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.

Highland Fling

Before (R-L Jenny Fay, Ronan, Me)

During

A close finish

After

Photos courtesy of Cyclenation

Swell Redshift at "the dash" - Nick was absent because he had to "take care of business" ;)

The Fling is over for another year and it was a typically fun weekend for myself and the Swell-Redshift team at NSW's biggest marathon.  The weekend started with the Bundanoon Dash and Swell-Redshift went into it with the goal of getting 2 men on the podium, but looking around on the start line and seeing Macca, Hendo, Codner and many other fast finishers I wondered if we had aimed too high. We had concocted a HTC-style plan to line the race out in the last few kilometres with a aim to deliver myself and Cam to the bottom of the hill at the front and force the others to come around. With about 3km to go the guys in the bunch started getting twitchy so Nick (playing the role of Tony Martin) went to the front and set a solid pace. His move was was a little earlier than we had planned, but he kept it hard enough to stop any attacks, and not so hard that he blew too early. Things were looking good with all four Swell riders at the front, although Cam was getting hustled pretty hard for my wheel. When we hit the tar it was over to Ronan Magaharan (Bernhard Eisel in the lead out train). Ronan is better known as a XC skier and has limited experience on the mountain bike, but he did his job perfectly.  I had told him that for him the finish line was the bottom of the hill, and he dug very deep to keep everyone strung out up to that point. I had heard some rubbing of tyres behind and hoped that Cam was still there in position to take advantage of my lead out. As we hit the hill it was over to me (aka Mark Renshaw).  I kicked at about 80% intensity and soon took an opportunity to look over my shoulder....but there was no Cam (aka "The Dish"). There was however a decent gap back to the 2nd rider! Having done a few of these Dashes before, I knew it was way too early to make the winning move, but I had a gap and was therefore committed so I put my head down. Right on queue I blew my doors just when the road started to level out and was soon passed by Macca. "Oh well, 2nd to an Olympian isn't bad" I thought, but as the longest 100m in the world dragged on I found reverse gear and was also passed by Mitch. 3rd isn't bad....is it?  Anyway, the race was a so much fun. Riding it like a team with a bunch of mates was awesome fun and it was great to see Nick and Ronan do their jobs perfectly. Especially Ronan, I was so stoked for him and his first pay day!  The beers we buy with our 4-way split of the 100 bucks is going to taste so good! Rosie also took out third in the women’s category.

