The 2013 Oceania MTB Champs were held in Hobart, Australia - a new part of Aussie for me to travel to but unfortunately it wasn't the hottest of places to visit like you would expect!
First of all I would like to thank the Beavens for being a superb help with taking me in and looking after me. Made for a super easy trip!
Practise days on the track went well. First impressions of the course were that it was pretty tame. All that was technical was a couple of rocks to hop over up the climb but this meant it would be a fast and powerful race. One to really test the fitness of all the riders and see who had what.
With a mostly single trail climb broken up with one section of about 50 metres of super steep firebreak road positioning would be vital on the first lap to not get held up. With a similar matching downhill it would take a good bit of handling skill to hold that front wheel down on the ground around many tight switch back bends.
Race day came around and the start line saw us lined up with the Elite men. The gun goes and we are off! First corner saw someone pushed into the fence barrier and everyones head swung around for a brief moment before knuckling back into it!
I wasn't overly aggressive from the beginning and suffered up the first climb because of this. Stuck behind slower riders who have punch at the start but can't hold it. The beauty of the start of an XC race!
Nevertheless I managed to nail it up the firebreak and pull myself back onto the end of the front train. This was allgood but then an Aussie rider blew up and backed right off on the single trail leaving me stranded behind. Finally just before the downhill I got passed and pressed on for the next couple of laps.
While I felt I was riding at a good pace I knew I was starting to fade and my last lap I had hit the wall. The problem was I simply was not drinking enough fluid and with the intensity of one of these events letting a silly yet easy mistake like this leaves too much of a short fall with performance.
Anyway over the line I came holding a solid 6th position in the Under 23 field and the third kiwi home. All in all it was a good trip and I am looking forward to next years events with a few changes lined up!Thanks to Matt Bailey/Cycleways for the use of a fantastic set of Envy wheels and to Maxxis Tyres. Running my Aspens has been a superb choice this year, such a great tyre! Also a big thanks to my Coach Marc and of course mum and dad!!!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Quartzopolis Challenge
This event was a new one for me this year and with high reccommendations from Phil at Cycleways (who won last year!) I thought this must be a cracker of a race to get amongst!
We drove up Friday evening to Reefton town and enjoyed a nice bar meal. I was after a good pasta to fill the tum and luckily they had it! Once ordered and on the table it was about the size of a kids meal and I was starving so it hardly touched the sides. It was down to the fuel station and there in the warmer was a shabby looking pie ready to be indulged on. It wasn't exactly satisfying but it helped fill me up along with some of Bev's bacon and egg pie. Interesting dinner meal before a race!
The race start was nice and casual and I was looking forward to seeing what this course had to offer. I took off hard as soon as we took the first turn staying close to the lead car who wasn't exactly holding up (everyone else stayed back) and as soon as the horn sounded I had a good push up the first climb already way out the front.
The course then started getting into rougher 4wd terrain snaking its way through the forestry until we came to a super fun downhill! Very much like the Karapoti type descents, loose and fast and it made for a full on ride to keep the bike not skating all over the show!
After this it was a long climb up the same type of terrain I had just came down so holding momentum was key to try and stop wheel spin. At about the half way mark there was a neat board walk section and then into some great pack track trails. Ited was like riding on ridable walking tracks nice and tight but not over the top with dismounts and rough patches. I felt like I was on this track for a while and nearing the end I was glad to see a change of scenery out of the bush and back into the open but I sure enjoy getting amongsome proper mountain bike terrain! Finally along a gravel road for about 1 km the finish line popped up around the next bend and I came over the line winning the event with a great time, pleased with my ride!
Next event for me is Oceania's this Saturday - looking forward to some Aussie competition!!!
We drove up Friday evening to Reefton town and enjoyed a nice bar meal. I was after a good pasta to fill the tum and luckily they had it! Once ordered and on the table it was about the size of a kids meal and I was starving so it hardly touched the sides. It was down to the fuel station and there in the warmer was a shabby looking pie ready to be indulged on. It wasn't exactly satisfying but it helped fill me up along with some of Bev's bacon and egg pie. Interesting dinner meal before a race!
The race start was nice and casual and I was looking forward to seeing what this course had to offer. I took off hard as soon as we took the first turn staying close to the lead car who wasn't exactly holding up (everyone else stayed back) and as soon as the horn sounded I had a good push up the first climb already way out the front.
The course then started getting into rougher 4wd terrain snaking its way through the forestry until we came to a super fun downhill! Very much like the Karapoti type descents, loose and fast and it made for a full on ride to keep the bike not skating all over the show!
After this it was a long climb up the same type of terrain I had just came down so holding momentum was key to try and stop wheel spin. At about the half way mark there was a neat board walk section and then into some great pack track trails. Ited was like riding on ridable walking tracks nice and tight but not over the top with dismounts and rough patches. I felt like I was on this track for a while and nearing the end I was glad to see a change of scenery out of the bush and back into the open but I sure enjoy getting amongsome proper mountain bike terrain! Finally along a gravel road for about 1 km the finish line popped up around the next bend and I came over the line winning the event with a great time, pleased with my ride!
Next event for me is Oceania's this Saturday - looking forward to some Aussie competition!!!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Geraldine Challenge
In the weekend I competed in the Geraldine Mountain Bike Challenge race which consisted of 50 clicks of fast paced riding. I was hoping to see a few of the quick Canterbury boys competing but none of them were there.
