Team Absolut is certainly growing in numbers and strength. Who woulda thunk it? From a wacky collection of misfits into a leaner, meaner racing machine. On the road racing front, Team Absolut has had exponential growth. As one of the hard core TA roadies, I can say, we have made amazing progress, both individually and as a team. Last year, only Sandman and I would be at the road races. Starting in 2002, however, we never fielded less than four riders for every SACA road race. This year also marked an increase in competitiveness in the Sports Peloton with more teams and more buccaneers. Our favorite Opposition, the Schroder was always there with a new team, Liquid Elements. Geylang made an appearance in the Sports Cat again only for the final race of the year. At the same time, Independents like Ong Chuan Tee, made the sprints really competitive. Furthermore, this year SACA implemented a points system for the races of the entire year and that really stoked our fires as we wanted to capture the GC of our local "World Cup" series.

To be honest, TA must be one of the most PR intensive teams in Singapore. We have a damn Flash(y) website with flying images and crazy stories (mostly by yours truly) and pix of racing action. Our pictures rival even those on the SACA website. We even have car decals!!! Furthermore, this year, we got a "team" jersey. Of course, the limited jersey market meant that Geylang also adopted our jersey later in the year. We even had sponsors providing partial sponsorship. Our sponsors this year have been:

Marche

HammerGel

SINS Chocolates

Treknology Bikes 3

A private backer

While we are truly appreciative of our sponsors, we are hoping next year, we will get full sponsorship. After all, we're busy training our butts off so that your product logos can appear on podiums and in the front pack of the weekly training rides at Rodalink and Thomson.

As with every recreational racing team, members come and members go with the ebb and flow of life's tides. This year Spiderman was badly missed after he graduated and began his career in the army. He scored Absolut's first road race podium position in the NTU, and was a factor in the Sentosa race in April. However, he has had to stop riding ever since he was in the army. Last I heard, he was applying for transfer to some branch of the army where he would have more time to ride and train. Good luck and come back soon!

We also picked up quite a few temporary racers. Of note have been PocketRocket, Mongoose, Frederik and Martin Roessler. PocketRocket and Mongoose were back visiting during their summer vacation when they hooked up with TA for fun rides. PocketRocket ended up doing the Lim Chu Kang race for TA where he scored a 6th in the mass sprint. Another medal placement for TA. PocketRocket and Mongoose also brought along a "professional" tool for the LCK race - race radios. Unfortunately, we had no time to train with them and they were not put to good effect.

What can I say about our German friend, Martin? He flies. For a guy coming into Singapore for exchange studies of only a few months at NUS, he has adapted very well to the climate here. POWER should be his middle name. And for an encore, Frederik, who rides TTT on his Mountain bike!

We also picked up a former SEA games medallist (in bowling - see why TA should form a half-way house for the malcontent? we're busy converting tri-geeks and bowlers into roadies), Fangio (man, from PosterBoy to Fangster to Fangio - this guy has more names than a cat has fur). Keep your eye on this kid. He's got heart and is damn motivated (plus he has me as a training buddy so he can't go wrong there!!!)

Our regular guys like Giddyap and Porky (who is now a Flying pig) have been improving and learning even more team tactics. And of course Sandman went to the vets and scored a 3rd at the Lim Chu Kang race).

EARLY SEASON RACING

This was the period from January to May. We had two SACA races, the first at NTU and the second at Sentosa. There were also two races in neighboring Johor - a criterium and a 100km road race. TA got a third at NTU (Spiderman) and got a first at Sentosa (Lippy). TA was invisible in the Johor races as we missed the criterium entirely and the road race was a washout with only guy (dat's me!) completing the race before they stopped taking time. Something to keep in mind for next year's training - building a peak for the months of February, March and April where all the interesting races seem to be held.

MID SEASON RACING

Boy, this is the doldrums. Where only 1 race is available in June, an individual time trial. Lippy scored a third in this race and the race for the Sports GC was started in earnest. It was during this time when Lippy began to be Spidey's heir apparent in the TA Sports strategy. Constantly in the breakaway for the Rodalink and Thomson rides while burning the legs of fellow Absolutees in the Thursday Torture Train and Saturday Morning Madness (AFTER a warm up ride of 50km first!). Around this time, he was also called up to the National Team training rides and next year, he will probably be the first Asbolutee to wear Singapura colours!!! Woohoo!

LATE SEASON RACING

The final races to cement the lead in the GC was the Lim Chu Kang points race in August and the NTU race in October. The team time trial event was in September and had no effect on GC. Lim Chu Kang was an eye-opener. A big field of about 40 riders in the Sports Cat, we in TA talked and talked about how to control the race. Unfortunately, with most Asbolutees coming from a Mountain biking background, tactics were less than exemplary. Absolutees were spread all over the pack and never sufficiently concentrated enough to deliver a proper lead out train or breakaway. Well, we live and learn.

The team time trial in September was a good sign of our current form and of how much further we have to improve. We came in 7th out of 12 teams. Personally, I thought it was disappointing that we could train together only once and next year, we really have to train a lot more and a lot more seriously. Slut pride is at stake here.

The NTU race was the season finale. Lippy trailed Chuan Tee by two points in the GC and it was a matter of attacking to regain the initiative. To be honest, we went into the race with the sole intention of making the race so hard that the chaff would pop and the GC threats to Lippy would be eliminated. We were helped in our objective greatly when Chuan Tee took matters into his own hands by attacking the group on the first lap itself. With a group of 15 riders, we have 7 Absoluts, four of whom finished. Lippy came in third for the race and secured his GC win.

2002 has been a good year for a team of recreational riders in their first year of real road bike racing; capturing the sport GC and with medal placings in every event (save the Team Time Trial, which is still a sore spot with me). Personally, I've grown quite a bit in terms of tactical sense. I've also made a lot of new friends both in and out of TA and am loving the sport even more. I love the sensation of riding in a pack and listening to the huffing and puffing and the sound of the mechanicals working. I love it even more when we're in a breakaway with the pack desperately chasing down your butt. What a great sensation. What a year.