Lest We Forget – 2010; and Lest I forget 1960-2010

Two events in the last little while – one ephemerally significant and one eternally so.

A Birthday

I woke on the 19th and had aged one mere day and an apparent huge milestone.

50

Meh – didn't feel any older, any different, any poorer or richer, certainly not any more enlightened as a human being. Clearly I am missing something!

Then, I thought of some people I'd known, had been friends with, had shared with. People who hadn't turned 50, and never would, and others who had far exceeded that, but were no longer.

So now I feel a little richer, a little luckier, a little more enlightened...

ANZAC Day - 25th April 2010

ANZAC Day once again. And once again I march in memory of my grandfather Jim Seiver, who fought in World War 2 as a member of the 2/11 A.I.F Battalion in Crete, and who passed away Feb 2007.

Mum and I picked up Des, one of Jim's great friends through many years, and assembled with the remaining diggers from the 2/11th. It is always nice to see them as they mingle with each other for the pre-march chat, sharing a joke and a handshake. They are all in their late eighties/early nineties now, and sometimes don't see each other except for this time now.

It is a very whimsical and melancholy time in some ways – to see their joy with each other, but also to be reminded of their fragility fills me with both happiness and circumspection. It reminds me that there will come a day when there will be no-one from the 2/11 here to march, and the last people other than my immediate family who knew and called my grandfather friend will be no longer.

I don't like to reflect on it, but it's hard not to. Still, I think of these remaining men, and of my grandfather and friends passed, and I am grateful that I knew them and knew of them. My 50 years thus are the better for them.

As in previous years, the weather was perfect – cool, blue skies and little wind. The crowds were similarly wonderful – numbers seem to swell and the sense is genuine: there is little evidence of the creeping faux-patriotism evident at some other days of national celebration.

So, again for 2010...

LEST WE FORGET.

Ride safe!

All Hail Spartacus

Thanks to SBS, viewers here in Oz got to watch the final 100-odd km of the 2010 Paris-Roubaix, and what a privilege it was.

Fabian Cancellara, in an absolutely dominant performance, simply exerted his will at the 50km mark and rode away from his rivals in imperious fashion to set up a magnificent win. What's more, he rode away from a group which included virtually every favourite for the race: Boonen, Flecha, Hushovd, Pozzato.

Earlier, Spartacus' Saxo Bank team mates had put the sword to the main peleton and ground out their soul (if not their actual physical presence) with a domineering display of bunch riding into strong head and cross winds.

Approaching the infamous Arenberg Forest, Cancellara and Boonen led the charge onto the cobbles and, ramping up the speeds across the notorious surface (a bit tamer this year thanks to dry conditions), had reduced a 19 strong lead group's margin to around a minute, with the catch following near the 68km mark.

At this stage, Boonen initiated a series of digs over the next 15km, but Cancellara quickly covered these, clearly alert to any potential splits. Boonen looked strong at this stage, but with his moves covered, he settled back into the grind, and the leading pack let a small bunch of 4 get off the front to around about 30 seconds or so.

Then, on the smooth section of road just before the longish Mons-en-Pévèle cobbles section (3000m), and with 50km to the finish line, Spartacus lit the wick and within the blink of an eye had scooted and gained 100 metres on the favourites group.

He'd timed it perfectly: the pace had slackened, Boonen had gravitated to the rear of the group, and the road ahead narrowed and curved. Boonen was hung up behind the group as they approached the narrow curve and lost precious seconds. Fabian literally disappeared in an instant, never to be glimpsed again. This turn of speed, combined with a fatal hesitation by the rest of the group, Boonen included, and the approaching cobble section, set Fabian on the pave to victory.

From there, it was a time trail, and Spartacus did what he does best: got his head down, his bum up, and drilled out km after km like a metronome. With a lead of more than 2 min at the 20km to go mark, and a favourites chase bunch rattled, undecisive and downright blown apart physically and mentally, it was all over. The gap opened out to over 3 minutes before Fabian knocked it back a notch with 5 km to go and started enjoying it: his final leisurely, triumphant lap-and-a-half around the velodrome left him with a 2 min win. Flecha and Hushovd had skipped away from the group at around the 16km mark and entered the velodrome together, with the God of Thunder taking second over a very tired Flecha: Thor can likely thank Flecha for his second as it was the Spaniard who made the dig at the 16km mark and did the majority of the work into the velodrome.

Boonen crossed the line 5th after a desultory attempt to claim 4th over Hammond: he looked mentally broken, but to his credit he had kept going.

Mike Tomalaris, the SBS commentator, seemed to rue the fact that it wasn't a closer race. I personally thought it was one of the best races seen in many a while and all congrats to Spartacus for his crushing win: I'm pretty sure Eddy Merckx would've enjoyed it :)

See you out there!

Ride safe!

The joys of riding in groups...

After having been a loner rider for many moons, just over a year ago I joined a social riding group and have found it such a joy that it's expanded into a vocation – well, almost. I don't think I've been on a lone ride since.

First example of the joys of group riding was in this years Freeway Bike Hike.

Whilst I've always participated in the hike since its inception, the past few years have seen some rather less-than-safe riding practices in the faster groups, with several mass spills and some nasty injuries. So, this year, after some initial inertia, a bunch of people from one of my social rides decided to get out there.

The ride was all the better for it – we departed within the 'B' group section rather than the gung-ho 'A' nuts, kept to ourselves at our own (still brisk) pace, avoided bunches of people all over the road and distinctly lacking in group skills, and cruised over the 60km Freeway course in a still respectable time having thoroughly enjoyed it. Then we turned around, waltzed back to Perth at a sedate pace and had a lovely brekky! Just perfect.

Second example of the joys of group riding: this past Easter Monday, another bunch of us decided to ride to Mandurah for brunch, and then train it back to Perth.

Since the freeway extension to Bunbury was opened, the route to Mandurah cycling-wise has been made incredibly easy: follow the mostly brand new bikepath south down the freeway until a point due east of Mandurah, and then chuck a right and arrive in Mandurah after a few kms. Couldn't be simpler.

A great 80-odd km ride, nice path, and a nice enough destination.

Feeling frisky, I decided to ride back to Perth as well: some 170 km in total later I rocked up home, a little worn out but chuffed.

I would map it, but apparently the new Freeway extension all the way to Bunbury doesn't exist – well at least not on Google maps or Map My Ride! So, for now, the instruction is head South down the Freeway bike path until you hit the Lakes Rd exit, then chuck a right down Lakes Rd, into Gordon Rd and then left into Mandurah Terrace until you hit the coffee strip!

A merry and heartfelt thanks to all the Wolfe Pack riders who joined me on these escapades, and who have kindly accepted me into their communal riding group. And a big thanks to Anne, who first invited me.

Just for fun, here's the group's jerseys:





See you out there!

Ride safe!