Marathon National Championships - Mt Joyce QLD

The 2011 Australian Marathon Championship was a bit of a magical mystery tour. There was a lot of concerned discussion between riders before the race; details of the track were pretty sketchy, no one had ridden the course, and we didn’t know what tyres to use(or bikes - 26” or 29er, HT or dually). We couldn’t even get access to the area the day before the race to have a look at the track. On the start line no one knew what to expect.

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!

As always, thanks to all the sponsors. Your generous support is much appreciated.

GoPro Video

Recently I was luucky enough to test a GoPro for Enduro magazine. You will have to buy the next edition if you would like to read the review, but in the meantime you can have a look at the edit I put together from one afternoon session on my local trail.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS3wEdXIvfM

Oceania Championships - Shepparton

The start fo the Elite Mens Oceania Championships

Me riding the waterfall (and getting in Josh's way)

Passing AJ down the waterfall

Cam at the Waterfall

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 6^th 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 7^th. 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 8^th.

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 12^th place and Cameron showed more improvement from illness with 6^th 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.

Nationals XCO Champs, Adelaide

Final climb in the team relay

Team relay podium

Cam on Sunset Boulevard again - nice line bud

Cam on Sunset Boulevard

Nick on sunset Boulevard

Me on Sunset Boulevard

Elite XCO Podium (L-R: Me, Norri, Blood, Aido, Lewi)

XCC

The dust has well and truly settled at Eagle Mountain Bike park in Adelaide after the National Championships, but it is only now that I have got a chance to sit down and write my race report.

The National Mountain Bike Champs started with the club team relay. This competition is based on the team relay at the World Champs, with clubs putting forward a junior, a woman, a veteran and an elite to battle it over a 4 lap relay, for the title of Australia ’s quickest mtb club. It is not the most serious event of the championships, more just a great opportunity to drum up a bit of club pride and have fun. CORC has typically been very successful in the team relay, but going into this year’s race against a very strong Adelaide team, we weren’t sure if we could do the job. Trekky got us off to a good start to put us into the lead against Ben Hogarth from Adealide. Hesther Logie was next out but she could quite hold off Adealides gun Junior, James “Shorty” Hanus. Shorty passed Heather late in the lap only to puncture and surrender the lead back to us. Our little man, Hamish Prosser went out closely followed by ever-speedy “Stink” Rhodes and he managed to stretch the lead to about 3 minutes; a great effort for a first year U/17 rider. When it came down to me to finish it off, I knew the race was ours to lose; 3 minutes is a big advantage, but knowing what Chris Jongeward is capable of I was looking in the rear view mirror all the way to the finish line. So in the end it was CORC followed by Adealide MTB Club, with Perth MTB in 3rd. Congrats to everyone that raced the relay and to everyone else....start planning your team for next year!

For me, Friday was the big day with the running of the Elite Men XCO. I crashed pretty hard the day before and had a corked thigh; I told myself at the time was that it was actually a good thing as it would force me to rest up and spend the day on the couch, something I typically struggle to do. As it turned out it didn’t feel like it slowed me down so I might have been right!? The start was hectic, more so than usual. I got boxed in off the line and lost some places when most of the second row came past. Then 50m in, I got caught in a big pile up and was back to about 20th position...not the start I wanted. With very few passing opportunities I had to really dig deep to make up positions whenever I could and by the end of the first lap I was up to 9th. I think I burnt a few too many matches though because for the next few laps I was really struggling. Fortunately I started to come good in the second half of the race and managed to make up some places. With Chris and Norri riding away from the rest of the field, I was never going to see the front of the race again, but I was very happy to eventually finish 4th.

