Across The Pond

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find
the ways in which you yourself have altered." - Nelson Mandela

I came across this quote last night and thought it was fitting was pretty fitting. The place for me that remains unchanged is my home town of Paterson. Paterson is located in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia and has the population of about 400 people. It's been great to return and reflect on my first 4 months of living in the USA and realise how much I did and saw. But enough with that. It's been a pretty hectic two weeks since leaving freezing St.Louis to arriving in sunny Sydney. Training hasn't been going as well as I would have liked which is probably not a good thing going into "the worlds hardest crit series" (Bay Crits) but I'm looking forward to two weeks solid training and racing in Victoria.

My bike getting all arty at "rolla door"

As it is summer down here in the southern hemisphere there is plenty of racing and it has been a chance to blow some cobwebs out before Bay Crits. I have raced on the velodrome in Newcastle twice and had a Saturday morning training session on it as well and also managed to finish the Sunday morning crit as well. It's been good to train out in the country again with plenty of decent roads and solid climbs all around me here. I forgot how bad the drivers are here but was quickly reminded on my first ride when I was run off the road by a truck and almost cleaned up by a few cars. Unbelievable.

Ahh the traffic...

Every ride I have tried to stop at a different cafe for coffee but I keep finding my way back to a place called "rolla door" which is on Beaumont Street in Newcastle. I was introduced to this place by Paddy and Pauly and is deadset the best coffee I have ever had.

Best coffee ever!

Christmas was spent with the fam enjoying good food and wine and boxing day (the day after Christmas for the Americans) was enjoyed at the Avondale Classic. The Avondale Classic is 3km run around "Beautiful Broadmedow" Race Track and was put on by Jess Kilmurray and her boyfriend Pete as challenge to family and friends. The idea is that the following year the competitor should beat their previous years time. The morning was a lot of fun with Pete taking out the run in a time of 10.09 which will be certainly hard to beat next year, but with many of the competitors talking up training hard for next year, who knows. Can I just point out that Pete is an absolute animal, he is definitely the most all round fittest bloke I have ever met, Squirt Qwigley (Kurt Gidley) has nothing on Pete. After the race Paddy brewed up some killer caffeine and Pete and his bro Maxy cooked some huge bacon and egg rolls which we consumed as we watched all the feral/westies/tradies trudge drunkenly to annual Newcastle Boxing Day races.

Pete about to receive the first annual Avondale Classic Cup.

Pete taking the "perfect meal" down the hatch

This afternoon I head down to Sydney on the first leg of the trip to Melbourne for New Years and Bay Crits, hopefully I will be able to give you another update when I get down there.

Until next time, take care everyone!
Laters, Chev.

Photo from the archive: View from the top paddock. look at all those bergs!