A friend of Qwik Kiwi, Brett Grieve is riding in the Tour of Southland for the second time. Brett is an officer in the NZ Army based in Burnham and normally rides for PKF Cycling in the Calder Stewart Elite Cycling Series. We will be publishing a daily interview with Brett after each stage to give you an insight into ‘Life in the Peloton‘.
QK: How big a factor did Blackmount play with deciding the outcome of today’s stage?
BG: Blackmount was irrelevant surprisingly. All the GC contenders made it over together so there was no impetus to keep pushing afterward. The peloton came back together.
QK: How did the stage unfold for you and your team?
BG: Frank and I tried to get in the early break again and both got in respective moves. Nothing stuck until later, we missed the lottery again. The team rode pelo and over Blackmount Frank and I made the first group over, but it didn’t matter and all came back together shortly after. At Manapouri there was a steady westerly coming off the lake and in the cross wind splits occurred. Frank was in the front group. Rod Carpinter, Lewis Agius and I were in the second group of about 20 riders. We worked together and nearly caught the front group by the end, only losing 24 seconds so it was a good honest effort. Rod and Lewis helped me out there, as I was pretty cooked by that stage.
QK: With Coronet Peak included in tomorrow’s stage how do you envisage this stage playing out?
BG: The GC contenders will stay together, and will make sure only riders who struggle on hills or are well down in GC go in the break. It will be perhaps easier to be in the break tomorrow, but the chance of it surviving to the end is minimal.
QK: What are your tactics going into tomorrow’s stage?
BG: O35 silver jersey is still wide open with most contenders only 30 sec or so ahead of me. It’s worth conserving and seeing how well I can get up Coronet Peak. There has not been a test of climbing ability for the old men yet, so tomorrow we will find out exactly where each other are at. ?
QK: All the best for the Crown Range.
BG: Thanks Ray, I appreciate your data analysis insights too.
Brett has kindly given me access to his Training Peaks data for me to review and share my thoughts on as he progresses through the Tour. Unfortunately there is an issue with his race data from Stage 2 and I won’t be reviewing his data.
A Strava link for Brett’s ride in this stage can be found here:
https://www.strava.com/activities/762147316
Previous episodes of Life in the Peloton can be found here:
https://www.coachray.nz/2016/11/02/life-peloton-tour-southland-stage-two-interview-guy-carter/
https://www.coachray.nz/2016/10/31/life-peloton-tour-southland-stage-one-interview-michael-torckler/
https://www.coachray.nz/2016/10/31/life-peloton-tour-southland-stage-one-interview-ayden-toovey/
https://www.coachray.nz/2016/10/31/life-peloton-tour-southland-stage-one-interview-brett-grieve/
https://www.coachray.nz/2016/10/31/life-peloton-tour-southland-stage-one-interview-guy-carter/
https://www.coachray.nz/2016/10/29/qwik-view-tour-southland-pre-race-interview-brett-grieve/
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