The Frog Rock Race was another beauty of a race for climbing. Amongst the hills of Waipara, the course was 26km but while short it had 1000m of vertical climbing.
From race start the course shot up a steep hill and I had quickly realised my bike was setup incorrectly for the climbing as I was already in my lowest gear grinding away! I still easily held on but knew she would be a tough day if this kept up. Not long after the first climb the course hadn't been marked properly and the leading group of riders, including me, found ourselves agreeing to jump a gate in the hope we were still on the right track! Once we came to another gate we figured we were still off track so after a nice wee climb back up the hill we found a farm track that took us back on the right path. From here we were riding with the rest of the field making our way through everyone.
Once we had some clear track I was riding with Craig Oliver following me, grinding away up the majority of the climbs being badly over geared. On one of the fast downhills at roughly the 19km mark I heard an air chilling scream from behind and while the temptation was there to gap it and eat into Anton's lead, I decided to do the right thing and go back and check Craig hadn't seriously injured himself.
With Craig back on his bike, I rode the remainder of the race with him and came down the final downhill leading. I was now spinning like crazy towards the finish, tapped out to the max with my gearing. I was not expecting the sprint to be contested but sure enough it was and I made sure I took the next winning place 2nd overall.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Spring Crusher
The Spring Crusher MTB race was certainly a good race to have a crack at. With 36km across all of the Hanmer tracks and trails along with 1000m of vertical climbing gains it made for a solid on the body. From the start I was where I needed to be and not long after the first hill the race split up with three of us leading the charge. Conditions were wet and as we came onto the first long single trail downhill my tyre choice wasn't on the money. I struggled to ride smoothly and cleanly slowly slipping away from the other two. Not that this mattered too much as I could still see them up the next few climbs that made there way throughout the forest roads. Each corner I knew I was gaining easily back onto them and thought this was great as I didn't have to put myself in the 'box' to get back on. But when I was about 20metres behind the inevitable happened. The course came around a corner and levelled out, I managed to follow some old course markers which made there way down the hill and up the valley, completely off track! Once I realised this I knew any chance of winning was well in truly over as I had already lost roughly 10 minutes so I followed my tracks back and found where I was supposed to go! I was pretty disappointed but it was still a good training ride around the Hanmer trail network!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Lees Valley 80km Race
The Lees Valley Mountain Bike Challenge was a first for me. It consisted of 80km of fantastic open gravel roads amongst some spectacular scenery. The course stretched right into the middle of the valley and climbed back out to reach the finish line with a few farm animals to ride around which made for a couple of close calls at times!
Right from when we hit the first hill the legs felt fantastic and a game plan was being put into place. There were a few of us at the front of the race until Brent Miller came off around a corner. I waited for around 30 seconds in anticipation to have someone to work with over the approx 25km of flat and undulating middle section of the race. I looked back and saw nothing so I decided it was time to go and see what I had in the tank.
I dropped Craig up a short climb as I put the pressure on and now it was "go" time. I came down not shortly after to cross the river and saw I already had a big gap after stepping the pace up the previous short climb. It was now time to go solo and get stuck in, head down until I reached the final 20km of hilly terrain to reach the finish. I had a strong ride and once I hit the hills again no one was insight but I kept pushing hard and came across the line with the new course record of 2 hours 47 minutes. (exact time to be confirmed) I was very pleased, to say the least, with my ride!
Thanks to Cycleways, event organisers, marshalls and event sponsors.
Right from when we hit the first hill the legs felt fantastic and a game plan was being put into place. There were a few of us at the front of the race until Brent Miller came off around a corner. I waited for around 30 seconds in anticipation to have someone to work with over the approx 25km of flat and undulating middle section of the race. I looked back and saw nothing so I decided it was time to go and see what I had in the tank.
I dropped Craig up a short climb as I put the pressure on and now it was "go" time. I came down not shortly after to cross the river and saw I already had a big gap after stepping the pace up the previous short climb. It was now time to go solo and get stuck in, head down until I reached the final 20km of hilly terrain to reach the finish. I had a strong ride and once I hit the hills again no one was insight but I kept pushing hard and came across the line with the new course record of 2 hours 47 minutes. (exact time to be confirmed) I was very pleased, to say the least, with my ride!
Thanks to Cycleways, event organisers, marshalls and event sponsors.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Mcleans Island 12 Hour
This year we had another strong Cycleways Team competing in the 2011 Mcleans Island Mountain Bike 12 Hour race consisting of Phil Patterson, Nick Clark, Dave Ives, Mark Richards and myself.
Phil was the man to get the race rolling for us and with a Le Mans start to the race that meant for a short run amongst a fair amount of caos as riders ducked and dived for their bikes. Phil came in second after the first lap making up huge ground after he struggled to find his bike in the crowd from the start. With myself heading out second in the team I pulled some good time into the leading team only a few seconds behind with a very quick lap and then Nick went and slotted us into the lead. With Dave and Mark holding their own the race, the day went really quickly and the weather could not have been much better!
