2022 Year in Review

2022, what a year it has been.  Track, Criteriums, Individual and Team Time Trials, graded scratch races, Handicaps and multi-stage tours, I did them all.  Originally 2020 was the year I was going to have a crack at doing a few more events, but covid took care of that and 2021.  Between January to June I completed in 14 races as events started back up and then from July to December 21 races.

Back in August 2021 I started putting together a list of cycling goals which I added to overtime, so I am going to work off that list to provide some perspective on how my cycling has progressed in the past 16 months.

Date        

Goal/Comment

Result

Achieved

25-08-21

Avg 35km/h at Amy Gillet 

After a 33.5km/h on the shorter 119km course in 2018, I thought I was a chance to stay with the stronger riders. This year I stayed with the stronger riders and averaged 33.7km/h on a course 10km longer and 100m more climbing.

 33.7km/h

 

25-08-21

Amy Gillet Gran Fondo, Top 20 in Age Group

I have to rate this as one of my best days on the bike in 2022, riding with a quality field of Masters 6 riders in the 55-59 age group.  Competing against former state champions such as former Monash Blue team mate Mick Hay.  A couple of times I came close to being dropped, but I dug deep and finished with a bunch of riders covering 4th to 11th place.

7th

11-09-22

25-08-21

Win a D Grade road race

If ever there was a race I wanted to win, it was Hell of the West, a 100km rolling road race with 800m of climbing. I'd placed third on my two previous attempts.  I was so keen that I took three mates out five weeks before to ride the course to make sure my semi compact gearing could get me up Mt Wallace pitching at 25% and averaging 13% for a kilometre.  In the end it wasn't necessary as the course was altered because of road works to be 4x25km loops.  I snuck off the front with 55km to go only to be caught by new rider Ged Shearer with 15km to go.  We worked together to the final corner to see off any opposition and it came down to a sprint which I won by 3 hundredths of a second.  Ged's been promoted and I'll be dining out on that victory for a while.

Next year's goal: Earn a promotion to C grade or be consistently placing in D grade with Northern Combine or B grade with Northern.

 1st

25-06-22

25-08-21

Beat 9hrs at 3 Peaks

Nothing to see here as I didn't go back to Falls Creek for this one.  I did train with my mate Luke Middleton who finished in 8:14:57 at his first attempt.  It was incredibly satisfying to mentor Luke through his preparation and see him execute his event plan to perfection.

 

 

25-08-21

Improve FTP by 1% at next test

Yes, Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is just a number and Watts per kilo is a better metric, but improving by 1% as I approached 54 was significant as I managed to produce 4.25 watts per kg.

310

31/08/21

25/08/21

Do a 3 day hike with Paula

Ok, this is not a cycling goal, but a personal one.  Better than a 3 day hike, Paula and I managed to walk Tasmania's famous Overland track on a 6 day, 5 night hike with 12 others and 2 guides.  It was truly amazing to get off the grid for the best part of a week.

 

Feb-22

27/08/21

PR on Mt Pleasant

This is a bench mark ride for local riders.  I didn't get around to it, so I'll roll it forward to 2023.

Next year's goal: PR MtP

 

 

27/08/21

Do 1:20

This is a famous 6.75km climb from The Basin in the foothills of the Dandenongs.  I rode it twice with my mate Roger Venning on Saturday morning testing my road bike against my time trial bike.

 

27-08-22

27/08/21

PR Kinglake

The St Andrews to King Lake segment 7.3km at 4.8% is another benchmark climb on the outskirts of Melbourne.  I rode it a few times with the Peak Cycles guys and managed a 20:20, but a sub 20min time still eludes me.  One for 2023

Next year''s goal: sub 20min

 

 

27/08/21

Giro Della Donna

While I did not do the event, I rode the course a couple of weeks before hand with Luke Middleton.  It was amazing. 

 

01/04/22

27/08/21

BN Warburton: Marysville: Lake Mountain: Black Spur: Donna Buang

Whilst I did not ride this repeat of a ride I did back in 2019 as part of my preparation for 3 Peaks, the Giro Della Donna was a worthy replacement.

 

 

27/08/21

If not racing ride, do a long slow ride once a month and add 30-60m each month

The aim of this was to connect with friends who do not race and love to mountain bike.  Unfortunately I did not get to do enough of these days.

