soleDevotion cycling

Post Odyssey Recovery Ride

2012-02-21T10:31:00.000+11:00

& whale watching after a visit to Wye River General Store!

Hard Man of the Pelo

2012-02-14T16:12:00.001+11:00

Best regards,
Jarrad Lory-Smith
Invert Building iPhone

SKINSUIT SUNDAY

2012-02-03T16:34:00.000+11:00

Skinsuit Sunday is on this week with our latest inclusion - Lee "Hollywood" Turner.

Hayden injured at wildside

2012-02-02T17:36:00.001+11:00

What Hayden meant to do…

What Hayden actually did…

Amazing.

2012-01-27T13:12:00.001+11:00

Australia Day

2012-01-26T14:43:00.001+11:00

Best regards,
Jarrad Lory-Smith
Invert Building iPhone

Kinglake the WRONG WAY

2012-01-25T10:51:00.000+11:00

Find of the summer

2012-01-24T11:22:00.001+11:00

Get on to this. Thank me later.

We think Tim should cut his hair in this style.....what say ye?

2012-01-24T11:21:00.001+11:00

Adelaide training

2012-01-16T21:12:00.001+11:00

Best regards,
Jarrad Lory-Smith
Invert Building iPhone

Adelaide ride 1

2012-01-15T17:26:00.000+11:00

National Champs TT

2012-01-11T23:03:00.001+11:00

Congratulations is due to Nick on his brilliant effort and top result of 14th at the Australian TT championships competing against the best in the country and the globe. Well done mate. Enjoy the week off!!

CHRISTMAS DRINKS

2011-12-21T11:13:00.001+11:00

sD secret weapon

2011-12-20T09:05:00.000+11:00

The secret is out. Our new training partner has been released!

> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6uNTpYtacw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Best regards,
Jarrad Lory-Smith

Invert Building iPad

MUM, THE BOGEY MAN IS CHASING ME

2011-12-19T10:26:00.001+11:00

IT'S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

2011-12-18T19:36:00.000+11:00

Does anyone know the significance of these numbers.

English snaps second place at Sandown

2011-12-14T11:03:00.000+11:00

from the CCCC website:

"The bunch sprint was well won by Shaun O’Callaghan (BikeNOW) with an impressive acceleration 100 metres from the line that saw him finish a couple of lengths clear of Peter English (Sole Devotion), who just got over Kyle Thompson (Crino Cycles) with Chris Garrard and Lachlan Davidson (Giant) rounding out the podium.

Adele would be a TERRIBLE cyclist

2011-12-10T15:45:00.001+11:00

Start Ramp Mishap Costs McGrath GC

2011-12-08T12:15:00.000+11:00

An incident on the start ramp has most assuredly cost Sole Devotion rider Tim McGrath dearly in his GC aspirations at Tour of Bright. Our backroom boffins have run the numbers, and as you can see nearly 12 minutes were lost when he was momentarily undecided as to which option to take as he hovered in the starting house. As it happens, he chose to launch down the ramp itself whereas if he'd stuck with the original option of bypassing the ramp with a neat bunnyhop the stage and overall victory would certainly be his!

GURG'S HOMECOMING

2011-12-08T10:48:00.001+11:00

This is a picture taken from Gurg's homecoming after a successful Tour of Bright and M2W.

Fans lined the streets to get a glimpse of their cycling hero.

The ticket tape parade started at Racer and went in and around the City and finished up out the front of sponsors Sole Devotion store where Gurg's addressed the fans.

Gurg's a man of few words said to the fans "I'm creeeping" before leaving the stage through a back exit.

Tour of Bright

2011-12-07T12:21:00.000+11:00

Here are some pic's to follow up on the great work by the boys who raced TOB.....

TOB WRAP

2011-12-06T11:18:00.001+11:00

Well done to Mark "Peacock" Guirguis our best placed rider at the TOB.

Despite "creeping" Mark rode a tactically sound race and showed why Cadel trains where he does. To achieve a top 20 result in A Grade is FANTASTIC. His new name is Mark Shleck due to his climbing and TT abilities / disabilities.

Special mention to Mad Dog for a splendid 5th in the TT and Top 13 result in Masters 4/5 and Benzo for a 7th in the A Grade TT.

Shout out to Peter English and Willie CCCC-Rasin-Shaw for thier loyal and excellent support.

