Masters Cycling: Training and Racing

• Day 55: Bright and a little jealousy didn't kill me

  It was another successful trip to Bright. We managed to get there and back without any incidents.
  
  We were close, I must say, as a sleepy truck driver swerved to the right and off the road, just meters in front of us, collecting a few road signs. Then [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 4:18pm EST
  

• The Big Fifty: to Bright without a bike

  This will be my third trip to Bright. The first one without a bike.
  
  We are flying to Melbourne in a few hours. There, we will collect a camper for the 3 1/2 h drive to Bright. We will be staying there for the two nights, will spend [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 2:00pm EST
  

• Day 48: Thirty Seconds to Mars

  It is looking pretty grey out there. So, and after my last post, I decided to do my bit to brighten up things a little.
  
  I won't be writing a long post after a friend sent me a copy of the latest Velo Classic Tours newsletter this morning. With' [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 10:21am EST
  

• Day Forty-six: unshaved legs, call me fluffy if you wish...

  It might have been five or even six years ago when a friend of ours returned to Cairns for a visit. She had her boyfriend with her and a few stories about cycling in countryside Victoria.
  
  So, there we were in this nice outdoor bar, not far from the [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 1:58am EST
  

• Day Forty-two: Cadel's Shirt

  
  
  
  "A phrase that has become synonynous with Cadel, since Stage 15 in the 2008 Tour de France..."  explains who ever is looking after Cadel's affairs, and I would think it must be Chiara, who even has her own sweet "corner" in the official site.
  [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 12:40pm EST
  

• Day Forty: this is what's going on...

  Pain is only a transient state
  
  Last week went really quick. Another one.
  
  Unfortunately, it was marked with another accident in the family. Another driver turned right in front of an incoming traffic and Sandra's effort to avoid him only minimised the impact. She run straight into' [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 1:32pm EST
  

• What day is it? Thirty-third!

  I used to have a different Polar HR monitor. That particular one would display short messages on the hour if it hadn't detected any form of activity in a few days. The messages were the get off your butt type. They were quite funny.
  
  Being almost five weeks since my' [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 7:00am EST
  

• Day Twenty-eight & Will, the a cool climber

  Day 28
  
  I will be heading to hospital sometime today. Getting there will be an event in itself as I opted to catch public transport as an alternative to getting there by car. It is a small contribution by a continual whinger on the ever increasing number of cars on our [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2009, 10:36pm EST
  

• Day 26: Trek Project One

  The start of another week of virtually sitting around and waiting. Still, I am hoping to get to the next weekend on a different note.
  
  I will have x-rays and another cat-scan, which might give me an idea on where I am at the moment in terms of my [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2009, 12:27am EST
  

• Four Weeks Training Program

  
  
  
  I have received a few e-mails with questions on training. I have also noticed that a lot of the keywords used to get to my blog are, in one way or another, related to training or training programs. With that in mind, I decided [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 6:04pm EST
  

• Bike handling with Danny and Ryan

  OK, this is a quick one, or two on bike handling...
  
  First, I found this video, which can be said to be a bit old now. Still, Danny MacAskill's (it is all in the name) skills just blew me away. For a moment I thought of selling all my' [...]
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  Posted: November 01, 2009, 6:38pm EST
  

• Day Seventeen: Bikes & Phone calls

  
  
  The last couple of weeks weren't the most exciting. There was only so much I could do around the house before I got drawn back to the computer, reading the news (cycling news that is...), looking at bikes and reading some cycling blogs. I am' [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 9:44am EDT
  

• Day Fourteen: ready to start training again and The 2009 Pro Season Video

  Lets call it two weeks, given and taken a few hours, since my last ride. It is not certain but that could have been my last ride for 2009 as well.
  
  Admittedly, at times like this, I wish I was a professional cyclist and would get a text, [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2009, 9:09pm EDT
  

• Day 12: better by the minute & Choosing a performance frame

  
  
  Another weekend recovering from the slightly surreal and, now, to some extent laughable moment.
  
  As expected, I have had problems to get a good sleep at night. Inevitably, I spent a fraction of those hours thinking about the incident, I can't help it.' [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 12:51am EDT
  

• Day ten: time to reflect and dish out...

