Tuesday, November 22, 2011
A big weekend for Swell-Redshift
With every rider on the team making the podium in their respective category it has been a huge weekend for the Swell-Redshift team and for me it was a dream come true to win my first National Round as well the inaugural MTBA All mountain Cup.
The racing started with the XCO event which was also a UCI C2. The start straight was quite narrow and the first climb came very quickly so it wasn't too hard to defend a good position from the front row. Sid Taberlay set the pace early and the result was the formation of a lead group of four containing him, Josh Carlson, Peter Hatton and I. After one lap Josh stopped for a wheel change was forced to chase. Then on lap 3 Hatto simultaneously flatted both tyres and was out of the race, leaving Sid and I to duke it out (and hold off Josh who was still chasing). Sid didn't seem to want to ride on the front so I set the pace for the rest of the race. I was a bit nervous that he was doing it easy and just waiting to attack me, but after making the mistake of letting Cooper back into the race in similar circumstances a week earlier I was not going to make that mistake again with Josh....a guaranteed 2nd is better than 3rd! Every bit of fire road felt like it had a headwind and I was increasingly nervous that Sid was stitching me up. It is hard to back yourself when you are racing someone like Sid who has the experience of racing 11 world championships and an Olympic games. I just tried to ride the fire roads steady to minimise his advantage and ride the downhills smooth but was careful to not make mistakes. At the bottom of the course at the end of the 4th lap I heard him drop his chain so I increased the pace to make him chase. He eventually caught me before the top of the hill and I felt better knowing that he had just had to work harder than me, but I was still convinced that he was stronger and unsure as to how I would ever shake him. Coming onto the main climb for the last lap I was too scared to attack early as I was a bit tired and felt the first small twinges of cramp so I just waited and anticipated the move from Sid, it never came. As we neared the top of the climb for the last time we were still together and I had nothing to lose from trying an attack so I gave it everything in the final 50m before the summit. To my surprise I got a gap! I took some risks on the descent and pushed as hard as possible on the pedals up the few little climbs that remained. By the time I got to the A-klein rock garden I could no longer see him behind so I rode the remained of the descent conservatively and saved the last of my energy for the last climb to the finish line. In the last kilometre I think I looked over my shoulder about 50 times, every time Sid was nowhere to be seen. I couldn't believe it, I had finally won my first national XC round. Sid came in soon after me, followed by Carlso who had chased alone for 5 laps, Hendo was 4th and then my team mate Nick Both in 5th! Well done mate. To top it all off, Cam was 4th in u/23 and Rosie was 4th in elite women making it a terrific day for the Swell-Redshift team.
Despite being a big race in its own right, the XCO was the first of the 3 stages that make up the new All Mountain Cup race format, so Sunday saw us all once again back at the Goat Fram for Eliminator and a Super D stages to determine an overall general classification for the weekend of racing. With a lead from the previous day, it was important that I did not make any mistakes so I raced fairly conservatively and didn't take too many risks. The eliminator was heaps of fun on a track full of jumps and berms and I made it through to the final, but after a bad start I shut it down and came in 4th behind Hatto in 3rd, Hendo in 2nd and Josh who was just taking the piss in 1st. In the afternoon it was on to the super D, a gnarly 4 minute (mostly) downhill time trial. I was a bit scared of the big double half way down because I had a near death OTB experience there in practice so I started conservatively hoping that I would relax and ride into it. Once I had brake checked and rolled slowly though the double I relaxed and started to have fun again. The closer I got to the finish, the more likely I could still win the overall stage race if I flatted so I got quicker and quicker. In the end I posted the 5th fastest time, which I was really happy with but it was Josh Carlson who once again displayed his dominance of anything that involves skills who took the stage. Cam and Rosie were both 2nd in u/23 and and Elite women respectively, neither far from winning the stage and another couple of great results for the team.
I'm still coming to terms with my win. I know it isn't the Tour de France, but I have been trying to win one of these since I was a sub-junior in 1995...that's a long time ago. I'm very happy that it all came together for me on one day and I didn't do anything to stuff it up! I have to say a massive thanks to Anton and Col from Swell Design Group who believed in me and have been such great supporters of our team. Also to Felt, Sram, Maxxis, 2XU and FRM for my bike and kit that never miss a beat. And of course team manager Paul, coach Clarkey, Mark for feeding me and Perth support crew of the Kennedys and Bennets!
I normally finish my race reports with what is coming up next but it's hard to think ahead right now, I'll probably be thinking about last weekend for a few more days. Happy riding.
