Kurrajong Classic 2011

by KMD RACING on AUGUST 9, 2011

The Kurrajong Classic was contested on the weekend with some great team dominance shown by the KMD racing team. Ryan, Danny, Buzz, Roger, Ben (for a cameo role), Kable and Ross all contested the 99km classic course with Jacob and Alex taking up the challenge of the 160km road series race with some of the best riders in the state in the race.

After some magnificent weather all week I woke to wet roads and a text message from sprint king Kable Mitchell “are we still going”……… I looked outside to see some nasty clouds passing through Manly but it looked ok out West so my reply was “why wouldn’t we, harden up Princess”

No reply from Mitch clearly meant Doh! I’d see him at 7 for the 1.5hr journey out to the foothills of the Blue Mountains. The weather looked like it was going to be pretty good, we had just missed a shower on the race course and would start with wet slippery roads. The team had assembled in the paddock at the race start and were in good spirits with plenty of nervous laughs and jokes flying around. Ryan was calmly focused, with his Drapac homies racing in the big race he obviously wanted a good showing in front of them, he did deliver that…….

With no wind, no rain and mild temps it was a cracking day for a road race. The pace was lead out by Ryan as he was charged with pacing responsibilities on the day. Within 5km we had a fast decent which was pretty sketchy given the wet road and slippery tar surface, best to be at the front, which is exactly where I was sitting along with Mitch Danny and Ryan. 80+km/hr was the norm going down. The road then heads up hill pretty quickly. The climb is short but punchy at 1.6km long with an average gradient of 6.7%. Ryan took the opportunity to push the envelope a little and see who he could stretch out early. I’m sure for a few the day was over almost before it began. I was certainly hoping he didn’t bang the pace up any more than what was on offer, I got over pretty comfortably and marked one down two to go on the climb given we hit it 3 time for the day. The rest of the KMD crew got over with no troubles either. Ryan had done enough on the front for a while when I called him off for a rest as we would definitely need him all day. Roger took up the pacing for a while when about 10km into the race we got word down the line from Mitch, to Ryan, to Ben to Buzz to Roger that we had Danny out with a flat. We need to slow the pace down so Mitch muzzled into the front and did his best at being a pest, (natural, so this was no tall order). We called Ben Elvy out to go back and share the pacing work with Danny to get him back on. I knew Danny would possibly put Ben into the red zone coming back so I asked Roger to go help as well. He dutifully rolled back to help out. Little known to us Ben decided to completely turn around and ride back in the other direction at 30+km/hr meanwhile Danny had managed to get a spare from the spares van. What must’ve looked like a scene from a “Top Gun” dog fight (or a kid running the wrong way in an under 5s footy match), Ben Elvy flew by Danny who was struggling to sit on the spares car at 60km/hr, Danny must’ve looked like a blurrrrrr to poor old Benny boy and I’m tipping the feeling of Faaaaaaaark and dread must’ve overcome Ben at that stage knowing he was gone from the race so early. These things are meant to test us and help us learn I’m sure so a massive thank you to Ben Elvy for putting his race on the line to help get a key player back in the game very unselfish mate and there will be reward down the track. But please, next time just roll in the same direction until he gets to you as we would like to have you in the race along side us 

Roger managed to play the game correctly and the pace was taken up by him as Danny was well in the red and thinking his day was over thanks to the flat. Roger smacked it at 45km/hr to help both of them to rejoin the race. Awesome job mate, another selfless effort by a team player. Danny sat in to recover for the next lap and played it perfectly telling himself that what just happened never happened.

Meanwhile back in the race while the drama was unfolding at the rear, Buzz, Mitch and Ryan were covering moves to keep it together. There were a few attempts a break when Ryan took off to cover one by a solid rider who knows how to stay out front on his own. It turned into a 2 man break while I ran some disturbance in the pace to allow the move to stick. One young rider got away to join the two up the road and it was looking like a solid little move. The bunch was not organized or too concerned about the move but we knew it was a strong one. I managed to keep close to the front and roll very cruisy turns and even stay on the front for about 5km along the back end of the course to allow the break some real time advantage.

