Alpine Assault 2010(250k)

Sorry for the late report but it's taken a couple of days to get this together.
Well I'm back, tired and sore after my jaunt through the Alpine Region of Victoria.
The ride began yesterday at 6.20am....so that meant a 4.00am back up to get some food in and also to get from Mt Beauty over to Bright for the start.

Breakfast consisted of 2x packages of Uncle Tobie's porridge and Gatorade. After a restless nights sleep through a foreign bed, no aircon, and a number of trips to the toilet (the after affects of hydration). I wasn't feeling the freshest, and with no coffee on tap the feeling didn't go away anytime soon.

The drive over to Bright aloud me to see the final climb of the day up Towonga Gap, and it wasn't looking bad. Driving it in the dark it seemed only about 5k and on the way up I spotted the location of the water stop on the side of the road.

Over in Bright we got a parking spot close by and I see about getting ready, pump the tires, bottles on the bike, shoes, helmet and off for a final trip to the toilet, before coming back and loading the pockets.

So what went in the pockets for a potential 9hr+ ride?
-3x clif bars
-2x gel shots
-4x bags of clif shotz
-2x 750ml bottles of Clif Salty Lemon Mix




The Start to Mt Hotham



The roll out along the road to Mt Hotham was pretty chilled with the bunch sitting on a steady 30kph. The morning was cool and crisp and just right to begin along day in the saddle. A couple of surges went in that put the bunch briefly into single file but no one was foolish enough to try attacking.

At the foot of the climb up Mt Hotham I moved towards the front as the grade picked up. There were no accelerations just a slow stripping away as the steady tempo and grade took it's toll.
After about 2km there was a small group of seven riders left at the front. At this stage I was surprised and actually enjoying the climbing. The road was smooth and the grades shallow, I knew "The Meg" was coming up and sure enough it rared its ugly head. I took the outside line through the corner to reduce the grade and made it through and onto the next pitch without going into oxygen debt. Over the top and there were 4 of us left and over the next few k's the group of 7 reformed.

Next up was the long false flat before the open section up to the top. It was on this section that the legs began to protest and I knew that I was not on a good day. The beginning of the open we were met by another steep pinch of about 600m metres and sure enough I got unhitched here. I decided well that I was better off riding at my own pace along here and try and catch back along the next shallower grade.

As road turned the corner the front 4 riders slowed and the wind across the peak turned into a x-wind. Back on the bunch briefly before unhitching again just before the top at the ski resort.

I crossed over the top with the other 3 riders before making a mad dash down the descent and catching back to the leaders before the first checkpoint at Dinner Plain.

At the checkpoint I refilled my bottle, stretched a bit before we hit the road again for Omeo.

Falls Creek



The road for the next 50k was open and rolling but downhill to it allowed plenty of recovery. By this stage we were out of the high alpine area and the temps went from chilly to warm and pleasant.

Rolling into Omeo and the checkpoint at the school it was time for a toilet stop and another bottle refill before hitting the road again.

At this stage we were joined by the bunch from behind as we hadn't been hammering the open road too hard and our numbers swelled to about 12 riders.

Out of Omeo and after a brief 3k climb it was a twisting winding descent for the next 40k. At this point my legs were really starting to protest to it was back off the bus for me as I tried to pile in the food and drink in the hopes that they would come right before we began the ascent up falls creek. But no dice, with every small acceleration out of the corners they squealed like a small pig.

It was about then that I decided that I would probably end up riding the climb on my own. Unfortunately the hard left came far too soon and I was steering up the face of a 10% for about a kilometre or so.
Start from one end of the cluster to the other and I tried settling into a rhythm, but unfortunately that wasn't happening.
The heart rate was up in the low 170's the power was 300w+ trying to keep forward momentum, and it all came to a grinding halt about 3k up the climb.

I swung to the right of the road under a tree and stopped to try and get the heart rate and breathing under control. To try and describe this climb is hard but unrelenting is probably the best word with no respite. It twists and turns it's way along the ridge leading up to Falls Creek with no let up!

After getting myself under control again I set off again with the power hovering at about 260w and cadence stalling to below 50rpm at times to keep everything under control.

Breaking out onto the plains area at the top of the climb offers some spectacular views but unfortunately I didn't have time to stop and take any pictures before the 10k rolling section to Falls Creek it's self.

At the check point another toilet stop and bottle refill before a sweet 30k descent into Mt Beauty.

Passing cars, 4wd's, and bus on the way down was a blast and allowed heaps of time to recover.
Towanga Gap



In Mt Beauty, the wife was waiting and I stopped off and grabbed a couple of bottles of poweraide and lay on the grass outside chatting for 5 minutes before beginning the assault up Towanga Gap.

The was another climb similar to Mt Hotham with shallow grades and a smooth surface. I just noodled my way up the 7k to the top turning my legs over in their smallest gear.

Crossing the top I had another 15k descent before me and I started to switch off a bit before getting a reminder halfway down not too. Coming out of a corner there were 2x ambulances picking a rider up. I didn't see the rider themselves but it looked like they had over cooked a corner and gone into a bank....

In the valley at the bottom and only 7k to the finish it was time to give it everything left in the tank.

Numbers for the Day

Km: 248
Ride Time: 8:48hr
Calories: 6001Cals (12.5 Big Macs!)
Peak 20min power: 333w
Peak 60min power: 313w

Fluids: 5 litres

All up this was a fantastic training ride, both really well run and with some spectacular scenery. I would highly recommend doing this to anyone look for good base k's early in the year.