Nice Rcae report from Dive 5 rider Timo
tkaen from
http://www.bikesmoveus.com.au/showthread.php?t=4624&page=12RAW Track week 5;
First race, as per usual, is the warm up scratch race. I have to say I really like the scratch race as you don't know who you've got; people don't try and sprint from the word go and it really comes down to general endurance. Tatics, well, get on the front and swap turns or move up picking wheels and then attack with 3/2 laps to go. But watch anyone going earlier expect attacks from 5laps to go. Awesome. Mentally I'm ready for this race every week. This week, the Div 5 field wasn't split, so there were quite a few riders running. So how did I do? DNS... got stuck in traffic. GAH! Not happy and couldn't get my stuff together in time to get into the race.
Second race; 3 lap sprint 6 riders only. This is not my race. I don't have the initial explosive power for a sprint I've found. There was also the question as to how quick this race was going to go? There was a discussion with the front two riders about not going off too quickly and taking it a little easy, getting the sprint going for the last two. Great, I thought, got a chance here. And what happens at the roll out? The lead rider, who just agreed to stay calm goes off. Fark. I'm sat at 5th wheel and I've now got to make up a 1/4 lap within 3 laps. The rider in 4th wheel starts a move to keep up the pace. I'm looking at this thinking, great, I can get a draft while this rider pulls us back. Nope. The move lasts all of 1/2 lap and doesn't really get anywhere. So, it's all up to me. I have to really hit hard to bridge the gap to the lead 3 riders catching them at 1 1/2 laps to go. The bell goes; sprint is on. We go into the corner 1 then corner, 2 by 2. I've got the outside lane and the height on the other riders, but that means I have to work harder, but should come off faster on the drop. Kick kick from the front two riders. Kick from the rider inside of me. I can hear his chain and pedals spinning like crazy. I've got nothing, he's faster. Corner 3, 4, nothing more to give. The kid on the inside has got the better of me. There is no point contesting this as we're clear of the other riders, I'm not going to lose any more poistions. The rider that started it all is no slowing getting overtaken off the corner. Rob, at 2nd wheel for the whole race wins it. The first guy gets second. The kid third, me fourth. Don't like sprints...
Third race - Point'a'Lap. The race is run similar to a point score-however each lap is a sprint for first place only and worth one point. The overall winner is the rider with the most points. There are a total of 16 laps with the points available from 10 to go onwards. Again, the whole div5 field was in play. Roll out, 16 laps. I'm thinking go for 3 laps sprints and then try and hold off the others. That should be enough for a good placing. Quickly a faster group appears to form. I've got stuck behind a wheel that is not closing the gap. The front group of 8 or so riders are beginning to speed up. 13 laps to go. I start to make my move up to this group; just as I do a rider goes off the front. Great. But wait, no movement from the front group. There just going to let him hang out there. Or are they? Then I see that one of the younger riders with a limited gearing is on the front. He's slowing this group down. That's good for me. I catch a wheel. 1 sprint point lost. This group isn't going anywhere. 2nd sprint point gone. I'm looking for the lead rider. Where is he? I think I see the rider they are pointing to. Kick. Get some speed up and pass this group. 3rd sprint point gone. The lead rider has 1/2 a lap on me. He's slowing. I can catch him big push into corner 2 then three. I'm going to get him; oh crap, he could get the 4th spring point here, no push again. I catch him on the finishing straight; 1st point to me. I roll up, to see who has come with me or if this rider is going to continue. I can hear another rider getting close to me. He attacks out of corner 2. I'm high and he comes on the inside. It's the kid that beat me in the previous sprint. I was expecting the attack and grab his wheel. The kid leads me out perfectly and I kick again out of corner 4 and take him on the finishing straight; 2nd sprint point. That felt pretty sweet, given that he'd beaten me on the previous race. I'm now into a rhythm. I look around and the kid has gone. He's not coming with me. It's me against the race again. The others aren't coming either; another lap 3rd sprint point. I ease up slightly just to calm my heart rate down. If they catch me I'm going to need to go again, 4th sprint point, then a 5th point. I'm lapping riders. I'm now struggling to work out where is everyone? 6points. Bell lap. I've already won the race, but I can now stop anyone getting 3rd. Push it a little more and that's it 7th sprint point. 1st win of the night.
Tim placed higher on the track Final race - combined div 4 & 5; 24 riders. Wow this was a learning curve. Straight away we're up to speed. This is quicker than the div 5 race. The pace line has already started and I'm fumbling around near the middle pack. I'm surrounded by a few div 5 riders and mainly div 4 ones. This middle group is splitting. The pace is too much for them and the gaps are appearing. I have to go now or I'll never get the lead group.
Kick kick, dam more riders have the same idea. I'm working hard here to bridge this gap. The riders in front of me catch the lead group before me. I'm moving faster than them I want in on that pace line; learning point number 1. Div 4 riders don't give up their space easily. In Div 5, you can fit a bus in a foot gap. In this race, no one is giving up a space. Fark, this hard work. I'm on the outside doing all of the work to stay with this group. Finally, the rider at 4th wheel slows, I see a space and its mine. I get two laps of rest in the pace line. 2nd wheel, the rider in front is slowing I mean really slowing now. I'm thinking move up move up, come on. Only once we get to corner 1 does he move up. Kick, I open a gap. Crap. Didn't want to do that, I need to work with these riders. I stay on the front for a lap, roll up and then come back down. I want third wheel again. Learning point number two; everyone wants third wheel. So I have to push into third wheel. Someone shouted at this point. Again, the not giving up space for riders means I had to make sure I got this place. First wheel rolls up. 2nd wheel with 3 laps to go attacks. Go go go. I can hold this guy and get him on the final lap. Bell lap; learning point number 3. In combines there is someone much faster than you. Out of no-where some rider in white shot past me and the first wheel. Fark he was quick. We all kick to go with him. He has it easy. I now can't catch the 2nd wheel but I'm kicking to make sure no-one gets past me.
Third place! Really happy with that given it was mixed group!
Downside, is that twice tonight it was mentioned that I may need to be in div 4 next week... hmm...
