Real Insurance XCM#1 - Wombat 100, Woodend VIC

I was looking forward to the Wombat 100 as a chance to test my form after having 7 weeks with no racing, and as round 1 of the Real Insurance XCM Series it was also a gauge of how the competition is going. Yesterday in Woodend, both of those questions were answered and were strong and very strong respectively. It was also a chance to debut my new kit which arrived late last week from 2XU. It looks really good and I love wearing it, thank you so much to everyone that help make it happen.

The race started off quite predictably with a big group riding together for the first 10km of fire road at which point we went in to the first section of the single track. I was holding good position in 2nd wheel behind AJ, but barely a few corners in, disaster struck.....puncture. I must have run over a sharp rock or some glass because I had a huge slash in my tyre. As I set about sleaving the tyre and installing a tube, it occurred to me that I was a bit rusty at having to fix flats in a race situation. I think 2009 was the last time this happened which certainly says something about how reliable Maxxis tyres are, so it’s not a bad thing to be out of practice I suppose. A few minutes later I started my chase to get back into the race. It was tempting to think about it as a 90km time trial and pace myself accordingly, but in order to stand any chance whatsoever of finishing high up I would have to rejoin the front group early enough to recover and be ready for the attacks that would inevitably come in the last third of the race. So I chased hard and gradually made my way through the field which was tricky because I flatted so early that virtually all of the race was between me and the leaders. I eventually caught my mate Peter Malcolm and knowing what had happened to me he did a huge turn on a 2km section of fire road. Thanks to Pete’s effort (which he subsequently paid for!) my heart rate, which had been red lining for over an hour, dropped by 15bpm for a few minutes giving me a bit of respite and allowing me to take a drink and compose myself a bit. However all good things must end and he soon swung off and I resumed the solo chase. I was getting time gaps from Theo (of cyclenation) at various points and the gap was slowly dropping but not as fast as I had hope. As I started passing more and more accomplished riders it became clear that the reason for this was that if pace at the front was fast enough to un-hitch these guys then it would be hard for me to catch up. I caught Ben Mather in some single track at about 40km and asked him what had happened up the front, he said that the lead group was down to AJ, Lewi and Cooper with AJ having caused most of the damage. Without any expectations I told Mather to hang on to me which he was able to do, and I stayed on the front through the feedzone at the halfway mark. We hit the next fireroad section then Mather came around me and said “I don’t know what I’ve got, but I’ll do what I can”. It turns out that despite having been dropped, he was starting to re-discover his legs and before long he had me under pressure! We work together and continued to swap the pace making duties until the 60km mark when we rejoined the front of the race. Pheww! Three leading trio all looked back to see who had caught up, they seem neither surprised or disappointed to see Ben and I. Lewi and AJ raised not so much as an eyebrow in acknowledgment, which is expected at this stage of a poker game. Dylan was the only one to say anything with simply: “nice one Blairy”. I sat in for the next 10km, trying desperately to recover as much as possible (and pretend to be fresh). The single track sections were fine, but on the climbs I was finding it harder and harder as the 50km chase was now taking its toll. Mather got dropped at about the 65km mark, then at 70km we hit a solid climb; one minute I was sitting fine & ticking over a high cadence, then all of a sudden, the lights went out. It isn’t pretty when this happens; it’s a pretty dark place, believe me. When I finally made it to the finish in 6th, I was greeted by the news that my good mate Lewi at got the win - a well deserved and much anticipated return to form, well done mate. AJ was 2nd and Cooper 3rd.

I’m not too disappointed with my race overall. In general I am very consistent, so one flat every 3 years is a tolerable rate in my opinion. The biggest positive is that I was able to rejoin the front of the race which is an indication that I am moving well and it gives me confidence leading into the subsequent rounds that I have the form to be up there at the pointy. Having missed out on a result will also relieve me of any pressure as the focus will be on Lewi, AJ and Dylan for next weekend’s race in Canberra. Who knows what would have happened if I didn’t flat? Who cares!....Capital Punishment (round #2) is a new race and I’ll be very motivated to make amends. Besides, if I had have won the Wombat I would have to wear the Real Insurance XCM series leaders jersey instead of my brand new kit. ;-)

National Series Wrap-up & National Champs

With so much going on and a huge block of racing, I haven't managed to do much blogging of late. My new job and new house have kept me busy between racing the National Series, Champs and Wildside, but now that I am on a little break I'll have a go at catching up. 

