hungry

We were enjoying the sun at McAfees lookout. It was after 8 AM but the sun didn't have a lot of strengths. Starting an hour later than usual had been a good idea.

Alberto and Debs at McAfees lookout

Riding back to town for coffee and breakfast had been an equally good idea. We ran into Shane, who joined Debs, Alberto and me at Poppy's Cafe. A great opportunity for me to discuss the club criterium championship with him. Shane said I could race the next morning if my legs felt good. He warned me though that I only started training and that I shouldn't hold my hopes high and that it would only be natural if I didn't go well and that I shouldn't be disappointed. The "Yes, you can race" was all heard. I was hungry to test my legs in a race, the first race back. I ignored the rest.

Alberto's race was a couple of hours before my race so I rode to the criterium circuit to watch him. It was exciting and inspiring to watch his sprint to take out second. Jaman also got second in his age group. Lots of smiles and happy faces.

Alberto in forth wheel here with a few laps still to go

More and more ladies arrived. Women's Masters two (age 35-39), three (age 40-44) and four (age 45-49) categories raced together, separated by different colour numbers, but we were still fighting for the win in our respective age groups. About 12 ladies lined up with only Sharon and me in Masters Two.

Secretly I wanted to beat Donna. Don't get me wrong, I didn't want to beat her in a nasty or mean kind of way. I like Donna, love racing with her and think she is the toughest and most experienced criterium rider and sprinter in the club (at Master's level anyway). It was more in a "put the record straight for last year's club criterium championship" kind of way that I wanted to beat her, aware that it was a silly and stupid thought: here I am, just back in training for one lousy week and wanting to beat Donna ... get real.

And then the race started and Donna immediately went to the front and put the pressure on. I was comfortable following her wheel and when she pulled off I was out in the wind, which didn't feel quite as comfortable. Back on another girl's wheel I recovered just enough for Donna's first attack. There were many to come and it hurt. I wasn't as strong as some of the girls and I had not much acceleration. With all the strength efforts I have been doing recently, I could only wind it up and then sit in a high gear at low cadence. The surges were a challenge. I enjoyed the race immensely because it was so tactical. At some point we lapped Sharon, the other Master Two rider, and it was clear that I would win my age category. I was free to play and have a go at the final sprint against the other girls without having to pay attention to the colour on their back.

Two laps to go and numbers and colours all became one big blur anyway. I was glued to the orange tyre of Donna's Eddy Merckx bike. One moment of hesitation through the last bend and I slipped to forth or fifth wheel, with girls on either side, a position I hate to be in. I moved to the inside of the track to have a clear run. We entered the finishing straight, into the head wind now with 500 meters to go. I had no wheel to protect me from the wind. Donna looked like she was boxed in behind Mel and Suz, who was stuck in the front to lead out the bunch. Maybe 250 meters to go and I thought to myself "I'm out in the wind anyway, I might as well go" and opened up the sprint. I knew it was too far. I glanced back under my armpit. I was surprised to see nobody on my wheel. I kept going. I started hurting. I felt like stuck in slow motion. Then there was the finish right there and I could hear people screaming and yelling and Donna breathing down my neck and I could see her crossing the line from the corner of my eye, less than a bike length ahead of me - only - it wasn't Donna who had pipped me to the line. It was Mel who had won gold in the Masters Three division with Donna winning Masters Four.

Now I am really hungry to race again...