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They're going to struggle to beat that AAAC. I don't know if your recce on Tuesday would have helped but probably the right speed to be a decent workout for you. I noticed that you did a few km of the CG ride afterwards and if you had finished it and beaten my time that would have been rather cheeky.
It was an excellent preview thanks Bill.
It gave me a good idea of the climbs and when to go for it.
I broke up my effort as follows:
1. As always use the start line sling, if you have warmed up well you can get a real benefit from it.
2. Knowing the tough Cipressa climb was coming I did not go mad into the foot of it.
3. Once on the Cipressa proper I found a cadence and power that was close to threshold and set the top of the first climb as and intermediate target knowing there was an equally good descent the other side.
4. I aimed to power over the crest until my descending speed maxed (something I missed on the Poggio).
While I was on the Cipressa two guys absolutely shot by at an unbelievable speed so I resisted any attempt to try and follow
Then another guy shot by (Esaro) and I let him go as well (turns out he was hitting 900 watts or so on the climb)
5. Descending the Cipressa was rest time but I kept enough power on to keep it all ticking over.
6. Once the 'flat' between the two climbs started I put on the power again with Esaro as my carrot.
7. It wasn't long before I caught him and I pushed by to try and stop him tagging on but he appeared to make no effort to do so.
8. Knowing how quickly he climbed he spurred me on to gap him before I hit the Poggio.
9. Once I hit the Poggio my plan was as that for the Cipressa.
10. As I neared the top of the Poggio (hanging out) Esaro was catching me so I lifted my power to my threshold because I didn't want him to get on my wheel.
11. This was probably the reason why I missed powering over the crest into the climb,because I was bushed.
12. As I descended the Poggio, taking care on the corners, I kept and eye on Esaro's progress. Luckily he seemed to be loosing to me steadily. Had he caught me I had nothing at this point to chase onto his wheel.
13. As the final drag started and it was all hands, and legs, to the pump and I managed to do the last 2 km at threshold again.
14. There was a point where I was going to back off but I noticed Jacobs name appear in the top right corner so I thought there was no way I was going to show weakness when he was watching and that just what I needed physiologically to turn myself inside out.
All in all,other than having a drafting budy my opponents and spectators where all in the right place at the right time.
If Esaro had have been able to TTT with me in the middle he would have left me behind on the climb and I would not have climbed the Poggio so well and Jacob tuning in when he did was pretty much perfect timing.
The two guys who shot off ahead of me (one of them 7 minutes quicker) are not registering in my Session results, not sure why but I would love to see their stats.