  "... to learn from it and to pass that on to others..."
  I received that as a comment from a blogger-mate based on the other side of the world. Of course, he was referring to the latest in my world on two wheels. But it reminded me of one of [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2009, 8:29pm EDT
  

• Day seven, wishing to be on my bike

  This is the first time I have been hit by a vehicle and, so far I only have had minor car crashes as a driver or passenger. I can add to the list a few crashes on bikes; many, many wipe outs during my surfing life and last year's altercation' [...]
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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 10:53pm EDT
  

• Deeds, exploits and dreams - Giro di Lombardia 2009 (videos)

  Here, where I collate my experiences and, sometimes, what might form the basis of future deeds, or dreams, I choose to show this great race where men on their machines endure an enormous amount of physical and mental hurt just to be able to put themselves a step closer to [...]
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  Posted: October 19, 2009, 12:34pm EDT
  

• Giro di Lombardia 2009 - videos

  [...]
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  Posted: October 19, 2009, 12:34pm EDT
  

• It ...

  
  
  It is Saturday afternoon. It has been a while since I found myself sitting at home, not thinking that I should be on the bike or planning my next training ride. It feels strange in a way but it feels relaxing also.
  
  I [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2009, 2:36am EDT
  

• A hot ride ends with a bang!!

  Number of comments: 2
  During one of the many conversations with Sandra this week, I remembered what I often told my Dive Master trainees when discussing risk management, accidents and fatalities in the diving industry.
  
  - It is a number's game. If we keep taking people underwater, three times a day, seven days' [...]
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  Posted: October 15, 2009, 8:08am EDT
  

• The training week that just gone was a...

  A good week, in terms of training. I did manage to do the planned hours and almost got the kilometers done, even though, a broken seat collar bolt prevented me from riding on Wednesday.
  
  On Tuesday I did an easy ride to Sandgate, throwing in a few long sprints [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2009, 1:45am EDT
  

• Magda Szubanski's achievement?

  Lots have been said and written about Magda Szubanski's shameful episode a few weeks ago. I decided not to put anything here at the time, thinking that it would just get more attention and promote more negative behaviour in between drivers and cyclists.
  
  For me, the whole thing was' [...]
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  Posted: October 11, 2009, 10:15pm EDT
  

• Do I buy the new Ultegra 6700?

  I don't like to see myself as one of those people who go around buying everything they put their eyes on. In fact, I am not. Some of the manufacturers of cycling gear could have a hard time paying their bills if they were to rely on my consumer habits.[...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2009, 8:24am EDT
  

• End of Week 1, nine to go...

  I had a good break. Now, it is time to start preparing for the Tour of Bright in December.
  
  In the two weeks I had off, I rode my bike four or five times and didn't even wear my HR monitor once. They were all easy, social/family' [...]
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  Posted: October 04, 2009, 7:37am EDT
  

• 2009 World Championship videos & Cadel Evans for Pope

  Another road world championship race. It feels like the end of the year is creeping up on us. Here, it comes with a very positive note because the new world champion is an Australian. Without going into a patriotic mode, simply because I can not, the significant fact here is: [...]
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  Posted: September 30, 2009, 7:46pm EDT
  

• Grafton to Inverell (Part 2)

  Two weeks after The Race and I might still be recovering from it. Who knows?
  
  I did come out of it with a couple of injuries. First, the hamstring on my left leg, which was caused by the cramping during the climb of the Gibraltar Range. Second, some muscle [...]
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  Posted: September 27, 2009, 7:18am EDT
  

• 2009 Grafton to Inverell (Part 1)

  The final stage of my preparation for the Grafton to Inverell was the easiest one. I had done the training I wanted to do, the bike was working perfectly and Sandra and I had all we needed in terms of nutrition for the big race. It was then a matter [...]
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  Posted: September 18, 2009, 5:43am EDT
  

• Week Twelve of the Training for Grafton to Inverell

  The week went so fast, I didn't have time to do much in terms of riding but I don't think it was a bad thing. My Rest HR has been a bit higher than the last few weeks and the legs are a little sore. Must be all the excitment... [...]
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  Posted: September 10, 2009, 7:13pm EDT
  

• The 49th Grafton to Inverell & a 49th birthday party

  Four more sleeps and I will be lining up for my first A event of the year. How exciting is that? And how scary is that as it will be for one of the toughest races in Australia...
  
