2013 Satalyst Tour of Margaret River - Stages 1-3 & 5

The Satalyst Tour of Margaret River is, without doubt, one of WA's top-shelf cycling events with this year's format attracting some of the big names of Australian cycling mixing in with teams at all levels (literally). Names that demand respect such as Phil Anderson, AJ Giacoppo, Jack Bobridge and Michael Freiberg took their places among amateur and sponsored teams attending four competitive stages around Cowaramup and down through rolling terrain to Augusta along the South West's famous Caves Road in the final stage. Personally, I would be riding in a lead role for the Hall Cycle Training Men's Team while Unicorn-Specialized, having lost the services of Craig Pennel for the event, had recruited a hard hitter to fill out the team.

Base camp was established at the very comfortable and accommodating Surfpoint Lodge, Prevally with a number of the riders from 3 HCT and 2 Unicorn teams opting to head down on Thursday for the full experience while others, including myself drove down Friday morning allowing enough time to roll the legs over in time for a 3:20pm start at Cowaramup for the Stage 1 TTT. Thankfully, the pre-race pressure was significantly reduced thanks to the superb team management efforts of Andrew Dorrington who kindly had all of the team members registered with the event crew and commissaires. Andrew provided each team member with the greatest support ensuring that we all new our start times and that we were all well prepared for the commissaire's roll call and pre-stage briefing.

Categories that teams would be competing in would be determined by the results of Stage 1 (Teams Time Trial):

Elite Category: 1st-10th best times

Category 1: 11th to 20th best times

Category 2: 21st to 30th best times

Category 3: 31st to 40th best times

Category 4: 41st to 50th best times

Category 5: Women Only

Hall Cycle Training Men's Team was made up of a range of riders with different levels of experience and ability. With just a short 4 weeks of training before the event, we had managed to begin working well together and had come to understand each other's ability so that we could work in the most efficient way and to allow us to formulate a plan of attack for each stage. The team included:

Reg Edwards: B Grade Masters

Justin Ing: C-D Grade Open

Paul Evans: C Grade Masters

Mike Pardon: A Grade Masters

Martin Lowell: A Grade Masters

Charlie Gargett: A Grade Masters

Justin would come into this event with only a brief racing career but would step up to prove he is more than capable of competing amongst some of WA's better racing pelotons.

Stage 1: Teams Time Trial - 25kms (2 laps)

This year, the Teams Time Trial was used to determine the category in which a team would compete the remainder of the Tour as per the guide above. The Unicorn-Specialized team, having recruited Michael Freiberg to complete the team after Craig Pennel's unfortunate accident two weeks ago, managed an incredibly respectful 5th place overall and a berth into the Elite Category for the remainder of the Tour.

The HCT Men's Team managed to ride to a very respectful 19th team overall after all teams had come in from their time on course. This result put us into Category 1 which consisted of some strong and competitive A/B Grade Open and A/B Grade Masters riders. At 19th place overall, we would have our work cut out for us as the time deficits would carry over into the next stages making it important to gain as many time bonuses through the remaining stages as possible.

The team rode extremely well as a unit through the Stage 1 TTT, managing to maintain a pace just under 40km/h over a slightly undulating course taking us from the back of Cowaramup, out to and through Howard Park winery and return (12.5kms). We managed to hold our pace line formation into head- and cross-winds, only coming unstuck once after a sharp switchback corner and down to cross a small stone bridge.

Lap one had the team hold onto each other's wheel very well with only a few undulating hills on the way out of Howard Park and back to town causing the pace to drop just a little. Our second lap was much cleaner but the high pace was beginning to take its toll on a couple of us and we needed to get four of us across the line together as time was registered against the fourth member over the line. Martin, Mike and myself were keeping a steady pace and I needed to call on Reggie to dig deep and finish strongly. A few words of encouragement in his ear had him ready to finish as hard as he could.

As we made our way through the roundabout just to the back of Cowaramup town, we picked up Brad on the back of us who was also encouraging the team to dig deep for the final effort to the line. We eventually lost Justin and Paul and I moved to help Reggie up the last small ascent before the final turn toward the finish line. All of a sudden, Reggie peeled off the back of our group and found the strength to hit the front at a pace that caught myself, Mike and Martin by surprise and we had to match his solid effort to finish as a tight group. A superb effort that I will certainly remember for some time to come. Well done Reggie.

The HCT Team 1 girls put in a very solid effort to finish 38th fastest team overall to begin what would be a dominating performance in the women's category throughout the remainder of the Tour. Well done girls.

