Velo-slog: My Velothon, Sunshine Coast 2018 race report
I’m literally dead on my feet right now. My quads are still burning 24 hours later, and I feel like I could drink Wivenhoe Dam dry. Probably shouldn’t have had all those tins of lager after I finished the last day of the three-day Velothon on the Sunshine Coast over the weekend.
For those not yet initiated, the Velothon is a boutique cycling event that that offers a three-day 361 km course (with 5,340 metres of climbing) over three stages as well as a 1 day 152/90km version that runs concurrently on the last day of the three-day event.
I did the inaugural 152km version last year and thought it was so well run that I’d give the three day a shot in 2018. True to my word, I signed up early this year with expectations that I’d get fit enough to survive but true to form I got sick, missed a lot of training and put on a heap of weight. Not ideal preparation.
But rallied somewhat in April and piled on a few thousand kilometres in training — some of it hard by my standards. But would I have enough in me to complete the three days? Well, here’s a report.
Day 1: Hinterland Stage (188km)
Sarah and I travelled up the coast on Thursday night with a car full of bikes. Tim, who I managed to convince to join in on the insanity, headed up after work and we got busy affixing race numbers and fretting about how much crap to carry on our bikes. You don’t need as much as you think you do.
Day 1 was a 6:30am start at Buderim and consisted of 118km and about 2,500 metres of going up hills. I now know that Day 1 is definitely the hardest day of the Velothon.
Tim and I started in the 31kph group. I knew full well that I’d be dropped on the first climb as I’m still too heavy to be competitive against the featherweights. True to form, we managed to go about 8k in the bunch before we hit the first ramp of the day: a 10% or so hill on Ikley Road. Everyone sprinted up the hill and I was left turning the pedals on my granny gear, a 32-sprocket ring that would be a godsend over the three days.
From there, I didn’t see Tim again until the end and I was pretty much in struggle town as we began to hit consistent high percentage ramps as we rode towards the first “official” KOM on Maleny-Stanley River Road. Other hill highlights include the 13% ramp up Mooloolah Road and the brute of a pinch on Tunnel Ridge Road which was signed as 17%.
Mike Dines from SBTC caught up to me around the 30k mark and I hung on his wheel for the better part of 10 kilometres until hitting the first rest stop at 40k. Along the way I noted that diverse range of great looking bikes, including a guy on a Curve Belgie who I had a brief chat with, reveling in our mutual appreciation of Curve bicycles.
By the first rest stop, I was already feeling a bit toast. In hindsight it’s likely that I wasn’t drinking enough water because I had a shocking headache by the end of the day. Still a quick break and I pressed on, taking in the climb on Kilcoy-Beewah Road, before hitting the first KOM on the Maleny-Stanley River Road.
I resolved to climb at my own pace as I didn’t really know what to expect ahead of me. It turned out to be a good tactic as while the first part of the six-kilometre road is a gentle enough gradient, the last kilometre is a real slog fest, hitting about 12%+ on average.
As I again spun in my lowest gear slowly up the hill, I saw my first official walker of the event, who may not have been fortunate enough to have a 32 cog! Anyway, I managed to make it up without stopping, looking forward to a nice easy ride towards Montville.
Unfortunately, that nice easy ride was not going to happen as the wind was blowing gales along the top of the ridgeline and what followed was some of the toughest riding conditions I’ve encountered. The wind began blowing me and everyone else all over the road, meaning that descending became suddenly treacherous as a rogue gale might easily push you over. Simply put: it was awful, and I figured if the other two days were like this, I’d be pulling the pin.
Rolling into the Montville rest stop, I started to notice that my lower back wasn’t in great shape, and I was beginning to feel constant pain when riding in my usual position. I took 15 minutes out and gave the back a bit of stretch to see if I could calm it down, but this would be a reoccurring story over the next few days unfortunately.
The descent from Montville down into the valley below was scary. Not only was the gradient treacherous but the wind made conditions more difficult and debris from the bush was strewn everywhere. I negotiated down it well enough, but I saw a few casualties from the downhill along the way, including Mike who had managed to damage his rear wheel rim. Later I heard some guy basically blew up his rear wheel due to cooking the brakes on this descent.
The next 20 or so kilometres in the finish was lumpy and finished with the brutal Cogill Road climb up to the Buderim finish line.
Many think this is the hardest climb in Velothon due to its location in the course, right at the end (I still think Obi Obi is harder). It’s about 1.5k long and has three steepish ramps that vary between 13 and 18%. I’m mighty proud of myself that I made it up in one piece without stopping and to the cheers of a few people watching who obviously thought ‘how can this big dude get up when the smaller peeps are walking’ (the answer is the bike setup!!)
Day 1 done and dusted. I was toast and finished about an hour after Tim and was afraid I wouldn’t make the distance over the three days.
Day 2: Glasshouse Mountains Stage (88kms)
Day 2 was a cold and early start. Tim and I had booked a bus down to the race start at Caloundra which had us leave at 5am in the morning from Maroochydore. While the bus transport was a welcome relief from having to ride it, being there an hour early in the cold was not super fun.
Fortunately, Tim and Mike improvised some warm weather gear by nabbing some blankets from the bike transport bus to keep their core temperature somewhat higher than zero degrees. I just opted for coffee.
I’ll admit I was feeling very rubbish at the start of day two but decided to see how I’d get on during what was supposed to be an easier day. I got in what turn out to be a massive bunch alongside with Tim and Mike and we rolled along at around mid 30s kph all the way to Beerburrum, where both Mike and I stopped to refill bottles and grab more food. Tim decided to press on.
