Mailmans Track and the Skins Challenge

As I have mentioned the "Tour" and building for the tour a few times here, I better say this is our little local tour. As much as I would like to be at "Le Tour", this one is the Tour of the Scenic Rim, a three stage event in SE Queensland.

It feels like it is all coming together for it. My training has been going well, I haven't had any more injuries to add to my customary nigglings, the bike is almost set and fast and I will be racing with a bunch of great riders as team mates.

In times like this, I feel like jumping in a time machine and roving to race day. But the preparation hasn't ended yet.

Monday's rest day was followed by a short/high intensity ride. I did my usual Bunya Rd course with an extra little climb, Mailmans Track, to give the systems the nescessary intensity for the session.

Mailmans Track is a 2.3 km stretch of road in the middle of a bush rich area. One could imagine being hundreds of kilometers from the city (I always do!). It undulates for the first 1,500 m and then ramps up to an 11% gradient for the last 800 m. Enough to hurt the legs and get the HR over 80%.

Yesterday's ride was different, it was about getting hours on the saddle at low intensity, calling for a flat course. Good time to put the TT bars on and work on getting them right.

On the 3 h 45 min ride, I think I spent more than two hours on the bars. I am stunned how we can keep the HR down and a fairly high average speed like that. With all the traffic-light stops, bloody twenty of them, I averaged close to 30 km/h for the 112 km ride.

Today, another couple of hours of high intensity on the program. Coincidently, the folks at SKINS.UK have organised a fun TdF Challenge for the C400 Cycling gear trialists. It is a three race challenge, where participants spread around the globe will be doing their own thing and sending their results to SKINS.

The winner will be offered a two year contract to race... Just kidding!! It is all about fun (and hurt!) and trialling the C400 Cycle Gear.

The first one is a 15 km TT, on a flat course. Just what I need for today and in preparation for my next race. I will be heading to the Nundah Criterium Circuit for my etape, perhaps the only bit of flat terrain around here and away from traffic.

Whilst on the subjects of tours and challenges, a keen cyclist from the UK has started his own - the Tour de Velo. He is riding the whole TdF route solo, just two or three days ahead of the peloton. That's 3,640 something kilometers, a truly great challenge!

Keep up the good work, Quentin!!