Sunday 15th Feb 2009 saw the biggest field ever assemble for the second running of the Freo Gift. The handicapper (your scribe) had left the announcement late to stop the inevitable complaints of lack of fitness, illness etc by Coglioni hoping for a better handicap. Despite the short notice 11 riders showed up and assembled in the carpark opposite the Raffles after a leisurely ride from the Narrows. Conditions were extremely humid for Perth, with a light but generally unfavourable wind. A revised starting order was then announced, with 30 second gaps between riders. If Bif had turned up it would have been 40 seconds, just to try and hold him out! Starters were:

Roland (Go) Unknown quantity
Ted (30) Recent winner of Kalamunda Christmas handicap - very competitive
Sicknote (60) Just recovered from a cold, does not like pain
Digger (90) Limited preparation after another broken thumb
Crash (120) Form rider showing rapid improvement
Stuey (150) Dark horse, well handicapped
Blinder (180) Second in recent Kalamunda handicap, always a danger
Babel (210) Coming back from a long spell, but formidable reputation
Spunker (240) Strong, good recent form
Paddles (270) Very strong lately, but prefers team sports
O’Dirty (300) Last years winner. Best time trialler in the field.

O’Dirty, being the back marker kindly acted as starter, and somewhere around 8am (western summer time) Roland was away. At the front of the course, before Stock Rd, Ted was pretty sure he’d catch Roland quickly, but Roland had attached himself to a fairly quick group of riders and Ted wasn’t gaining. In fact, Ted finally caught Roland after turning off Preston Pt Rd.

Crash lived up to his name and nearly hit a scooter, and did collide with a Swallow, which after resting a while in Crash’s midriff decided it had roosted in better spots, and flew off.

I did see both Ted and Roland on Stock Rd hill, where for a brief while Roland, Ted, Crash, myself, Sicknote and Stuey were all on the slope together. Ted looked back and saw no one, a benefit of poor eyesight which probably saved him from giving up. Sicknote was pleased when caught by Crash at the base of Stock Rd, saying “Now that I can’t win, at least I don’t have to kill myself anymore”. By the top of the hill, the order was Roland, Ted, Crash, Stuey, myself and Sicknote, with Spunker rapidly gaining. By Preston Pt Rd, Stuey and Crash were working together, and Spunker had flown past me. Despite the usual wrong way round the roundabout trick I could not get into Spunker’s slipstream, and doubt that I could have stayed there anyway.

Back in the field, Babel had passed Blinder, and O’Dirty had shaken Paddles from his wheel. Babel would go on to pass Sicknote and me, while O’Dirty took Blinder. Paddles and Blinder ended up together, bringing up the rear of the field. The time difference between first and last was 3:18.

Congratulations go to Ted, who fooled the handicapper again and led Roland to the finish, where Roland did the honourable thing and did not launch a last second sprint. Stuey led Crash 18 seconds adrift, with Spunker a further 15 seconds (estimated) behind. Babel and Digger were a further 15 seconds back, with another 15 seconds to O’Dirty and 10 seconds to Sicknote. Paddles and Blinder trailed a minute further back.

I must admit that I was puzzled by the performances of Paddles and Blinder. It dawned on me that Paddles had probably done his usual fairly hard Saturday ride. What never occurred to me was that Paddles, Blinder and Stuey had done their usual hard 40km via Roe Hwy to get to the start! With this knowledge, I ceased to be surprised that Paddles couldn’t help O’Dirty catch Spunker, that Blinder was looking ragged, and that Stuey had fallen agonisingly short of catching Ted and Roland.

Special mention must be made of O’Dirty for setting the fastest time of 29:20, and looking the most exhausted at the finish (at least of the people I saw finish). This was a very creditable time in the conditions.

So as always, a good effort by all. Next year’s race may be structured to favour the back markers, and also followers of the one true faith, who were notably absent from the top placings today.

Here are everyone’s places, nett times, handicap and average speeds (assuming 17km):