10/02/2011.

I am delighted to inform you that after some months of communication I can now confirm that your IVCA Racing Licence and Insurance is all you need for St Johann. I have just received this confirmation from Tracy Lea, the chair of WMCF. Also, we can submit a block of entries and Tracy will help with the processing. There is something very motivational about filling in an entry form and writing a cheque. You can get them to me as soon as you like but no panic for a couple of months yet.

09/02/2012.

I've just been looking for hotel accomodation in Sankt Johann and found that everything in and around is getting booked up fast. I would suggest that those intending to travel start thinking about arrangements sooner rather than later so as not to risk not having a bed for the duration. There are very good on line search and booking facilities.

02/02/2012.

Received my entry pack from Austria yesterday. Will post some details later but check out masterswm.org where you'll find everything about The Masters Cycling Classic week of Time Trial and Road Race World Championships 29th August to 1st September 2012.

27/01/2012.
I'm somewhat overdue getting around to writing something up on my trip to the 2011World Masters in St Johann so here goes.
The seed was sown for interest in riding in Austria by John Oram back in 2010 when he took his super form of that year over there. I was following progress on the wm website looking for the results when it occurred to me to check out what was being done in my age category. I found that if I could replicate my fastest TT speed over there I could make top 30 or thereabouts. That sounded to me to be a worthwhile target and inspired me to really get stuck into my usual ergo training program right from the get go on January 1st, 2011. It went very well and by July I was in my best form for years. I was on target for a lifetime PB in a 10 TT up in Warrenpoint when a puncture ruined the day but I was certainly well motivated when August arrived.
I had booked my flights, hotel and race entry in early July to make sure I didn't get cold feet. I had decided that as I was going to be travelling alone that it was not really practical to take road and TT bikes so as to ride the RR and TT races so I focussed on just the TT as enough for my first experience of this sort of competition. I flew to Munich on Monday 20th and picked up a hire car at the airport. The drive to St Johann only took a couple of hours so as I'd been on an early flight I was in St Johann by lunch time. I checked in at my hotel at Oberndorf and after unpacking I headed into the event HQ to pay my €5.00 for a day UCI licence. I doubt the fiver went to UCI but since it would have cost 20 plus times as much to get the licence back home it was a gift. After a stroll around I went back to the hotel to put my bike together after which I pottered back into town and out onto the road where the TT started to recce the area and get in a few kilometers. In the evening I met up with Jim Sweeney for a drink in town and to arrange the next couple of days. We met up Tuesday morning and rode out to recce the full 20km TT course. I rode it twice, first time to get a look at it and then a second time to get a feel for it. With slight undulations it's overall slightly downhill to about 8 km where it starts to rise gently for about 500 metres and then kicks up into a pretty stiff climb of about 600 metres and then a slight decline to the turn at 10km. The prevailing wind is more or less helping as you meander through the valley in which the road lies. This is important to note as after the descent of the hill mentioned above it's pretty much a drag all the way home and probably with a headwind. After that we went back into the town centre HQ where we had to queue to register for the event. In the evenings each day of the week it’s carnival atmosphere in St Johann with the square jam packed with folk from all over the world.
Race day was Wednesday and, for me, a 1000 start time. I met Jim at about 0815 to ride the 10km or so from the hotel to the start and then go for a couple of warm up intervals. After that it was time to get into the queue for my start time. This felt like the championship occasion it was with the bike being tested for conformity before being allowed into the start house. Mine failed !!! My saddle was, to my amazement, too far forward as were those of several others around me. It was a case of, fix it now or no ride ! Here's where Jim was a godsend, I'd given him my bag with tools and spares etc. If Jim had not been on hand I would have been screwed. That's the first lesson to this years IVCA Racing Masters. Point of saddle has to be 50mm behind the bottom bracket centre. It’s a crazy rule as it takes no consideration for differing rider size.
With that rapidly fixed and heart rate equally rapidly pumping it was time to get up onto the start ramp. In the start house you really feel that you’re in something special. I was loving it but a bit scared of falling off the ramp as I've seen the odd pro do on the telly. Thankfully I was away cleanly and within the first 2 km was on threshold heart rate and in the zone. I was determined to ride at 93% max which for me is 145 and was holding it well until the bottom of the climb. As is my usual practice I tried to keep my cadence up and gradually shifted down the gears as the gradient took it's toll but by the crest of the hill my heart rate was up to 155 and I'm going anaerobic. The slight decline to the turn and back to the high point is a little under 2 km and it took me all of it to try to get settled back to threshold. From there all the way back to the finish I held 146 bpm which is right on the money. When I crossed the line I was totally wasted and said to my self that I could not have possibly gone one second faster. My time was 32:24. I'd hoped to do a 31 something but that was my thinking at home based on best times there.
I finished 31st which was exactly where I'd hoped and so was content with my performance. The average speed at 37kph was 1kph less than I would have liked but then I had no way of knowing back home what that hill was going to be like. Analysing the HR data since has made me feel that I went too deep on the climb and a few seconds slower over the top would possibly produce a faster recovery for the return. 340 riders over 40 rode the TT. That’s nearly three hours of starters at thirty second intervals! How would you fancy that Donal ? Riders are grouped by age categories which are in 5 year blocks, 40 – 44, 45 – 49 etc. with the ladies and older riders going first. A picnic area at the finish where coffee and cakes etc were available provided a great atmosphere and time to meet other competitors.
I am following a similar ergo trainer program this season but with what should be an interesting addition. I have simulated the profile of the course in my Tacx Ergo Trainer and can now ride the course at home. I've already had a couple of trial runs and can say that it feels just like the real thing. I will test myself on this program monthly until August. Any of you who are going to be riding the event this year are welcome to come to do it in a session on my trainer. Also if you plan to ride the TT please let me know so that we can share plans, notes and experience.
The experience of building up to and riding this event is what spurned the idea for IVCA Racing Masters which is now a reality. The new kit is designed and ordered, with a great response from IVCA members ( we may not be the fastest but we'll definitely be the best dressed ), Eddie Dunne is looking after coordinating the members interested in travelling in August and also later on in the year for the WM Track champs in Manchester. There'll be more communication about the formalities to follow on the Racing Masters section on ivca.info.
The St Johann events are run under the auspices of World Masters Cycling Federation. Those of us having expressed interest in competing will become WMCF members. I'm in contact with them and hope to have our IVCA licences accepted as part of our membership fee.
The day after the TT I rode around the road race circuit, on part of which the TT course lies. You cover the return leg of the TT in the second half of the RR lap. There are three substantial climbs on the lap, the road surface is great and the location of the course is fabulous. I have not done a nicer 40 km ride anywhere. I was amazingly well recovered from the day before, maybe something to do with the heat and the altitude, but I just got sucked into riding tempo for the 40 km and really enjoyed it. I hope I can manage to get two bikes there this year. After doing that I got back to the hotel and spent a lovely afternoon by the pool before heading out for dinner just down the road. On the Friday I had time to watch some of the Road Race finishes before driving back to Munich and flying home. The quality of the riding at the finishes was very impressive.
Undoubtedly one of the best short holidays I ever had. I hope there will be a good few of us sharing the experience in 2012.
Phil Ormrod.