NZ National Short Track Champion!

What a weekend!!!

The NZ National Champs were held in Wellington this year. The XC on Sat and the short track on the Sunday. After doing a a couple laps when we arrived on wed, I decided to change my tyres from the BARRO RACE tyres which I have raced on in the past weeks, and run the same tyres as last year on this track. Yep the GEAX MEZCALs were back on and once again the perfect tyre for the track. With more technical sections (tree roots loose and slippery gravel type dirt) and not such a long climb, the track suited me a lot more than in the past.

I had a good start sitting in 3rd until hitting the lead just before the 1st single track climb, By the time we got to the top of the big climb I had a couple riders with me and then a gap to the rest of the field. I followed one rider for a while making a few small mistakes and then re-taking the lead about a third of the way through the lap. From that point on I pritty much lead the race to the end. Half way through lap 3 (of 5) was when the gap really opened up, I had a small gap on the other two down a decent and as I hit the bottem I attacked up the next climb (second longest of the lap) and was gone from there. I slowly opened the gap not pushing to hard incase someone closed the gap so I could kick if I needed to. I won the race by just over a minute, and took my second xc National championship.

2010 NZ XC National Champion. Short track action tomorrow.

After a "few" beers on Sat night we went up to the DH for the short track race during there lunch brake. The woman raced first with 15min plus 3laps of a sub km track mostly on loose gravel with one little shoot with a damp patch at the bottem. After the womans race it was our turn, 20min plus 3laps, we had a few min to practice the track and then it was game time. I had an average start off the line but was on the front before the end of the first lap. Three of us got a gap a few laps in and then after about 12min I lifted the pace and then there was only two (Cabin and myself), We kept the pace on swapping the lead a few times and I threw myself over the bars in the damp patch at the bottom of the shoot on one of the laps. It wasnt until the last lap that I was able to get clear, We were going around the flat gravel S bend at the top of the track when Cabin buzzed my back wheel and had to unclip. I didnt realise I had a gap until someone yeld at me saying so, Once I herd that I put the hammer down and was gone!. I won the race and my second National title for the weekend, Gotta be happy with that!!!

Rotorua NZ cup. Saturday saw the final round of the NZ cup. One week out from National champs and a packed field, with all the top riders lining up to do that last minute prep race. It was another fast start, straight up the road climb and into the single track pinch climb. I started on the second row but was quickly on the front and spent the next couple laps fighting it out with Carl Jones and then Dirk Peters joined in on the fun. It wasnt long after Dirk joined us when Carl dropped off the pace and Dirk and I started pushing each other, with a lap and a half to go Dirk made a bad gear change and that was enough for me to GO!!! I was able to pull the gap out to about 30sec by the finish and then the gap back to Carl was about 3min. Over the 6 laps my lap times only differed by 32sec, So all is looking good for next week.

I raced again on the weekend, It was the N-duro final and not the nat round up in Hamilton. I chose this for a few reasons, But the main one was it was going to be more of a similar terrain to the Nats track in Wellie.

I decided to leave my GEAX BARRO RACE tyres on as we hadnt had much rain in Tokoroa, When I arrived in Rotovagas the ground was rather wet and people were saying how they had been woken up over night from the rain, Oh well I only had the one set of tyres with me so it was going to be a slippery out there for me.

I got off to a good start leading the feild into the single track before being passed for a short time. Not long into the race it was just Cabin Stu Houltham and myself, I was able to gap the both on all the big climbs but for the first half of the race I was a bit slow down the decents as the tracks were still a bit slippery. I was able to hold the gap on the third long decent as I was getting use to the slip sliding around and stayed away for the rest of the race. I finished about 1 min ahead of Cabin but it wasnt enough to win the over all series due to my gear problems in the first round.

This weekend is the final round of the Nat series in Rotovagas and then off to Wellie-town for the big one.

Maybe designing, building, clearing and marking out the track wasnt the best way to build up to a National cup race. I did have some help but the bulk of it was on my shoulders. It was kind of fun but it did take some of my focus away from my own race. I have been riding on a set of warn GEAX SAGUARO tyres for training on (the perfect all weather tyre), The day before the race I decided to run some GEAX BARRO RACE tyres and then did a lap (after dropping off the JAMIS tents for the feed zone ect) to make sure they would be the ticket. RACE DAY, I had to have a chat to the officals at rego on the number of laps we would be doing and why we should only do 6 laps and not 7. I started the race on the second row and was wearing my new Adidas T-Sight glasses as it was sooo bright, Off the line the new CARBON JAMIS hardtail helped me hit the front and I pretty much stayed at the front for most of the race. Well until Carl caught up to me with a lap and a half to go, and then one of his attacks caught me off gard and I wasnt able to get back to him.

Today almost went to plan, But Carl Jones had a different idea. I had a good first few laps but Carl was able to catch up to me with about a lap and a half to go. I didnt have have much leg speed and still found myself pushing a bigger gear than I should have (time to do some speed work). Carl put in a few attacks on the last lap and managed to get a small gap, I wasnt able to close it down on the last gravel climb and had to settle for second. First time in Cougar park that I havent won a race. Well looks like the National champs in three weeks will be a good hard day out.

Its the night before the Tok round (round 1) of the north island/national cup. We have a full house with Myself, Michelle, Darry, Locky, Dom and some guy by the name Stu Houltham. The track is looking awesome and so is the weather looks like a dusty one. Expert race at 1030 and Elite kick off at 2pm, I cant wait. I decided to change my tyres and run a the same as I run at the Huka xl, GEAX Barro Race. I did a lap this morning on the new tread to make sure they would be sweet and yep they are!!! just gotta remember to slow down enough on the rock shoot so I can turn onto the bridge haha. My new 40 tooth big chain ring means I can ride the whole track in it ("in the dog") but we will see how the legs like the "dog" on lap 6.

Over the long weekend Michelle and I finally got out on the Tok track and put a few laps in. probly a good thing as the race is on this weekend coming. with a bit of luck the weather will stay fine and the track will be dry hard and fast, If its wet then it will have some slippery spots and will make a couple bits rather challenging!!! Either way its going to be a good honest race.