Next year is going to big, Gurgs is going to win the Nationals and Mal has already verbally committed to both the Warny and TOB where he plans to SMASH Mad-Dog.

Watch this space..................................

Tim?

2011-12-05T23:29:00.000+11:00

GOOD LUCK - TOUR OF BRIGHT

2011-12-01T12:25:00.001+11:00

This weekend 5 of the Sole Devotion team head off to race in this years edition of the Tour of Bright.

Tim "Mad Dog" McGrath, Nick "Benzo" Bensley, Mark "The Egyptian Prince" Guirguis, Peter "Pistol" English and WIllie Rasin-Shaw will all be racing A Grade with the exception of Tim who will be racing the just as tough Masters 4-5.

Gurgs is in the form of his life after his super impressive M2W but will last weeks 6 summits take its toll? Gurgs has turned into a watts junkie but his form as benefited from this. .

Mad Dog not unlike Gurgs too is in the form of his life. After losing to Mal by 12 seconds 3 years ago then putting 24 minutes into Mal last year, Mad Dog has done everything right to ensure he puts himself in the best possible position he can be. He will be up against a very strong Celtic team but Mad Dog has an edge - Mad Dog feels no pain and goes where no man dares go. He is 100% fuelled by vegetables and is in much better shape since he dumped his old training partner Hollywood.

Nick is a dark horse that has the potential to do anything and has the best base possible and backed with his talent can really do some damage in Bright. He just needs to believe in himself and the results will follow. He can go into the race confident he has done his "homework".

Willie Rasin-Shaw hasn't eaten for 4 weeks an looks like he is about to die of Aids. This is the perfect look as this means Willie is lean and in good shape to tackle the mountains ahead. He has rid himself of Beach Road and this will surely be an advantage over the weekend.

This leaves our naturally most gifted rider who lost 3 months of form in an "incident" in a hotel room on a bucks night. No one knows what the Pistol will produce.

Good luck men, the team will be with you in spirit.

True.

2011-11-25T22:38:00.001+11:00

PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD & HIS BIKES

2011-11-24T12:12:00.000+11:00

Photographic journey / history of Hollywood and his bikes.

The lengths we go to justify eating ice cream...

2011-11-23T17:25:00.001+11:00

SKCC Crits

2011-11-21T12:34:00.001+11:00

It was a great day at the SKCC crits yesterday with Willie Rasin-Shaw getting into the break and doing a fantastic job.

Unfortunately when Willie popped sD was left with no one in the break and with the break out to almost a minute it wasn't long before the main bunch got lapped and pulled from the race.

Well done to Willie, Mal, Stu, Gurgs and Pete in his first race back.

A win will not be far away if we can all work together to our strengths.

Late lunch

2011-11-20T16:21:00.000+11:00

JLS endorses wraps made in the car with alfalfa, KFC chips and a KFC
zinger fillet. Apparently all the models eat it.

Glorious, expansive views from the top of Mt Buffalo

2011-11-20T13:28:00.000+11:00

Special barracuda technology in these knicks

2011-11-19T20:25:00.000+11:00

The technology in this barracuda..

2011-11-19T20:02:00.000+11:00

Day 2 bright done!

2011-11-19T14:32:00.000+11:00

Best regards,
Jarrad Lory-Smith
Invert Building iPhone

1st day of Team training camp Bright

2011-11-18T21:20:00.000+11:00

Best regards,
Jarrad Lory-Smith
Invert Building iPhone

Today

2011-11-16T16:06:00.001+11:00

F&$k the concept of winning - forget about intervals, di2, looking pro or watts.

Mornings like this remind us why we ride - it is an antidote to the
undesirable contemporary elements of the human condition; the ultimate
instrument of catharsis.

That said - I adore victory, new kit and staring at my power meter.

The legendary El Pedro

2011-11-12T19:06:00.000+11:00

2011-11-12T10:49:00.000+11:00

The big hitter

2011-11-12T10:36:00.001+11:00

Best regards,
Jarrad Lory-Smith
Invert Building iPhone

THE TEAPOT AT ARTHURS

2011-11-12T09:23:00.001+11:00

Where are you MM?

Coffee Run

2011-11-11T14:46:00.000+11:00

Today's coffee run brought to you by Supreme beans fresh from Batch!

THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER

2011-11-10T05:38:00.001+11:00

First Ride Campagnolo EPS Electronic (from Peleton magazine)

PELOTON

Yesterday was theoretical… today we got empirical. After learning the history of the project and then the tech behind Campagnolo's new electronic groups last night, we loaded up and transferred to the base of Mount Etna for 2 hours on first run production Super Record EPS equipped Pinarello Dogmas.

These are only first ride impressions, over unfamiliar roads, some of which were covered while cross-eyed and trying to stick to Movistar rider, Francisco Ventoso's wheel. A true review will follow as we get multiple rides on an EPS equipped bike on roads we know.

My first concern was the Campy mystique, the Campy 'feel'. For all the claims of technology, stiffness and weight, I believe most riders choose Campy because of the brand's history and the 'feel' they create at the lever. While their mechanical clicks may feel a little less defined than the other brands, no other components put the chain and the derailleur as close to your finger tips as Campy. Those new black on black carbon aesthetics don't hurt either. If this 'feel' was lost, well, in my mind all the electronic magic in the world would be wasted.

The 'feel' is not lost. The Italians have some how managed to make the EPS levers feel Campy to the core. Retaining the ErgoPower layout helps, but the amount of effort it takes to engage the shift is just right. Enough feedback to know you are interfacing with your bike and its hardware at the rear end. Campy did not just get this right, they got it perfect. Levers that feel 100% Campy, yet drive electronics.

The push and hold feature that lets you drive the chain across the cassettes, up or down, in one motion is another standout feature and something the 3 up and 5 down mechanical Campy can't match, not to mention any other drivetrain on the market. While the reported 1.5 seconds to travel the entire cassette was not put to the stopwatch, it sounds accurate. Other than playing with it, just because we could, I found myself utilizing the feature over the rolling terrain on multiple occasions. While never needing to travel from my 28 to my 11 in one fell swoop, I was frequently crossing 4 or 5 cogs. Knowing how many cogs you travel as you hold the lever down is pretty irrelevant. When your cadence feels better, let go of the lever and the derailleur stops instantly.

Front shifting, with the extra torque the motor delivers, is possible while standing on the pedals, something no mechanical system delivers. In fact, it feels smoother the more power you lay down. It was not however, very fast. Hit the lever to shift, especially into the big ring, and there can be a slight delay (half a second) before the cage swings over and shifts the chain. We would attribute this to the front derailleur waiting until the chain ring ramps are in the optimal position. It makes the front shift very smooth, but not instantaneous.

As for the speed of the rear shifts, we would estimate it may be slightly slower than Di2, from cog to cog, while faster across multiple cogs. There is also a bit more chain noise as shifts engage than Di2 creates.

After about an hour of riding, during which time I must have initiated a weeks worth of shifts, I was a bit disappointed the system was working so flawlessly. I wanted a chance to play with the hood mounted mode buttons. These are two buttons inboard of the thumb levers that are used to set the system up, as well as fine tune the system while riding. I didn't let a perfectly tuned drive train stop me, I hit the right mode button for 6 seconds, the interface flashed purple, and I was in adjust mode. Each lever then acts like a barrel adjuster, changing the derailleur position in tiny increments. Another push of the mode button, and you are back to normal shift mode. All of this is achievable while riding in a tight pack at full speed because your hands never have to leave the levers. Perfect for a mid-criterium wheel change.

In short, the system works and it works very well. It brings some real differentiation to the electronic market, and beyond that, can be truly said to offer performance you simply can't get with Campy's mechanical counterparts, or any other system, mechanical or electronic. But most importantly, this product is pure Campagnolo, from the feel at the levers, to the carbon, titanium and ceramic lavished on the product.

Stay tuned for more in depth tech and a full review soon.

JLS Circa 1996

2011-11-09T10:08:00.000+11:00

Finding all sorts of things

Pic's from 1947

2011-11-08T09:15:00.000+11:00

I had to do some repairs in my parents roof and found these drawings My grandfather drew in 1947. It's resemblance of Tim McGrath is very Spooky. He did think of himself as a profit!!

Mad Dog Dominates

2011-11-05T17:14:00.001+11:00

Tim "Mad Dog" McGrath was at it again at the big Mountain Race in the middle of somewhere.

After pulling turns for 30kms last week at the Warny Tim backed it up with a stunning 2nd place today at the Stratford to Dargo in his respected category.

Mad Dog is UNSTOPPABLE!!

You're dangerous ICE!

