2009 Oceania Champs, Thredbo

Another Thredbo race, another shambles of a course. What joy is there in racing up a grassy ski slope? The demise of Raw NRG, thank God, would usually bring about change for the better. Alas the people that matter, the riders, were left wanting, as usual by unimaginative course design, regulation red tape and interference of MTBA to produce another anticlimax when this race should be elevated to a higher pedestal than even the National Championships. With more points on offer, higher price money pool and racers from all over Oceania, why not put on a spectacle that will make people WANT to ride and race in Australia. Show them the best of what we have, use an established venue that is easy to travel to if you're arriving from Tahiti and promote it as a riding destination? It's little wonder that mountain biking is in this kind of state with this kind of support.

Team Merida Flightcentre Impractical Hot Hatch turned out in style with an array of small, turbo charged cars that no other team could hope to match. No, you can't carry much in the way of equipment, but that's not the point. They're quick and we were hoping to be just that this weekend. JK was towing a trailer the whole way which he couldn't shake at any stage during the race.

And so to the race proper!

A highly strung field turned out to gather points for the upcoming European season. Although a slightly sub par turn out from the Kiwi's in Elite men, missing their highest echelon of riders meaning they would not feature in the results.

A rough, hardly ridden course and fetus like start loop greeted the riders as did 7 laps which maybe should have been 6.

The team didn't start well with most of us falling into the back half with a frenetic start the culprit. AJ's ginger staying power did see him work through the field along with Mick Bosch, with usual German precision. JK seemed to suffer from a lack of legs during the race, which was evident before and after the event just from looking at them.

Earlier in the day, a cocky P-Hen showed us all how it was done by winning the small fry category. Could "Ze Bosch" and his Ginger friend emulate such success?

Short answer is no, but these two Gladiators of modern day mountain biking made a good show of it, entertaining the masses by slaying anything in their path, including natives of the home country, both espoir and senior, Tahitians and Kiwis alike. None were spared and in the end a podium place was presented to "Ze Bosch" for a well ridden 4th place in Elite men, with "His Holy Gingerness" a few spots back in 6th.

A well earned break (for some) now awaits.

New Zealands Karapoti Classic 2009

Here we are again! For the 5th year running in Wellington, enjoying the wind. But we're also here for the rain this year. The first year i've had to race this in foul conditions. Good times, could we see some patented tripod action?

With the lack of single track, probably not, but puddles, oh yes, lots of puddles.

The traditional Makera Peak ride was had, with us jumping off things we shouldn't be on sub 9kg bikes, but hey. A good pasta dinner at "Pasta de Casa" and we were ready.

Going into this with our 3 top riders, we were confidant a good result could be had. That looked likely when I went away on the first climb, then AJ went well away, without company and the race looked in the bag. With myself and Tim marking any other move we had the leader and two more in the top 5.

Disaster struck in the Rock Garden, as it quite often does. I snapped a chain, somehow, while not even pedaling. Four mins later I was going again and still feeling good guessing I was just outside the top ten. In quick succession I passed three riders, then another four with flats, one of which was Tim. That constant lack of air would see him drop out of contention.

I gave it everything to the finish, knowing I was on a reasonable time. Having not seen AJ anywhere (or Tim at the start, since he was under water for some time) I assumed we had the win in the bag. But again no air at the bottom of the tyre, the crucial part that you ride on, was a problem. They only ever seem to go flat at the bottom! Even riding on the rim 6km home couldn't save a top ten spot.

So it goes, Lady Luck is a bitch. I grabbed 3rd to add to my 2nd, 5th, 7th and 8th in years gone by. I'm gathering quite a collection of numbers, all different. The 1, 4 and 6 would be nice editions in years to come.

Ottway Oddessy

Another race, another missed start. Well almost. I wasn't on my bike when the race kicked off as I was letting some of the 60psi out of my tyres, but I did manage to get back up the front of the pack, then we hit the first major climb.

I was comfortable in the anonymity of the 4th bunch on the road, besides the 3rd bunch weren't far up the road, and when we caught them, I could have a chat to JK, who happened to be my carrot. The predictability of what happens next is amazing. I flatted, on a flat, gravely stretch of road. So I took my time and thought about what Cal B had said to me not long before "I'm going to pull the pin at the first feed" The more I thought about this, the more it made sense. The marathon champs had been cancelled due to devastating fires and I had no races coming up over 3hrs, so if I ride for 3.5-4hrs, flat stick, that is the perfect training.

And it is good fun, zooming past people who are riding to conserve and battling people who i've never even seen for the lead into the timed descent. Sorry to the guy who tried to stay on my inside going into that, and hit the trail marker pole, but you shouldn't have been there.

And so it came to fruition, the pin was pulled and I felt great. Until "Ugly Naked Guy" took the challenge to ride the last 12km nude. We didn't need that and I wouldn't be shocked to hear you being sued for damages by some of the kids that were there in years to come.

But the question remained, would this pay off in 2 weeks, in New Zealand?

National Champs 2009

The 2009 Natioanl Champs kicked off at Mt Stromlo for the 3rd and last time, next year being moved to Radelaide. All the usual suspects lined up, with one notable exception; myself. Having missed the 08 edition of this race, it was nice to be back. Back in the seriousness of it all, the hype, the jokes, the lack of form. It all means nothing when the starters gun fires, except the lack of form, that stays.

And boy did it. I'm having trouble telling you where I finished. I even had to look up the results. It's all training, isn't that what they say? I hope so, cause it's what I needed, to suffer, to creep, to cramp and be overtaken on the last lap, again like in years gone by, by little Timmy Bennett.

Reality check, I have more work to do.

Short track was much the same affair. I started from the very back row as seeding works on 1st lap time. Seeing as I had THE worst start and jammed my chain somewhere in the bike during the first lap of the XCO, I suppose it was justified. I continued to slide backward into no mans land until the inevitable happened, and I was pulled off the track. Although I did last a little longer than expected, which was nice.

Training....there are bigger fish to fry, and they are coming.