Don’t Do The Audax Alpine Classic
By Michael Dwyer
I had a very stressful argument with my bicycle recently and I blame the Alpine Classic. I like to keep a nice relationship with my bike. But enough of my personal life.
Alan Capel said he would go very easy for the start of the 200km at Bright. Yeh, Right! As soon as he got going, he was immediately got caught up in a group and flew at 35kph for the first 10 or so km. Alan has very good excuses for his deviation from his plan which I won’t go in to. But Alan’s other technique was well applied; find a big bulky person and draft behind them although he was most put out by a walrus on his tail going up Mt Buffalo. His grunting, puffing and coughing needed fixing by the addition of 1 kph by Alan. Alan did the 200 in 11 hours 10 minutes.
We all think that Mat Rawnsley’s behavior bordered on the obscene. Imagine cycling up the 29 km of Falls Creek at around 20kph. Not to mention Mount Buffalo where, he mentioned in passing, he was doing speeds in the High teens. As you will agree, obscene! With an overall time of 7 hrs 10 minutes, he was the 5th one back!!.
Clive Pegler didn’t make it (get well Clive) but we are sure he was with us in spirit. More spirit in my legs please Clive.
Alan Dixon for the first time in his life did not do the maximum distance. Why not you ask, he is always ready and rearing to go after riding to the start from Adelaide. Lexia is still totally puzzled as to why we all do it. So am I. Like all things painful; war, dieing of thirst in the desert, don’t do the Alpine Classic. Except as a supporter.
Alan loves rice-cream and got a whole tin to himself. This, WITH a plunger coffee at Mount Buffalo was the highlight of his ride. Overall, the Audax organization with heaps of food and volunteers was excellent. (Except the footy club forgot to show up to run the post-ride BBQ).
Ian Peake was nowhere to be seen. Rumor has it he was drunk in the spa at his camping ground. Or having a massage.
Of the two and a half thousand pain seeking cyclists who rode the Alpine Classic in excellent weather, there might have been a dozen from SA. Richard Sheer, terror of the A-Series, was over with the family too. He did a good time of 11 hours 30 minutes.
And now its all over. My time of 10 hours, 2 minutes. I now need some quality time with my bicycle to make amends for our falling out. It was a silly argument really. My bike said go faster. I said no, I am quite fast enough at 9 kph up Mount Buffalo. It said then why did you buy a fast bike. I said what would you know, you haven’t go a single muscle in your frame. It then went very quite and sulky and I got angry. All very silly really. I will have to do some pleasant hills rides and perhaps go with Paul and Malcolm on Tuesday to make amends.