The Macdonald Shaw team gained a lot of experience in Tasmania for their first NRS race.  It was  a logistically challenging race with 4 vehicles heading over on the Spirit of Tasmania to take 14 road and TT bikes, rollers, trainers, tents, chairs and luggage.  The boys flew into Launceston on Friday, rode the TT course in the afternoon and then prepared themselves for 3 challenging stages, a individual 24km time trial and 96km road race on Saturday, followed by 116km road race on the Sunday.

Here is Munro’s report on how he raced in Stage 3.

On the 16th and 17th of April the Macdonald Shaw cycling team competed in their first NRS (national road series) cycling event and we were all feeling a little nervous.

On the Sunday we had a 115km road race with an impressive 3km climb at an average of 10% which we had to go over a total of 3 times in the race. The winds were strong (as always in Tasmania) and the day didn’t start off well with 3 of the team injured or sick but still pitched in with a nice massage from James, help at the feed stations and preparation for the race by everyone, and special thanks from Helen for forcing me to take a bottle of coke at the end.

We started the race with a number of attacks from riders making the first 20km to the base of the first climb pretty fast (averaging over 50km/hr). Then the real work came in when we started the climb and unfortunately some of the team had some mechanical difficulties. I was strong enough to get over the first climb with the front 25 or 30 riders.  Being the only team rider left, I sat in the rest of the lap to save my energy for the next 2 climbs because I knew they were going to hurt. The second time round we shed a few more riders leaving only 20 or so riders left in the bunch. Around the back of the lap I decided to make an attack but it only lasted 2 or 3km until I was brought back.

The third time over the climb everyone was hurting pretty bad.  Even the top riders were feeling it and everything started to split up on the climb.  Unfortunately I was a little too far back and had to weave through riders to try and make contact with the top 10 or so riders to hang on but I couldn’t quite get back on.  I ended up chasing for the next 25km with 8 others from the VIS, SASI, TIS, Croydon Cycles and Racing Kangaroos teams and we managed to get back on just before the final climb back up the gravel road to the finish.  Just as we got on, Alex Morgan (VIS) decided to attack and the pace picked up and I couldn’t hang on.  Luckily only 10 were in the front bunch and a lot of riders were spread out all up the road.  I managed to catch a few riders before the finish and ended up in 14th position out of the 90 + riders in the field.

Overall I think that the weekend was a success as it was our first NRS race as a team, and first NRS race ever for many riders in the team with lots of the team being first year under 19s including myself, we worked well together.

Thanks for reading.
Munro Boydell