

Today started earlier than usual, normally I'm up at 4.45am on Sunday to head out at 5.30am to meet the Sunday Bunchy.On this Sunday though I was up at 4.00am so I could watch the last hour of the Tour de France.
Feeling full of motivation after watching Cancellara crush everyone and despite the severe storm warning issued by the MET service I headed out in my trusty rain cape to meet Biggse and Matt Hinton for the 32km to the top of Albany hill and my normal Sunday date with the 7.00am Bunch.
To my suprize bith Biggse and Matt were at Pt Chev corner, they must have watched the TDF aswell and were raring to go.
Off up the bike path we headed into the gale force head wind and driving rain with not a complaint..'Game On'!
As started the climb of Albany hill and hour or so later I noticed Biggse had dropped back...ah...saving his legs...at least thats what I thought.
We arrived on time and waited untill Biggse and the bunch showed....ummmmmm only 9-10 people.
Thats when Biggse cracked... 'Bugger you guys...this sucks! I'm going home'... not taking much convincing I agreed so long as we could stop at Eurobake cafe on the way, and as I coach Matt I instantly changed his program so he could join us (which was just aswell...read on), I text Pammie aswell as I knew she was heading out at 7am and suggested she meet us at the cafe.
So we head back the way we have just ridden and just before Eurobake we hear 'So bacon and Eggs for Brekky'... big (or not so big nowadays) Stu Imrie (Stunami) had turned around aswell...now we were 4.. so 4 soggy cyclists trudged into Eurobake and had a cooked Brekky.
Pammie joined us 1 hour later and we headed off...back towards Kumeu Stu turned off and we carried on (feeling a bit guilty by now)...so into the hills we went....Pssssssssssssssssssssssst
Pammie flatted...no probs, I'll change it for her... tyre off,check for glass, new tube in, CO2 attached psssssssssssssssssssssssssst ...F#@&K her doofer for firing the CO2 malfuctions...no probs I'll get mine out of my seat bag... Tube,levers, spare $5 ...CO2...shit! no CO2 Doofer!
'Matt..can you inflate this?'.
So Matt inflats the tyre and off we go....2km later Psssssssssssssssssssssssssssst...Biggse flats!
'Matt...here just cahnge his tyre it's raining and we are all pissed off...and apart from that your the new guy and the only bike mechanic here'...
And so I've just thawed out in the bath whilst eating Chicken potatoe chips.(where else would you eat them?)
Now I've gotta do my TDF race report for http://www.cyclingnz.com/ make sure you check it out!
Gordy





So...a few photo's from the weekend for your veiw pleasure...each has a story.