I haven't written a race report from Wildside because I am writing a story for Enduro magazine for that one, but shortly after that was the Canberra round of the National Series All Mountain Cup. Racing the AMC at home was fun, I even worked nearly a full day on the Friday which seemed to be appreciated by my boss and kept the nerves down. The field was probably the best we have seen all year with everyone there to test their legs before the national championships. Chris Jongeward took out the Super-D in a bit of an upset over Carlso, then was Pauly, Macca and me in 5^th. The course for the XCO was disappointingly easy and void of climbs or technical challenges, but the pace was super fast. I got caught up early and missed the split for the front bunch. Sid was caught out too but did an amazing job to bridge the gap, while I was destined to spend the whole race on my own :( Macca got the win and I was happy enough with 5^th. The point to point was only 1 hour long but it took us on a magical mystery tour of some of the Stromlo trails that we rarely race on. Macca once again dominated and I was 4^th and moved up to 4^th on GC. Not bad, but room for improvement before nationals!

Subaru Australian National Championship

As far as MTB racing in Australia goes, the National Championships is the big one.  All the best riders in the country come together to battle it out for the right the wear the converted green and gold jersey; a competition that takes on even more meaning in an Olympic year as the hopefuls are particularly focused on staking their claim on our single spot at the games.  The conditions that greeted us upon our arrival in Adelaide were ridiculous: temperatures in the high 30’s and a forecast for 38degC on race day.  As the week went on the forecast got worse and worse with the temperature eventually hitting 40degC for the Elite men’s race!  This is bad news for a fair & freckly guy like myself, but having had more than my fair share of heat stroke, I have learnt a thing or two about avoiding it.  I would have to pull out all the stops in my efforts to keep cool and hydrated if I was to get through this one; minimal warm-up, wet jersey, ice packs, water to tip on my head each lap, and lots and lots of Gu Brew electrolytes!

