Maybe not quite, but the crit track certainly offered it’s challenges last weekend
The track became somewhat like a video game, trying to remember down to the inch where your wheel should be to avoid the next obstacle especially if you were also trying to hold the wheel in front. Down the straight, head right through a miniature Saudi Arabia spread out all over the bitumen, hug the curve to avoid the bad repair on the second half of the corner, straighten up and eye the ever growing mound on the racing line at the start of the S bend. Clip the mound to stay off the gravel on either side of it, straighten again then plunge through the second half of the S while avoiding the lip of another failing repair, start climbing but dodge the big patches and crumbling road surface, then climb in the gully that has formed on the right hand side of the track and hope when you hand off to the rider behind you remember to tuck back in quickly to avoid the roller coaster of bad repairs at the start of the straight.
Visitor Aaron from Brisbane quickly found out how difficult this sequence was to master as his elbow gouged another hole in the track surface. Grumbles and mumbles of “I can’t race in this” echoed through the racing packs as riders gradually gave up their nerve in the face of the myriad obstacles.
A grade was won by the oblivious Cannibal John Scott-Hamilton, who seemed to thrive on the tricky surface. Iron Mick Hoult brought home second with Andrew “Swanny” Swan in third place.
B grade split at the 20 minute mark, with the faster riders Jack Parker and Rob H (and a confused Ice Cold Billy Mara) joining the back of the A grade bunch, leaving Chris Stace as the winner, Ray Philips and Dave Rubie having been dropped earlier as the combined effort to keep up and concentrate on the track took it’s toll.