I started hard and was on my own straight away. I knew that this event was all about pushing hard thinking about that finishing time so I kept pressing on and going as fast as I could.
The first few k's were along fast (but a bit bumpy on the hardtail!) grass tracks amongst the forestry and next to a dried river bed. It then had a couple of long stretches along roads (tarseal and gravel) and then there was a neat mid section of the race that got stuck into the hills. A nice change from all the flat and the lungs got to really start burning! The course then followed through some cool tight singletrack through a series of trees and then all the back the way I had come from. It went along the opposite side of the river we originally came from and then crossed back over to finish at the racecourse where we had started.
I had a good hit out winning the event and was glad to have pushed myself even without the top end competition not around, although it always makes things more exciting!
Just under 2 weeks now until the Oceania Champs - things are looking good!
I started hard and was on my own straight away. I knew that this event was all about pushing hard thinking about that finishing time so I kept pressing on and going as fast as I could.
The first few k's were along fast (but a bit bumpy on the hardtail!) grass tracks amongst the forestry and next to a dried river bed. It then had a couple of long stretches along roads (tarseal and gravel) and then there was a neat mid section of the race that got stuck into the hills. A nice change from all the flat and the lungs got to really start burning! The course then followed through some cool tight singletrack through a series of trees and then all the back the way I had come from. It went along the opposite side of the river we originally came from and then crossed back over to finish at the racecourse where we had started.
I had a good hit out winning the event and was glad to have pushed myself even without the top end competition not around, although it always makes things more exciting!
Just under 2 weeks now until the Oceania Champs - things are looking good!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Motutapu 2013
It had been a couple of years since I raced the Motutapu and the one thing I remembered was the awesome river crossings toward the finish! I sure was feeling excited about getting to ride through water that was almost the height of my wheel! Not so good for the bearings on my bike but great fun for me!
Race day saw a bit of a delayed start to the event so while everyone had minimal warm up that didn't slow things down at the start. As soon as the Safety Vehicle pulled over we were off! A few K's on the flat lead quickly to the first climb and my intentions of the race were to stick on Anton and Dirk for as long as I could. I somehow found myself pushing the pace up the first climb and then second climb an attack was made by Dirk. I don't think the rest of us were feeling quite as good as him at that stage but shortly after we had caught Dirk back up as he was adjusting his handlebars on the fly.
By that stage there were about 6 of us fighting it out until the following climb saw Dirk fire another attack. Carl went after Dirk shortly after with me following suit a few seconds later. We had dropped the rest of the lads and Carl had managed to bridge the gap to Dirk and the two were knuckling down to work together and get away from me. I get the pressure on and was waiting for a steep climb to appear as I knew I could graft my way up and close the gap. That just happened and at the top Dirk had to make another final adjustment on the go but in the meantime Carl had made his attack.
With Carl in my sights and realizing I was in a position I could potentially win this event I kept the hammer down and fought my way back to the lead.
With about 16km to go with very little climbing left I thought Carl was still behind me but next thing I know the big DP (Dirk) made an attack! Carl had dropped off and Dirk had been hot on my tail. Unfortunately the pins were starting to feel scratchy but I kept my focus on keeping a good steady pace and managed to pull the gap back abit however that gap stayed all the way to the finish. Every river crossing I entered, Dirk was leaving. If only I had held on for that final attack!
Never to mind I was thrilled with my result and I would like to thank the Nick and his family for accommodation. I great weekend was had and the superb weather really topped it off too!
Race day saw a bit of a delayed start to the event so while everyone had minimal warm up that didn't slow things down at the start. As soon as the Safety Vehicle pulled over we were off! A few K's on the flat lead quickly to the first climb and my intentions of the race were to stick on Anton and Dirk for as long as I could. I somehow found myself pushing the pace up the first climb and then second climb an attack was made by Dirk. I don't think the rest of us were feeling quite as good as him at that stage but shortly after we had caught Dirk back up as he was adjusting his handlebars on the fly.
With Carl in my sights and realizing I was in a position I could potentially win this event I kept the hammer down and fought my way back to the lead.
With about 16km to go with very little climbing left I thought Carl was still behind me but next thing I know the big DP (Dirk) made an attack! Carl had dropped off and Dirk had been hot on my tail. Unfortunately the pins were starting to feel scratchy but I kept my focus on keeping a good steady pace and managed to pull the gap back abit however that gap stayed all the way to the finish. Every river crossing I entered, Dirk was leaving. If only I had held on for that final attack!
Never to mind I was thrilled with my result and I would like to thank the Nick and his family for accommodation. I great weekend was had and the superb weather really topped it off too!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Pass2Pub 2013
This years Pass2Pub was looking like it was going to be another great event run by Chris and the team at Special events. While travelling down South to get to the start we encountered a few drizzly patches so a good warm up was required to get the blood flowing in the old pins before kick off!