On to the main race, the 110km Highland Fling.  The additional cash up for grabs from the Real Insurance XCM series and the presence of team mates doing the 50km certainly made an impact on the first of the three stages. Ben Mather was the first to stamp his authority on the race and took every opportunity to apply the pressure. His pace making soon paid dividends with the XCM series leader Matt Fleming becoming the first significant casualty and losing contact with the lead group. Dylan also tried a few attacks and the group was gradually getting smaller. When we got to "halfway hill" the lead group consisted of Mather, Macca, Lewi, Cooper and Marc Williams. Before the race I had thought that this was the point at which I would want to start to take control of the race, but I was suffering more than I had hoped from the earlier pace. It was once again Mather that tightened the screws and I was soon in trouble.  Macca and Mather started to roll off the front and I made the decision to ease up and just limit my losses. Marc and I crested the KOM 100m behind the two leaders but had a decent gap back to the rest of the chasers. Fortunately the two leaders eased the pace over the top and Marc and I soon got back on.  I thought that that was the critical selection as the four of us continued through "outer limits" and "wild west", but with Macca riding for Cooper and no one else in the group really happy to ride in the wind, Mather found himself with very little support on the front. Before long Cooper and Lewi were back on and we continued the easiest roll into Wingello I have ever experienced in 7 Flings.  In the final transition Marc Williams decided to take his chances solo and he left before his 5 minutes was up. The rest of us were unwilling to concede any valuable seconds and waited around looking at each other, eventually all taking over 5 minutes and rolling out together except for Cooper (not sure what he was doing?).  Once again Mather didn't have much help, but with Cooper absent he was motivated to continue his domination on the front of the group. After a few small climbs, a courageous Lewi was finally dropped. Still no sign of Cooper from behind, and Marc was still somewhere off the front.  It was a real gamble. I was starting to get tired and didn't want to expose myself too much, but I didn't want to leave it too late to get Marc or let Dylan back on. With about 15km to go we hit the undulating single track and Macca attacked us. He had been sitting on all day (riding the perfect race for Dylan, a fellow Trek rider) and it seemed inevitable that he would ride away with the win. He got a gap but before long he suffered from cramps and we passed him on the side of the track holding his legs....we were still in with a chance. I took over the pace making and continued the chase for Marc and the front of the race. He was back in sight just before the big grassy climb (~10km to go) and we backed off the pace knowing that he had left transition early and was therefore at a disadvantage compared to those of us that took the full 5 minutes. Over the top we caught Marc, and he, Mather and I threaded our way through the rocks of the final main single track.  Before we emerged on the other side Marc had been dropped and Mather and I hit the fire road thinking that the winner would be decided from the two of us.  Both of use were tired and suffering cramps. Neither of us wanted to show any sign of weakness or to throw the race away by pushing too hard, so we dawdled along, unwilling to drive the pace. In hindsight, this might have been a bad idea because it gave Dylan the chance to finish off his gutsy solo chase that had started 25km earlier in Wingello....And then we were three. The final climb up "your call" was nothing short of ridiculous.  I went to the front because I knew that I was suffering from cramps and at least wanted to control the speed to a pace  I could sustain.  I was riding straight legged, too scared to bend my seizing legs and just managed something that resembled a pedalling action by rocking my hips...very ugly.  We rolled the last fire road and I hit the final paddock and single track on the front happy to lead out a sprint that I knew was short.  Unfortunately I didn't have enough to hold of Dylan, but I crossed the line 2^nd, with Ben a few lengths back in third.  I had given it everything and knowing that I hadn't stuffed up transitions (ie, I was confident that I had taken either my full 5 minutes both times, or at least more than my rivals, meaning the maximum time would be deducted from my final time) I thought that I wouldn't be disadvantaged in the final result calculation.  However in additional to the usual Wingello transitions, this year the organisers gave each rider a slightly different start time, based on when each rider passed the timing mat on the start line. Since I started on the front row and Mather had passed it a second or so later, his overall time was calculated less than mine, so I was relegated to 3rd. Yep it's the rules and I accept that, but it is still disappointing.  Dylan and Mather both had super strong rides; Mather did more work than anyone, and Dylan showed his determination to chase back like he did and they both deserve their results.  It'll be interesting next year though if the start mat timing is used again for the elite category. I reckon there will be a Mexican stand off on the front row, as no one will want to have their time start before the others! 

In other categories there were some great results from the rest of the Swell-Redshift team. In the Half Fling Adam Cooper was 1st in singlespeed, Rosie 4th in open female and Cam 2nd in open male. Nick was 12th in the Elite full fling and Ronan "the powerhouse" Magaharan was 16th...shit yeah buddy!

Overall the 2011 Highland Fling was the hardest I have ever done and by far the most tactical. It has left me pretty drained but motivated to recover and I'm hungry to make amends with a good result this weekend at the National Series opener in Perth. It was also a success for my 8kg fully rigid Sram XX Felt Nine with no arm pump, blisters or pain due to the rigid fork - I reckon I'll run that set up again soon.  Having said that, due to the stage race format of the All Mountain Cup in Perth and the presence of a super-D stage, I will be taking my Felt Edict Limited dually over there this weekend. I can't wait! Thanks to Swell Design Group and all my other awesome sponsors.

Briars Highland Fling preview

The real insurance marathon series has created a bit of a race within a race, but the elite men's field at the 7th Briars Highland Fling is one of the strongest ever. I am personally quite excited about the race and stoked to be lining up with the stellar field that will assemble this weekend in Bundanoon. I thought it might be interesting to do a bit of a preview into the race and a brief profile on some of the riders. 