2011-11-05T05:29:00.001+11:00

G L A M O U R T R O N
>

SKCC CRITS

2011-10-24T11:05:00.001+11:00

It was a great day of racing yesterday that saw the return of Malchi "Teapot" Moxon as well as regulars, Mad Dog Tim Mc Grath, Hayden "Sram" Kerr, Lee "Hollywood" Turner, Willie "Lone Wolf" Rasin-Shaw & Mark "The Egyptian Prince" Guirguis all racing. With Number one rider Nick Bensley on marshaling duties & not wanted to race as he prepares to meet the Queen.

Gurgs was in the break most of the day and rode amazing considering he only had a couple of hours sleep, the whole team rode well with the old war veterans Moxon and

McGrath testing the legs off the front.

Some of the boys will now turn their attention to the Melbourne to Warnambool Race this Saturday.

A selection of Tim's style role models

2011-10-21T19:25:00.001+11:00

Tim cross training

2011-10-19T15:07:00.000+11:00

"mad dog mowing"

Cruising

2011-10-17T20:10:00.000+11:00

Best regards,
Jarrad Lory-Smith
Invert Building iPhone

IS THERE A COOLER CAT THAN MAD DOG?

2011-10-17T12:13:00.001+11:00

How cool is Mad Dog Tim McGrath?

The guy just has style smeared all over him.

Don't be fooled by his nice guy demeanor, the guys an animal and I'm backing him to win the Warny.

(Thanks to Andy from Fyxomatosis for the cool shot)

New rain coats

2011-10-17T09:52:00.000+11:00

After riding the Hell Ride, tour de burbs then to Arthurs Seat big boy Lee Turner braved the elements to watch the Queens stage of the Jayco Hearld Sun Tour at the Rapha/Ibiza corner testing a new type of rain coat.

TIM MCGRATH & HIS FIRST ROAD BIKE

2011-10-13T14:04:00.001+11:00

This unique picture was taken in 1938 and shows a young handsome Tim McGrath with his first road bike.

Even back then Tim was styling it with a designer scarf and bullet belt.

Please Note: soleDevotion does not condone Tim smoking a cigarette even if it was 73 years ago.

Tim circa 1970

2011-10-13T07:07:00.000+11:00

SKCC Crit 2nd October

2011-10-06T09:49:00.000+11:00

It was a great day of racing by the sD boys last weekend. Here are a few pic's captured on the day.

JLS looks like he's hurting in his first race in 6 months

Guirgs leading an A class field of Matt Lloyd and Cummings

Will looking smooth in his skinsuit!

AVLOK2643

sD boys rolling togther

Carson showing some leg art

Guirgs, Lee and Stu popping in for a look

One word "Hollywood"

Lee gets friendly with the locals @ Little Ox

2011-10-02T22:01:00.001+11:00

Kindred (yellow) spirits

Come cheer for sD cycling team

2011-09-29T12:20:00.000+10:00

See you all on Sunday to cheer us on for the first of the StKilda Cycling Club Criterium season.There will be coffee!!! Start finish White St Port Melbourne

SKINSUIT SUNDAY IT IS

2011-09-29T09:40:00.000+10:00

Time to start training for Sunday SKCC Crit number 1

2011-09-29T09:01:00.001+10:00

OVER A YEAR LATER & ITS STILL NOT RIGHT

2011-09-22T14:47:00.001+10:00

Its been over a year since I broke my collarbone. As you can see by the results of the MRI that I got yesterday the problems not fixed.

The good news is at least I've got an excuse when I get dropped.

Hollywood.

OVER A YEAR LATER & ITS STILL NOT RIGHT

2011-09-22T14:44:00.001+10:00

Its been over a year since I broke my collarbone. As you can see by the results of the MRI that I got yesterday the problems not fixed.

The good news is at least I've got an excuse when I get dropped.

Hollywood.

Phil Anderson

2011-09-19T10:09:00.000+10:00

A friend had a pair of the original Oakley M frame glasses from back in the day.

Apparently Oakley are going to bring them back.

Get ready for the sunshine

2011-08-30T18:20:00.000+10:00

Don't Call it a Comeback!

2011-08-15T09:57:00.001+10:00

but 12 months after smashing his collarbone to bits here's Big Lee Turner smashing the A Grade bunch in the sprint for 3rd place at the SKCC Trophy, good to have ya back mate! The winning move came from Wade Wallace from O2 Networks, with a breakaway 15km from the end of the 90km race. A great day of racing & many thanks to SKCC, Northern Combine & all the volunteers who got out there early in very chilly conditions to organise this event.

sD Cycling Lounge Suits

2011-08-12T20:00:00.001+10:00

Keep the ideas coming in for the sD lounge suits.

