Well the alarm went off at what felt like midnight, not a sign of Dawn anywhere, not even the quarry trucks to be seen or heard. YHC rolled forth into come what may..lights flashing, annoying no one but the kookaburras warming their feet on the high voltage power lines along Old Northern Rd.
Left turn into Dural, why ? because it’s there.. Galston, a scar in the landscape, a gash with a grin…chooks about the only company , and definitely the second best way to start the day. Chilly to start with but nothing like the bite of only a couple of weeks ago, it was a pleasure to be out and into it within about 20 minutes of riding. Tapping out into Hornsby Heights it was a toss up between the shorter direct route or a second bite of the Bobbo Gorge…the gorge won on a technicality. ( Strava , ego, the age since I last did the double, ) But now I would have to pedal a bit harder to make Gordon by the appointed hour. Managed to just hit the Gordon Wall at 6:43…and into cardiac arrest for an on time departure with the waiting crowds…
Did not count the crowds, but ball park was around 15 to 20…all the cracks had gathered for the fray. Hypoxia and aging memory prevents YHC from naming them, living like a goldfish it was heartening just to say, “oh look there goes the ER peloton….” ( Amongst our weapons ..VD, DT, Bullet, Comet, Andy Schleck McD, Chief, Simba, Clive, Phantom, B1, B2, Andy, Lunchie, WBA, ¼, Virgin, YHC, ….er er..it’s getting difficult now…amnesia, flea like concentration…gone )
A very gentlemanly pace ( or was it just YHC starting up front and slowly making a bee line for the rear of the peloton, ) almost instantly DT managed to blow out a tyre which chopped some off the back for the duration. A roll through the Archer St shredder and onto Tindale without a regroup put the main bunch into an unassailable lead..
KOM I will call ¼ as the man most likely, I saw Schleck and Phantom kicking to the front, but I tucked in behind Lunchie for a tow up the Scaramanga..and ¼ was looking like a man on a mission.
The climb up to the top of Crow’s Nest, punctuated by an amusing dog, chasing a cyclist on the pavement..goes to show you are better off on the road..
North Sydney seemed to flash by, and Schleck saw green and pleasant lands where we saw red and hello officer …yes we know what an amber light means..hence the sprint to and arrival at B&T was delayed by a couple of turns of the lights. Virgin kicking up a bit to attack Bullets Lavender St KOM.
Once at B&T, 25 to 30 coffees arrived with style and panache, Pocahontas has returned for a stint on point at the B&T.
YHC will be crawling at snails pace home, departure in the region of 5pm, the 5:15 should be able to pass with ease, and even the 6pm may make the catch if they are going past Fox Valley..
Have a great day all
BT