As you might know the event was marred by the controversy between Chris J and Hendo. I don’t think it is really my place to comment on that, but I will offer my opinion on something that seems to have been overshadowed by the drama: that is Norri’s terrific ride! He got caught in the same crashes as me in the start (I even put my foot trough his wheel at one stage), and he managed to get back into the lead, only to be pipped by Blood in the finish. Well done mate. Equally worth a mention was the welcome return to form of my team mates Nick and Cam. Nick has been struggling after having a big crash nearly 12 months ago and his 11th place is hopefully an indication that he is on his way back to the kind of racing that I know he has in him. As for Cam, he has been battling with glandular fever and has barely been able to train. He has much bigger fish to fry this year and was not even sure that he would start, just getting through the race is a good sign that he is on the mend and is a good chance of getting back on track for the European season. Good work boys.

From the high of my best ever elite national champs result, I headed over to NZ for my buddy Ronan’s wedding. The first stop was the “buck’s do” at Rotorua and on day one, Ronan, Mocky, Malcs and I smashed out “be rude not to”, hot-X bun”, “billy T”, “rollor coaster”, plus more.....gold! Then, after 4 hours of riding I managed to drop my chain and have a bit of a moment that resulted in my shoulder dislocating. 3 hours, a cylinder of happy gas, an ambo ride and a couple of viles of morphine later, it was finally back in place. At least it was me and not Ronan! This of course ended my further participation in any activity that involved mountain biking or bombing 7m waterfalls in a raft, but it did allow me to get reacquainted with my favourite coffee shop, Zippy’s. And other than limiting my choice of which hand to use, I was still able to join the boys at the pub. That’s something at least. Then it was off to the island of Waiheke for the actual wedding and what a beautiful place. I definitely recommend a visit if you find yourself in the area. New Zealand is a great place and the frustration of my “clipped wing” has only got me more motivated to get back over there soon.

Unfortunately I have had to shelve any immediate plans to race the mountain bike so I won’t be racing in Wingello this weekend. Oceania’s is also up in the air, but hopefully with a lot of physio and some good strapping, I will be good to go.

Thanks to Swell Design Group, Felt bikes, SRAM, Thredbo, FRM wheels and Maxxis tyres.

Fast Rider Needed for Terra Australis!!!!

I have a friend from the UK coming out to rider the Terra Australis stage race and he is looking for a team mate. He is pretty quick, so ideally looking for someone who can move fairly fast. You would have to pay your own entry.

The race starts on the 20th March, detaiuls are at www.terraaustralismtbepic.com.

Contact Scott Cornish by email at scrontcondo@yahoo.co.uk if you are interested.

Jayco National Series #3 - Mt Buller

Photos by Tim Bardsley-Smith

After 40 degree temperatures and melting tarmac the last time we raced a national round at Mt Buller, the mountain turned on contrasting conditions this time, with riders battling hypothermia rather than heat stroke. It rained constantly from lunch time on Friday, and right through race day on Saturday, making the track very hard work but heaps of fun. My team mate Nick and I got around for a practice lap in the rain on Friday afternoon and we had a blast, sliding around in the alpine mud, I couldn't wait for the race.

Unfortunately, I just didn't have the legs on this occasion and after the first 2 laps, I had gone from the front row to 18th position. I kept pushing hard, especially on the descent, and eventually managed to get going. After a couple of solid laps through the middle of the race saw me climb up to 11th, and I was having heaps of fun, but on the second last lap I started to blow like a steam train. This was a very bad sign, and with the rain & wind driving harder than ever, I was soon struggling to keep warm. The last lap was an absolute struggle, my arms felt so cold and stiff that I felt barely able steer my bike. I limped into the finish for 12th place, and went straight back to the lodge for a hot shower and a nice cup of tea. Having had a lot bigger expectations for this weekend, I was a bit disappointed with the result, but it isn't the end of the world. At least I had a lot of fun (for about 1/3 of the race) in some of the toughest conditions I have ever raced in. I've got to say a big thanks to all the feeders, volunteers, and race staff that braved the horrendous conditions.

