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Sunday, 6 Mar '05, Castle Hill Rotary Club's 10th annual "Tour de Hills Cycle Classic” from Dural Country Club – 105km or 70km

Along with Cyclops and Gentleman Wheelers, Muggaccinos has traditionally supported this annual, well managed event.

Fax ENTRY FORM by 28 Feb to 9899.4556. (Proceeds to St Gabriel's School for Hearing-Impaired Kids) for $35 fee, which provides a sit down lunch at Dural Country Club.  Or enter on day $40 which most of us do. 

Before 7am park in Dural Country Club car-park - 662a Old Northern Rd, Dural to rollout at 
7:30am for 105km route (or 8am for 70km route).  Anti-clockwise loop passing Glenorie, Cattai, Pitt Town, Oakville, Rouse Hill, Kellyville, Glenhaven, Round Corner, Annangrove and Kenthurst which finishes at Dural Country Club where a lunch and drink are provided freely to all entrants.

You may opt to bring a change of clothes for lunch in the club, 'cause after 105km going hammer 'n tong, you may be on the nose. 

Bank Teller's rap-up of  "Tour de Hawkesbury Heights, Springwood, Mitchell Pass" - 123km route map - 12 starters

Tornado, Heineken, Yamaha/Lynda 'n Navigator  set a cracker pace over the 55km opening leg to Richmond Park averaging 30.5km p/h, and a daunting 37.5km p/h over the 14.5km distance from Vimiera Road entrance to the western end of M2 - ascending 88m. 

Richard A. 'n Samurai reckoned against getting caught-up in the mass hysteria and risk burn-out later.  They were content to arrive at Richmond a few min later.  Whippet, who snagged a flat on the M2 and Navigator peeled-off returning home. 

At 10:15am the lead contingent met John aka Auckland, ToothFairy and Bank Teller at Richmond station.  They'd opted to catch the Choo Choo from Seven Hills station, following an 'easier' 25km 1st Leg ostensibly along the M2 from Nth Turra'.

After completing the initial KOM Climb from Shaws Creek bridge to Hawkesbury Heights Lookout 2.65km we took a welcomed Sag Stop overlooking a marvellous view looking back twds Sydney's West, albeit the hazy day didn't reveal much.  Thence 'twas 1.45km further up to the 2nd KOM at  'Old Stone Cottage' at crest of Hawkesbury Heights.  Another 9km along, evidenced us pull in at Old Poste Office Cafe Springwood where alas 'twasn't sunny.

After descending Mitchells Pass we visited quaint Emu Plains station, so Old-World indeed the hourly service was still a ways off, so we remounted and headed for the Big Smoke - Penrith and snagged a train to Seven Hills station at 1:17pm.  Whereupon 'twas back onto the M2 to Turra' station. 

 

Tornado averaged 27.8km p/h for the 123km journey.  ToothFairy and Scribe ave 22.4km p/h for their 91km route which included a train from Seven Hills station to Richmond.  Both were powerful glad the first bunch had burnt 'emsleves somewhat over the 55km leg to Richmond.

 

NB:  Auckland, was full of running on the final leg along the M2 prompting Heineken to drop down a gear and crank-up a notch to "restore order".  Sure John missed that helter-skelter initial leg to Richmond when the testosterone was flowing.  But perhaps a few from today mused how Auckland may be firing in another month, 'cause John took a fall 5 weeks ago, and is only recently back in full swing.

Scribe  27 Feb 2005