A Pyrrhic victory

A Pyrrhic victory is one that comes at great cost to the victor. Let me explain.
This morning was the monthly Begian Beer Cafe Cycling Club brecky. A must not miss ludicrously cheap breakfast and social get together for the very very elite of Melbourne cycling. Afterwords I had to go and help a mate move....a sad story that certainly should not be related here, and a tough second half to the day. But the morning promised to be fun.

So up at some silly hour before dawn. It was pouring.. seriously teeming down. I changed.... gulped down a coffee and set off. Soaked in meters. Ahhh well. On to Whitehorse road. where in Box Hill after a short chase I caught another cyclist. We looked at each other.. both wearing spray jackets, his red.. mine yellow.. both with faces streaming with water. I said "morning", he replied "lovely morning" "Mmmmm bit damp" I said, and we splashed off in our different directions. Turning up through.Burnley for the 3rd month in a row the same fool in the dirty unpainted aluminium riveted body 8 ton van brushed past within inches. This time however I saw where the tu$% parked outside Burnley Golf club. Heheheheheh

It stopped raining in South Yarra. Met up with the motley crew at the BBC and we set off for the traditional pre waffles ride to Black Rock and back. Trying to organise a peleton but honestly its like herding ducks. Me Sally, Brice, Dale Katrina and Thorie did our best to set a good example up the front. I managed a mild dig off the front at the Black Rock but was beaten in style by Baudman. Meh. Amble back somehow again on the front. Chatting to various acquaintances, admiring the female joggers.. especially the HAF exhibitionist in the halter top. By the time we got to St Kilda only 5 or so of us were left. In spite of our best effort. Be patient, I am getting there.

Pootle down Barkly st marvelling at the lack of skill of the average car driver, and then the big dig for the days remaining glory. KIng of the Mountain of Barkly st Hill. Big dig... look back.. no one close. Baudman 100 metres back and everyone else not even that close. Across the line. Win. Glory. Roll to a stop at the lights. THen Baudman and a couple of others.
And a car in the other lane. Apparently had been driving beside the others yelling "Allez Allez" out the window.

And he says out the window to Baudman. "What happened? You let the old bloke beat you"

Sigh.