So what is the perfect therapy for getting over a disappointing race? ........Stonefly. Stonefly is the latest trail to be opened at Mt Buller MTB Park and makes a 10km loop out near Mt Stirling. Nick and I headed out there on Sunday morning and timed it perfectly to see the first signs of sun shine all weekend when the clouds parted long enough for us to glimpse some of the most amazing scenery that the Victorian high country has to offer. As for the trail, it was great. Still slick from all the rain, it was in prime condition for drifting through the countless berms and rhythmic inversions. Definitely one of those trails that has you subconsciously squealing like I little girl. Though in Silk Lane and Misty Twist, and I was cured...what race?

Bermagui 3hr and new FRM Wheels

Sweet Bermi single track

FRM Urano XC Team Wheels

After what seems like has been a long block of racing and training on the road bike, I made the trip down to the NSW Sapphire Coast on the weekend for a hit-out on the mountain bike in the Bermagui Dirtsurfers twilight 3 hour race. I was very keen to test the legs and get an idea of my form coming off the Christmas break as I prepare for the National Championships, and the 3 hr format provided a great opportunity to achieve this, as well as a good excuse to get down to the coast for a relaxing weekend away with my brother, James.

Having arrived at the track a little early, I had a peek at the course to find that the local “dirt surfers” had been going nuts with the leaf blower, and the course was groomed like a champion race horse. It really indicates the level of pride they have in there track that they keep it looking so nice. Probably not so obvious was the amount of work that they needed to do after the recent storms to clear all the fallen trees and make the track ridable again, from all reports a solid achievement to get it done before the race. Having a track devoid of leaves also had the advantage that there was no need for much in the way of bunting and arrows. It is pretty funny being used to racing on fully bunted and signed World Cup course, to come to a local race with very minimal arrows and virtually no bunting. It definitely gives the race a natural and organic feel.

The start of the race was pretty fast with Shane Spicer not scared to drive it on the front for the first firetrail. When we turned into the first corner, Trekky (Brendan Johnson) came through to the front and then I thought I’d chop him on the inside to snake him into the single track. However, having had to brake too late cost me some speed and he snuck back in front of me, good fun.…rubbin’ is racing! My coach had instructed me to ride the race like an interval session so I pushed 100% for the first 3 laps, not your typical strategy for a 3hr. After one lap, Trekky let me go, probably laughing at the idea that I thought I could ride that pace for 3 hours. From then I managed to stay in front of him despite my erratic lap times and his consistently solid splits. At the end I narrowly got though before the cut off to complete an 11^th lap, while Trekky and Shane just missed out on the extra loop and finished 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. My brother James completed 7 laps and came 27^th – it was nice, I got to see him 4 times during the race!

The race was also a great opportunity to test out my new set of FRM Urano XC Team wheels that I received during the week. These are some seriously cool looking hoops; they are anodised red, and feature FRM’s Urano hubs, XMD 333 eyeleted rims, laced with Sapim CX-Ray bladed spokes. The weight comes in at 1330g with rim tape and valve stem, which is exactly the claimed weight – That would have to be a first for the bicycle industry?! The wheelset’s light weight make them feel very fast, while the asymmetric rim helps to keep them stiff be accommodating a bigger spoke angle on the drive side. In fact they feel a bit stiffer than the previous incarnation, I’d say most likely due to changes in the hub design which now has a higher flange and a bigger axle, which is not bad for the same weight. Another great feature of these wheels is the system for mounting the rotors; it is a bit like centre-lock in that all you need is a cassette tool to screw of one nut, but the standard ISO rotors fit on there. . It is clean, simple and light design that makes taking rotors on and off a breeze, perfect for taking your bike on a plane. Setting them up tubeless was also pretty easy with the FRM sealant and the “tubeless-ready” rim locking the bead of Maxxis Exception tyres without any dramas. Overall I am super happy with how they rode in the race. I pushed hard on a few laps and they felt solid underneath me the whole time, even when I got fatigued later in the race and started bounce off a few rocks. With Exception series Maxxis tyres, the weight of these things is pretty impressive. That and having good quality bearings make them feel very fast, just what you want for race day.

I’m off to Mt Buller this weekend for the 3^rd round of the Jayco National Mountain Bike Series. It should be a cracker of a race with more riders starting to hit form and the first UCI points for the year up for grabs.