Letting my big brother know what's happening

This from my e-mail to Peter (my big brother) sorry if it is a bit Neil focussed but Peter doesn't really know you guys.......by the way this is my first ever blog entry...I feel connected!

1. Le Race
I couldn't match the top pace going up to the Kiwi but did along with others manage to stay connected to the front of the race at the Kiwi....just not in the running for KoM points. Then was comfortable riding across Summit Road and down to Motukarara with my main 35-44 age category competition Reon Park going strong in my bunch and Chook in the chase bunch. Looking good so far. It was hot and I had water bottle people at the Kiwi and at the Hilltop (necessary support on a hot day). Our bunch did not go all out to Little River and that allowed Chook's bunch to catch us, so 30 odd riders staying out of the wind and conserving energy heading towards Cooptown. The race blew apart pretty early on the hill to the Hilltop. I was struggling as the 11th rider in the 11 strong front group who were laying it down and smashing everone else. I just could not hold on though and got spat first. Two others did too and I passed those guys before the Hilltop, still feeling good. So Hilltop in 9th place and starting to hammer Summit Road. I caught Paul Odlin (team mate and normally team leader, but we had sort of equal billing for Le Race) who saw me and allowed me to catch him . Pretty soon after we got together Hayden Godfrey and Al Crossling caught us and we four worked together until Godfrey lost contact on a hill. I could see a bunch of about 8 (Chook included) chasing us. Then there is a steep pitch and I guessed Paul was going to be in trouble so I sat on Crossling's wheel and hoped Paul would keep up. He didn't so I said to Crossling we gotta hammer it with everything we have otherwise we will get caught and off I went, Al managed to get ahead of me once before he dropped off on my next pull at the same time as we passed "The Nightrider" Nightingale from Brisbane (who had wrapped up the KoM points and the $2K that goes with it and was blown up) and from there I was solo going hard out and feeling good. I did the descent into Akaroa and crossed the line in 7th and 2nd Vet. Reon who fell off duelling with Ed Crossling on the descent came 2nd and 1st Vet. Chris Jenner was 5th and it was very cool riding with him, just to observe his pedalling style and when he moved.
2. Benchmark 8.2
130 k's around the North Canty foothills. I started with the plan to shadow Chook and Kircher and not to allow either into a break without me. The guys from LDC were doing a great job enabling me to slip into the paceline near the front whenever I needed to. After 20k's Chook jumped into a break so I bridged too and six of us were away (Me, Chook, 2 benchmark, 1 subway, 1 Hartys). We lost 1 benchmark and the hartys rider on some rollers after Chook attacked and I countered and continued with four of us. Just holding our advantage at 20 to 40 seconds for around 20 k's. Everytime Chook pulls through he comes though accelerating and stays on the front for twice as long as anyone else, he was always after me in the rotation and made it difficult for me because after my pull I would have to accelerate to catch the next wheel. After about 20 k's of that three riders were bridging across (benchmark, Joe Chapman from Hartys and Paul Odlin-LDC!). We allowed them to catch us and off we went and our gap slowly grew to a minute then two minutes, all the while Chook putting in the big fast turns and Paul doing a power of work. At around 100k we dropped one of the Benchmark riders who really wasn't contributing and then I found myself off the front within a km of a series of creek valleys and rollers that I knew were going to be a tough point of the race. So I thought I would stay away to allow Paul to rest and to try to ensure I did not expose myself to any accelerations or attacks that would cause me to loss contact. 5kms later I was through the tough stuff when I was caught. Paul had ridden second wheel that whole time while the others looked to eachother to do the work. Crossed the Ashley River at the Gorge and more small hills with attacks on each and each time I had to fight to get on after being left by the initial surges. I survived and the gap was out to 3-4 minutes with 20 km mainly down plain and down wind to go (looking good for a top 6 finish!). Last hill before Cust is Summerhill (not too high, easy grade about 1 km uphill) Paul attacks and Joe Chapman manages to get on Paul, the other three do too before the top, I am dropped but within a short easy hill and 3 km of downhill flat to the finish. Ahead Paul repeatedly attacks going finally at about 1km. Joe and Chook look at eachother until Chook jumps but Joe manages to get his wheel and they are shutting Paul down, but Chook pauses to get Joe to do something, Paul keeps going hard, Joe and Chook look at eathother, Paul, Paul, Paul, 1st!!! I roll through for 6th about a mimute behind the action and a minute in front of a chase bunch. I keep my Black jersey (26 points now, Chook got 22 for 2nd place but had nothing from the first race).