Port Noarlunga Classic at The Range

Racing bikes atop the Willunga Hills on a warm and sunny afternoon was seen by many as a better option than drinking beer and watching the 2008 AFL Grand Final on Saturday 27th of September - despite the strong wind blowing from the North.

I tried something new. 3 hours before the race, I consumed 4 teaspoons of bicarbonate soda (baking soda), as I have read that it can act as a buffer for muscular lactic acid during intense efforts. It was a bit of a gamble, because there was a warning that some athletes suffer explosive diarrhoea about 60 minutes after consumption.

Ben and I drove to the event with our bikes on my car. Graham joined us as a spectator. They both shared my relief that I was spared from any explosions in the pants. Lunch at the Tin Shed Cafe in McLaren Vale on the way went down a treat.

The race was a handicap event. 3 laps of the 17km circuit at The Range.

I think Warwick, the handicapper, has more faith in my legs than they warrant. I had a 3 minute head start on the scratch group, while the limit markers had 16 minutes. 1 minute per lap is not much of a buffer on the somewhat hilly course at The Range.

My group started with 8 riders and none felt like organising the group. There was quite a bit of variation in workloads. A couple of guys never went to the front to take a turn. Three never missed a turn. I was one of a couple that hardly missed a turn.

I surprised myself by climbing the large hill at the end of the first lap with my group - I had been expecting to be dropped at this point by the strong riders that constituted my group. I was even on the front as we crossed the finish line.

Feeling good about my ability to stay with the group, I began to take more turns and push harder when on the front. Unfortunately, I had just rotated off the front, deservedly seeking a rest, when the combined scratch/block group bolted past us after just 1.2 laps. I was caught by surprise and did not have enough in the tank to accelerate to get on. I was one of only two riders that failed to latch on to the fast group.

30 seconds after accepting my fate, I put my head down and began to TT my way forward. The other guy that got dropped was 100m or so up the road and I soon caught him. He shared the work with me, but I was feeling quite strong, so I did the lion's share of the pulling. I was holding low 40's kph on the undulating section at the bottom of the course with a reasonably strong cross wind.

I passed Ben just as we were about to ascend the hill to the finish line for the second time - he had started in the group at 5 minutes, but seemed to have bonked. Again, I went up the hill feeling strong like bull. I could have done another lap, but decided to sit with Graham and watch the finale. Ben pottered home shortly after, stating that he may have actually over eaten!

Reuben Menaud-Young got past PACC's Chris Martin to win by a bike length.

I think I may continue to experiment with baking soda