norikura race simulation

A dress rehearsal for Norikura Skyline HC on July 13th.

Friday was a rest day. Saturday too. A day on the beach - swimming, football, beer, sunburn... A rest day?!

• The Teradomari shinkansen

A 4:15 start on Sunday. Meet Nishihiro san at 4:30. Raise the HR on the climb behind the power station. Through and off to Teradomari.

We make good time. Say goodbye to Nishihiro san here. Say good morning to Andrew at the foot of Mt. Yahiko at 5:50.

• Climb 1 - Nozomi skyline - upper tempo

This is the warm up. The pipe opener. We enjoy chatting. Slightly breathless. Around 160 HR. Shoulder to shoulder all the way.

"We should climb like this more often!"

Drop down the steep side to meet the F(t) Racing guys.

• Climb 2 - Dairo skyline - race pace (19:12)

The steepest of the 3 skylines. 10 percent all the way. 5 of us start together. Tazaki san will start from behind with a handicap. Gone are the days when we used to battle it out shoulder to shoulder from bottom to top!

Still I'm in good company. I want to see how long I can hold Oono san's wheel.

Rev the engines! 3,2,1 Go!

I lead up the first drag. 4 on my tail. Speed and cadence are high. Feeling comfortable even on steep climbs these days.

Soon Oono san comes round. Grab his wheel.

Follow the wheel. Follow the wheel. Synchronized gear changes. 180 HR / 80 cadence. A few turns on the front. Mostly behind.

Hill climbing is a mental game. Alone you think about so many different things. So many distractions. Behind someone, it's just the wheel. Just the wheel. Don't lose the wheel....

Tazaki san comes flying past through the hair pins. Dancing like Pantani. Again the mental game. "Don't even think about trying to get on my wheel!"

He settles down about 30 metres up the road. 30 metres is a long way in a hill climb.

My job is to follow the wheel. I'm right in the zone. How I'd love a wheel like this to follow at Norikura.

Raise the pace at the top. He gets a slight gap. A shake of hands.

• Climb 3 - village skyline - race pace (27:29)

The old hill climb race course. There is a chance to draft on the lower reaches.

Start with the traffic light. Red, Orange, Green, Go!

I lock onto Tazaki san's wheel. 4 riders behind me.

A big rouleur. Behind a tiny climber. Drafting? It's difficult! Still it's motivation. Follow his gear changes. Into the big ring. Into the drops. Vrooom vrooom!

The steep hairpin. About 15 percent? I lose his wheel here. Look back. Just Oono san on my wheel. "Remember Uchinada TTT last year!?" I joke... At least this is a steep climb. That was pancake flat...

I push on. Maybe we can catch him? Through the gate. The grade picks up. Oono san comes to the front to set the pace.

He flicks me through at the top of the steep section. He must be suffering?

We meet Fujita san on the way up. He joins us. I'm leading all the way. I'm concentrating on the effort. 175 plus HR. 80 cadence.

The right hairpin. The steep drag. Need to be ready here. Andrew used to jump me here in our younger years!

Look back. Oono san has gone. Just Fujita san. We share the pacing from here. He's all about power. A huge guy. We've battled it out on the track before. First time to climb together.

I think I'll jump him after the tunnel. He's thinking the same thing. Battle it out to the line.....

Great training!

Just 1 week to Norikura. This was the dress rehearsal. My climbing is good. My weight is good. The "two days rest" schedule seems to work. Looking forward to next Sunday...

Sunday's training: Road (150 km, 1,900 m climbing)