Stage 2: Short Road Race - 32kms (2 laps)

Every stage in this Tour presented some memorable moments. Some good, some not so good. For me, Stage 2 was one I'd probably prefer not to remember although it did provide me with some lessons on aggressive riding in a larger peloton (60 riders). Stage 2 had 3 categories on course at the same time with the women (Cat 5), Cat 4 and Cat 3 competing together with just a few minutes separating them. Elite, Cat 1 and Cat 2 would compete on course together with the same starting time gaps to ensure the groups would be unlikely to interfere with each other.

In Cat 1, the pace picked up immediately and was maintained for the entire two laps of a 16km course that took us from the same start/finish line out to Caves Road near Vasse Felix winery, down Caves road for a kilometre or so before heading back into town and reconnecting with the same stretch home as Stage 1. I'd arranged for the team to keep Martin as fresh as possible through this short road race and deliver him to the sprint as ready as possible. As the stages are based on time bonuses at the midway point and the finish, it would also be important for Mike and I to finish as close as possible to the top 8 places in order to pick up vital seconds.

We found out pretty early in the stage that we would be cramped for space on course with 60 riders in the peloton and only one lane to "legally" jostle for position. There were a number of dangerous moves coming from some riders who would consistently come up the right hand side of the group on the wrong side of double or solid white lines which did not amuse the commissaires in the chase car whose horn got a solid workout throughout the stage. I found that being on that side of the peloton with these manoeuvres happening would have you locked into the group with very little room to move unless you were prepared to bump riders out of the way, chop lines and/or push through aggressively.

Patience would also be a virtue in this situation and as we approached the roundabout some 1km from the finish, position would be vital in order to obtain bonus time slots. Martin and Mike were well positioned near the front of the group but had a couple of heavy hitting sprinters on their wheels while I was off to the right of the group waiting for a gap to present itself allowing me to get through for the sprint. This would eventually come as the group was allowed to use the full width of the road over the final 200m and I jumped immediately to grab a place in the first 10 to cross.

At this stage, we lost Justin after his front wheel collected a pot hole in the road not long after the start/finish line was crossed. This resulted in an immediate puncture and a badly damaged rim but a quick wheel change had him back on course although he was never going to be able to get back to the main field given the pace that was being maintained. Paul had also found the pace pretty hard during the second last lap and lost contact with the group during the surge for the line and finished some 20 seconds off the pace.

Unfortunately the same opportunities in the first lap would not be found for the final sprint for the line after completing another circuit of the course. As we exited the roundabout at the 1km to go mark, the group collected to a tight bunch and space was very limited. I was not in the best position but could see that the pointy end of the peloton was beginning to ribbon out and a gap appeared just ahead to my right that would allow me to jump through and get a great position for the final 200m to the line.

This gap was also seen by other riders and my chance was quickly closed along with a tap to my front wheel causing me to touch the brakes. At the speed we were riding, this was disastrous and I shot to the back of the pack and completely missed any opportunity to compete in the sprint. My lack of aggressiveness had certainly cost me a higher place but I didn't lose time on the group. Reg finished with me while Mike and Martin were able to push through for a 5th and 6th position respectively for some important time bonuses.

Stage 3: Short Kermesse - 30kms (8 laps)

The course for Stage 3 was the same course used for the 24 hour Delirium held earlier this year. It's a short course (just under 4km in distance) that would require 8 revolutions before the final assault on the finish. Again, time bonuses were on offer on the 4th and last laps.

I had anticipated that this would likely be the fastest stage for the tour as there were no significant climbs other than the short one just after the same roundabout featured in the previous two stages. The course consisted of clean, mostly smooth surfaces which would provide little rolling resistance so position near the front of the group would once again be vital.

From the release by the Commissaire, the pace shot to the 43km/h average for the stage and the usual closeness in the bunch was evident immediately. We stayed together for the duration of the first lap but the attacks started coming during lap 2 with two riders attempting to get away from the group. I was happy to let them go to a certain point where I thought the gap would be enough to bridge successfully or to follow someone else if they decided to go before me.

As we approached the first turn at the back of the course, a rider had begun to make an attempt to get over the gap to the leaders and I opted to go with him. He was pulling quite strongly and was beginning to close the gap and while I noticed that it was just the two of us, the main group was not too far back and the gap to them was being steadily reduced. Figuring that the main group would obviously catch us, I sat on my companion's wheel until he tired enough at which point I came around and began to work on closing the last of the gap.

I caught the leaders just before the roundabout and it was only a matter of seconds before the main bunch closed any gap we had thereby neutralising any advantage in the race. I had anticipated a counter attack and looked for my team mates in the hope that they would be there to cover anything that happened but the attack never came and the group seemed to be content to regroup, recover and focus on the charge for time bonuses at the end of the next lap.