  The preparation has been an experience in itself. I chose not [...]
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  Posted: September 07, 2009, 10:25pm EDT
  

• A few more k's & Huey named my recipe

  Monday came and I didn't get on the bike. I was feeling fresh and could have gone for an easy spin but chose to keep recovering!
  
  My recovery from a week of training started after the ride on Sunday. It was a hard ride, so I initiated the process' [...]
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  Posted: September 05, 2009, 2:35am EDT
  

• Cracking the 200... but loosing in a race!

  Week Ten of my 12 week program for the Grafton to Inverell Classic was planned as another recovery week after two weeks of build (17 and 15 h). Recovery? From what? I have been feeling so fresh everytime I get on the bike and I haven't been feeling' [...]
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  Posted: August 31, 2009, 3:18am EDT
  

• Nundah Crit and being late for Zupps hurt...

  Week nine ended without the long ride (180 km) I had in my training plan. Work just kept getting on the way... That's not an excuse by any means, it is just a fact and I do know that some people have even worse working hours and other commitments which' [...]
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  Posted: August 24, 2009, 2:25am EDT
  

• Mt Nebo Road

  It was 3:30 PM when the alarm went off for the second time today. It did the same thing 12 hours ago, exactly, when I reluctantly got up to get ready for work. This time, I was going to ride my bike on Mt Nebo Road.
  I should be [...]
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  Posted: August 20, 2009, 10:04am EDT
  

• Still training for Grafton to Inverell and my new crankset.

  
  Two more weeks are gone, and fast. They were Week 7 and 8 of the twelve week program I put together for my biggest cycling challenge - a 228 km race. And so far, it is all going well, really well in fact.XThe week seven, marked as a recovery [...]
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  Posted: August 17, 2009, 12:00am EDT
  

• Training and racing: 1030 km and a bike fit later...

  
  One thousand and thirty kilometers, that's what I have ridden since my last post, three weeks ago. Less than a third of the kms the riders in the Tour de France raced. And lets not go into average speeds, course profiles, etc... I also did lots of TV viewing' [...]
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  Posted: August 03, 2009, 10:35pm EDT
  

• Building up the Ks, recovering and following the Tour de France

  
  Monday. It's marked as an off the bike day, a rest day.
  
  I do feel that a day off would be the right thing to do. I am tired after a solid week (my standards here!), tired after watching most of the TdF stages at night and tired' [...]
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  Posted: July 13, 2009, 12:57am EDT
  

• An easy Recovery Week, what's next?

  In my last post, I wrote that I didn't have any events to aim for this year and that I was just enjoying the riding and racing. Well, that has changed, it had to change! I have now chosen three races for this year, three A races as they call' [...]
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  Posted: July 06, 2009, 8:13am EDT
  

• Training and more importantly, a few races in the last 29 days...

  
  Another interesting month, a month full of fun.
  It has been a time to have fun on the bike, so no hard training. The weeks have been anything in between 145 and 260 km. I included a few TT sessions, all very short, so I wouldn't stress my' [...]
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  Posted: July 01, 2009, 7:26pm EDT
  

• The week: The Giro and Clear Mountain, old training ground revisited

  What a great week!

  First, the Giro d'Italia '09

  I didn't stay up to watch the highlights this year. Really, and if that's possible, I had more important things to do. Did I miss the Giro highlights? Not really. I just read cyclingnews.com and watch the final kms on youtube every morning. [...]

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  Posted: June 01, 2009, 8:07am EDT
  

• Last week, I was openly told about ...

  Enclosure: [download]

  Last week, I was openly told about my time management skills: "They aren't the best!". Well, I have known that for a long time and chose to take it as a personal characteristic and not as a modern day calamity. It is a less stressful approach to life, I reckon,' [...]
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  Posted: May 24, 2009, 6:32pm EDT
  

• Tour of California, April-May 2009

  Here I am, finally writing and adding a few pictures of our Tour of California to this blog. "Ours" because I did the trip with Sandra. Without her this Tour wouldn't have taken off...
  
  There is so much to write about and around 200 pictures that I would' [...]
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  Posted: May 18, 2009, 1:32am EDT
  

• Happly back on the bike!