After a good miss-clip at the start (must of been a good bit of moisture on my pedal I reckon!) I quickly shot up to speed and was up to the front to lead the pack. A drop down the paddock and through a fence and we were battling up the first climb off the race. I wanted to start hard so got the lungs burning in the cold temperature we were competing in. The race shortly showed who had what it took and Logan Horn and myself were smacking along the farm tracks. Being a fast point to point event neither of us got away but we were able to work together and push ourselves for a good time in the conditions we had. We came along the final stretch of road, up the final climb and through some rough paddocks and riverbed and it was all on for the sprint! I lead early but Logan came around me on the corner leading onto the tarmac and had a powerful grunt to the line, a bit stronger than what I was able to throw at it so it was a good second place for me. Well done to Logan, great race and well deserved!
After a good miss-clip at the start (must of been a good bit of moisture on my pedal I reckon!) I quickly shot up to speed and was up to the front to lead the pack. A drop down the paddock and through a fence and we were battling up the first climb off the race. I wanted to start hard so got the lungs burning in the cold temperature we were competing in. The race shortly showed who had what it took and Logan Horn and myself were smacking along the farm tracks. Being a fast point to point event neither of us got away but we were able to work together and push ourselves for a good time in the conditions we had. We came along the final stretch of road, up the final climb and through some rough paddocks and riverbed and it was all on for the sprint! I lead early but Logan came around me on the corner leading onto the tarmac and had a powerful grunt to the line, a bit stronger than what I was able to throw at it so it was a good second place for me. Well done to Logan, great race and well deserved!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Kaiwara Classic 2013
Last year I didn't get to compete in the Kaiwara Classic Mountain Bike race so I was looking forward to racing again in an event that always gets a great turn out and has a good name for itself.
The course now has two options, the challenge and the bigger course being named the Epic. The Epic follows the same course as the Challenge but ventures off up into some steep farm track and along the top before meeting up with the bottom of the first major climb in the Challenge course.
The race started off with a bit of a game of tiddlewinks with a few riders not wanting to pull there weight on the road. I made a cheeky attack to get things moving but after that it went back to how it was until Jeremy Inglis had a nudge up the front to get to the hill. I was wanting to hit the first climb hard and I quickly opened up the field to just four riders, Logan, Ben, Craig and myself. I was working the pace hard but the boys held on up the first climb, I was thinking these boys might be hard to crack today! Once at the top we dropped down then started our climb up the Epic farm track. The course took a steep left and I kept in my big chain ring and I looked around and I was by myself. The lads had started to drop off. I kept the pressure on and rode strong all the way over the tops and along the middle gravel road passing the Challenge riders and hunting down that finish line. The final climb was good and after a traverse along the top of the hills and down the final descent it was a tough head wind along the tarseal just to keep everyone honest all the way to the line!
I held onto my lead and took the line honors really happy with how I rode as I also now have the course record for not only the shorter course but the long course also!
The course now has two options, the challenge and the bigger course being named the Epic. The Epic follows the same course as the Challenge but ventures off up into some steep farm track and along the top before meeting up with the bottom of the first major climb in the Challenge course.
The race started off with a bit of a game of tiddlewinks with a few riders not wanting to pull there weight on the road. I made a cheeky attack to get things moving but after that it went back to how it was until Jeremy Inglis had a nudge up the front to get to the hill. I was wanting to hit the first climb hard and I quickly opened up the field to just four riders, Logan, Ben, Craig and myself. I was working the pace hard but the boys held on up the first climb, I was thinking these boys might be hard to crack today! Once at the top we dropped down then started our climb up the Epic farm track. The course took a steep left and I kept in my big chain ring and I looked around and I was by myself. The lads had started to drop off. I kept the pressure on and rode strong all the way over the tops and along the middle gravel road passing the Challenge riders and hunting down that finish line. The final climb was good and after a traverse along the top of the hills and down the final descent it was a tough head wind along the tarseal just to keep everyone honest all the way to the line!
I held onto my lead and took the line honors really happy with how I rode as I also now have the course record for not only the shorter course but the long course also!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
2013 National Championships
This year the National Championship was held in Rotorua amongst some of the finest trail network New Zealand has to offer. The course started off the same as last years Oceania set up firing up the tarseal climb but shortly after snuck up into the trees and followed around until the first downhill section. Continuing on through some fast trail blazing sections it then climbed up and into a valley climb and onto the shingle road and nailed through another short downhill. After a quick skid on the shingle road again then came one of my favourite parts of the race course as we fanged down a small drop, launched over some rocks and into a bermed corner, onto the next banked one and so on for another couple of times! Super fun! As the course came toward the finish there was one final pinch climb in the trees around a dogs leg corner that then flowed onto the final downhill. It was full of ridable drops and tight corners and I was sure glad I had the big 29er wheels to cope! Not only was it rough but was a bit loose so my Maxxis Aspens got to use there side bite and keep some serious momentum flowing on down.
The race for started off rather interesting. I was seated at the back of the start grid, a bit confused to say the least after finishing 3rd last year but so be it. Not alot I could do 2 minutes before the start of a National Championship! Anyway all that was required was a bit more gas off the start line. I managed to sneak up the side and gain a few places and once onto the single track I was sitting somewhere in the top 10. As the pressure went on the Rotorua boys were taking full advantage of there home course and were flying round and I couldn't quite hang onto the pace. As I battled on I started to make up some ground and entered the Top5 of the race but just after the half way point I lost a position and struggled to gain it back. The last few laps completed saw me come over the line in 6th Elite but 4th Under 23. A little disappointed but all things considered and ok result for the year being. Big thanks to Mat Waghorn for helping out, the Millers for getting some accommodation for us, also to my sponsor Matt Bailey/Cycleways and Maxxis Tyres!