Once the 6 hour riders were off the track that meant for even quicker lap times and less traffic to deal with. I had an excellent third to last lap which was the fastest lap of the day overall so I was buzzing once back at our team site! I followed that up with No2 fastest lap of the day.
The North Canterbury Cycling Club Junior Team had a strong ride, keeping us on their toes for a while and their fastest rider Anton doing double laps but our team was too strong and consistent and we took the overall win in the end!
Thoughts go out to the few riders and their families who had attained serious injuries including one fatal heart attack.
Big thanks to Rod and Jane from Bluedog Events for another very well run proffessional events and to Matt Bailey and the Team for all the support, not to mention Mum and Dad for all the usual bits and pieces that go about in these events!
Phil was the man to get the race rolling for us and with a Le Mans start to the race that meant for a short run amongst a fair amount of caos as riders ducked and dived for their bikes. Phil came in second after the first lap making up huge ground after he struggled to find his bike in the crowd from the start. With myself heading out second in the team I pulled some good time into the leading team only a few seconds behind with a very quick lap and then Nick went and slotted us into the lead. With Dave and Mark holding their own the race, the day went really quickly and the weather could not have been much better!
Once the 6 hour riders were off the track that meant for even quicker lap times and less traffic to deal with. I had an excellent third to last lap which was the fastest lap of the day overall so I was buzzing once back at our team site! I followed that up with No2 fastest lap of the day.
The North Canterbury Cycling Club Junior Team had a strong ride, keeping us on their toes for a while and their fastest rider Anton doing double laps but our team was too strong and consistent and we took the overall win in the end!
Thoughts go out to the few riders and their families who had attained serious injuries including one fatal heart attack.
Big thanks to Rod and Jane from Bluedog Events for another very well run proffessional events and to Matt Bailey and the Team for all the support, not to mention Mum and Dad for all the usual bits and pieces that go about in these events!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Dusky Trail 2011
Todays race was the 2011 Dusky Trail mountain bike race held down in Twizel. 44km of mostly open four wheel drive terrain. This involved a few wee pinch climbs, a few river crossings that made for mandatory dismount, boggey patches and some false flats that made you feel like you were grinding away and pushing harder than required! All this mixed together with a nice day with the sun coming out during the event.
From the start it wasn't long before the front of the race saw 3 of us riding away. After several Kilometres of shingle roads and tarmac the 2 riders with me were starting to slow the pace so I pressed on over the rough terrain. Here there were 3 of us all on 29ers (and a 1-2-3 at the finish) and the big wheels were fantastic over the bumpy surface. I jumped at the front and pushed on and a couple of minutes later (not long before the first river crossing) I looked back and saw I had a gap.
Once through the river I kept the pace up and had a strong ride to the finish. The false flats that gradually climbed up into the valley also on some damp sections felt quite energy sapping but my Trek 29'er bike felt superior on a course like this.
I am also using a new set of Geax Barro Race Tyres which I have been using in the Short Track Racing here in Christchurch. Right from the first race I thought they were fantastic! The hook they have at high speed is excellent and on one of the high speed shoots coming down to a tight left hand corner to start the climb they provide real confidence for me to hook into at pace. I'm looking forward to racing them in the National Rounds kicking off in January.
Next weekend is the Mcleans 12 Hour Event held right here on home ground. Keep a look out for a fast Cycleways Team in the Orange colours!
From the start it wasn't long before the front of the race saw 3 of us riding away. After several Kilometres of shingle roads and tarmac the 2 riders with me were starting to slow the pace so I pressed on over the rough terrain. Here there were 3 of us all on 29ers (and a 1-2-3 at the finish) and the big wheels were fantastic over the bumpy surface. I jumped at the front and pushed on and a couple of minutes later (not long before the first river crossing) I looked back and saw I had a gap.
Once through the river I kept the pace up and had a strong ride to the finish. The false flats that gradually climbed up into the valley also on some damp sections felt quite energy sapping but my Trek 29'er bike felt superior on a course like this.
I am also using a new set of Geax Barro Race Tyres which I have been using in the Short Track Racing here in Christchurch. Right from the first race I thought they were fantastic! The hook they have at high speed is excellent and on one of the high speed shoots coming down to a tight left hand corner to start the climb they provide real confidence for me to hook into at pace. I'm looking forward to racing them in the National Rounds kicking off in January.
Next weekend is the Mcleans 12 Hour Event held right here on home ground. Keep a look out for a fast Cycleways Team in the Orange colours!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Le Race 2011
Todays Le Race went pretty well all things considered. After just getting back into training with no base miles done yet I finished with a very respectable net time of 2 hours 53 minutes and 6 seconds. Conditions were tough along the summit roads with high winds, little visability and rain, this all made for a solid 100 kilometres.
From the start the body was pretty cold and up the to the kiwi I had a bit of work to do getting back onto the main front bunch once the body started to warm up. This whole section onto the down hill toward Gebbies pass went pretty steadily.
