Confession Time

Confession time
"O Madonna del Ghisallo, it has been 3 months since I turned a crank on a road bike in anger... and it showed on Saturday"
I rocked up to race the Canberra Cycling Clubs Iron Mike race from Stromlo. The race is held in memory of club hardman from the early 80's, Mike Paral.
The Iron Mike is regarded as one of the toughest race on the Canberra calendar. At 50km per lap, the race is held on a demanding undulating course that includes four major climbs per lap, including the 3km climb back out of Uriarra.
Before the race I was considering whether to sandbag a bit and enter B grade, or man-up and race A. I decided that if there were 1 or less Drapac riders A grade otherwise B grade from me.
I rode out to the start a gentle 15k along the bike paths to warm-up until I thought I was going to cut it a bit fine and hammered the last 3k to the start to find a line 20 deep. Seeing no Drapac riders, I signed up for A grade. Getting the call while still unloading the pockets and trying to pin your number on is never good for the nerves put I held it together and managed to get a bit of extra time as someone punctured on the start line.
The roll out and first 10k was a cruise basically till be hit the climb out of the crossing for the first time, the it was full noise up the climb and along the next 5k of rolling road. And this is where my lack of road racing showed, after being pinned in the gutter for the 5k across the top the legs gave the rest of my body the big two fingers and exploded leaving me waving good bye to the bunch as it cruised off into the distance. As I was riding along by myself I started to think do I just turn around and head for home or wait for B grade and hook up to the back of them for the rest of the race?
I decided to hard the f&*k up, I waited for B and jumped on the back of them rather then all it early. In time we picked up another couple of A graders who had been spat including Brad Morton who sifted with on the back of the bunch till the final time out of the crossing back to Stromlo.
I really felt for the B graders there towards the end....as the gaps started opening we would sit there not help, wait till it got big enough then jump the gap and leave some poor bastard stranded. This was especially true on the final climb out of the crossing and up the 3 sisters. There were 4 B graders left chasing 2 just off the front with tagged on the back not helping. The fourth rider lost it on the final rise up to the top, with the gap just at a marginal 30 metres cresting the top. I'm sitting behind, trying to encourage this poor guy to keep it together, keep focused and he'll get back. Amount 500m after the top of the climb, he let's out a loud scream of "F&*k" and sits up. I rather sheepishly say "Sorry" and jump him to close the gap and ride off the other three.
All up it was a great workout/ blow out before the XC race at Sutton Road on Sunday, 130k and 250TSS for the day.