Tasman 100 April 10th

This was my first race after the Old Farts Tour.  Certainly a week of steady riding didn't really put me in great shape for full on racing.
The A grade group was very small with about 8 or 9 of us.  The pace was full on at the start with us reaching up to 50kph on the flat along Appleby.  The speed didn't really seem to drop much on our way up the hill.  Partway up Robin and Caleb took off - it would be the last that we would see them as they stayed away for the entire time.  Rob S pulled out at Upper Moutere with a problem with his wheel.  Felix sat on the back saying that he was unwell as the rest of us  lapped out.  Chris, David and Chris S pulled away on Stanley Brook.  I was boxed in on the left so missed catching on although I probably wouldn't have made it anyway.  Felix, Dean and I lapped out with one of the young Fords and Joel sitting on.  Dean and Joel dropped off on the way to Spooners and I dropped off at the base of the climb.
Cramp was starting to become a problem but I managed to make it up the hill and caught up with Jono who had started in B grade.  We rode in together.  It was certainly a wakeup call and a hard welcome back to racing.