The downhill's were very greasy and once I had some clear vision I saw that the whole field had split up with some riders way down the hill (most were the top riders I think) so I pressed on and got some nice passing manoeuvres going. On one of the cattle stops on a bend a rider skated on the deck infront of me - not the prettiest site but he got back up.
By the bottom of the hill I was inbetween the leaders and the main front bunch so I settled back into the up coming group. A few Km's into the flat section one of the top riders who was with us pushed the pace and I fell back. I kept pressing on and a couple of riders caught me up and we got some good momentum going. Just before the Akaroa hill the Peloton caught up also but as soon as we hit the hill it was game on! I settled into a very good rhythm and dropped the peloton and caught and past quite a few other riders ahead.
Once I got a fresh bottle at the top (thanks mum) it was the last 40km to the finish. I was with a few other riders but eventually it became 3 of us right to the finish with myself being the middle rider.
I crossed the line 23rd overall with a pretty cold body and tired legs but all in all a very good outing!
From the start the body was pretty cold and up the to the kiwi I had a bit of work to do getting back onto the main front bunch once the body started to warm up. This whole section onto the down hill toward Gebbies pass went pretty steadily.
The downhill's were very greasy and once I had some clear vision I saw that the whole field had split up with some riders way down the hill (most were the top riders I think) so I pressed on and got some nice passing manoeuvres going. On one of the cattle stops on a bend a rider skated on the deck infront of me - not the prettiest site but he got back up.
By the bottom of the hill I was inbetween the leaders and the main front bunch so I settled back into the up coming group. A few Km's into the flat section one of the top riders who was with us pushed the pace and I fell back. I kept pressing on and a couple of riders caught me up and we got some good momentum going. Just before the Akaroa hill the Peloton caught up also but as soon as we hit the hill it was game on! I settled into a very good rhythm and dropped the peloton and caught and past quite a few other riders ahead.
Once I got a fresh bottle at the top (thanks mum) it was the last 40km to the finish. I was with a few other riders but eventually it became 3 of us right to the finish with myself being the middle rider.
I crossed the line 23rd overall with a pretty cold body and tired legs but all in all a very good outing!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
2011 World Championships
The 2011 World Championships were held in Champery, Switzerland. After competing in the final World Cup Round in Italy just under 2 weeks ago I was very excited to be in the biggest and last race of the season. All the training and build this year comes down to this Pinnacle event and the need for a solid performance is a necessity.
The World Champs XCO track was a fantastic race course! It had lots of rooty sections to negotiate with. As the venue is situated amongst a valley in trees it never really dried out as during the week we had a couple of rain showers. The track also had a neat drop off in it which a few riders had some good crashes in during practise. It was the ideal track for my 29er wheels and newly crowned 2011 Elite male World Champion, Jaroslav Kuharvy proved that today on his full suspension 29er machine!
Two days out from the race I was starting to feel the nerves. I knew that the first lap was going to be frantic! So race day Friday came around and as we were racing at 5pm it was a nervous wait all day. The last few hours before the race flew by and before I knew it I was on the line ready to go!
I had a pretty good start but it could have been a wee bit better as the legs weren’t feeling fantastic. This wasn’t too much of an issue though as it was all bunched up and there wasn’t much room to play with at that stage! However once around roughly 1-2 minutes of track I saw a clean side line and smacked it hard gaining several positions and moving up toward the front half of the pack!
From here the start loop went through the feed zone area and up the major climb of the race. As we passed through the feed zone we entered the tarmac (that eventually follows up the hill) and would have been doing roughly over 30km/h. I was near the left hand side and was eyeing up my attack to push further up the field. As I was nailing it a Dutch rider came up the inside of me standing up sprinting and collided with my handle bars. I came off and in spectacular fashion and went over my handle bars and slammed onto the barrier and road. I was not impressed!
I got back on my bike with a few bumps and a bit of a bloody elbow but pushed on up the hill to meet the bottle neck at the top. Once I finally got some clear room on the first proper lap I moved up and gained some positions but another problem had struck me. Due to the crash my front derailleur had basically chiselled off where the cable comes around so I was stuck in my Small chain ring! I tried to keep as positive as I could trying to focus on smashing it out but after the crash and now a mechanical problem (not to mention the huge amount of lost time) I just wasn’t able to ride as well as what I should have and eventually got lapped out due to all my lost time.
I was extremely gutted. The season for me has certainly been a tough one and to get a solid result here would have been a huge high for me to end my 2011 season. Racing can be a very cruel sport at times I sure got my fair share yesterday! If I look at the positives I will take my experience that I have gained in my campaign and use it next year to improve and get knuckling down to get where I need to and should be. I would like to say a huge thanks to all my support back home, having people who believe in me although I haven’t had the greatest of luck so far it really does help and I hope next season that things start to come together as they should!
Anyway it’s time for me to have a well earnt break after the hard build up I have had. I’ll back in New Zealand on Thursday and looking forward to being at home with friends and my awesome family!
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