Monday, February 4, 2013
NZ CUP ROUND 2
The second round of the NZ Cup was held on a brutal course at the Mt Vic park in Wellington. While similar to last years Cup Round the course included a couple more super steep sharp pinch climbs that sucked a fair bit of fuel out of the engine during the race. Neat tight and fast trails all made for a good lap keeping the eyes wide open on the loose terrain that Wellington had to offer on a fantastic day, a little too hot maybe but same conditions for all!
I started off the race in the same fashion as my previous event in Nelson not blowing myself but keeping a bit in reserve so I made sure I lasted the 6 lap distance. The boys quickly spread out and I was sitting around the top 8 or so during my first lap but jumped up to the 5th position and had a couple of the others in sight. While I was starting to get some good forward momentum and getting very close to the next couple of riders ahead of me I got to the fourth lap and realized that they were starting to pull away from me again. A bit frustrating but I think I started to go a bit slower as the body battled on during the intense afternoon race.
I finally came onto the last lap - yep, here we go again! Looking forward to getting that final climb done and completing the event and came over the line holding my 5th in the Elite men.
Thanks to Mat for the weekend's help and to Jack and his family for hosting us, another one down and less than two weeks until Nationals to go - looking forward to some sharp racing!
I finally came onto the last lap - yep, here we go again! Looking forward to getting that final climb done and completing the event and came over the line holding my 5th in the Elite men.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Nelson TOP GUN MTB Event
The Top Gun XC MTB event was another fantastic event put on by the Nelson MTB club. The course was superb and started off with the usually drag race up the gravel road and down Gully, a fast following and tight but super fun single track! Another short sharp climb made for good passing opportunity and with the rest of the course mostly single track it was great fun - infact the most fun I've had racing for a while! A couple of fly over jumps, pump track and neat flowing corners all on a nice day I couldn't have asked for much more!
The race started off a bit edgy for me, I competed down in Bluff a couple of weekends ago with a DNF so one thing I wanted to make sure I did was finish the race and finish strong.
The race started off as per expected nice and fast but at about half way up the climb I slipped near the back and let the front guys pull away a bit and do the usual thing and hit the decent hard. I came down behind a couple of slower riders (mass start) but hit the Nitrous on the next climb to start catching back up to the next rider. The next lap I was feeling good and really started to find some rhythm and I caught Ethan Glover and past him and really pressed on. Lap 3 I could see Ben Oliver and Carl Jones ahead and I knew I was taking time out of them. Lap 4 I caught and past both of them and opened up a gap and while Dirk Peters already had fantastic lead I kept driving the pins on and finished in 2nd place in the Elite Field and Overall. I was super happy with my result and things are looking good now as im in the 2013 Summer season!
Thanks to the Millers for the accommodation and a great weekend!
Tineli Road Race
The Tineli Road Race is fantastic road event that follows the same course as what the Elite Women and Men compete on during the same weekend. However the event is much shorter with two laps around the course without the climb and then the following two completing the full circuit (up Dyres, down Hackthorne) to finish the race.
Last year was my first year competing in this event and I rode a strong race to finish in the number 1 spot with a very nice lead. So once again being a local event (which goes past my house!) I was looking forward to having a good hit out and getting stuck into the two climbing laps and really get things going.
The race started off certainly a bit faster than last years but I kept within the bunch and made sure no real break aways were made. Finally it was the moment of truth after the first two flat laps and as I turned up onto the Dyres Pass Road hill I gave it beans! I knew the field was tougher than the previous year so I decided I really wanted to heat things up. I quickly found myself in the lead however there was another tough young rider named Keegan right on my wheel - game on!
Once off the hill we worked together for a good fast lap then the final climb saw me pulling away slowly up the steeper sections of Dyres Pass. I knew that we would still be best to work together on the flat (incase of the risk of being caught by the pelloton) so I got a bit of a breather at the top and as Keegan caught back up we were into another flying decent - glad I had a few sharp skills from the mountain bike!
On the final corner I heard a hissing sound, thought it was me but as I kept moving on I looked back and Keegan had stopped with a dreaded puncture. Rather unfortunate for him as it would have made for a great sprint finish but in the end thats racing and I came over the line with the win very happy with myself!
Thanks to Brad at Halswell Butchery for the support and entry!
Last year was my first year competing in this event and I rode a strong race to finish in the number 1 spot with a very nice lead. So once again being a local event (which goes past my house!) I was looking forward to having a good hit out and getting stuck into the two climbing laps and really get things going.
Once off the hill we worked together for a good fast lap then the final climb saw me pulling away slowly up the steeper sections of Dyres Pass. I knew that we would still be best to work together on the flat (incase of the risk of being caught by the pelloton) so I got a bit of a breather at the top and as Keegan caught back up we were into another flying decent - glad I had a few sharp skills from the mountain bike!
On the final corner I heard a hissing sound, thought it was me but as I kept moving on I looked back and Keegan had stopped with a dreaded puncture. Rather unfortunate for him as it would have made for a great sprint finish but in the end thats racing and I came over the line with the win very happy with myself!
Thanks to Brad at Halswell Butchery for the support and entry!