Best regards,

Jarrad Lory-Smith

Indo Training Bike

2011-08-09T20:12:00.000+10:00

Look no further. I managed to secure a training bike for Bali.

Breakfast of champions!!

2011-08-09T15:23:00.000+10:00

Best regards,
Jarrad Lory-Smith
Invert Building iPhone

Breakfast of champions!!

2011-08-09T15:19:00.001+10:00

Lysterfield CrossMelburn

2011-08-02T18:31:00.000+10:00

Fun indeed

Love it!

2011-08-02T14:03:00.000+10:00

Champion!!!!

Heyyych!!!

2011-07-19T14:39:00.000+10:00

he knows how to hurt!
video of the day by Kathryn Feldmaier here:

HOLYWOOD

2011-07-17T17:44:00.001+10:00

Lee makes an appearance in today's Hearld Sun.

150kg of Pure Horsepower

2011-07-16T16:40:00.000+10:00

Dirty Deeds CX round two is only 24hrs away but the true professional sportsman knows that pursuit of perfection can never be left too late. Mr CX Lee "Hollywood" Turner adds the final touches to his scintillating cyclocross form with a manoeuvre that Tommy Hafey taught him back in his footy days

Could this be the greatest ever moment of the Tour?

2011-07-12T17:53:00.001+10:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x36pwxmHw0A&feature=player_embedded

Learning from the CX master

2011-07-06T10:30:00.000+10:00

Local cyclocross legend Lee Turner is not one to rest on his laurels or let them grow under his feet either. Round 2 of the Dirty Deeds CX series is fast approaching and the word on the street is that the past master might not be quite up to pace, especially coming in halfway through the series. I asked him about the rumours

"No freaking way" says Turner "I captained Edithvale-Aspendale football club to a premiership win do you think I'm going to let what some young punks are saying get under my skin? Bah!"

invert building

2011-06-22T11:37:00.000+10:00

As a sponsor of sD Cycling Team and a supporter of cycling, Invert Building tries to employ cyclists where possible. You may recognize sD rider Carson "The Kid" Tully, Dylon "Booney" Boone and Dean "Hard Man" Johnston. It just prooves that not all cyclists have no uper bodey strength!

Dirty Deeds CX round one

2011-06-22T11:00:00.001+10:00

click here

Turner hits the cyclocross season running

2011-06-22T09:28:00.000+10:00

confident that, despite missing the first rounds of racing, he has the chops to smash the pretenders.

"They said I was too light for footy, too heavy for the alps but this is my domain" The smooth stylist was spotted out in the fields early this morning fine tuning the skills with the help of a team mate.

The wizard is down...

2011-06-22T09:13:00.001+10:00

Attack Attack !!

Falling brings much discredit to the Party

2011-06-22T09:03:00.001+10:00

Just as we did with Malachi, we renounce the anti-revolutionary Wizard and expunge him from the official history of the sD Great Leap Forward.

Damnatio memoriae

2011-06-20T14:02:00.001+10:00

We hereby renounce Malachi as the way, the truth and the life - this photo proves he has brought great discredit on the sD Great Leap Forward.

HE is the way, the truth and the life.

2011-06-20T12:43:00.000+10:00

LOOK at the details.

FRESH white bar tape.

PRISTINE matching Embrocation skinsuit and socks.

UNSULLIED white Sidis.

CONSIDER the style of the man.

sD at Dirty Deeds CX

2011-06-19T21:27:00.001+10:00

Some pics from today's spin

2011-06-15T18:24:00.001+10:00

Hollywood doing what he does best.

3 Day Tour - Final Day

2011-06-14T22:20:00.000+10:00

A few haggard lads turned up Monday to the final day and decisive stage of the Northern Combine Three Day Tour. Three casual loops, one hard loop and one insane loop of the Pastoria circuit for Will, Nick, Tim & Pete were in store; and what better way to do it than in beaming sunshine and 40kph winds.

