Brass Nipple 5th July

The Brass Nipple was also the 3rd race for the Winter Series.  The course now starts at Eyebright and goes:  Appleby, River Road, Wai West, Hope, 3 Bros Corner, Appleby, Coastals, Pomona, Marriages, Tasman, Harleys, Moutere, Wai West, Brightwater, Ranzau, Eyebright - its important to know where you are going as some riders found out as we got to the River Road turn off (Including the race organiser who was leading the peloton on a tandem).  

Making the most of the confusion I increased the pace slightly and soon found myself off the front with Henry - not an obvious choice of breakaway partner. 

We worked together and established a reasonable lead and were eventually joined by Max and Jono at the Mapua corner.  Keeping a up a reasonable pace we were then joined by Caleb and Hodges.  This was obviously going to be the key break.  We worked together (apart from Henry who did the usual).  At Tasman Max punctured.  Going up Harleys I found the pace a bit too high and Caleb and Hodges were surging so I dropped off.  Henry was jettisoned before the top of the hill.  I caught him at the top and figured that we had a chance of catching them again on the flat.

Unfortunately Henry got a puncture on the way down so I left him on the Moutere Highway.  A little further along the road I caught Hodges who had been dropped and said that he was going to wait for the peloton who would then catch them.  I wasn't going to hang around and carried on - the peloton hadn't caught me yet and given that I couldnt see Jono and Caleb I didn't think they were going to be caught in a hurry.  I couldnt event see the peloton behind me.  Eventually just before the start of the Moutere hill a small group of about 5 or 6 caught up with me (Hodges wasn't there and had been dropped).  I stayed with them on the hill and then tried to keep the pace high along Waimea West.  They all seemed to be playing some sort of tactical game which at that stage I didn't have time for. 

In Brightwater Felix attacked.  I waited and then bridged across and was then joined by Robin.  The 3 of us worked to distance ourselves from the rest.   I took as many turns as I could although I was feeling a bit tired now.  I did a big turn along Ranzau road.  As we turned towards Eyebright Felix took off.  Robin said that I was more deserving and sat up - so in the end I came 4th.  

Pete also did the race and it was good to see him out on the bike and to catch up with him.