Photos by Jose Gracia and Russ Baker.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Highland Fling
Before (R-L Jenny Fay, Ronan, Me) |
During |
A close finish |
After |
Swell Redshift at "the dash" - Nick was absent because he had to "take care of business" ;) |
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Briars Highland Fling preview
Monday, October 31, 2011
Cape to Cape MTB
Nick's little friend at Margaret River |
The Felt Nine with Sram XX - the perfect bike for the Cape to Cape |
A photo from a little while back at Rocky Trail GP4 at Stromlo |
A moment with Mike "the man" Tomolaris |
I certainly left my first Cape to Cape with some very fond memories; good company, scenery, wine and food, new & old friends, fast & fun racing and a lot of laughs. Thanks heaps to the Bennets, the Kennedys, the Aubreys and my Swell-Redshift team mate Bosch, for all the support and good times. I can't wait to get back over to WA for the National Series opener in November.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Scott 24hr
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The snow is melting and the MTB pre-season continues
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
NSW State XC Champs - Nowra
A good fun day out in the forest and with the fitness slowly starting to return I've definitely got the stoke back for mountain biking. What's next? Tathra?
Monday, August 22, 2011
Back from the wilderness
Having been racing a riding pretty solidly for the past 3 years, I felt that in 2011 I deserved a rest from structured training and racing bikes. It turns out that it was also a break from blogging!
Finishing the season with a win in the Red Centre Enduro stage race at Alice Springs was the perfect way to transition into my break and I did so with contentment, satisfaction and relief. Since then I have been catching up on my life. I did a fair bit of skiing, including a few back country trips and a brief jaunt over the the NZ club field of Craigieburn for a life changing long weekend of skiing steep narrow gullies. I have also got into racing cyclocross, something that has been on my list of things to do since I first my first taste of frites & mayonnaise. The trouble is that cross is quite an intense sport, so trying to do it on the break means that it is rather punishing. Still fun though, and the crew at Dirtydeeds in Melbourne certainly put on a good show.
The past month or more I have started rolling around again and getting into Anytime Fitness to build a bit of leg strength. I have a new bike too....the new Felt Edict Limited. Getting back on a dually again is a bit crazy after 3 years a hardtails. The Edict is like my bad conscience whispering in my ear, it encourages reckless abandon on descents and says: "get off the brakes you pussy, I want to go faster". The result was some fun riding, culminating with a big crash and the subsequent removal of a large portion of the skin from my face. Lucky I am a bit of a goldfish.
So I am now super motivated to get back on the bike properly. With the Dwellingup 100 in Perth only a few weeks away I am anticipating a bit of a shock to the system. But with a race calendar that includes the Highland Fling, Scott 24hr, Cape to Cape, the new look National Series, Oceanias in Rotorvegas and Wildside I have plenty to look forward to and don't feel any rush to regain my form too quickly.
Happy riding (and enjoying whatever snow is left!)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Marathon National Championships - Mt Joyce QLD
The race format was 3 laps of a 19km circuit and not knowing what we were in for meant that the pace on the first lap was fairly controlled. After smashing through about 5 kms of bumpy grass we hit the first single track section which must have gone for about 15kms! I was in 2nd wheel following AJ and there was a train of about a dozen of Australia’s best riders in toe. It felt like a training ride out with friends, we were hitting totally unseen drops, doubles & berms (including one massive timber one!)…bloody good fun. We emerged from the single track with smiles on our faces and hit a gravel fireroad which soon pitched up hill and reminded us that it was a race. It wasn’t too steep at first and then we turned a hairpin and saw the first ramp in front of us. It was probably 20% (?!?), anyway, steep enough for me to wish I had a 36T cassette instead of the 32. Peter Hatton showed his first card and hit the front, setting the pace up the hill. There were 3 or 4 more hairpins, each revealing yet another steep pinch and prompting me to wonder if I could continue Hatto’s tempo much longer. Hatto and I crested the hill together but Gordo, Mather, Cooper and Lewi weren’t far behind us, with the rest of the group not too far behind. After the day’s first little test, the pace eased off a bit and the group came back together again. 