The dawn break just after 7am, the sky was filled with orange cloud over lay on the dark blue sky background; everyone got double enjoyment from the symmetrical reflection from the sea surface of this beautiful scene that one might mistake and think you are suddenly lifted and dropped in the ancient city of Ang Kor Wat.
16 riders including two sweety newbie’s among the thorns gave the morning Sunday ritual a special touch, the electromagnetic field of different polarity attract worked wonder. All riders were at their best and ready to roll then came the team manager Willie stern instruction, “today we shall go straight to the Commando camp” said Willie, “lets do it man!” came the enthusiastic respond from some.
Coach Steven who just got his contract renewed for the season, rolled off slowly and quietly fell to the back, his powerful processor conceal under the helmet was hatching a new plan and he obviously was not agreeable with the team manager plan of going to commando camp today as he strongly believed the team fundamental was still far from desire, small hill training not doing good for them. The plan was activated.
Along the service road, speed was gearing up with Arnold and Chris pulling. Some still immersed in sweet dream of Ang Kor Wat beautiful scene, the rest sensed the tension between the two titans but no one wanted to get involved with the management of the club and just did their things, riding quietly and carefully till we reached Safra for a breather.
The cycle runway was within sight, the coach sprinted into action, shepherded all the iron horses forming 2 neat columns speeding toward Changi Village direction. The pistons motion legs pedal harder and harder to reach a constant speed of 35kmh all along without the luxury of syntactic lubricant, it had come to the danger of overheating. One third into the run way, the speed obviously was tapered off, suddenly from nowhere two CycleWorx riders dropped in-front of the peloton the commando style, took over the pulling and the rest were forced to step up the accelerator. The dreamers were now back from Ang Kor Wat and realised it was a serious matter, no more time for day dreaming.
The two Special Forces were our coach unusual arrangement of sparring partners for the team. Their massive body frame and syntactic coated piston legs ramming up high rpm, gave the rest of the riders a good sheath to ride in almost vacuumed condition. With blink of eyes, we were at the end of the run way near to the Air Show venue; the ride so far had been great with good speed and all felt the sense of achievement though legs were jellied and numbed. Next in the mind was the cold Milo Ice and hot beverage from the Changi Village coffee shop, and of course our team manager’s bananas.
The disaster was just about to strike; Coach Steven’s voice came in the air as he had just swallowed a microphone with the loudspeaker stuck to some part of his body. With the latest toy in his mouth, it was loud and clear in the air, ‘U- Turn’. The entire peloton momentarily jerked from the indigestion of the word ‘U-Turn’. Was his nice to us and happy with the performance so we were getting early release or he was thinking something more evil? Oh no the nightmare was here, the circuit training. Obviously he was unhappy with us riding under vacuum.
While grasping for air, many could not stop complaining, ‘what! no breakfast today huh!’, ‘I need my coffee…’ said what you like, there were no mercy from our no nonsense coach. We were on the way back towards Safra direction. Team manager was still on the opposite direction making sure our sweety newbies were well taken care and not left behind and got lost. How about the commando camp hill training? He wondered.
No more just sucking from the front wheel, all was on auto mode, taking terms to pull all the way to Changi Village. The coach appeared happy with his charge, we settled down for a nice cold drink to hydrate the body for the lost fluid from this first ever circuit training. By now the coach and team manager had also sorted out their differences when the team manager offered him his banana and the coach promptly offered $6 protection money covering himself and the two big guys to the team manager.
Not much surge on return trip, just that everyone was riding on their own space trying to get back as soon. However after the usual 5 minutes break at East Coast Park near Safra before heading back to Fort Road car park, the coach still with the unknown garage somewhere in the mouth make the final announcement of the week, ‘let’s go’, at this juncture no one move, time seem frozen for eternity. ‘Let go’, go where? The heart drumming experience along Coastal Road was still fresh in the mind. Disappearing act seem the best and logical way to go. Run…I mean rid hard and leave the coach behind.