The race promises to be quite entertaining this year with some interesting elements that will add to the complexity. Not only will the XCM series make for interesting tactics, but the Fling has the unique feature of the Wingello transitions that can influence the dynamic of the race. There will also be several teams, particularly with the 110km event coinciding with the 50km Half Fling, that will have the numbers to influence the outcome of the race. Not only will the 50 be a great race in its own right between some of Australia's best XC racers (including Ben Henderson, Trenton Day, Josh Carlson, Cameron Ivory, Daniel McDonald and Kyle Ward) that will no doubt make the first stage very fast, but there might be an opportunity for Rockstar, Swell-Redshift or Anytime/Trek who have riders with aspirations to win the full fling to take advantage of their team mates early on. 

Normally the Fling is decided in the hills on the second stage, and the heat and accumulated fatigue at this point has cracked me every single year I have done this event. However, with a deeper field and the influence of teams and tactics, this year could be the first to break that mold. There is also a new climb in the last stage that is supposed to be very tough and may well prove decisive if the race is still together. There is also a brand new section of single track in the final 10km that no one has ridden, but if the leaders get there still together it will most likely come down to a sprint. 

Here is a quick run down of the main contenders in the Elite Men's Full Fling: 

Nick Both (Swell-Redshift): Nick is a very talented rider but has struggled for form since a big accident in 2010. When he is moving he is bloody hard to beat and having been on the receiving end of his ability I will never be surprised to see him on the podium in any race. 

Dylan Cooper (Trek): Dylan dominated the junior national series and champs in 1997 and since then has built a long and distinguished career primarily in the XCO discipline. A veteran of multiple World Championships with a lot of international experience including several seasons racing for Trek in Japan, "Cooper-san" is a tough racer with the ability to win big races. He is a very tough competitor and he knows how to hurt. Dylan is also lightening in the single track, probably the most rapid in the race.

James Downing (Lonsdale St Cyclery): James is a bit of a late bloomer but is certainly rapid. He was the first across the line at Capital Punishment this year, but when the transition was considered Cooper was named the winner. James has good skills but the main single track sections might come a bit early in this race for him to fully take advantage of. 

Matt Flemming (Rockstar): "Flatty Memming" is a tough racer that you can never discount. He is a specialist of the EB and has won just about every marathon in Australia....except the Fling. He currently leads the XCM series and will be super motivated to take the race this weekend to seal the overall. 

Troy Glennan (Rockstar): Troy Glennan has never won the Fling but he always makes a big impact. In 2008 he attacked in the first kilometre for his Rockstar team, which had Shaun Lewis and the rest of the field turning themselves inside out to close his down, a classy move that ultimately set up Gordo's win that year. Troy is a motor bike and regularly demonstrates his power by stringing the bunch out for kilometres on end; last year it was at the start of stage 2 when Lewi noticed English was day dreaming in Wingello and gave Troy the nod...he dropped a bomb on the field and in 5 kilometres he blew the race apart. I would bet money that he will go on the attack this year for Matt Flemming, but if he doesn't he will line out the main field at some stage for sure. Who knows, if Glennan goes down the road for Flatty, the contenders for the XCM series might be too busy looking at each other to chase and the big man might stay away. 

Brendan Johnston (Trek): Of all the competition, I am most concerned about "Trekky". He is a young racer with a huge future. Despite being diagnosed with cancer in 2009, Trekky raced the Junior worlds at Mt Stromlo that year and did himself and his country proud. It has been a long road back for Brendan and he has been riding for the Suzuki team on the road this year. The specific reason I rate Trekky so highly for the 2011 Fling is his recent 9th place at the Melbourne to Warrnambool classic; if he can close gaps in lead group that is attacking itself to pieces after 7 hours of racing, then he can win the highland fling. 