The fourth lap was largely uneventful until we pushed through the roundabout and riders once again began pushing for position near the front of the bunch. This time I found myself on the left side of the group but close enough to the front to be able to surge when the use of the width of the road was allowed. As we approached the final slight left turn before the 200m to go, the group swung over to the right and I was boxed momentarily and I lost a number of places but the group surged back across again and allowed me to push through to compete for the places offering bonus times. Martin and Mike were also amongst it and Paul Evans was also visible in the group.

I made a significant mistake at this point and didn't properly anticipate the attack that would undoubtedly come from riders that crossed the line just behind us. They would know that our legs would be momentarily fatigued from the sprint for bonus time offering the perfect time to attack. I noticed two riders go off the front but did not consider them to be a threat but unfortunately I missed seeing Phil Diesel bridge the small gap to join them along with 4 others to make up 7 riders in a break that would ultimately not be seen again. I was out of position on the edge of the road and failed to call Mike and Martin to chase and HCT now had no-one in the break.

I looked to move to exit the group at the outer side and noticed that Doug Stewart had also missed the attack and was also looking to push his way out of the group and get to the front. Hoping that he would provide enough momentum for me to go with him and possibly follow him across the gap, I jumped on his wheel and moved to the front of the group with him at which point he seemed to be content to simply sit in and no effort was made from anyone else to bridge the gap which by this stage had grown.

I was feeling the fatigue from the sprint at this point where the group swallowed me up again fairly quickly and I found myself boxed in once again before the completion of the 5th lap. The 7 leaders had been working well together and had now gone out of sight ahead of us and it was evident then that they would not be brought back. The main field were now happy to let the race play out this way and no attempts were made from anyone to bridge the significant gap that would need to be brought back with just two laps to go.

The pace remained steady at around 43km/h until we passed through the roundabout for the last time and the pushing and shoving began once again. This time I placed myself just ahead of my team mates in Mike and Martin in the hope that I could open a gap for either or both of them to push through and compete for the sprint finish. As we exited the final slight left, the group expanded and gaps opened and I pushed through where Mike was able to come around and sprint through for a 5th place in the bunch (12th overall). Martin also came around and I latched on to his wheel but the places offering bonus times had already been taken up so we were only ensuring that no significant time was lost to other teams. Unfortunately, with three riders from the City of Busselton team in the 7 man break, we had certainly lost time on that team and we slipped to 20th position overall (10th in Cat 1). Only two riders finished out of the group time so Reg, Paul and Justin were able to maintain contact.

Stage 5: Road Race - 75kms (Vasse Felix to Augusta)

Stage 5 was the longest stage of the tour with Stage 4 being a quiz night in Margaret River but not offering any time bonuses or penalties and would not impact any standings in the event. Stage 5 would also prove to be the toughest with 75kms of undulating racing along Caves Road culminating in a significant 2km hill climb to the finish line.

As a team, we'd spoken amongst ourselves the night before and agreed that we had nothing to lose in this tour and were certainly out of contention for any team or individual honours so we should look to be far more agressive than we had been in the previous stages and look to create a gap on the field that a second or third team mate might be able to bridge over to allowing us to work together to build on that advantage.

With a delay of 30 minutes to the start of the stage, I was keen to get going but did not have a good position on the start line to do anything immediately. The group seemed to settle at a steady pace that was easily maintained by everyone but I was restless and wanted to pick the pace up so made a move up the outside of the bunch and worked my way off the front to see if anyone else in the group was interested in contributing to a break.

No interest was forthcoming and I found myself alone with a small gap on the field and with a northeasterly blowing to my back, I was hoping that it would assist me in maintaining the gap and possibly having some others attempt to get across but the wind was certainly not as friendly as it should have been and I found it to be more of a hinderance than a help. I held the group off for a few kilometres before they reeled me back in just after Cowaramup Bay Road.

From that point, only one other attack some 30kms later was made to attempt to create a gap on the field which featured Paul Evans but it was brought back by the group fairly quickly. Shortly after, Mike appeared near the front and was mixing it up with an SPR rider and three RTR riders. Mike eventually found himself working right on the pointy end of the five and was doing quite a bit of work. I moved up and pulled him off the front as I wanted him and Martin to not only remain as fresh as possible but also to keep an eye on a very visible Jamie Kirkwood who at this point of the stage had planted himeself at or near the front.

I initially thought it odd that Jamie would move himself so close to the front given his hill climbing ability and I would have thought he would have been better being protected by his team mates which suggested to me that they were protecting someone of equal or better hill climbing strength. Before long, two more of his team mates appeared near the front and I instructed Mike to keep an eye on them and to be close to them as we approached the bottom of the hill in Augusta in the event that they worked together to complete the climb.

