Monday, April 26, 2010

TTT Report... good, but really bad too



Yesterday I closed my cycling season with a Team Time Trial Race...
The race was a gruelling 60km TT with 4 loops of a very hilly course.
I still wonder the logic for HKCA of holding the TT on a 60km hilly course, while all the local races are maybe 20-40km on flat circuits... they also allowed junior and youth to compete in which would be a huge effort for a 14 years old..

The good: our team (colossi.cc) got a 2nd place which is extraordinary result for a team just set-up few months ago. We are also missing our best TT rider, so we come up with someone from the benches (me....).

The bad: I totally underperformed and my contribution to the team results was very minimal.
I did not felt too well in the past few days for a strange twinge in the left leg, so that I had the feeling of pedalling only with the right leg. I totally lacked strength on the left side.
I must probably see if the pelvis got out of alignment or some of the usual problems with my ill-fated lower legs.
Anyway, no point to find excuses because I got dropped simply because my team members were too fast.. their pace (below 24'/loop) was too hot for me.
Once I got dropped by our "train" I finished the race beside/beyond the team SCAA2 (which started 2 minutes behind us) and I felt their pace very "comfortable" for my level: their pace on the climbs was easy for my level and I did get well along also on the flat...
Since their final result was 3' behind "us", I would say that my level was ok for 25'/lap but totally not up to the 23'-24'/loop game...

Official Result:

1./ Champion Systems 1.32.57

2./ Colossi 1.35.26
3./ Racing Force 1.37.09
4./ SCAA 1.38.44
5./ Vigor 1.39.10


My congratulations to our team members.
I hope to find some pics in action.. for the time being, above a pic of the start (note to myself and to the club committee: we need some aero gear... the winning team was supercool in skinsuits, aerohelmets and TT bike...)

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Yep I thought you would have been more comfortable on the hills Roberto but obviously some problem. Next season we should be up there to compete for the top step! There are some more photos on facebook- I tagged you.

by7 said...

Well, Ed, I felt strange starting from mid-week and it did not got better.
Maybe, and I underline maybe, we should have taken the climbs a bit slower in order to have the full team working together on the flat. Even when I was following CS, their climb speed was a bit gentler then ours (while in comparison, they were going downhill so fast that I could barely follow).
Anyway no regrets, this is my level and I should train more and better and do more hard efforts.
Hopefully there will not be any "next year" since I feel more comfortable in running.
Congratulations again, you are really a good rider !

Unknown said...

Yep but the time we were losing on the descents with Erich's dodgy bike didn't leave us any choice but to do the climbs hard(ish) and Erich's pace on the flats was pretty much as fast as it gets. They won the race on the descents.

Anyhow, sorry to hear you don't want to keep going into next season- sure you could do well in some of the more interesting races like Taiwan and EGAT. Duathalon?!?