After a second place yesterday by Pete, the stage win was still eluding the team. We set off after El Presidente (Will) and Pete almost missed the start. It was fairly evident that not much would get away on this course on this day, although Kosmos Samaras had a go (as usual) and Will was reeled in by Team LSD after an audacious solo break (NASA still investigating the solid matter that Will has been coughing up, initial reports suggest some signs of life). Tom Donald (Search2Retain) - who is just a general mad snake and bears a stunning resemblance to Stuey O'Grady both on and off the bike- has a rule of thumb that the easier the start of a race, the harder the finish. This rang true again with a huge push up the 1200m climb on the fourth lap. This fragmented things so much that only a selection of around 8 made it over the climb all together, and a concerted effort by the ten or so that followed were able to bridge – after which point only around 20 riders remained for the rest of the race.

The final lap was relatively sedate until Nathan Elliot (Search2Retain, Mad Snake's protected team mate & eventual yellow jersey winner) and Connor Murtagh decided to treat everyone to a little display of power. I genuinely thought they may have miss-timed their effort at that point; as they were caught at the bottom of the climb which led to the finish. To their collective credit, they both were able to summon enough ponies to be where it mattered at the end. The final 500m of the climb absolutely shattered the group. With Pete, Nick, Connor and Nathan coming over the top first, closely followed by Gabrielle Carey (LSD) and Shane Miller (Kosdown), no more contenders were within sight and the final group began the fight for the finish. Bensley jumped first and with his noted time-trial abilities, was quickly chased down. Pete jumped onto the front and within 500m of the line, Nick went again, gaining ten meters and only just holding on for the win, closely followed by Nathan Elliot and Shane Miller by the slimmest of margins. A classy and well-deserved win.

Tour Wrap-Up:

2nd – Stage 3 (Peter English)

1st – Stage 4 (Nick Bensley)

4th – General Classification (Nick Bensley)

The 3 Day Tour this year really was a whole lot of fun and whilst results are important, the enjoyment that we derive from doing events like this far surpasses the impetus to achieve results. We had a great weekend and the racing was of a quality that none of us had seen at a club level. The respect which the riders had for each other was evident from start to finish. We understand that events like this don't actually have to happen and we thank the volunteers, officials, commissaires and sponsors for the time and effort invested in making the 3 Day Tour what it is.

A great video can be seen here: http://vimeo.com/25014573

3 Day Tour - Day 2

2011-06-14T22:07:00.000+10:00

After Day 1 failed to net a result for the sD squad, our Dear Leader telegrammed through a message to the mobile team vehicle that only barely disguised his fury at our failure. Amid the stream of invective, we deciphered a pressing requirement to "bring home the bacon" or face dire consequences upon our return to Melbourne.

After a short and fast ITT which saw some average speeds top 55kmh, and Nick net a 4th spot, we lined up for the afternoon road race and Nick quickly set about ripping the legs of the bunch with a series of vicious attacks which eventually saw the Bearded One leap clear of the peleton and embark on what can only be described as an epic voyage: The man some call 'The Professor' held the bunch at bay for the best part of an hour, netting a few handy KOM points along the way. Steady pacemaking largely courtesy of Search2Retain workhorse Tom Donald combined with a fearsome headwind on the return leg of the race eventually began to reel Nick back into view... but before the catch was made, Pete English bridged across to Nick and a late break of four formed, with Cam McKenzie just edging out Peter in the sprint. The main peleton came in a few seconds behind with Tim and Will finishing safely within, and the yellow jersey remained safely on the shoulders of S2R's Nathan Elliot.

Intelligent tactics and strong riding continued sD's Great Leap Forward, with a podium spot for Pete, more kudos for the boys and best of all, our trip to the Gulag postponed again! Our Dear Leader is pleased.

3 Day Tour - Day 1

2011-06-11T20:40:00.001+10:00

Cleary rightly said 'The judgements of particular times, places and people depend on subjective standpoints..."

Such should our rather rash decision to race the traditionally cold and wet Northern Combine 3 Day Tour be judged. Would we rather be drinking Cristal while making party with Dennis Rodman? Absolutely. Would (some of us) rather be meditating on a hilltop while munching alfalfa and wearing a platinum wig? For sure. But alas – Tim, Nick, Will and Peter decided to avail themselves to the best 3 Day Tour around while the rest of the team are tucked up in bed, hugging their hot water bottles like little lady men.

Stage 1 was 90km around Lancefield. Long story short – a break of 3 and then 2 stayed away for 80km (a good effort) and the last 15km was hard with a good win by Nathan Elliot followed by Shane Miller.