On the start line it was a pleasantly familiar atmosphere with the event centre alive with excitement and anticipation for the biggest race of the year.  Photographers, TV cameras, supporters and spectators were all buzzed around the place under the shadows of the giant TV screen the dominated the site. I didn't really feel nervous and was actually quite calm on the start line; I knew I had done the hard work & was in pretty good form and I was confident that I had the experience to handle whatever this race would through at me .....all I had to do was hurt for 1h30m and enjoy the experience.  When the gun fired I was a fraction slow to get clipped in and was soon boxed in, but in a complete reversal in fortune from last year a gap miraculously opened right in front of me and I rolled straight through up the first steep ramp to be in 2^nd wheel right next to my team mate Nick Both who dutifully let me go ahead into the first corner.  Chris Jongeward lead the race and pushed hard on the front, while I just kept him close and tried to limit my exertion.  At the end of the first lap Chris was a few seconds ahead of me with Dan McConnell, Lachlan Norris and Paul VDP just behind. At that moment Chris appeared to blow and found reverse gear and we were pretty much all together, Macca went straight around us both and I followed. Unfortunately I was got held up as I made my way around Chris and ended up having to dab, loosing valuable seconds while Macca disappeared up the trail.  Pauly and I chased together for the next 2 laps, but having been so focused on drinking and keeping cool I soon found myself in a spot of bother and I realised that I had forgotten to eat!  Paul then got away from me and I took the opportunity to eat a couple of GUs and regain my composure and control.  Lachy Norris caught me and disappeared out of site as I waited for the effects of the GU to kick in, but it didn’t take me long to get going again. I knew my slight easing of the pace wouldn’t have cost me too dearly and I was focused on regaining Lachy’s wheel.  I caught a glimpse of him with just over one lap to go and could see that the gap was diminishing on the downhill sections.  As we went through he start finish for the bell, I could see him up ahead and I knew I could catch him, however with very few opportunities to pass I had to be smart about how I timed the catch.  I took my time and tried not to burn all my matches, gradually bridging the gap with half a lap to go.  I knew I had only one opportunity left to pass before the finishing straight so I rode behind him patiently and waited for the short uphill fire road crossing.  Just as I knew exactly what I had to do, Lachy did also; he accelerated as soon as the trail widened and did everything he could to stop me coming around...he succeeded.  Back on the single track I could not pass and he could recover.  I wanted to be going faster, but he had the luxury of dictating the pace.  He also started to employ a few other tricks of the trade and as we approached some rising switchback he would back me off to upset my momentum and then accelerate away causing me to have to chase back on.  Knowing exactly what he was doing helped me to stay calm and patient and I just gave him a bit of breathing space knowing that I had only one chance left and I needed to make that one count.  I resisted the temptation to try anything dangerous to get around on the loose descent of “Sunset Boulevard” and I knew that it was now coming down to a sprint.  I watched his body language carefully and I knew he was tiring (at least that’s what I told myself), up the final climb to the finish straight I tried to stay close enough to pounce, and as soon as we hit the straight I made my move. Neither of us are really renowned for our sprinting prowess, and after 1:30 of racing in 40degrees I’m sure it looked like it was in slow motion, but I had just enough to get around him and score my best ever nationals result and realise my dream of winning a national championship medal.  Meanwhile, 2 minutes earlier Macca had taken his 2^nd national title and Paul VPD had claimed the silver medal 1 minute back.  The podium ceremony was a bit of a highlight for me and a really buzz to share the champagne with four athletes that are all gunning for the Olympics.  

AMC National Series Finals, Awaba

On a high from the National Champs, I tried to settle back to earth and focus on the 4^th and final round of the Real Insurance All Mountain Cup National Series finals which was less than a week later.  The All Mountain Cup format sees riders competing in various discipline over course of a weekend stage race with the cumulative time over the 3 stages forming the final placings and the awarding of series points.  I had led the series from the beginning after taking out the first round in Perth and then following that with consistent performances to finish 2^nd and 4^th and Mt Buller and Canberra respectively, and the pressure was on me to hold off the challenge from Athens Olympian Sid Taberlay who trailed be 33 points and was coming off a disappointing 10^th place at Nationals.  I was motivated by my strong race at Adelaide and when I hit the start line for the 1^st stage of the Newcastle AMC I had hopes of finishing the series the way I started it...with a win!  Unfortunately my body had other ideas and I had nothing, I felt really fatigued and struggled around the short 2km circuit in the horrifically wet conditions to finish 4^th on the stage.  On to the Cross Country event and I knew that it would be tough, the conditions were still muddy and wet and despite trying my best to rest up I knew that I didn’t have the same legs that had propelled me to the podium a week earlier.  Sid attacked early on and had me under pressure, I followed for as long as I could but eventually dropped back and was passed by Josh Carlson.  The wet and muddy conditions usually suit me, but I was struggling to put out enough power to maintain a smooth speed.  I just tried to focus on the basics and use all my experience to grunt through a race that was just as demanding on the bike as on the body with the sand and grit cutting though brake pads quicker than I have ever seen.  I managed to hang on to 3^rd place but it wasn’t pretty.  It was also enough for me to move up into 3^rd on GC, which would be just enough to retain the series lead if I could hold it for one more stage.  Sunday’s point to point was only 12kms so I was relatively confident, but with such muddy conditions and tired legs, anything could happen.  I tried to go with Sid early, but he was again too strong.  I was forced to limit my losses and focus on staying upright, eventually coming on 4^th on the stage and retaining 3^rd for the round, but retaining the series lead to become the 2011-12 Australian National Series Champion! I'm pretty chuffed with that, it is such a relief after leading from the beginning, I'm also glad that I was able to win a round and have a great national champs on the way. Looking back it is also interesting to note that I rode every round (and the champs) on my dual suspension Felt Edict. For someone that is an old school hardtail-lover from way back, that is amazing....the Edict is just too much fun. Having said that though, I'm pretty keen to rip out the Felt Nine for some of the marathons that are coming up. Also note-worthy is that in 12 individual stages of the national series I didn't have a single mechanical or flat tyre, which I have Sram and Maxxis to thank for. Thanks also to all my other great sponsors that have helped to make my national series so successful.