  Well, it is finally over. My time off the bike that is...
  I have been back on the bike and training since March. The first ride was on the 14th, a 45 min ride to Lakeside where I mistakenly decided to join the B grade bunch for a few [...]
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  Posted: April 27, 2009, 6:52pm EDT
  

• 2009 Tour Down Under Video

  
  My TDU project is finished.
  
  Initially, I wanted to write a long post, starting with my flight(thanks Virgin Blue!), my meeting with my mate Phil, the party at Stephen and Jane's, the South Australian sea and landscape, the wines and gourmet cheeses of the Adelaide Hills, McLaren' [...]
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  Posted: January 30, 2009, 1:30am EST
  

• Tour Down Under, Adelaide 2009

  
  We arrived back in Brisbane a couple of nights ago. Even though there is an old saying that it’s always nice to get back home, I wish I was still driving the big Apollo camper and following the Tour Down Under with Sandra.
  
  Can’t they make the race [...]
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  Posted: January 27, 2009, 7:54am EST
  

• 2009 Tour Down Under

  Number of comments: 0
  These are my first two days at the TDU in Adelaide.
  
  Thanks to my mate Phil in Adelaide for putting this fun clip together.
  
  Enjoy it!
  
  [...]
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  Posted: January 21, 2009, 9:37am EST
  

• Training Plan & Coaches, recovery and the Tour Down Under

  
  Training Programs
  Just over a week ago, I wrote something on building a training program. Now, I would like to explain some of those points in a slightly more detailed manner. It is all based on my own experiences so feel free to comment.
  
  Rider’s Experience is [...]
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  Posted: January 18, 2009, 8:58am EST
  

• Australian National Championship & Columbia Pro Kit in the Tour Down Under

  
  Lots happening at the moment, mostly very, very exciting.
  
  In Australia, we have just crowned a few national champions in what seems to have been amazing hard racing at all levels and the two disciplines. I am not going to write any race report as I wasn't' [...]
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  Posted: January 11, 2009, 10:47pm EST
  

• Building a Training Program for Cycling

  
  I won't find a better time than now to sit down and work on my training program for 2009. For people focusing on the summer crits and track, it could be a little late but for me, aiming for the road season, it is the perfect' [...]
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  Posted: January 08, 2009, 1:30pm EST
  

• 2008/09 & an Anniversary worth mentioning!!

  2008
  A strange year it was. Lots of ups and lots of downs, different type of training and some hard racing until the incident... I just hope to remember it as a positive experience, a learning experience. It ended like this:..."I couldn't finish the year without one last ride'" [...]
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  Posted: January 06, 2009, 11:41pm EST
  

• To All our Friends!!

  
  [...]
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  Posted: December 26, 2008, 6:17am EST
  

• Graphically Speaking

  I have read somewhere that readers, in general, dislike blog posts with power graphs. I, naively, wonder if it is the same with heart rate graphs. Perhaps not because most of us are still training with HR monitors and they don't look as incomprehensible as their complex cousins.
  
  Chances' [...]
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  Posted: December 19, 2008, 2:21am EST
  

• Great Adventures / Racing in Brisbane

  I am aware that I started this blog to write about training & racing, and other related facts, but I can't help adding what comes to my knowledge and I find to be of interest. At the end, there is or there will be a connection somehow and somewhere down' [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2008, 6:47pm EST
  

• Frank Schleck cleared

  
  That's the best cycling news I've heard in a while, it beats Lance's return by much more than a country century.
  
  With all the "dope" news hitting us every second day (a Belgium track rider just got done!), the all clear for Frank Schleck comes as the' [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2008, 7:23am EST
  

• Another video - Bettini

  This was the weekend I had marked on my calendar with a big A. In fact, it should have been pencilled in with an A+. I say that because the Tour of Bright, which ended today, is more than just a stage race, it is a real challenge not [...]

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  Posted: December 07, 2008, 8:31am EST
  

• Sandra in the Tour of Bright / For you "papa"

  I have just returned from the airport after seeing Sandra off to Melbourne and the Tour of Bright. We have done this race together (2005 and 2006) so to see her going by herself wasn't the best. Even knowing that she will be well looked after by' [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2008, 5:31pm EST
  

• The Irish Revolution has started...

  
  For a few weeks now, I have been reading about this "revolution", following the story of these two young men who decided to realise one of their dreams . Firstly I read about their plan, looked at their preparation, their motivation, the equipment. Then, it was the "first" [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2008, 8:15am EST
  

• A season ends, another gets underway...