Notably, it is the first time any of us have seen a Club-level A grade bunch let a break go, manage the gap, catch at the right time and then leave the real race till the end. Very mature and highly unusual. The whole team put in a lot of work (much respect to Will - NASA is currently studying the green substance that he was coughing up for signs of alien life) and Nick finished somewhere in the top 10.

On a side note, a brief moment of clarity struck today: 5 cyclists in lycra drinking skinny cappuccinos in the Lancefield Art Gallery cafe. Could we be any more metrosexual?

Tomorrow is a 6km (downhill) time trial followed by another road stage – report to follow.

This just in

2011-06-08T22:14:00.001+10:00

A wildlife photographer has managed to capture this photo of Lee in
his natural element, immediately before he devoured a packet of tim
tams.

Hell Of The West

2011-06-06T13:34:00.000+10:00

By Peter English

Hell of the West, hosted by Melton Cycling Club at Balliang was one of the more enjoyable races I have had for some time. It began with our good mate, Andrew Clarke, scooping me up from my place at around 8am for the voyage out west, through Bacchus Marsh to the scene of the day’s race. Hell of the West is a race animated by a 3km gravel section, inevitable cross winds given the terrain and location, and a steep climb at the midpoint of the race. Our first obstacle came when the organizers of the race neglected to place a corner marshal on the left-hand turn into the gravel section of the race, causing the bunch to head for the highway! Luckily a few contenders near the front of the pack knew what was supposed to be in store, and a neutralized turn-around ensued until everyone was once again heading in the right direction.
For the most part, attacks of the front weren’t looking too dangerous, and I took the liberty of sitting right on the back of the pack, whilst a few of the keener participants led the charge. The first half of the race was mostly controlled by the Kosdown team, who were well represented in support of Shane Miller. A group of five after the gravel section slowly dwindled to two, which were then reeled in prior to the base of the main climb of the day. With pitches of up to 16%, I had been told that the climb would cause a selection; and that it did. Whilst the gaps weren’t huge over the top, it was enough to give the first five guys over the top the opportunity capitalize on the time we had gained up the climb. Shane Miller started yelling at us to “bury it”, which really got us all going and we built a sizeable lead over the trailing group and the rest of the bunch. After around 10km of heavy work by the five of us, which included Shane, one of the Nathan Elliot (Search2Retain) and Gabrielle Carey (SKCC), we were a little surprised when we were caught by the next group of a similar size. However, given the size and strength of the now 10 riders in the group, this was the selection which would lead us to the finish. With many, many attacks to come, it was Shane and another original breakaway companion from Search2Retain, who made the final jump for the finish – around 4km from home. With straight drag race up to the line, the sprint for 3rd place was taken out by Bikes Direct’s Trent Williams.
Special mention must go to Andrew Clarke, who pushed so hard that he threw up at around kilometer 70. Well done.

Dirty Deeds CX

2011-06-06T12:31:00.001+10:00

The new Nalini team issue skinsuit got put through it's paces on Friday night at the Dirty Deeds cyclocross prologue held at Brunswick Velodrome. The new kit fits like a glove and, after only 3 washes to get the stinky mud out, is as good as new!!

http://dirtydeedscx.blogspot.com/

Team Caps

2011-06-01T08:12:00.001+10:00

Thanks to Nalini our team caps have arrived. This completes the team kit!

Sunday Training

2011-05-31T15:12:00.001+10:00

Race Report - Metro Road Champs

2011-05-31T15:05:00.000+10:00

By William Raisin Shaw

The sleepy country village of Harcourt played host to this years Metro Road Champs, with 45 riders lined up to contest the Elite Mens race over 2 laps of an undulating 56km circuit. Domestic squads Drapac Porsche, Search2Retain, VIS and Bike Bug were all represented, and soleDevotion sent a crack team of rouleurs, with Pete English, Mark Guirguis and me taking the trip up the Calder Highway to fly the sD flag.

Racing got underway and a flurry of attacks saw the pace heat up early. Guirguis was one of the main animators, with some strong attacks again highlighting the lads outstanding early season form. Darren Lapthorne (Drapac) was also a noteable presence at the front of the peleton - the former National Road Champ back racing with his former team after a stint with Rapha Condor - Sharp in the UK.

