ICME Day 1 - Stage 2
With the first stage out of the way it was all about the recovery time to the afternoon's stage.
With the first stage out of the way it was all about the recovery time to the afternoon’s stage. Recovery, preparation, TV gazing, pool time, eating, whichever way you want to look at it there was a decent block of time to do a fair bit of it.
Split stages are quite tricky to be honest. You don’t actually get to ‘switch off’. Deep in the back of the mind is the requirement to be ‘on’ again at a later stage. For this stage you only need to be ‘on’ for a minute, but that minute is one that you never forget.
whichever way you want to look at it there was a decent block of time to do a fair bit of it.
There are numerous strategies for this stage. Roadie slick tyres, skinsuits, aero helmets and care factor zero are all valid tactics to try and grab precious seconds. In the end, you are chasing single seconds…can this make a difference? Of course! Especially when there are massive time bonuses on offer for first and second place overall.
whichever way you want to look at it there was a decent block of time to do a fair bit of it.
The riders head off in reverse ranking from the stage 1 results in 30 second intervals. The hill is sealed bitumen and is 300 metres long. It is essentially a lab test for power, VO2 max and the good old pain and suffering standby.
whichever way you want to look at it there was a decent block of time to do a fair bit of it.
As a comparison — the slowest rider did a 2:19 and the fastest was just 43 seconds! 142 other riders then slotted in between those times. That demonstrates the disparate nature of the abilities within the entire field, which in turn, makes this event so appealing. The one constant was the massive crowd that lined the top of the hill to see all the riders suffering through the insanely steep gradient that was presented.
whichever way you want to look at it there was a decent block of time to do a fair bit of it.
So…in the end Ryan Standish on his dual suspension 29er with knobby tyres won. Jo Bennett won the women’s event on exactly the same configuration! As a bonus for both of these riders winning both stages today, they also hold the coveted leader’s jersey for the overall event.
whichever way you want to look at it there was a decent block of time to do a fair bit of it.
Ben Mather and Imogen Smith kept these two riders honest and definitely made them earn their time bonuses on Anzac Hill right on dusk.
whichever way you want to look at it there was a decent block of time to do a fair bit of it.
But, the top 3 men are separated by less than a minute as are the top two women. It is early days yet, as anything can happen in a stage race with 7 stages. Watch this space!
whichever way you want to look at it there was a decent block of time to do a fair bit of it.
Photo of Overall leader – Ryan Standish with his leader’s number plate.
