2014 Bay Crits

I was going to write a blog post about this months ago, because it was quite an achievement for me that I was proud of - probably the biggest achievement of my cycling career - and also one of the most enjoyable races I've done, I felt great! I've just realised now that I forgot to do that, so here it is, my post about the Bay Crits, or more formerly, the 2014 Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic, from early January, 2014.

This was the first time I'd raced Bay Crits but I had gone along to watch stages of the race in previous years. The main race usually attracts a number of pro-tour professionals, as well as a bunch of continental team racers, so it's always competitive and exciting to watch. It's billed as the fastest criterium series in the world! You can see some media coverage from this years race here, here and here.

I was racing in the Individual Support Race for the University of Melbourne with a few team mates - Gervaise Christie and Peter Braunsteins, which was great because it meant we could drive to each stage together and help each other out in the races. I'd been out bicycle touring with two of my sisters the previous week - we rode from Wangaratta to Lilydale, so I was hopeful that that would make for some good preparation for the race. This seemed to be the case.

Stage 1: Ritchie Boulevard, Geelong
Stage 1 was held at Ritchie Boulevard, a short hot-dog circuit with a 300 metre straight on each side and a 180 degree turn at each end. I'd never previously lost a hot-dog crit before, which is less impressive than it sounds when I mention I've only raced one hot-dog crit before: a St Kilda Cycling Club B-Grade crit in Port Melbourne.

Anyway, the race got underway with 34 starters, and I found myself positioned quite poorly towards the back. The pace was hard from the start as everyone was vying for a position near the front, and a few riders tried to escape off the front. I was accelerating hard out of each corner and trying to make up a few places each lap. About 15 minutes into the race, I was placed about mid-field and was feeling good and settling in after the intense first 10 minutes. There was a lull in pace after a break was caught. I figured this was a good time to try my luck off the front, rather than being part of the concertina effect every lap and vying for a good position. So I attacked, just as we crossed the start-finish line halfway along the straight. Nobody reacted, and I quickly had a gap. I wasn't sure I could maintain the break on my own, but I continued riding hard and it wasn't too long before I had a gap of about half a lap on the field, where it then stabilised. A few riders back in the bunch attacked and tried unsuccessfully to bridge across.

I was quite enjoying myself out there, with plenty of attention and encouragement from the spectators and commentary from Matthew Keenan. Being a confident cornerer, I was able to take the corners faster than I could have in the bunch, and it seemed like I wasn't using any more energy out on my own than I was when I was in the bunch. Still, I was surprised I was still holding a gap of half a lap (with each lap taking around 53 seconds). That gap started reducing towards the end of the race as I tired, down to around 20 seconds. Eventually the "three laps to go" call was given, and it wasn't until then that I believed I would actually win the race. I knew the only thing that could stop me was a crash on one of the corners. Thankfully I avoided this and crossed the line to win the race by 19 seconds. I was rapt!

Me winning stage 1 of the 2014 Bay Crits Inidividual Support race.

A photo that Gervaise took and posted on Facebook with the caption: "Ned wins a bay crit. Didn't want to spray the champagne as that would be a waste."

Stage 1 course of the 2014 Bay Crits at Ritchie Boulevard, Geelong.

Link to ride on Strava.

Stage 2: Eastern Park, Geelong
Stage 2 was also held near the previous days stage, in Eastern Park, so it was another drive to Geelong for Gervaise, Peter and I. Today's field was larger with 46 starters. I was wearing the yellow jersey after winning stage 1 so I figured I should play it safe and not get too excited and burn all my matches. Yet I still found myself out in a break in the early part of the race with a few Target-Trek guys. The break may well have stuck except that I didn't do any work for it, and we slowly drifted back to the bunch after a few laps of the 1.8 km course. In hindsight I felt this was a missed opportunity.

The rest of the race felt pretty slow and easy, and came to a bunch sprint for the finish. I tried to get away early on the uphill section before the finishing straight, but there were a few guys on my wheel and I was passed by four of them before the finishing line, to finish in 5th place. Peter finished right beside me, and even had to ease off his sprint slightly to avoid displacing me back to 6th place.

The race was won by Dominik Dudkiewicz who I knew to be a strong rider with a powerful sprint. Dom had finished in 8th place on stage 1, so that meant I was still leading the general classification on 18 points, with Dom in second on 15 points. I'd be wearing yellow again for stage 3.

The start of stage 2 for the 2014 Bay Crits Individual Support race.

Stage 3 course for the 2014 Bay Crits in Eastern Park, Geelong.

Link to ride on Strava.

Stage 3: The Esplanade, Portarlington
Stage 3 was held further around the bay, in Portarlington. It was a difficult 1.3 km circuit on paper, with a sharp left-hand hairpin turn at the bottom of a hill before a steep incline up to the main street of Portarlington. It would be a good stage for a break-away to succeed. Peter Braunsteins' brother (and a friend of mine from university) Daniel Braunsteins had entered the race for Stage 3 and Stage 4 (held on Saturday and Sunday).

Daniel is a former Under 23 National Criterium Champion and I knew he'd be going on the attack. So once the race was underway, I stuck myself to his wheel. Sure enough, Daniel attacked half way around the second lap, and I thought I was ready to follow but he dexterously weaved through a few small gaps in the peloton to escape off the front, gaps were too fleeting for me to pass through. By the time I'd gotten to the front, it was too late. Daniel was up the road with another two guys: Chris Hamilton and Michael Hale.