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Hanmer Hammerhead
The Hanmer Hammerhead has always been a bit of a favorite for me as it was a race where I got my first real result when I started to compete on the mountain bike.
After a bit of a looksy around the start of the course before the race it was the typical fast flowing singletrack that Hanmer has on offer so I was looking forward to the race start to see what the rest of the course was like.
I started off hard and lead the first half of the lap before Craig snuck in front of me and whizzed down the next bit of track. I raced on and came through onto my second lap of three about 20seconds behind Craig with Ben right on my tail and then continued on for the next big lap. I kept riding on but the legs weren't going to be pushing much harder today and the young buck from Timaru David Coventry, came up behind me ready to slip past at the opportunity. I rode on for my final lap holding my position finishing 4th Overall (1st Open Mens).
After a bit of a looksy around the start of the course before the race it was the typical fast flowing singletrack that Hanmer has on offer so I was looking forward to the race start to see what the rest of the course was like.
Long Beach Coastal Challenge
Long Beach Coastal Challenge has been a good solid race that keeps on grinding away through farm paddocks for around 35km. While there is no single track on offer it was a good event to keep the heart rate high and battle away and see how the legs would cope!
I started well and it quickly became a front bunch of Anton, Craig, Ben, Logan and myself taking a few turns to tow the train around the twisty course.
About a third of the way into the course we crossed a river and saw the first attack from Anton and Logan followed suit. The rest of us chased on and we got back onto Logan and started to work as a group to pull back the whippet leading the way. Not too long after Logan was riding strong and slipped away through a tightly gnarly piece of terrain and I was left with the Oliver brothers to ride against. We came toward the beach front and I knew I might be in for a bit of trouble as I tend to sink in the deeper stuff when the lighter boys skate across! Nevertheless I pulled myself back onto them near the end after biting the stem down a long gravel road.
The final river crossing came up and the brothers rode over a small walking bridge and while I saw them slow down I thought I could be a bit smart and smash through the river.... Well unfortunately this was not the case and I sunk downwards again!
Anyway it was a few hundred meters to the finish line and I came over the line in 5th place,a nice day out down South.
Spring Crusher - Hanmer
I raced the Spring Crusher last year and with the challenge of over 1000m of verticle gain throughout 36km it was high on the list of build up races to compete in.
While the body was still battling illness I was keen to see what the course had to offer as it was slightly different to last years and the start sure showed what aggression we would be thrown at. Straight up into the forest from the road we were in our lowest gears and the old body temperature sure rose to the occasion!
I was riding alright, trailing behind the front boys which stayed like this for up to the 20km mark where I managed to start heading back up a main climb in the course when I was meant to just simply cross straightover (don't know how I managed to stuff that one up!) Sure enough after a good minute or so lost I realized I had made a slight detour! Once back on track the course was mostly quick fast pedaling alongside the bottom of the hillside with only a couple small climbs to go I was glad to see the finish and rest up the legs. I ended up coming over the line in 6th and 3rd in open mens.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Clarence Spectacular MTB Race
This event was a new one on the calender and being in Hanmer it is always worth driving the distance to ride outside of the usual training ground back home. The event was supposed to be held on the Saturday but shortly after we had arrived at the venue in torrential rain we were told that the race was postponed until the next day - great another trip to Hanmer!!! Apart from the travel time and fuel we arrived on Sunday to a fresh start but with the sun out it made for a nice day.
The race went really well, not as many competitors were racing which was a bit of a disappointment but I suppose several people weren't too keen to come back up again unlike myself! Great to see a few fit and fast local riders from back home battling it out behind me!
The race started down Pawson's Road and then hooked left climbing up onto Jacks Pass Road. This followed up the rest of the climb to the saddle there at the 7km mark after 5km of climbing gaining 400m vertical height. Riding onwards I was glad to enjoy a short break and blast down a 3km downhill back onto flat ground. The course next took a left hand turn and followed up alongside the river for a good 10km. This then turned onto a four wheel drive track that climbed onwards steadily and onto the beginning of the St James track (which is in the process of being smoothed out) that was rather rough to start with after coming off the gravel roads but all good mountain biking!
Following on it was back the way I came alongside the river for several clicks before hitting the 38km mark and beginning the last steady 4km climb to the top of Jollies Pass. From here I could smell the finish and what a neat final blat down 4km of fast steep four wheel drive track where my big wheels set up with a set of Maxxis Aspens could hold on to keep up some serious momentum!
Once back on the tarmac is was all Time Trial mode back to the finish for 2km, head down to complete the 50km course in 1 hour 52 minutes!
I was pretty pleased with my ride, a good solid work out and as a new event on the calender I would recommend this one to those who enjoy a good bit of scenery and want a bit of fun at the end!
Thanks!
The race started down Pawson's Road and then hooked left climbing up onto Jacks Pass Road. This followed up the rest of the climb to the saddle there at the 7km mark after 5km of climbing gaining 400m vertical height. Riding onwards I was glad to enjoy a short break and blast down a 3km downhill back onto flat ground. The course next took a left hand turn and followed up alongside the river for a good 10km. This then turned onto a four wheel drive track that climbed onwards steadily and onto the beginning of the St James track (which is in the process of being smoothed out) that was rather rough to start with after coming off the gravel roads but all good mountain biking!
