OCBC Cycle 22nd Feb

Waiting for the start of the ride

And I don’t understand why they started so early. In the wee hours of 6am, I was already on the road down to the F1 Pit, cussing all the way while I tried to keep myself awake. It didn’t help that I had to cycle with that blasted LCT. Somehow, I felt better halfway thru’ as there were not much traffic and the ride was soothing to the soul. Probably at wee hours, it was quiet and there was less stress as to avoid traffic.

Met Derek & Kate at the building. Of all places, they were to stand in the crowd of thousands wearing the same OCBC Cycle jersey. And it was still dark, we really had a hard time locating them. *roll eyes* The flag off din even start at the stated 7.30am. We were being whisked out at around 8plus. Then came all the spectacular crashes. Barely 50m, a couple whose girl toppled her bike in the mid of the road and refusing to bulge despite hundreds were coming thru’. Soon after 500m, I lost track of LCT who blasted away leaving his poor girlfriend behind *humph*. So I continued on my own pace until suddenly within the first km, a girl racer hit the side barrier and fell in front of me causing a guy and me to jam break in order not to run over her. (OO) And after that, I simmered down to a slower pace feeling to ride safe than sorry. Derek & Kate caught up with me and I left Derek be the lead and I just fell back and be the last rider with Kate in between. So we started chatting as we rode along. Turning into ECP, Derek and I were just saying that the turn was a potential crash site. Just after we finish our sentence, we heard a screeching brake and wham, a guy crashed into the barrier. Woah (oO)!

All along the stretch of ECP, lotsa riders sitting down by the roadsides, some limping, some fixing their bikes and some massaging their cramped legs. Derek picked up pace and headed over 30km/hr while Kate & I hang on to the back. By then, without any breakfast, I was starting to feel slightly weak already. “Hey, how dare you make a knobby 2.1 ride at this pace. Somemore I haven’t eaten anything yet leh!!!” Derek & Kate started lecturing me: “You haven’t eaten anything and you still pace with us for the last 20km!” We stopped at 20km midpoint waterpoint where Derek handed me a very sour muslibar. Kate was downing her powergel while I was contemplating to throw the super sour bar away.

Engery revitalized, we rode thru’ the stretch of ECP back to Fort Rd with Derek drafting behind whichever biker he could tag. Somewhere around the chalet part, coming down slope, there was this guy who really cannot handle the turn, nearly rammed into me who was at the side. I had a disgust look on my face, but other then that I was quite calm (though cussing in my mind). When we entered Kallang stadium, we thot it was homeward bound but we ended up finding ourselves out of Geylang. WTH. Kate was falling back and she moved behind me to draft. Fancy drafting someone who was low in energy due to no food. -.-“

Turning from Lavendar area, we heard the distinct MC talking over the speaker. Oh yeah, now we were really homeward bound. But near the end it appeared not! We slided down to an underground and that was where a rider on his roadbike lost control and crashed into the wall! (OO) The three of us looked at him wide-eyed as we sped past….

Heading into the finish line and LCT was there standing for more than 20mins waiting for us. He got a cramped butt. Serve him right for riding with the speed of the roadies! :p

Collected our goody bags