The Harcourt circuit was a relentless succession of undulations and after around half an hour of racing, a longish uphill stretch allowed myself, Tom Donald (Search2Retain) and a Bike Bug rider to go clear.The lumpy terrain and twisting roads gave the advantage to the break and we were soon out of sight of the peleton and swapping off smoothly. Added firepower arrived when we caught up to a Lawson Homes rider who had rode away earlier, but another backward glance revealed a biggish chase group in the distance. The group soon made contact and proved to contain Lapthorne and teammate Stuart Grimsy, Luke Fetch (Search2Retain) Adam Murchie (Bike Bug) and our very own Mark Guirguis. With most teams represented, and some serious talent on hand, it seemed like the breakaway had a good chance of success... Heading out onto Lap 2, Luke Fetch attacked the break with Lapthorn and Grimsy following. The split saw myself and Tom Donald isolated, and a look back saw the remains of the peleton not too far behind. We sat up and soon found ourselves back in the fold, with Guirguis having already dropped back after suffering a dropped chain. With all the sD boys back together we wasted no time in getting up the front and driving the peleton and our efforts soon saw us mop up most of the breakaway - leaving the trio of Lapthorne, Fetch and Grimsey up the road. With Pete possessing the freshest legs amongst us, the lanky strongman was one of the chief animators in the bunch, and with some ten km's to go the peleton was strung out along the wooded road into Harcourt, with Pete driving the pace at the front.

Despite all this, the leading trio held on, with Lapthorne taking a well deserved win, and Fetch and Grimsy rounding out the podium. The rest of the field came back together, with Harcourt residents witnessing a massive downhill bunch sprint into the town. Pete English took third in the sprint, with myself and Guirguis finishing safely in the bunch.

What a day! the sD boys gave it everything and while we failed to take away any silverware, we all felt like we rode a strong, aggressive, and tactically astute race... and there are plenty more opportunities coming up this season. Thanks must go to Castlemaine Cycling Club for putting on a great race, and the locals who came out to support the event.

The Honey Shot

2011-05-23T10:48:00.001+10:00

Off the beaten track

2011-05-22T14:49:00.001+10:00

Soul Kitchen!

2011-05-18T12:48:00.001+10:00

Good to see Soul Kitchen & Michael in the paper. Top bloke and great coffee.

Vegan Power at the S.H.I.T.S 6hr MTB Enduro

2011-05-15T12:06:00.003+10:00

Congratulations to Tim McGrath at the S.H.I.T.S (Six Hours In The Saddle) 6hr MTB enduro out at Beechworth yesterday. Tim put in a stella effort Completing 9 laps of the 9.5km track to finish up 4^th just behind the leaders in the 40+ category in a field of 30 experienced riders. Other soleDevotion riders William Raisin-Shaw, Carson Tully and Hayden Kerr all dug deep in the 2 man categories with their adopted sD riders for the day to finish up with great results and sore legs as the category was hotly contested with some of the nations best enduro riders.

Well Done Lads!!

Results and Race info can be found at:

http://www.sixhoursinthesaddle.com/

Class of 2011

2011-05-05T19:25:00.000+10:00

Happy Days

2011-05-04T13:33:00.000+10:00

One For the Ladies

2011-05-02T13:14:00.001+10:00

Kona 24hr MTB Success!!

2011-05-02T13:01:00.001+10:00

Over the Easter weekend Carson and (adopted sD rider for the weekend) Simon Wright ventured off to Adelaide for the Kona 24hr Mountain Bike Race. The weather was perfect and the course was at the top of its game, the boys were hitting it hard in the 2 man category enjoying every bit of the fast and flowy track. As the laps went on it proved to be a punishing course with its pinchy hills and rocky decents. The boys were doing everything right and managed to push hard and get a lap up on the field by the 14-15 hour mark, where they got the chance to control the race and ride with the teams in 2nd and 3rd (and manage to catch a breath and give the legs a bit of rest). The boys were really putting in in the 2 man category, even managing to stay with the top teams in the 3 and 4 man teams. The night time period from 12-5 was always going to be tough with the crisp cold air and the legs starting to feel like mush - but the tough sD soldiers carried on and kept the lead crossing the line 45minutes (just under a lap) ahead of the field. Carson and Simon totaled 380km of the 12.5km course and were happy to sit back and reminisce of the battle over a nice Adelaidian beer and pizza.

A great result for the lads and the soleDevotion team.

This win puts Carson and Simon as back to back champs for 2010, 2011 – will they be able to make it back to back to back next year??

Stay tuned