Shaun Lewis (Rockstar): No one knows how to win the Fling more than "the Wombat". Often referred to as "the fastest man in November", Shaun has won this race twice and certainly knows how to bring good form to the biggest marathon in NSW. Last year he was a day early struggled to find race winning form the day after destroying everyone in the Bundanoon Dash, but this year he is missing the Dash to focus on the main event. Lewi is part of the strongest team in the race and he is smart enough to use that to his advantage. 

Ronan Magaharan (Swell-Redshift): Ronan "the powerhouse" Magahran is a cross country skier with a huge engine that has recently turned to mountain biking. He is probably still a bit green for this year because his skills haven't quite caught up to his motor, but he will be up there for a while. Ronan is definitely a "puncheur" and the long race distance is not to his favour, but this makes him a real prospect for the win in the dash. 

Ben Mather: Ben is a "rouleur", and he has the ability and the ticker to make the race hard for everyone. He was the National Marathon Champion in 2010. He is just a super strong guy who is not scared to ride a whole marathon off the front on his own, and one of the few that has the engine to pull such a move off. Ben will also be motivated by the XCM series, but because of this he will be heavily mark by Rockstar and Trek. Having said that, nothing Ben does will surprise me. 

Daniel McConnell (Trek/Anytime): There isn't much that needs to be said about Macca other than....he went to the Olympics! Dan is the most rapid rider in the race, pure class; he is the only one that has ever been in the front group at the World Championships or a Racerbike Cup against the very best riders in the world. If he is on a good day, he will win. 

Brad McGee: This reminds me of when Phil Anderson raced the first ever Otway Odyssey. I was excited and scared that he would tear everyone's legs of. This man has worn the leader's jersey at all three grand tours and won the Olympics & Commy Games. It is true that he is retired, but who knows? At the very least, it will be an honour to line up next to a legend of Australian cycling....it would be classic to see him attack off the gun! 

Jarrad Moroni: A very accomplished mountain biker before concentrating on the road. Jarrad is a very wily bike rider that knows how to win. I am not sure if he has good form but if he is anywhere near the front at the end, he will be favourite to win a sprint. 

Matt Potter (Gu): A consistent performer in Aussie marathons and enduros, Matt is no stranger to the front bunch. If he is on a good day he will be a threat for the podium. 

Glenn Stojanow: The Fling is a great race for bringing back the old school. Stoj is an old school XC racer that later turned to the road. I haven't seen him for a few years, but if he has been doing a bit of training he could be dangerous. 

Paul Traynor (Berry Mountain Cycles): "Gezer-tits" is a pommy that can ride a bike. He has the ability to talk in any situation, which is normally entertaining but when you are suffering in the race it can be annoying. He probably isn't quite strong enough at the moment to go the distance but will talk the ear off whoever he is riding with and will probably be the motivation for some breakaways by people who prefer peace and quiet. 

Marc Williams: Marcy is probably the dark horse of the race. He has ridden quite a few flings and was in the lead group last year when he flatted about half way through the race. Marc is a roady that usually dusts off his carbon Trek 29er a couple of times a year for a marathon or two. This year is different though, he has been riding it more than ever. He recently finished a very impressive 3rd in the Mitta Mitta to Mt Beauty MTB classic in Victoria and he won the Honeysuckle Hammer in Canberra last weekend. He has form and might even have the skills. 

Me (Swell-Redshift): Veteran of 6 Flings and never won one. Fresh off a win at the Cape to Cape I am very keen to win my first marathon.

I am not sure what it is exactly about the Fling that I love so much. A good pun doesn't hurt I suppose: "a fling of beauty", "the best fling since sliced bread" are but some of the classics from over the years. Wildhorizons certainly have the ability to create a fun & friendly festival atmosphere that makes this event so enjoyable. Not to mention the awesome mix of fire roads and singletrack that make up this iconic and addictive marathon, which is becoming a monument of Australian mountain biking. Huw Kingston and his team have been able to build an event built on principles of sustainability that truly engages the local community, which not only benefits the local economy, but benefits all mountain bikers with the legacy of trails it leaves behind and the positive message it sends to councils and governments. I hope everyone is looking forward to the race as much as I am...see you all there!