Next year's goal: get out on the mountain bike at least monthly with Mauricio and Andrew.

 

 

31/08/21

Improve FTP by 1% at next test

I have not been able to progress beyond 310 watts and I'm currently back to 299.  Not a big deal.  As I get older, this challenge is going to get harder.  I will be very happy if I can maintain my current level of power and won't be beating myself up for not improving my FTP.

 

 

02/09/21

Improve FTP by .1 w/kg to 4.25

This was achieved by shaving off a kilogram, but it's all relative

310/73kg

01/12/21

08/09/21

Ride with Paula at least once a week

My wife is just not into road cycling and finds it boring.  Next step will be to buy her a gravel bike or fit her road bike with bigger tyres.

Next year's goal: Make a gravel ride happen

 

 

15/10/21

Finish in the first half of B grade in Zwift race

Late in lockdown I entered AusCycling's 6 race Zwift series and 3 stage tour.  After what could only be described as a baptism of fire, mainly in my legs and lungs, I was able to stay with the bunch.  I went on to win the 3 stage race after my team mate from Brunswick CC had technical issues on the last stage.  Still a win is a win.

 1st

21/10/21

21/10/21

Complete a 3 day stage race (top 3rd)

Buoyed by my success in the Zwift stage race, I entered the Masters C category of the Tour of Mansfield and borrowed a time trial bike.  With about 43 starting, I snuck into the top third and learnt a lot about pacing oneself over 3 events in 2 days.

Next year's goal: Finish top 10 of Masters C or 6 depending on the event

14th Mansfield

20/03/22

 21/10/21

Place in a Handicap

I wrote about the Kingston event in an earlier blog.  It was a very satisfying day to stay away from the scratch riders.  I've since ridden a few handicaps this year and honed the skill of saving some to hold on when being caught.  

Next year's goal: Win a handicap.

3rd John Collier Handicap, Kingston

27/11/21

26/04/22

Finish in top half of C Grade TT

Managed 12/43 at the Tour of Mansfield.  One of my best efforts on the TT bike for the year.

Next year''s goal: Top 10 and/or 25%

 ToM ITT

 19/03/22

05-09-22

Finish top 25% of age group at PM IM

I have signed myself up for this event on Sunday 6th May 2023 and set myself a goal of being competitive in my age group, as I was when I regularly competed back in my late 20s and early 30s.  More to come on the big goal of 2023.

 

 

20/09/22

Place in a Criterium

I've raced a few crits over the past year, mainly on the flat circuit of National Boulevard with Northern Cycling.  On the rare days they race on the Kew Tear Drop course, I managed a 3rd in B grade after falling short in 6th a couple of weeks before after a bungled finish.

Next year''s goal: Win a crit

Tear Drop Crit Northern B Grade

13/11/22

Other achievements. I won a few club based honours on the road and track in smallish fields with the Brunswick Cycling Club.  I really enjoy the club events, where I am racing regularly with men, women and juniors whom I have gotten to know over the past few years.  There's a great friendly rivalry amongst us all.  The team I was in won the 150+ Team's category at the Nationals Gran Fondo in January, which we will defend this month.  I competed in the 150+ Team Time Trial at Ballarat where we improved our time on the two previous efforts and I'm confident that we can do the same this year.

Yes it's nice to win occasionally, but the satisfaction comes through having a life long love of cycling as a pasttime and having a core group of friends and colleagues who share that passion.  My regular riding bunch the Northside Cluster had a couple of weekends away, one in Bright where we climbed Mt Buffalo, Tawonga Gap, Falls Creek and Mt Hotham in 3 days and the other to Lorne for the Amy Gillet Gran Fondo.  By taking the lessons learned and putting them into practice is very satisfying.  I will also add to this the importance of the element of fun and play in all of this.  The thrill I recall of riding a bike as a six year old is still there and I plan keep going for many more years.


I'm really pleased with my goals, first for setting them and then for achieving many of them.  If I was to change anything, it would be the priority of the goals, because some of them were not achieved because I concentrated on larger goals.  For example the PRs on some key Strava segments which did not fit into the training block or event schedule.


That's enough from me.  What are your goals for 2023?  

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