For now though, I am having a short break, which have recently been made slightly longer by the postponement of Capital Punishment. My calendar will now revolve around doing some of the Real Insurance XCM races and hopefully Alice Springs stage race before the next big target which will be the national marathon championships....so plenty of things coming up to get excited about. As well as the upcoming races, Swell Design have just finalised my new race kit and it is off at 2XU getting made at the moment. Good luck to all the guys heading over the Rotorua this weekend!

Finish at Nationals (photo by Mick Ross)

Nationals Podium (photo by Mick Ross)

Wildside preview

There are two kinds of mountain bikers; those that have done Wildside and those who haven’t.  If you are one of the former you will probably be able to relate to post, and if you are one of the latter I hope for you that you are on your way to Cradle Mountain!  

Held every two years, no race creates more excitement and anticipation than this classic of stage races, and with only 2 days before the 2012 event I can’t wait to get down to the “Apple Isle”.  I thought I would write a little preview about this year’s race and remember some of the highlights from the 2010 edition.  

Wildside typically attracts a stellar field of the nation’s best racers and the field that will assemble at Cradle Mountain this Saturday certainly looks like living up to that billing.  There are no less than three Van Der Ploegs (including arguably the most talented, humble and good looking one, Daniel), Olympian Sid Taberlay, former winner Adrian Jackson, confused motocross rider that has lost has motor Josh Carlson and international Max Plaxton.  At the pointy end, a field like this guarantees some exciting racing and a deserving winner, but there is much more to this race than the front bunch.  It is a journey from the top of Tassie to the rugged West coast, through some truly stunning and varied terrain.  It will be a journey that requires commitment which makes the rewards that much sweeter, and everyone that gets to the finish will feel a sense of accomplishment.  Friendships will be formed and fortified as people share a terrific mountain bike experience.  Additionally for me, this year Wildside will be an opportunity to race with my Dad and brother who are both competing in it for the first time; the Blair team will race with the objective of trying to get “Big Davo” up for the GC in the Grand Masters class!  It will also be a chance to race (against) many of my sponsors: Jason (2XU), Rob (Sram), Dion (Adidas Eyewear), Llyody (Gu) and Nic (Felt) are all making the trip to Tassie which a clear indication that it is not just the riders that love Wildside, but the industry as well.  

Why am I so enthusiastic about this race? Well I guess it is because in 2010 I had such a good time.  On that occasion I got a last minute call up to ride for the KOM Cyclery team and I went into the race with no expectations.  It turned out to be one of the most fun times I have had on my bike, shared with a great team of riders and our wonderful soigneur Sammy.  The highlights from that experience were:
Ø  Assembling at Cradle Mountain on a cold misty mountain morning not knowing what to expect
Ø  Stage after stage of some of the fastest MTB bunch racing I have ever done
Ø  Hanging onto the Paul Vandy express for as long as possible in the 2-up time trial at Zeehan
Ø  The Trial Harbour stage – no single track, but just the roughest, gnarliest, freeridy and fun sandstone fire trail I’ve ever ridden
Ø  Seeing Mark Fenner get ripped from his bike when a fish hook went through his finger along the beach on the final stage
Ø  Racing with Willo for the last time and having the opportunity to work for him on the last stage so he could maintain his spot on GC
Ø  Being served an amazing salmon fillet at the finish of the last stage in Strahan
Ø  Smuggling about 5 bottles of “stage winner” wine into the Strahan pub after it ran out of booze
Ø  Paul VDP running up and down the main street of Strahan in his undies   Hopefully I’ll see you there. If not, start planning for 2014…..unlike the Olympics, you will only have to wait 2 years if you miss it.