We finally reached the turn off Caves Road and the stage began working its way through the back roads of Augusta with a couple of tight corners resulting in one SPR rider coming unstuck in the gravel on the second turn. A few short bursts of pace through the remaining corners presented us to a slight downhill approach to the bottom of the climb where I moved to navigate Martin and Mike through the group to the very front where they could begin the climb first.

The assault on the the hill from the riders at the front was devastating to the majority of the group and the work I'd done through the previous 73 kms and to get my team mates to the front of the group for the climb had taken its toll and I immediately felt the fatigue in the legs that told me I would not be competitive up this climb. I set myself into a rhythm and climbed it as best I could and noticed as the climb progressed that the group ahead of me had ribboned out significantly and I managed to regain a number of places before settling in with a City of Busselton rider who I paced myself against and finished with a bit of a kick to the line to cross in 33rd place.

Paul Evans had been visible among the field prior to the beginning of the climb which ultimately took its toll on him and he came in some three and a half minutes off the pace. I had not realised it until the end that Reg had suffered an electronics failure with his rear mech just 15 minutes into the race and was stuck in the 11 sprocket making it far too difficult to complete the stage with the group. He was ultimately helped along by Justin with the two finishing the stage 17 minutes behind the leader. Tough work climbing that hill in such a gear selection.

I was most impressed with the courage that the team showed throughout the entire tour and I'm sure they felt they have gained a wealth of experience and for Reggie, Paul and Justin, the knowledge that they can compete at a higher level than they may be used to. With the team placing at the tail end of Category 1, we started Stage 2 with a significant time deficit but it did not daunt a single member of the team with every one of them putting in more than what was required of them. I look forward to seeing how the team goes in future events from local Masters racing to more significant events such as the Satalyst Tour of Margaret River.

Mike Pardon and Martin Lowell were the strong men of the HCT Men's team and delivered everytime I asked them to. I had Martin marked as our protected rider for the Tour and he rode a very sensible race whilst assuming this role. He stayed near the front but never on the front and ensured that he was in a position in the group that allowed him to wind up into his immensly powerful sprint finish. Mike was ever present and showed great stamina through the event. He was certainly a surprise finisher on the final stage with a solid climbing effort to finish 10th in the stage. Between the two of these riders, the HCT Men's team is in good hands for future events.

Paul Evans and Reg Edwards have both proven to themselves that they are far more capable than they may have realised prior to going into this event. From the moment we began to train as a team, they put in 110% effort each and every time and were always there when the team needed them to lift. Paul and Reg have never raced at such a level and I hope that they take the experience from this event to build their confidence and be willing enough to raise the bar up another level during future events.

As previously mentioned, Justin Ing came into this event with the least amount of racing experience among the team members but in my opinion this was in no way evident throughout the Tour. Justin rode well beyond his experience level and I'm sure he will have taken an immeasurable amount of knowledge from racing among such a strong and capable field. The build in his strength and ability throughout our training efforts was incredibly impressive given the short amount of time we spent training together and he certainly held his own through each stage.

For myself, I left the event having learnt so much from the experience in a leadership role. I'll be the first to admit that I made mistakes throughout the Tour and I believe I will be a better rider for them moving forward - something I believe will be incredibly important as I resume my role within the Unicorn-Specialized team and the impending Criterium season.

Congratulations is certainly extended to all of the HCT Women's teams including the Unicorn-Hall girls. The teams dominated the stage and overall results with 8 girls finishing in the top 10 of the Women's Cat 5 overall placings.

Equally as incredible was the 5th placed team overall for the Unicorn-Specialized team. The guys featured in just about every move on show throughout the event culminating with what many have reported as one of the most memorable moves of the Tour as the team combined their efforts to drag back a two and a half minute break during the last half of Stage 5 while keeping AP as fresh as possible for his final climb up to the finish where he managed a very respectful 13th place among some of the country's best cyclists. A fantastic team effort and many thanks to Michael for completing the team line up.

To Brendon Morrison and his crew, a massive congratulations for organisating an incredible event. There was clearly an incredible amount of work put in by all involved to make the event run smoothly from start to finish and I certainly look forward to the possibility of participating again next year and what is promising to be even bigger and better. A very big thank you to all the sponsors that made this event possible and a most enjoyable one on and off the bike.

Finally, many thanks to my family who were not able to join me for the weekend away but offered me the support to get through a hectic training schedule while trying to maintain their own commitments.

Many thanks for reading and see you at the 2014 Tour of Margaret River.