  
  As the season comes close to an end and temperatures drop in
  Europe, a few pro cyclists find themselves travelling south in search of warmer grounds to start their preparations for next year and put some base kms on their legs.
  
  In Tenerife, Team Astana, and that [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2008, 8:30am EST
  

• Quick Injury Report / Training / Anything cycling...

  Injury report
  

  I will start with my injury so I can get it out of the way quickly.

  Last Tuesday, I had the highly anticipated appointment with the shoulder specialist. Without going into too many details, that's how it went:

  - Any improvement? as he looked through the MRI report.

  -' [...]

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  Posted: November 30, 2008, 3:00pm EST
  

• Blog Statistics / Cycling in Rio de Janeiro (2)

  Blog Stats
  
  Thursday morning, a rain-wet morning in Brisbane. Sitting at home, waiting for my parents to contact me via Messenger, I find no better time to get on the Net and do a bit of surfing. I wonder if the term surfing the net is still in use. [...]
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  Posted: November 26, 2008, 6:57pm EST
  

• Cycling - Is riding a bike addictive?

  Yes. I think so. But it is also possible that I have an addiction prone personality anyway.
  
  A week or so ago, in one of my posts, I called cycling my little obsession and joted down a few points on why I do like it so much. Well, [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2008, 7:56am EST
  

• The Perfect Storm / The Criterium Season

  The Storm that didn't come
  
  

  Here in SE Queensland, we have been expecting the storm of all storms. It was expected to hit the area last night. We were not just told by the experts in the media but it was also pretty obvious that' [...]

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  Posted: November 22, 2008, 8:20pm EST
  

• Storm and more storms / Blog Genderanalizer

  I was surprised to read in a local cycling forum this week that people were still discussing the possibility of doing the Mt Nebo Wednesday Ride, when the area had been badly hit by what the locals called a terrifying storm a couple of nights earlier. Something like, the [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2008, 9:54pm EST
  

• Races, training, injuries... it is all part of it!

  XXX
  Sunday, at The Fusion Criterium
  XXX
  Early morning in the shower, getting ready to head out to watch Sandra's race and to catch up with some friends at Nundah, I still had this little voice in my head telling me I had time to change my mind, get dressed' [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2008, 12:30am EST
  

• About Training & Racing... and another bike!!

  Training
  
  The blog is also about training so I will put down the stuff I am doing at the moment. As I said before, the sessions are all an attempt to stay fit (and sane) and even gain some kind of form for when I get back on the [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2008, 7:40pm EST
  

• Correction

  
  The results for the Sol Breads Rainbow Ride have been published... here.
  
  Sandra finished her ride in 3h53m and was 26th overall.
  
  She got 1st on her category!!!
  
  Great ride!!!
  
  PS: Good ride by Aaron also, just don't know why he finished at Currumbin' [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2008, 12:53am EST
  

• A day as a Directeur Sportif... fun!

  
  Sunday Race Report
  My day started at around 2:00 am, for some reason I couldn't stay in bed any longer. I got on the computer to check the weather for Northern NSW and got the percolator ready to go... We needed some coffee to get' [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2008, 6:45am EST
  

• Dream Bike and things from the past.

  Saturday evening, raining, not much happening at work but I still had to be there until 19:15. The idea of having to get up at 3 am Sunday morning to drive to Byron Bay didn't make it any easier for me to be there.
  
  The net helped me' [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2008, 3:33pm EST
  

• Friday it is... ahead, another weekend off the bike.

  Friday already, the week went quickly. A few months ago, it would be like: - Yes! I don't have to work Saturday morning, I can race at Nundah!!! But no, I won't be racing this one either, in fact, I might not even get on the bike as the [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2008, 5:10am EST
  

• Cycling News: Barack Obama, the number one!!

  
  
  
  Barack Obama is back on the bike, with a smile. It has been a long and hard 2008 season for the young rider which ended with him in the number one spot in the world. It was an expensive campaign, with sponsors spending around [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2008, 12:50am EST
  

• America... You've changed!

  
  
  Just woke up from an afternoon nap (got up at 3 this morning) to learn that the people of the USA has elected Barack Obama, a young African American, as their new President.XXXOr, am I still dreaming? XXX"It's been a long time coming. But [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2008, 12:00am EST