5kms of fast fireroad and some more bumpy grass later we return to the start/finish in a group of 11; all the favourites still there and everyone somewhat wiser after the reconnaissance lap. Back onto the bumpy grass and the race seemed to stall as no one wanted to sit on the front. I took the opportunity to eat and drink plenty in what was clearly going to be the “calm before the storm” and the last chance for my tummy to see some solid food. Approaching the singletrack AJ and I were at the front and then Trek team mates, Hatto and Cooper sprinted around us and it was game on! Hatto slipped clear and the pressure that he applied, right at the time we started catching the back markers of the ½ marathon, incited panic in the group and blew the race apart. When we emerged from the single track Hatto still had a slight lead over Mather and I, with the rest of the race seemingly in tatters. Knowing how strong Hatto is, and the form that he had at the Cape Epic, I decided to try and bridge across to him, so at the bottom of the big climb I stepped on it. I couldn’t close the gap on the climb but pushed over the top and joined him at the bottom of the descent. I told Hatto that the race was in pieces behind us and we agreed to work together. Despite this agreement, Hatto didn’t work so I rode on the front for about 10kms, but starting to worry that he would pump me on the next climb I gradually backed off the tempo. It wasn’t until Mather had bridged across to us and the pace lifted again that I realised Hatto was actually just getting tired, so with word getting to us that English was chasing, I went off the front on my own. By this stage I was getting pretty tired myself and starting to cramp. I just tried to keep a solid tempo and hoped that I could get the to big climb first. Unfortunately Jason caught me and attacked with about 15kms to go, and I had no response. All I could do was to maintain my tempo and hope that he had a problem. With the cramps getting worse, the main climb was a real punish. I struggled to turn over the 28-32, but with a bit of a grimace and a few audible grunts I eventually got over the top. I had been looking forward to the last descent, but my body was glad for it to be over and on to the relatively smooth fire road run-in to the finish. I crossed the line pretty smashed for 2nd place, happy with the result, pleased with the race that I rode, but having podiumed at a national champs there were the inevitable “what ifs” running around my head. The 6 weeks has been pretty tough with injury and illness, so most of all I am relieved that I was able to put together a good ride and get a bit of confidence back. I am looking forward to the Canberra tour in 2 weeks!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
GoPro Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS3wEdXIvfM
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Oceania Championships - Shepparton
With its generally physical nature, treacherous "waterfall" section and some pretty fine and fast off camber corners, the Shepparton XC track was a far from ideal re-introduction to mountain biking after my dislocated shoulder. But after a good strapping job from my buddy Anne-Marie on Thursday morning, I gingerly headed out on the course with my Swell-Redshift team mates, Nick and Cam, for a few practice laps. I was pretty timid to say the least, but managed to get around the course without major incident.....that was, until we got to the "waterfall". I had been dreading this moment. This is a pretty scary section at the best of times, but with my constant fear of crashing and dislocating my shoulder again I was very nervous. We stopped to check it out and it looked tough; no really easy way to get down it, even walking it looked bloody hard! I took a couple of run-ins to it and balked at the top, not good for the confidence. I had another go and cleared it, then to prove to myself that it wasn't a fluke I tried again. This time I lost my front wheel at the top and had to leap over my bike, landing on my feet at the bottom. Quick check of the shoulder...ok, quick check of the knicks.......probably should change into a fresh pair for the next lap. :(
Despite the disrupted preparation, race day came and it felt like business as usual. Pre-roll, toast & coffee, drive to the track, transponder pick-up, warm up, staging, 15 seconds....bang. With a short start straight it was relatively easy to defend a good position from the front row. I hit the first single track in 4th wheel with only Blood, Macca and Aido ahead of me, exactly where I wanted to be. Being slightly concerned about the imminent technical sections of the course, I was reluctant to drive over the top of the climb and I was passed by Mike Northcott from NZ. On the lead-in to the waterfall, I was getting bounced around a bit and struggling to hit all the good lines. I had a close call on a tricky little rock section and nearly fell off the side of the little goat track. Arriving at the waterfall I had no idea what was going to happen, but fortunately my instinct took over and I rode it ok. Sid motored past me later in the lap, but I held on to 6th place for a couple more loops while being shadowed by Carlso. I was trying to relax but still felt quite tense and felt like a bit of a passenger on my bike. Then coming in to the finish of lap three, a lapse of concentration and I crashed hard on a fast right hand grassy corner. Luckily it was my good side and I wasn’t hurt, it was also fortunate that Josh didn’t run me over, but I was now back to 7th. The rest of the race was a bit of a blur. I was suffering on the climbs trying to hold of AJ and Carl Jones (NZ national champ) and fighting to steer my bike around the technical and rocky course. AJ got me with 2 laps to go but I past him again at the waterfall. He hit me again with one lap to go and I tried my best to limit my losses but it wasn’t enough and I finished up 8th.
In the end Blood got a well deserved win followed by Sid (who incidentally also competed with a recently dislocated shoulder) and Mike Northcott of NZ. Nick continued his solid form with a 12th place and Cameron showed more improvement from illness with 6th in the U23s.
Thanks to all the sponsors, especially Jason from 2XU who made the trip up from Melbourne to watch. the race. Cheers for all the support! And a big thanks to my physio Robyn Armstrong for helping to get me to the start line and to Anne-Marie for the massage and strapping that got me to the finish in one piece.