01 March 2009

The Magnificent 7 ...



Up before dawn again for the Coast to Coast with expectations high of a fast ride and even higher for the possibility of a ghost sighting. All good for a dawn meeting in Mosely Square with first time introductions all round - Trippo, Doc, G'lover ... with 2 week old Oliver at home and he's still on the bike, what Team spirit, Depot, Kidd, Jim - is he "Chief" ... Skipper's call, and the Gunner ... what is in that backpack. Team survive another BikeSA drone before the roll out begins up Anzac and Cross Rd toward the base of the Eagle. Carbon-bling litters the road but Team-S stay focussed on the task at hand - The Eagle - that which separates those riding the COAST-to-Coast from those riding the HILL-to-Coast :) The Eagle is conquered without fuss ... many wheels make light work ... and so the fun begins. Gunner approaches the Crafers bollards with feverish excitement ... could The Ghost be seen. Alas no Ghost ... but it gives Gunner something to talk about for the next 100k ... or MORE. Tight formation with "no man left behind" are a trademark of the "Golden train" and today is no different as the team snakes it's way through the peloton at 40+km/h toward the first stop in Meadows. Gunner continues to convince newby-Chief that the Ghost is a fable as the team rolls onward. Depot proves the pre-ride form pick right - he's a hard man on flats ... but give him an incline ... hmmm. Doc, Trippo and G'lover happily set the pace and find the spaces through the back ends of the 100s that now litter the road. Kidd is weighed down by the mantle of "road captain for the day" and just tries to keep the team together and make the Skipper proud. Willunga brings welcome food for all, especially Trippo who stops for table service while the Team sit waiting on the road. Pages Flat Rd lives up to expectation ... we love any road with "flat" in the title ... however Kidd spends much of the run defending any slight rise from Doc's grumbling that "this isn't flat". The fun finally ends as the road begins to steepen over the final closing kms. Cramps finally shut the Gunner up and Kidd and Doc decide to race up a short steep hill - Doc wins - Kidd missed a gear - shattered. Into Victor, Kidd pleading with the group to stay tight in case the Skipper should see us en route. Lunch and laughs on the lawns with the 100s and 25s - Gunner still yelling "hey ghost" at any Baulderstone jersey that should pass. A great ride for the 120s. Chief makes the grade ... he only has one jersey ... fleece required? G'lover shows off the youngest associate member and all vow to ride again ...

Team photos to come from Trippo & G'lover (en route!)

Kidds numbers:

117km @ 26.8km/h (4.20 in the saddle)

The is Cabana Kidd signing out.

2 comments:

skipper said...

rad by a million +

Junior said...

I'm sorry i missed that ride - sounds like it was a good one!