Following on it was back the way I came alongside the river for several clicks before hitting the 38km mark and beginning the last steady 4km climb to the top of Jollies Pass. From here I could smell the finish and what a neat final blat down 4km of fast steep four wheel drive track where my big wheels set up with a set of Maxxis Aspens could hold on to keep up some serious momentum!
Once back on the tarmac is was all Time Trial mode back to the finish for 2km, head down to complete the 50km course in 1 hour 52 minutes!
I was pretty pleased with my ride, a good solid work out and as a new event on the calender I would recommend this one to those who enjoy a good bit of scenery and want a bit of fun at the end!
Thanks!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Mclean's Island 6 Hour Solo
It's been a while since my last post having come back from racing in Canada and enjoying a nice break that was certainly required to get my focus back in the right place.
With new motivation and a few changes to my training the last few months have seen me clocking up a few K's mostly on the road bike. I have competed in a couple races lately and even won the 2012 Sefton Classic Road Race (80km category) so things have been looking like they are heading in the right direction for the 2013 season just around the bend kicking off in January!
Now starting to feel much like roadie I looked at the calender and what better way to get back into the mountain bike swing of things with a 6 hour solo race out at Mcleans Island! It would be my first proper endurance event and with learning alot recently the hard way about nutrition on the go I was sure going to be tested both physically and mentally but I was keen as a bean to see how it would unfold on the day!
The race started off with a Le Mon's start - a 300m running dash to the fence to find and aboard the race machine, get out of the chaos and into the track. I started off pretty casually not wanting to even bring a sweat to my forehead until I was at least on my Trek Superfly ready to get the big wheels ticking some K's over. Perhaps I went out a little too easy in the run as when I finally got out of the line up of bikes the front riders were already out along the stopbank which was a good 400m plus way and a whole string of riders inbetween.
Nevertheless I had a game plan in my head and I stuck to it superbly throughout the whole race. However being 8 1/2 - 9 minutes down at the half way mark did make me a touch nervous but I knew if the front of my race had gone out that hard then they would start to blow and then I would be able to open up the taps later on and start the chase!
All day I had eaten well and gone through a low patch around the middle of my race but then the final couple of hours saw my laps becoming stronger than the others and the final hour was all go! I was taking off several minutes off the others and while I couldn't quite reach the front by the end I had pulled the gap to second to around 1 minute and to first 2 minutes finishing 3rd in the Open Mens devision.
So in the end for my first endurance race I am pretty stoked to have finished how I did, maybe next time I'll try and get out off the traffic from the start but thats all part of watching a good race unfold!
November will see a few mountain bike races on the calender so i'll be updating my blog most weeks to keep everyone posted! Cheers!
With new motivation and a few changes to my training the last few months have seen me clocking up a few K's mostly on the road bike. I have competed in a couple races lately and even won the 2012 Sefton Classic Road Race (80km category) so things have been looking like they are heading in the right direction for the 2013 season just around the bend kicking off in January!
Now starting to feel much like roadie I looked at the calender and what better way to get back into the mountain bike swing of things with a 6 hour solo race out at Mcleans Island! It would be my first proper endurance event and with learning alot recently the hard way about nutrition on the go I was sure going to be tested both physically and mentally but I was keen as a bean to see how it would unfold on the day!
Nevertheless I had a game plan in my head and I stuck to it superbly throughout the whole race. However being 8 1/2 - 9 minutes down at the half way mark did make me a touch nervous but I knew if the front of my race had gone out that hard then they would start to blow and then I would be able to open up the taps later on and start the chase!
All day I had eaten well and gone through a low patch around the middle of my race but then the final couple of hours saw my laps becoming stronger than the others and the final hour was all go! I was taking off several minutes off the others and while I couldn't quite reach the front by the end I had pulled the gap to second to around 1 minute and to first 2 minutes finishing 3rd in the Open Mens devision.
So in the end for my first endurance race I am pretty stoked to have finished how I did, maybe next time I'll try and get out off the traffic from the start but thats all part of watching a good race unfold!
November will see a few mountain bike races on the calender so i'll be updating my blog most weeks to keep everyone posted! Cheers!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
UCI World Cup Windham, U.S.A
After last weekends result at Mont Sainte Anne I was feeling pretty confident about nailing a solid result in the final race of the trip before heading home.
We got our first look at the track on Tuesday and it was almost identical to the same course we had 2 years ago as an Under 19. This was all good and I was excited about this track as it is a similar sort of course to our race track at home Living Springs. A nice steady climb to the top with a couple of blasts through the trees and then all the way back down to the bottom for another round! With this sort of course in mind I got my race plan sorted quick smart and I was feeling confident for race day, just had to make sure I had a good first lap in!
The race start was at 9am and I decided to do a pre race lap with Mat to get the body and mind into the groove of what was about to come. Just as I had started my down hill at the top of the course I was about to enter the second set of trees and out of nowhere to my suprise I slipped my hand off the bars and had a huge crash only 30 odd minutes out from the start! This certainly was not ideal and I got a bit winded from the impact at first. Anyway I brought myself around and dusted myself down and checked over the bike, only a slightly bent Hope brake lever but at least I was still mostly in one piece!
Quickly after all the drama it was off down town to the start and a few minutes pedalling around took us to the start line and right on the hour we were off!
