Team Cyclingnews.com - 2005

Team Journal Entry - May 3, 2005, by Cam Jennings

In search of Mary Donaldson

Hi all,

Well, just back from Denmark and kicking back on the couch, watching a flick and quietly reflecting on a busy weekend where, after two weeks of hobbling around, I am beginning to feel like a racing cyclist again. I have cooked Chris a roast dinner and have been given some computer time, so here it goes.

GP SATS

Left at sparrow's Friday morning for a long day in the car to Herning, Denmark for our first race on Saturday, GP SATS. GP SATS is a beautiful yet one hell of a crazy race. The 200km course is littered with 16 gravel sections totalling approx. 40km of fish-tailing fun. It was basically a day of survival, trying your best to stay at the front and on the bike. Once again, I tasted some dirt and hit the deck on the second section. A Comnet rider crashed in front of me on a soft downhill section and I launched over is bike and flew straight into him. Got up straight away and got going again. I did, however, bang my dicky knee and I limped the remainder of the gravel and for the next 20km until it started feeling normal again. (Happy to say it is still feeling ok.)

The remainder of the race was controlled by CSC among others and was pretty uneventful until the third last gravel section. Had a shocker, got caught in some loose sand and the break was gone. Sven had a blinder and made the front group of 15 riders and for the next 30km covered all the moves and eventually finished off 9th. Glen, Cody and myself finished in the following groups and pleased to get through the race relatively unscathed. Apart from one crash and only one Vredestein tire puncturing, both courtesy of yours truly, the team did a good job. Quickly wiped down and jumped into the car for an hour's drive to Aarhus, where Sunday's race started.

Results

CSC Classic

The CSC Classic is raced around Aarhus and the 200kms is raced entirely on sealed roads. Last year, it was raining cats and dogs and I am pleased to say that the 2005 edition was raced in dry conditions. So after a good night's sleep, and feed in a great hotel with a great view of the main street, we were all fired up for another good race.

It was raced out of the blocks and for the first two hours attacks were coming thick and fast and it was my job to be in any decent-looking breaks. Eventually, two guys got away and were let go to build a lead of six minutes. After a dodgy start where I was not feeling the best, I was starting to feel better and Glen was also coming around and approaching the feed at the 100km mark. Sven, Cody and Kane started to ride a good tempo and rode the break back to 3'30. With 60km to go, CSC and the others went on the attack. I made the first split of 30 and then on the next hill it split again and 15 riders got away and my group and some more regrouped. Glen was also in the group while Cody, Sven and Kane did not make the split but they had done some good work earlier.

Returned to Aarhus for 30km of local laps and the break was never more than one minute up the road. Glen and I were in numerous splits but there was not much we could do. With 6km to go, the break was reduced to five riders and now had only 40 seconds and it came down to a sprint for sixth place. Still need to work on my sprint and get a bit more mongrel, finished 28th for the day. Oh well, two good days of racing and have come out of the weekend better than when I entered.

In other news, Hamish had a good win and won GP Hoboken, a tough 1.2 here in Belgium. Team's first big win of the year after Glen's early success in the year.

Results

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Looking forward to my brother coming over. He is arriving on the 17th of May and will be here for a week. A little background on my brother. He was also a good cyclist, an AIS scholarship holder and spent a year and a half with Brian Stephens and Shane Bannan in Italy. He was third in the Bank Race [Commonwealth Bank Cycle Classic - ed.] and spent time in the KOM jersey in the inaugural Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under after a long solo break during the first stage.

Unfortunately he contracted and suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. After a two-year struggle with it he recovered, returned to uni. and is now a doctor, and by all accounts a competent one at that. Is taking some time out and coming to Europe to see some friends and catch up with me. So it will be good to see him again.

Till next time. Thanks for reading,
Cameron