although I felt like I had a bit more in me and had hoped to make up some time on those in front of me on the last road stage. Waking on Saturday morning my legs still felt the same as they had when I went to bed 9 hours earlier, sore. It was reassuring that they freed up after 20 minutes of riding and I thought that I was up for a good day on a course that should suit me.

Unfortunately towards the end of the first lap, coming out of a left hander, the rider in front of me let a wheel go. Calmly I waited for him to accelerate back onto the back of the peloton, the acceleration came and I thought all was well in the world again. However moments later as I looked around him I realised that I had made a fatal mistake. I should have rolled over him coming out of the corner. Without even noticing the gap had grown, hugely. I gave it full gas to try to get across. My legs winding up felt pretty good, but they faded a bit earlier than I thought they might, another rider rolled over me to try to do the same, then another… the gap wasn’t closing… A big surge on the flat then into the climb and I was struggling. By the time we hit the gradient of the climb the pace of the peloton had lifted again and hopes of us rejoining were looking bleak. That was the last I saw of the bunch, they were quickly hidden from view by the race convoy of cars, station wagons, vans and ambulances as they streamed past the fading racers.

I pushed on, and tried as hard as I could to get back but to no avail. In front of me the bunch slowly splinted as the laps counted down, behind me riders retired from the race, spent from three very heavy days of racing. It was hard not to do the same, but the desire to get onto the bell lap drove me on. However with three laps to go, I started to fade, exhausted my body had little energy left to give. I was passed by the front of the race on my 7^th lap of 8. So close, but still miles from where I needed to be.

It was hard finishing, despite being lapped I did finish the distance. To say I didn’t want to be there anymore is probably one of the biggest understatements I could ever make.

Why?

Comradeship. Being passed by your (team) mates and knowing that you couldn’t be there to help them left me feeling gutted. Not being able to be in the mix in front of our absolutely amazing supporters that were scattered all over the circuit, and online, providing support and encouragement was devastating. That time on my own on allowed me a little bit of head space, when I wasn’t concentrating on breathing or pedalling, to realise how strong the bond of the team, and its supporters, has grown over the past months.

We have had an amazing time since the team was kicked into life with a roar at the Rice Mountain Classic. Sitting back and reflecting on what we have done, and achieved, brings about an immense feeling of pride. The environment at every race we’ve attended has been absolutely fantastic and we can’t express how much we have relished the ongoing support we’ve received from everyone to date. It’s all contributed to what defines the team, our team.

I believe you can often get more from having a bad day than a good day. I’ve been happy with my form and am already looking forward to some more events to try my hand with. I can’t wait to roll out again with my mates, in training, at races and all the fun times that we have in between. I’m sure there are still more successes to be had before the summers out.

Comradeship is very difficult to instil in a team. Ask me how to do it and I’ll be able to offer some suggestions. Ask me how we did and I’ll tell you that it was always just there. Ask me what it looks like and I’ll point you to a ton of photos that we have on line , and in particular two photos of the team at the tour de vineyards (one, two), it’s a feeling that just can’t be described.

It costs nothing to get that feeling, which is hard to believe because it’s absolutely priceless.

The 2011 Tour of Wellington is all finished.  Check out these amazing photos from Joe Kelly of the boys at work and jump over to the team’s Facebook page for more great photos, updates, and insight.

Many thanks to all of the people who gave up their time to help the boys in this years tour.  Joe Kelly the photographer, Gary the chauffeur, James, Janine and Ross for handing out bottles, Nathan for his physio expertise, Mr and Mrs Hagan for their picnic making abilities, and for all the people who came out and cheered the boys from the side of the road.

With the Tour behind us we’ll be looking ahead to the upcoming races.