BCMCA Aldergrove RR - 3rd (distant)

Tough race...

The Aldergrove course is short, about 9 laps of 6.6km. It is basically a box with a short but steep (250m at 9%). There are a couple of other shorter climbs, and 2km along an open area that usually has bad head winds, but today had a nice 20kph+ tail wind.. The finish is just before the climb, and the start at the top of it, so it was only done 8 times. Run with Australian Pursuit rules.

Larry Zimich and Chris Spires pushed the pace up in the 40-49 group. They caught us (50-59) in lap 5 (of 9), just after we caught up with the 60-69 group in lap 4.

Duane Martindale, Gerry Van Gantz, Bill Riley and I where able to grab on with that group as they went by just before the "climb". Unfortunately I got a little winded in the climb and lagged a bit in the next 2km and then in the next (small) climb got gapped. Very annoying as just after that, about 300m in front of me they proceeded to pull up a bit... I followed for about one lap at 300m... close enough to see them, but not close enough to catch them.

I caught up with Gerry Goodleff (60-64) on the climb and together we proceeded on... Eventually the 40-49 chase group caught up with us with (I think) 3 laps to go. We managed to stay with them to the end.

Duane got first in the 55-59, Gerry Van Gantz got first in the 50-54 (2nd overall), both staying with the 40-49 break-away group. Bill Riley got dropped and time-trialled to the end finishing just ahead of my group for 2nd in 50-54. Larry Zimich was first overall.

Which left me with a (distant) 3rd. The other 50-54 and 55-59 riders finished shortly after that.