I jumped on the back of a group with Mike and headed northward. I had a bit of a dig on the first sprint section, going solo off the front of the group for a bit, but then was caught by Mike and two other riders who powered up the small incline to the finish of the sprint section.
The trio then pressed on, seemingly determined to jump in a largish group of riders who were just ahead. I had to dig deep to also catch on the back of this train, but I was glad I did, as I could then rest for the next 20 or so kilometres before we hit some of the lumpy hills north of Landsborough.
I said bye to Mike at around the 65k mark as the course headed upward into the hills and I dropped back to take the climbs at my own pace. I did fine on the only KOM of the day at around the 70k mark, and there was a nice spot of gravel just after Eudlo which was fun to ride on.
Day 2 finished with a slight uphill sprint section which I didn’t get involved in, content to just ride in and finish without smashing myself. A quick catch up and coffee with Tim, Mike and also Benji was in ordered before I headed home on the bus to refuel for a monster day three.
Day 3: Coastal Stage (152 km)
I was sceptical about being able to complete the full 152 today given how poorly I felt the day before. I think I was feeling the effects of dehydration and possibly not having consumed enough calories during my rides.
Given that I knew how tough day three can be (from my participation last year) I resolved to sit in as much as possible then make up my mind once I got to the split point at around 52km (where I could elect to complete the 90km course instead).
Tim and I cycled to the start line at Twin Waters and once again placed ourselves in the 31kph group. Mike also was there early and joined us in this group. I felt fine initially and sat in comfortably with my group for about 5 kilometres before jumping on the back of a faster pack overtaking from behind leaving Tim and Mike temporarily behind.
The group was fast as well and we made it up to the first KOM point at Garmin Hill averaging over 34 kilometres per hour. Mike, who had also caught on to the faster group, overtook me on the hill as I trudged up in my granny gears. Tim caught up around the 50k mark as we headed over the lumps on Sunrise Road toward Cooroy. By this stage I felt good enough to complete the entire 152, and I kept the power and heart rate at reasonable levels so I wouldn’t do myself in later in the ride.
Brief stop at 60k mark for more food, and Tim and Mike headed out in a group and I followed not long after. Belli Creek Road is a great road to ride on with awesome views towards the West Cooroy State Forest on one side and the valley down to Kandanga on the other. I kept my tempo moderate, resting on the descents and trying to stretch out my now increasingly agitated lower back.
I managed to get in a small group along the Kenilworth-Eumundi road which isn’t super fun to ride on due to the high speed limit and lack of a shoulder but safety in numbers made it tolerable. Weirdly enough I was longing to see the sign for Obi Obi Road so I could have this annoying bit behind me.
On to Obi Obi road, which was closed off for the event thankfully, and I mentally steeled myself for what was to come — the Obi Obi climb — keeping the tempo steady and making sure not to push my heart rate too high.
It was actually a really nice part of the ride as I got to chat to quite a few people who passed on by, including a fellow Lynskey rider who was riding a Helix frame. I joined in a largish group as we headed along the road and I saw the Curve Belgie rider ahead, who was directing the group to keep the pace lower than necessary. Smart thinking.
I let the group get away as we hit the lower slopes of Obi Obi and just paced myself up. Threw the bike in the granny gear as I rolled over the KOM start and began the grind up the hill, which weirdly wasn’t as bad as I remembered it.
I made it up the first very steep ramp successfully, passing half a dozen of other participants who were already walking, but as I started the second ramp, I unclipped and resolved to walk. The pain in my back was just to great to warrant trying to push up it and I was on the limit.
Strangely this time it felt a lot easier, even though my time was slower than last year across the strava segment. I think this is because I was more aggressive earlier on the climb last time out whereas I was conservative this time around. But I didn’t feel as smashed when I ended the climb this time around. Weird.
The 40 kilometres home passed without incident. It was lumpy and my back was screaming, but my legs felt good otherwise. Saw an ambulance at the bottom of a very fast descent as someone had come off. Made it up the Kiel Mountain “leg destroyer” without having to walk and I was super happy, passing quite a few 1 day riders who were walking.
I found myself in a quick group on the run in to Cotton Tree and managed to hang on as the speed reached 40kph, and cross the line relieved that I had completed the three day event.
The Aftermath
I probably drank too much and now am feeling very shady. Though I did learn a lot about seamanship from Midshipman Tim who gave us an amusing but informative running commentary of Horatio Hornblower’s style of command while we watched the BBC series of the same name and ate pizza.
While it was a tough event, I’m feeling really chuffed that I managed to finish everything despite not being in the best shape. Keen to roll the dice again next year and try get that time down to something decent.
Must say well done to the Velothon organising committee as the event was perfectly run. I don’t think I stopped at all except for a few red lights on the way in to Cotton Tree on the final day. That’s brilliant!
Great to catch up with friends as well including Tim, Mike, Benji, and Anna. Shout out to Taryn from Dietitian Approved who helped plan out a nutrition plan for me for the event that worked like a treat. Also thanks to those who came out and did some of my training rides with me in the leadup such as Warren and Brad.
Of course, I couldn’t have done without the awesome support from Sarah, who not only got me an effing sweet hoodie but also did a big solid by smashing out a great meal for us on Friday night that really made a big difference to how I went.
Weirdly, I’m excited to race again next year.