I started off well and was feeling happy with where I was sitting to begin with. As we came onto the course and lap 1 the intensity got taken up a level and the legs were screaming out! Unfortunately like last weekend I just didnt quite have the sting in the legs to hold my position up the first climb but after that I pressed on and passed a couple of groups of riders and tried to get into a bit of a rhythm. The rest of race was a bit of grind in the hot sunny conditions but I finished up 38th in the U23 field.
The rest of the day saw a nice relaxing afternoon and night with the lads and it was a neat ending to a superb trip.
Right now I am just across the ditch from NZ and am looking forward to seeing everyone back home again. It has been an awesome trip this year and our Canadian friend Julien Petit has been an huge help to us and both Mat and I can't thank him enough! Also a few people I would like to thank - Mat and the boys from Cycleways, Jeremy Murphy, Brad Williams, Dave Plew, Andrea Murray, Mum and Dad and of course to all my support out there and everyone who is helping me out along the way! Cheers to the Swaghorn to for another good trip overseas!
We got our first look at the track on Tuesday and it was almost identical to the same course we had 2 years ago as an Under 19. This was all good and I was excited about this track as it is a similar sort of course to our race track at home Living Springs. A nice steady climb to the top with a couple of blasts through the trees and then all the way back down to the bottom for another round! With this sort of course in mind I got my race plan sorted quick smart and I was feeling confident for race day, just had to make sure I had a good first lap in!
The race start was at 9am and I decided to do a pre race lap with Mat to get the body and mind into the groove of what was about to come. Just as I had started my down hill at the top of the course I was about to enter the second set of trees and out of nowhere to my suprise I slipped my hand off the bars and had a huge crash only 30 odd minutes out from the start! This certainly was not ideal and I got a bit winded from the impact at first. Anyway I brought myself around and dusted myself down and checked over the bike, only a slightly bent Hope brake lever but at least I was still mostly in one piece!
Quickly after all the drama it was off down town to the start and a few minutes pedalling around took us to the start line and right on the hour we were off!
I started off well and was feeling happy with where I was sitting to begin with. As we came onto the course and lap 1 the intensity got taken up a level and the legs were screaming out! Unfortunately like last weekend I just didnt quite have the sting in the legs to hold my position up the first climb but after that I pressed on and passed a couple of groups of riders and tried to get into a bit of a rhythm. The rest of race was a bit of grind in the hot sunny conditions but I finished up 38th in the U23 field.
The rest of the day saw a nice relaxing afternoon and night with the lads and it was a neat ending to a superb trip.
Right now I am just across the ditch from NZ and am looking forward to seeing everyone back home again. It has been an awesome trip this year and our Canadian friend Julien Petit has been an huge help to us and both Mat and I can't thank him enough! Also a few people I would like to thank - Mat and the boys from Cycleways, Jeremy Murphy, Brad Williams, Dave Plew, Andrea Murray, Mum and Dad and of course to all my support out there and everyone who is helping me out along the way! Cheers to the Swaghorn to for another good trip overseas!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
UCI World Cup Mont Sainte Anne
We arrived at the Mont Sainte Anne a week out from the race with good preparation time on one of the most demanding XCO courses on the World Cup circuit. Two years ago I raced here in the World Champs as an Under 19 so I was looking forward to getting back on the technical and intense race circuit Mont Sainte Anne has to offer.
Lap after lap the course climbed steeply up the first climb which then came down the famous Rock Garden Mont Sainte Anne is well known for. It then climbed back up steeply up into a switch back section and then through a tight and gnarly trail and onto the fast downhill and past the feedzone. From here the second half of the lap saw a fast trail blaze around a loop that criss crossed a couple of times to follow back through the joint feedzone and to the start/finish.
Race day came around and I was feeling ready to get to that start line and get stuck into my first World Cup event this year. The race start was intense! I had not put myself into the best start position off the line and was stuck right in the middle unable to move out and put the hammer down. I quickly knew that I had stuffed up and as soon as we hit the top of the hill into the trees it was just chaos, people walking with others trying to ride around them over slippery rocks and roots made for a hell of a fun first lap, not!
I knew I had lost minutes once I came through onto lap two but now it was time to forget that and concentrate on improving my position as much as I could by the end of the race.
I was climbing well and attacked everyone that came in my path which I was happy with. While I didn't get the result I wanted to achieve and finishing 34th in the U23 event it was still a good hit out and im looking forward to improving my placing big time this weekend in Windham, U.S.A!
I have just come back from my first look this year at the track and am feeling really positive about it so things are looking good for this weekend before my flight home back to NZ. This trip has gone fast!
Lap after lap the course climbed steeply up the first climb which then came down the famous Rock Garden Mont Sainte Anne is well known for. It then climbed back up steeply up into a switch back section and then through a tight and gnarly trail and onto the fast downhill and past the feedzone. From here the second half of the lap saw a fast trail blaze around a loop that criss crossed a couple of times to follow back through the joint feedzone and to the start/finish.
Race day came around and I was feeling ready to get to that start line and get stuck into my first World Cup event this year. The race start was intense! I had not put myself into the best start position off the line and was stuck right in the middle unable to move out and put the hammer down. I quickly knew that I had stuffed up and as soon as we hit the top of the hill into the trees it was just chaos, people walking with others trying to ride around them over slippery rocks and roots made for a hell of a fun first lap, not!
