I've always been able to gaffer-tape the timing loop to the tarmac on this Gidge course, but not today—too damp after the overnight rain. Still, the conditions for riding weren't too bad—a very brief shower for the last couple of finishers and plenty of sunny periods. But there were a couple of slippery corners and Stuart Murray managed to come to grief on one of them, which made a bit of a mess of his time but, fortunately, not himself, and he completed the course but not with the PB that was looking a certainty at the time. Adelia lost even more time on her first lap when she overshot the turn into the Stoneville big-dipper. And first-timer, Andrei Navalov, somewhat unsure of the local geography or just eager to hand back his number, did a brief excursion through the carpark before crossing the finish line. It added a minute or so to his time and a few places on the rankings but provides a great opportunity for a big PB when he returns for Hilly 5 in February.

First man off, Mathew Connan, has finished his final school exams and was on a high inensity return-to-training-day. He flew through his two laps with a 1min+ PB but didn't hang around to savour the accomplishment because he headed off to the Rockingham crit. He would have needed to wait for the final few finishers to see his ranking slip, but only by one spot, when Stu Helm powered home. Not too far down the list, Steff VanA had to give 'best' to Rachael Wales today but not by much, and both of them posted PBs. Kerina Puttman added another PB to her growing collection: this one almost 3min. Colin Rose was back to collect yet another #1 Standards ranking.

When Rick Churchill fronted up to the start line just before 8:15, he reckoned it was time for an afternoon kip. He and Kim VanA had been busy since 5:30 signing the course, made an order of magnitude more difficult this time by MRWA insistence that we reduce the speed limit down the Toodyay Rd section of the course—not a great distance but a lot of extra signage to put in place; and collect again at the end of the event. Big thanks, fellas. Simone Wright was the person greeting people as they 'signed on'; while Lorraine was back again in the Starter's chair; Dave Nangle and Iain MacLennan controlled the entrance of riders onto Toodyay Rd, while further around the course, John Andrews and Joe Grasso looked after the intersections either end of the Anketell-Mildura Rd segment of the circuit.

It all seemed a good start to another Hilly series.