Well the champagne was on ice today, as the southerly changed a nice balmy Easter weekend into the first little taste of Autumn. Definitely more Irish Stew than Salmon Salad today, to be sure.
A Gall Stone for me on my lead up to the 4 peaks still smarting from the flogging through the beaches on the weekend, no incidents to report, except it is still dark on the lower reaches and a rooster was in full cry at the bridge, he was probably still on the daylight saving time as there was certainly nothing to fade his curtains at that time.
Tapping out and through Hornsby there was the usual back to work crowd, and hitting the bump south of Turra my $30 back light decided to spread itself all over the highway…a five minute interlude watching with curiosity to see if any driver was going to finish the job of flattening it…as the answer was no, I managed to retrieve the bits and pocket them, with Stealth’s assistance to block oncoming traffic…and thence a swift transfer to the launch point at Gordon.
A clutch of ERs already shivering in the chill waiting for the off…accreting a few more to bring it to a bakers dozen by the Barry O Clock..which steadfastly refused to arrive and launch us forth…a bell rang after a good 2 minute wait with still no Barry (doing a Christina )…and Schleck took the bull by the horns and attacked the
Hills of Death.
The Roll of Honour ??? Bullet (le), PD, BT, Stealth, Comet, Goose FM , Rexona, Schleck, Falsh, Chippolini, Jim, ¼, Crushant, bambam, all turning the pedal on the second best way today…( if I have missed anyone my apologies )
KOM was hotly contested…the lead being initially by Goose, nicely halted by a dear old gent who stopped at the bottom on the slope into Artarmon Park…overwhelmed at the wave of ER jerseys , flashing lights and shouts of Bike up, slowing ….STOPPING…as he froze like a rabbit in the headlights. The peloton washed past and suddenly it was ¼ in the lead, YHC on second wheel, Bambam and the assault team making their way to the front of the bunch while veering around walkers, riders, dogs, and debris…on the first slope it was ¼ , Bambam chewing on his rear wheel, nothing but clear air ahead, on slope two it looked like a Renshaw shoulder barge and head butt was needed to separate them, YHC could not call the winner yet, on slope three it looked like ¼ by a nose but a a photo needed to confirm. YHC was overtaken as usual by the bunch on slope 3..pretensions always well punished.
No contest for the Col de Crow’s nest, and a regroup to collect all for the scramble to the SHB…Traffic once again a reminder that not everyone enjoys their commute as much as we…Busses and 4X4s making a wide road seem narrow as we filtered through, and on to the SHB…
Chilled rapidly so B&T agenda put on hold, for the quickest coffee of the year, departure was 7:48.. no doubles or second rounds, but return tickets being touted for all the usual times.
Have a great one all…looking forward to the 5:15 already.
BT ( Jenny Craig )