Not much changed from this situation for the rest of the race, except that the break got further ahead, and Chris Hamilton rode away from his two break-away companions. I was back in the peloton, finding the pace pretty easy. With a few laps to go, I made sure I was near the front, and carefully watching Dom, because if he finished more than a few places ahead of me, he'd most likely take the over-all lead.

I came through the final corner in an ideal position, a few riders from the front, and sprinted as best I could, but was overtaken by a few other guys, including Dom who won the sprint to finish in 4th position, behind the three break-away riders, while I finished in 7th position. This meant that Dom and I were equal on points (22 points each) for the general classification, but Dom was given the lead on a count-back and awarded the yellow jersey. This would make for an exciting final stage of racing tomorrow!

Peter Braunsteins leading out stage 3 of the 2014 Bay Crits Individual Support Race. 

The final corner of the Portarlington circuit for stage 3 of the 2014 Bay Crits Individual Support race. (Photo by Matt de Neef)

Stage 3 course for the 2014 Bay Crits in Portarlington.

Link to ride on Strava.

Stage 4: Nelson Street, Williamstown
Stage 4 was held in Williamstown, which meant Gervaise, Peter and I could ride down to the race instead of driving.
Today's objective was simple: all I had to do was finish in the top 10, and at least one position ahead of Dominik Dudkiewicz, and I would win the overall race (general classification). Knowing Dom's caliber as a sprinter, and my own short-comings as a sprinter but strength as a break-away rider, it was obvious the best strategy was to try and attack and form a break.

The race started, with Peter taking the lead for the first lap, and me following on his wheel. It was quite gratifying having having Matthew Keenan and Phil Liggett (of Tour de France fame) doing the commentary for our race, and the fencing lined with spectators for the short 0.9 km circuit.

Matthew Keenan and Phil Liggett doing the commentary for stage 4 of the 2014 Bay Crits.

Coming into the second lap, Peter was still on the front, followed by Dom and then myself. Through the left-hand-turn around the round-about, I noticed Dom was taking the corner very cautiously and had left a gap behind Peter. He took the corner wide so I took the opportunity to come through on the inside and accelerate for an attack. I was quickly joined by another three guys, Chris Hamilton, Daniel Braunsteins and James Henry. Chris and Daniel were both in yesterdays break and obviously keen to do the same again today. Dom appeared not to be able to bridge across, and we had a gap! So I was in an excellent position, out in a break with three strong riders - all I had to do was stay with them and maintain that break until the end of the race.

Peter Braunsteins, Dominik Dudkiewicz and Ned Powell leading the race into the second lap for stage 4 of the 2014 Bay Crits Individual Support race.

Dominik Dudkiewicz coming through the tight first corner in Stage 4 at the 2014 Bay Crits Individual Support race.

L-R: Daniel Braunsteins, Ned Powell, Chris Hamilton and James Henry out in the break during the 2014 Bay Crits Individual Support race.

L-R: Ned Powell, Daniel Braunsteins, Chris Hamilton and James Henry out in the break during the 2014 Bay Crits Individual Support race.

Everything went well, with all four of us working to maintain the break. We steadily increased our gap on the main field, and lapped the field in the second half of the race. James appeared to be struggling more than the rest of us but was still managing to hang on, while Chris appeared to be the strongest and started trying a few attacks as the race progressed. After following Chris in one of these sustained but not explosive attacks, James unfortunately clipped my wheel and went down, almost taking Daniel with him.

So then there were three of us. We kept switching turns, and Chris kept throwing in attacks, with Daniel and I doggedly chasing down and following them. Chris was inflicting a great deal of pain on us though, and eventually the elastic between us snapped - Chris attacked again and neither Daniel nor I could follow so Chris escaped off the front on his own.

Daniel and I continued working together for the last part of the race, until the last lap which I led Daniel through and we sprinted off for second place, with Daniel narrowly taking it on the line. We were 11 seconds down on our break-away companion, Chris Hamilton, and a very comfortable 42 seconds ahead of the greatly reduced main field (there were only 15 finishers of the 40 starters). I was very happy with the result, with another podium finish for the stage and winning the overall general classification! You can see the results here.

L-R: Ned Powell and Daniel Braunsteins finishing in third and second place respectively in Stage 4 of the 2014 Bay Crits Individual Support race.

Stage 4 course of the 2014 Bay Crits at Nelson Street, Williamstown.

Link to ride on Strava.

L-R: Daniel Braunsteins, Chris Hamilton and Ned Powell on the podium for stage 4 of the 2014 Bay Crits Individual Support race.

L-R: Dominik Dudkiewicz (2nd), Ned Powell (1st) and Chris Hamilton (3rd) on the podium for the general classification of the 2014 Bay Crits Individual Support race. I've classily got my eyes closed.

Ned Powell spraying Dominik Dudkiewicz with champaigne at the 2014 Bay Crits Individual Support race. That would have stung!

I was chuffed to be asked to sign an autograph for a young bloke who was collecting autographs from the winners of each of the races. 

Thanks a lot to Gervaise Christie and Peter Braunsteins for the company, racing support and driving out to each stage! Also thanks to Melbourne University Sport for sponsoring us, and the race organisers for a well-run race!