Lap one down and the gap was about 1.15 when we got over the climb the second time. Ooooh that one hurt a little and I wasn’t looking forward to the 3rd attempt. The pace stayed steady with multiple guys trying a break but being shut down by the Buzz and Roger with Danny playing it safe and still recovering. The sprinters Mitch and Ross were hiding well in the bunch when Mitch got a blow out in the Zipps (borrowed fro The Foz) it threw him from the road onto the sketchy road side and straight into a big rock which happened to explode the rim of the Zipp (not sure if Mitch and Foz are still friends?). Poor bugger was filthy and out of the race with a long ride on his own back to the start finish area to take up cheering duties. Expensive race for Mitch with a canon rim repair tipping the scales at $300 gino’s. Maybe some winnings can go to help the cause after we have a well deserved dinner with it.

Winning you hear?……… How did the race unfold?

Lap 3, Ryan and his fellow escapee were out to 2mins at the start finish line for the bunch with the 3rd rider Back in the bunch after struggling to pull turns he was told by Ryan to go back to the bunch if he couldn’t contribute. If he didn’t Ryan said he will attack him on the next climb and drop him anyway.. The nerve of some blokes hey! I know I would’ve said drop me if you can but get stuffed I’m not going back to the bunch. The young bloke obliged though and said “ok”. Funny stuff Ryno, riding by intimidation……

Top of the climb and I was super happy to have got over in touch with the bunch. Danny had found his legs and Roger was on fire and sitting comfortably. Ross was unsighted at his stage and I had no idea if he was still in the race? The pace was up and the chase kicking into gear in full swing. I was on the edge a few times and happy Danny was up front covering moves thankfully. The gap was coming down but Ryan was working hard out front and wasn’t spotted yet. Danny got hit about 10 times in the last 20km and I knew he had to be running out of gas. The turn for home was quick with the speeds hitting 60km at stages. Roger was next to me when I said we need to get closer to the front for Danny. He made his way up quickly and was told that with 5km to go he should smack it to string it out. I was sitting about 10th wheel at this stage and spotted Ross for the first time. 5km to go on que Roger went bang, the reaction followed and there were riders spilling out the back for sure, I got to Danny’s wheel with about 2km to go. Knowing he has a tendency to shoot early I said stay calm mate and we had a perfect sit in the middle of the road protected from the small crosswind. He said let me out, I opened the door and he was set to fire.

Ryan was still up the road with the gap down to 30sec he was 500m from home knowing the other guy was done he smacked it gapped him until Mitch and Benny screamed at him about 150m from home. He hit it again and pulled well clear for a massive effort and reward onto the top step of the podium. Brilliant effort mate and well riden. 300m out and the pace was at fever pitch, riders on their limit, I knew I didn’t have a sprint in me and Ross had disappeared again, it was down to Danny who looked prime to re-invent himself as a sprinter again (long time coming) I screamed at him to go right on the 200m sign. Not sure if he heard me but he jumped got a gap on his wheel and was side by side with a massive unit from Penrith whom was kindly providing a wind break for the little fat man. KMD riders Ben and Mitch were belting out cheers and encouragement from the sidelines. It was an awesome sight with Danny smashing over the top for what would’ve been a race victory as well had the bunch been together. Danny took the chocolates in the sprint and managed the 3rd step on the podium.

Ryan and Buzz took off immediately to try to get to the feed station for Alex and Jakey racing in then long course. Meanwhile the presentations were happening. Roger took the top step and will be in the record photos for ever now as the real victor of the 2011 running of the Kurrajong Classic. It is a vast improvement on looking at Ryno in the photo. So the podium will show a litle fat man and bloke with an underbite in second and a “Goat” on the top step………. GOLD. I know Ryan will be filthy missing out on a photo opportunity but clearly he was just sharing the love and glory with his teammates.

Awesome team effort and a great scalp to get in a really good road race. The dominance and fear factor is starting to grow in the races we attend and the other riders are certainly standing to attention when we show up. Ride of the day was definitely Roger for his great riding and team effort to get Danny back on who jagged a third in the end

Well done to Alex and Jakey for roughing it out in a brutal 160km smash fest in the road series race, most didn’t even finish.

Till next race, to infinity and beyond

Photos Courtesy of Antony Mulhall