Mt Buller - All Mountain Cup #2

After such a long break since the 1^st national round at Perth’s Goat Farm, I wasn’t sure what to expect from my form at Mt Buller for round #2 of the All Mountain Cup. I was unsure whether my win in WA was a fluke….perhaps with a bigger field including Macca and Pauly I would get my legs torn off this time?

Friday morning practice and the XCO track was just like I remembered it, albeit minus the axel deep mud and ruts from last years mudfest. So after one lap of that, Lewi and I joined up with Alex Meyland and Michael Crosbie for a run of the Super D course. Unfortunately disaster struck for Mick when 1/3 of the way down a stick went into his spokes and sent him onto the ground. I heard the horrible noise and by the time I had braked and turned around, he was still sliding on his face!  What then followed was a slight change in priorities as we set about the task of getting him out of there, a job made even harder by the fact that we had to put up with the constant assault of concussed repetitive ramblings that came out of his mouth.  After about the 30^th time he asked “what happened?” we started making up different stories…you have to keep yourself entertained somehow! Btw: Mick is ok now despite requiring a bit of (elective) plastic surgery that night.  Mick’s little incident set the tone for the rest of the practice and made me question the value in taking any risks in my race run on a track where a mistake at 60kph could potentially end more than just the weekend.  It was no surprise that Josh Carlson took the win in the Super D, Sid was 2^nd and I managed 3^rd; 45sec behind on a twenty minute run….ouch.

The XCO on Saturday soon came around pretty quickly and before I knew it I had my head in the handlebars again.  Despite being familiar I had forgotten exactly how physical the Mt Buller course is and I probably started a tiny bit too fast. I spent most of the race dangling of the back of the lead group, and on the last 2 laps when Macca and Pauly stepped it up I had no response.  I did manage very consistent lap times for the whole race, but Dan pulled out a negative split on each lap to take a superb win, followed by Paul in 2^nd and me 2 minutes back in 3^rd. I was happy to beat Sid by enough to move up to 2nd overall in the general classification with one stage to go, but the gap to Dan would be tough to close down on the final stage.

Stage 3 was a point to point from Corn Hill out to Mt Stirling and back, taking in the amazing trails of Stonefly and Misty Twist.  22km didn’t seem like much on paper, but with virtually all single track and some solid climbs I was quite cautious going into the race.  Predictably, Sid (sitting in 3^rd on GC) attacked early in a gutsy attempt to put Macca and myself under pressure and try to make up places, he was soon joined by Pauly VDP.  I was feeling tired from the day before, but being first on Sid’s hit list (one place ahead of him) it was my job to chase, thankfully Carlso let me through so I could set the pace.  I was only quick enough to gain a few seconds on Neil VDP and Macca by the top of Mt Stirling but Josh was no longer there, and then came Stonefly! I had been looking forward to this.  It was so much fun, its was hard to remember that we were racing; it felt like I was just out riding with Neil and Dan. By the time we hit the bottom we had caught Sid…and Carlso had caught us!  Having caught Sid, I was confident that I was going well enough to hold onto my 2^nd position overall and my focus turned to trying to put Macca under pressure.  I led the group down into Misty Twist and back up again but only managed to create some small gaps, Macca was looking solid.  Still wanting a stage result, I pushed on into the final downhill section and managed to hold a small gap.  Pauly was a run away winner, with me leading the chase group over Sid, Neil and Macca. 

Overall it had been a fun weekend of racing; the stage race format of the AMC definately lends itself to a venue like Buller where there are so many awesome trails to showcase, and I left there with a since of fulfillment that is difficult to get from a stand alone XCO.  I'm also happy with my form going in Wildside this weekend!

 

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!