OK GO!

I woke up feeling better than the day before, but still not 100%. There would be no holding onto the back of anyone today, I decided. (Last year I tried to hold the wheels of Neil, Jim, Dave and Ryan along the GOR and was half cooked by the time we reached the bottom of the Skene’s Creek climb). As it turned out, no-one was really up for a hit-out anyway. Only Ryan was decently quick and his rear wheel exploded before we reached the main climb.

Darren suffered, but not as badly as Todd, who unknowingly carried the early signs of flu. Dave was out of form and Neil was there for the company more than the clock. The three of us rode together for most of the day, regrouping at the top of Skene’s Creek (in the pic). Some were already struggling hard at that point; one guy emptying what appeared to be a full 750mL bottle of Endura, from his mouth, with horrible retching sounds.

We paused again at the second aid station then pressed on for the finish. Neil rode away from Jim and I as the final climb approached, and the two of us hung together until the top. I won the sprint for the line but truthfully I don’t think Jim tried.

The roll back down the hill was PlayStation-style all the way back into Lorne.

126km, 3,328m, 3:46hrs (29.1 km/h).
33:40 KOM time.

Strava link
Shane Millar’s Strava link (yikes)

The day before the Gran Fondo, the Baum ‘extended family’ met for coffee and a gentle roll along the Great Ocean Road. Not too far, just 25 out and back, 50k total at a moderate pace. I met Todd, Darren, Jon (on his shiny new steel thing), Jim, JP, Andrew, Gareth and Mr Moody. Nick was absent with a still-creaking collar bone.

I almost bailed on the ride myself, waking with what felt like the beginnings of a head cold. Then I almost decided I’d just roll down in jeans and meet the guys for coffee. Then I decided I’d kit up, have a coffee and see. Then that I’d just roll to the edge of town… the lies we tell ourselves.

Not 4km in the hole I thought I’d sealed up last weekend opened again, spraying sealant everywhere (including over Darren). DB and Ryan lept to my rescue (seriously, they lept), tearing off the leaky single and pro-fitting a spare. Todd offered a spare Conti Comp when we got back to base, which was super nice. But better than that, not three pumps into reinflating the new tyre, a voice called from behind us, ‘Hey! Do you want a track pump?’ Two guys had pulled over just to lend us some speedy inflation. Noice.

47.7km, 415m, 1:32hrs

Strava link

One last hit-out before the Fondo.

This ride is good. A few hard hill repeats is really all it is, but it gets me home by 7:00, which lets me see the girls and run a normal(ish) to-work routine.

27km, 421m, 1:01hrs

Strava link

Keen to get some climbing under the belt before the Gran Fondo, I headed out from Mum and Dad’s for a hard tack up Mt Bunninyong and a couple of laps of the national champ circuit.

After a good, hard climb up the hill, which looked and smelled beautiful in the morning air, I rolled straight over the crest and around onto the open side of the hill that overlooks the valley. I stopped to take a couple of photos when I heard the dreaded ‘Pshhhhhhhhhh’. I re-inflated and turned the hole to the bottom of the wheel, but all it did was spray sealant everywhere.

At least the view was pretty while I waited for Dad to come and pick me up.

23km, 408m, 0:55

Strava link