Overall it was a good Sunday ride and everyone had gained good experience and if going at this rate, at no time some of us would be appearing in the coming Tour de France 2009.
Nicky Ting
Email: nickypmb@singnet.com.sg
Always believe you are not good enough hence you need continue improvement
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday Ride on 1 March 2009
After away for a while and due to personal reason (laziness!) I did not cycle with the group for some time. This morning I decided to join the morning spin starting from Fort Road, after all it was just 5 minutes away from my house. When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was how the membership have grown over the last couple of months with many new faces joined in the weekly ride (I suspect Willie must have secretly used some marketing gimmick to attract them to join). Do not deceive by these ˇnewˇ roadies, there are all old hand characterise with strong paddling power and big lung capacity like the hot balloon...
We rolled off promptly when the clock stroke at 7am, under the firm control of our super champion Coach Steven Hoo who had just scored a victory fromthe first OCBC Road Race in Singapore and today rode with a fantastic 68mm depth profile carbon wheels, the team rolled off in 2 columns. Way before the heart pump up to HR zone one near the PlayGround @ BigSplash, the speed was already hovering above 30km/hr along the East Coast Service Road. From there onward you guys know what happened, it need no further comment for the rest of the journey.
Today highlight was the professional drafting demonstrated by everyone, the 2 columns formation were somehow still intact up to Coastal Road and each took their fair share to pull the peloton all the way to Changi Village. The same phenomenon on the return trip but with more power and it seem much faster, not sure it was because of the 100 plus; coffee black with banana or everyone was rushing home. In any case it was a great ride this morning.
Something worthwhile to mention was Papa Chan who rode excellently this morning, he not only managed to hold on to the peloton throughout, at times he went even faster than some young men that put many to shame. I could only guess either he had lots of secret trainings; or got an EPO the day before or he just returned from the always exciting Shanghai night.
The ˇnewˇ+ old hand roadies like Chris and Arnold were the culprits who made the ride faster and faster, no one was complaining but everyone seem enjoyed the fast speed with strong breezed brushed across the face and I was not surprised some even day dreaming they were on the stage five TdF whileburning away the calories and lactic acid formed in the muscle.
So for the rest who still not ride regularly with the group yet, you better get on your iron horse and start spinning alongside, before you ˇsmell no smokeˇ in future when you meet us again.
Nicky Ting
Always believe you are not good enough hence you need continue improvement
We rolled off promptly when the clock stroke at 7am, under the firm control of our super champion Coach Steven Hoo who had just scored a victory fromthe first OCBC Road Race in Singapore and today rode with a fantastic 68mm depth profile carbon wheels, the team rolled off in 2 columns. Way before the heart pump up to HR zone one near the PlayGround @ BigSplash, the speed was already hovering above 30km/hr along the East Coast Service Road. From there onward you guys know what happened, it need no further comment for the rest of the journey.
Today highlight was the professional drafting demonstrated by everyone, the 2 columns formation were somehow still intact up to Coastal Road and each took their fair share to pull the peloton all the way to Changi Village. The same phenomenon on the return trip but with more power and it seem much faster, not sure it was because of the 100 plus; coffee black with banana or everyone was rushing home. In any case it was a great ride this morning.
Something worthwhile to mention was Papa Chan who rode excellently this morning, he not only managed to hold on to the peloton throughout, at times he went even faster than some young men that put many to shame. I could only guess either he had lots of secret trainings; or got an EPO the day before or he just returned from the always exciting Shanghai night.
The ˇnewˇ+ old hand roadies like Chris and Arnold were the culprits who made the ride faster and faster, no one was complaining but everyone seem enjoyed the fast speed with strong breezed brushed across the face and I was not surprised some even day dreaming they were on the stage five TdF whileburning away the calories and lactic acid formed in the muscle.
So for the rest who still not ride regularly with the group yet, you better get on your iron horse and start spinning alongside, before you ˇsmell no smokeˇ in future when you meet us again.
Nicky Ting
Always believe you are not good enough hence you need continue improvement
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