I've been home for over an hour now and the sun has finally disappeared and the ground outside is damp! It certainly wasn't like that at Champion Lakes although the wind was a bit fresh. Nevertheless, a number of riders commented on the great ride down the long back straight.

30% of the published start list didn't ride today; 20% of last night's already depleted line-up failed to show at Champion Lakes today. And yet just over a quarter of the field who did ride went home with PBs and exactly the same number (23) managed 40km/h or better! We had to double check Nick Little's times - he snuck in by just a tad (0.2sec)

Just before the start Nat Roberts was a lkittle apprehensive about using a disc wheel for the first time - there was a bit of a breeze coming across the lake - but there she is: top of the PBs table; 3min stripped from her previous and standing up there on the virtual podium for the girls for the second consecutive week. Well done, Nat! Well deserving to be on the top step of the Women's podium today though, breaking in to the 40k cohort, was U19 rider Emily McRedmond.

The first two starters today again were warming up before heading off to do a road race and, again posted PBs with Michael Storer only just holding off Brendon Meney - by less than 3sec. across the line. It was probably a bit of extra incentive for both of them today - they started in the reverse order last time so today Brendon had the job of catching young Michael and Michael the task of keep him at bay. Only one second away at the pointy end of the field was Peter Carlin 'fresh' from last week's glory in Busselton where he was fastest rider overall on the 25km course; he was fastest again on standards today and only slightly disasppointed that he didn't get home in under 27min - he was not far off though!

OK, we without bikes today were actually prepared for possible rain so it was quite cosy in the pergola with Carolyn and Terri looking after the desk and Mike Claffey again getting his hands dirty on the timing lap-top (Mike actually did have his bike with him and rode towards the end of the start list); John Ferguson was Lorraine's assistant today, lining up the starters and the empty spaces in their appropriate order; Troy signed the course then blew his whistle on the approach of riders to the bridge crossing where he marshalled before recollecting the signs, packing up and returning to family; at the exit from the course, beyond the finish line, Kate McKiernan dealt with stroppy walkers rather than well-behaved ducks (who read teh signs and stayed in the water), while at the far end of the course Sam Wolyniec did likewise. Thank you all.