WCMCC Wandi Road Race - A Grade :: 9th September, 2012

It's in the post title and I think most people already knew that today would be my first venture into the A grade ranks of Master's racing. Courtesy of a little hiccup back in April, this day came a little later than I had been hoping but it finally arrived and while I didn't seem to feel it, the nerves must have been having an affect because the preparation for the race was a complete and utter disaster, but I came out unscathed, intact and very happy with my effort.

A lack of preparation the night before the race was probably my first mistake as the morning's preparation was less than ordinary which also entailed missing the exit off the freeway at Rowley Rd requiring an exit off Anketel Rd only to miss the turn at the roundabout that takes you into the Wandi course from the south. So finally, after performing a tour of the surrounding areas, I arrived at the registrations table and signed on for A grade. I wasn't in the handicapper's book after my B grade win up at Neerabup and my request to step up seemed to come as a bit of a surprise to the registrars. I actually preferred that it happened of my own accord versus being pushed up.

Preparation failings continued when I realised I had forgotten to pack my HR monitor with the rest of my gear which really annoyed me as I was keen to see how hard I would be working through both power and HR. Thankfully everything else was in the kit pack so it was a quick change and on the course for a warm up - thankfully I still had time for that.

There were two things I wanted to achieve in this race. Firstly, to be able to be competitive and not get spat out the back of the bunch before the end of the race and secondly, to learn as much as can about the dynamic and tactics of A grade racing. By the end of the race, I had managed to achieve both of these but far more than I had anticipated on the second part. The tactical games that take place at this level is amazing.

With no big expectations for getting a result, the race itself was somewhat ordinary in terms of what I could write about so I wont bore readers with detailed events throughout the race (I will provide a brief) and focus more on what I learned from the experience.

Pace was up quickly and remained steady for the duration which I had anticipated so I was keen to spend the first five (of 10) laps sitting in and observing. If I still felt strong after that, I would try going with any breakaway attempts or at least do a bit of work on the front and try and prove myself worthy of being there.

Attacks were definitely more frequent than anything I had previously been used to so my first lesson would be to try and determine which of these were more likely to be more successful and how the team dynamics worked within the race when attacks did occur. It's a completely different mindset in A grade and there is certainly a lot of chatter among team mates and tactics clearly changed as the race unfolded. It was fascinating to learn all of this from within such a race as opposed to watching it from the sidelines and guessing what might be happening.

The first five laps saw a number of breaks occur with none getting any real distance on the main field to succeed. I was feeling quite comfortable and knew I was more than capable of holding on to any increase in pace that might occur from this point but there was no indication that this would occur. I would soon understand what Andrew Patterson knows too well, that a lapse in concentration would be enough to miss an important break in a race like this and end your chances in an instant.

I drifted to the back of the pack at the very moment five or six riders made a break and I completely missed the move. It was a shame to have missed it, both from a race perspective but also from missing the chance to observe the tactics that allowed this break to get away. Within a lap of the Wandi course, the break had managed to put significant distance on the main field and looked to keep it for the remainder of the race.

There was only one chance to get across the gap to the leaders and it was taken by five riders that I had considered to go with and certainly in hindsight I should have but for a reason that still escapes me, I missed this opportunity also. I had learnt more in two laps of that race than I had over the entirety of it - the basis being that you must stay as sharp and attentive as possible or you can miss race winning opportunities. Don't second guess anything. As with most fast action sport, thinking twice about an element of the game can result in missed opportunities.

I spent the last four laps of the race as more of a training run than a race and spent most of my time on the front or rotating first wheel with one or two others. The ten or eleven man breakaway succeeded and finished well ahead of the main field leaving nothing but "ego places" for the rest of us. For me, the last lap was more about being there for the final sprint in an effort to get an understanding of the strength required to compete against some powerful sprinters. It was certainly an eye-opener and I learned quite a bit from the build up to the finish - even if it wasn't for any paying places.

Finishing 18th from a field of 40 was pleasing and I am sure that with the lessons learned, the feel I had of the race and some additional training I can be more competitive either on my own or with help from AP and others. I'm looking forward to continuing my experience among A grade racing at Masters.

In other race results from the day, congratulations go to Stephen Farran for his win in B grade among what appeared to be yet another strong field. Kudos also goes to Dave Ellis for his second place in C grade who, by the sound of things, is having a continued battle with the 1st and 3rd place getters from week-to-week. Dave must have also had to watch his back with Emma Gillard finishing 7th overall and 1st female of 6 to cross the line. A great result for Emma given the strength in numbers of the field and the ability of some of the riders.

Congrats also go to AP, Leone, Matt, Dylan and Chris who formed part of two teams competing down at the Dardanup Classic. Some competitive results in the A grade road race and a 3rd and 5th overall for the teams in the TTT is pleasing to hear and shows that the training we do with Brad is really paying off.

Thanks for reading.