Tour de Vineyards

2012 has just rolled round so i thought I would start off with a quick report on Tour de Vineyards.

Apart from the weather I really enjoyed getting stuck into some hard full on racing for my 5th TdV.

Prologue > I went in hoping for a good ride but knew that with not much intensity or time in the TT saddle that I wouldn't be that amazing. So i was fairly pleased with 16th @ around 1min 

Stage 1

I am always amped for this stage, after having results in the years gone. I managed to follow a few moves and make a few moves early on. But eventually a group of 4 slipped clear. I knew that it could be dangerous so i went on the attack and split a chase group off. 

We made contact after a pretty brutal chase, thus making it a lead group of 9.

I was not sure wether to back my sprint because there were a few decent sprinters in the group. So on the last lap when Robin Reid hit out on the climb I followed with Paddy Bevin to make it 3. I had average positioning in the final run in and ended up 2nd well beaten in the sprint.

Stage 2

No really action for the big Queen Stage, a decent break went of 9 and the the Peloton didn't do anything until the gap was way to big. So the break had a 4min buffer heading into the Bottom of Takaka Hill!!

I just took it easy to save for stage3 (down 11mins)

Stage 3

Wet, really wet.

The race started with a hiss and a roar, with everyone having a dig off the front. And it was getting really annoying going with a lot of attacks and nothing staying away.

Eventually the bunch got tired and i slipped into a move to get across to the small lead group.

Once the 2 lead groups came together everyone got negative and were looking to save a bit of energy. And basically Paddy and Yates rolled off and know one could respond. I was happy to roll with the rest of the chase to try and get them back, but everyone knew that they wern't going to be caught.

So i rolled in with the chase group 40sec down on the lead 2.

Stage 4

Finally it seemed as though the rain was clearing. So it was going to make for a fast kind of kermesse circuit around the streets of Richmond. 28 Laps!! (@2.2km)

I was hoping to get in more breaks and have a crack at the stage, but I was feeling average. I got in a few good moves but hit the wall near the end and couldn't really keep following the attacks. 

'A Pure Black trio got away nearing the end and were nailing just off the front when tour leader Paddy Bevin showed his form and jumped across with in half a lap and no one from the bunch could follow that attack'

I was happy with finishing in the group and happy to get some good hard racing heading into, Nationals (Jan 8th) and NZ Cycle Classic (25th-29th).