I knew I had lost minutes once I came through onto lap two but now it was time to forget that and concentrate on improving my position as much as I could by the end of the race.
I was climbing well and attacked everyone that came in my path which I was happy with. While I didn't get the result I wanted to achieve and finishing 34th in the U23 event it was still a good hit out and im looking forward to improving my placing big time this weekend in Windham, U.S.A!
I have just come back from my first look this year at the track and am feeling really positive about it so things are looking good for this weekend before my flight home back to NZ. This trip has gone fast!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Rider update
The network is very similar to New Zealands Rotorua version with a 100km of track (not that we rode it all!) so while the body was still a bit tired from the day before the eyes lit up once we started to really get into the heart of the forest. Huge big sweepers flowing up and down through the sides of the valley floors sure brought a smile to the dial!
The best thing was that it was all single track and all the work up sure got rewarded with the down, good for the technical speed work negotiating the trails with all the roots and it made for a neat 2 and half hour ride. A full suspension 29er would be the ideal bike for this sort of work!
Tuesday also saw Mat and I off on another trip roughly an hour out of Sherbrooke to East Hereford very close to the border.
As we rode deeper into the forest it became more rooty with a few natural rock gardens scattered here and there which made for some good fun. After a short open climb to reach our half way we re-entered the forest and it was all undulating but mostly downhill to the end. We had a blast as the tracks became even faster especially that final section! Neat big bermed corners and fast flowing singletrack took us back onto the road where Mat had managed to get a puncture just coming off the hill! Never mind, I went and got the car, picked him up and we were on our way, another excellent trail ride!
Last Wednesday I have raced in a local club event just around the corner from our accommodation in our training forest. The course was a short 5 lap trace but highly intensive and was tight and technical with many trees roots. Even better it had been wet also (but we had been training here so we were familiar with this riding style) so I had to be on my game with the 7pm start. I raced again last night against some keen club riders and had a very solid training with that added bonus of coming across the line first!
This weekend we have been pushing to see if we can race in the Canadian National Championships so fingers crossed they let us race. It will be our final hit out before the World Cups starting next weekend which I'm looking forward to with much excitement!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Raid De Charleviox
Today the sun was out blazing and it was looking like there was going to be some nice dry tracks for us to race on (most of our riding has involved some sort of mud since we have arrived) so I was feeling excited about getting the big wheels turning!
My start was not the greatest though as the course very quickly shot down a rough downhill and I dropped my full bottle out of my cage! I simply had to turn around to retrieve it as there was no way I was going to use my spare bottle out of my back pocket for a 2 hour plus race! Nevertheless I pressed on and quickly and sharply rode through the pack back to the front to where Mat and our friend Julien were riding still warming up their legs so that was a bonus!
As soon as I was back up the front Mat and I knew it was go time so off we went riding side by side looking very sharp as a Team Kiwi like riding style!
Just after I said to Mat about keeping clean this race we turned the corner and were riding amongst swamp land and we sure got MUD! I just managed to bail out of going full on over the bars at low speed when I was negotiating my way around several mud puddles when I landed my front wheel in a deep rut and was stopped in my tracks! Anyway that was all part of the fun and after dismounting to tramp through a very impressive bog we were back on dry land and starting our first main climb in the race.
Once we had completed the first half of the race there was a good climb leading up to the highest point in the race with a couple of downs mixed in. It was some steep and rough climbing and I knew if I kept some good momentum the big wheels would shoot over this terrain nicely. As we came around and back up a climb at the 27km mark I put some pressure down and noticed Mat was slipping back. This told me there was an opportunity to do something here so I dropped the hammer and opened up a gap. After reaching the highest point in the race and enjoying a fast and loose downhill I had the final climb to get up and then ride home to the finish. With the win in site I was smoking my way along the final part of the course and finished the race in very good time and very pleased with my ride!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Coupe Canada Cup
We arrived two nights out from the race driving through rain and I thought it might be a good case of putting the muds on before I had ridden the track. I waited until the next day and was suprised when the course was super fast and tacky as it had been quite dry recently and the rain had hardly left a puddle.
I really enjoyed the track. It was not super hilly but was very fast and still had a couple of neat downhills but was just a fun track to blast around - perfect for a first hit to blow the cobwebs out and shake off the jetlag!
I started on the front row of the Elite mens race which was a six lap trace. It was a very cool feeling starting a race like that alongside a few of the pro`s. My start went well and I just held my own sitting off the line within the top 10. I quickly thought otherwise to running my dry set up (Maxxis Aspens) tyres as soon as I hit the singletrack but that was the setup I had on and so be it (although the Maxxis Beavers were looking quite inviting!) I managed to hold a very good position for the first and second laps but got passed by a couple of riders throughout the race.
Each time we completed a lap the course was cutting up more and more but I held it together and kept upright and smooth. Think the big wheels made life a bit easier on a course like this!
The final laps saw a solid push for the line, the legs had been working hard and I finished in the Elite men in 14th position and 5th Under 23.
Overall pretty pleased with that result for the first race. This weekend I have the Raid race which should be fun, more of a point to point rather than a circuit but all good training. The World Cups are in just under 3 weeks time and are looking very exciting!
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