Windham World Cup

We made it to Windham Monday Arvo, and checked into the “haunted house” I decided to go for a ride to the track on the road, 55min later in steady to heavy rain I was at the track. I was riding a set of MEZCALs so figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to ride a lap in these conditions, so I turned around for another 55min in heavier rain. We decided to find some where closer to the track and the place we found was a 5 min ride and really nice for not much more each. The track was closed for the next couple days so it didn’t get recked before the weekend of racing , so we still couldn’t ride it until Thursday. I finally got out on it and it went up and up and up with some cool rocky tech sections on the way back down.

Race day was hot and dry, I was running TNT SAGUAROs front and rear as it was still a bit damp in the trees. I had a good start going from my call up in 83 and getting up into (I think) the 30s by the end of the first lap before my legs decided they don’t like going up hill as much as the guys around me and I started loosing places. On lap 4 (of6) my legs started to come right again and I started to hold my place, as I hit the feed zone starting lap 5 I was offered both the coke bottle and a water bottle and knew this could mean only one thing, I was right on the cusp of being pulled out due to the 80% rule. I took the water as I still had a tube of PEAK FUEL and smashed the lap as hard as I could passing 6 riders and missing out on the last lap by less than 10seconds (Dam that 80% rule). I finished 60^th over all out of 110ish starters, not bad I guess considering most of the guys ahead of me do this full time and they have been racing all summer not just 4weeks.

The trip back up to Mt Sain Anne was a bit longer than it should have been, We broke down no the high way in the USA and had to go a tow truck. We struck gold when we found a guy open on a Sunday arvo that would drop what he was doing and fix it for us. A few hours later we were back on the road and making our way in to Canada arriving at Mt Saint Anne, 15.5 hours after leaving Windham (and google maps said it was only an 8hr drive!!!)

Quebec Champs

We raced at Mont Saint Anne in the Quebec Championship race. It was on most of the World Champs track, although it did miss the most tech part. The weather was once again fine and sunny, in the mid 20s so I decided to run a GEAX MEZCAL on the front and a GEAX AKA on the rear. I was standing on the start line behind Marie-Hélène Prémont (yep she races in the men’s race in Quebec for more competion) I had an ok start making my way into 5^th early on but was on able to go when Raphaël Gagné attacked. I made my way into 2^nd, near the end of the first lap and rode a good solid race, as the laps unfolded I had a couple guys catch up to me but each time they would try and get a gap on me something would happen to there bike (burp a tyre or gear problems ect). I lost count of what lap I was on and stopped at the finish line on what I thought was the end of the race, after a few seconds and trying to talk to (only French speaking people) and the next guy coming through, yelling to me I realised I still had a lap to go. I grabbed the transponder back and started sprinting to catch second back up, as I caught him I attacked past and put a gap on him putting 20sec in between us by the proper finish. I finished the six laps in 1hr28min05

Bromont Canada Cup

After taking more time than I had hoped to find a feeder, I only got a small warm up done before we were called up to the start line. They called us up on UCI (world) ranking, so I was called up on the front row as I have good points from our National Champs and Ocieania Champs.

It was 29degrees as we were standing on the start line and I knew it would be easy too cook your self in the race if you didnt watch it. I had a good start, leading up some of the first climb and staying the front five for most of the first lap. My legs started to feel a bit heavy as I started the second lap and I dropped back through the field, Stu and Carl (kiwi boys) both caught me and put a small gap in to me as I jammed and then dropped my chain. I kept fighting on and was able to get back to them after a while, with all three of us swapping positions until I found my legs and miss counted what lap we were on (thinking it was lap 5 when we were only on lap 4) With my legs coming back I made my move and got a good gap on the other two.

Once I worked out I still had an extra lap I had that (oh crap I hope I can hold this pace and not blow) feeling but thought too late now just keep pushing!!!

I pushed hard on the last lap and was able to hold Carl and Stu off, I also saw a few people either crashed out or were standing on the side of the track fixing flat tyres so I knew I could be moving up in the placings. I finished the 6 lap race in 9th, 1hr 44min (still 10min off the winner). I know a what I need to work on in the next few weeks to improve my speed and close that gap so it time to start sorting it out.

We will be staying in Bromont for a couple more days then heading up to Mt Saint Anne to do the Quebec chmaps race and look at the World Champs track.

Kelso

Race one of the trip done.

I was called up on the second row (funny how the Nat champs Top helps with that), I had one of my usual starts (yep off the front, with the field chasing me) and lead most of the first lap. Lap two a group of 4 of us formed and we started to clear out, almost half way through the lap I made a stupid mistake and went over the bars while burping my front tyre. I had to take it slow and easy to the tech zone so I could swap wheels, going from about 10psi to a wheel with about 40psi in it,Dam it. I rejoined the race in 8th-9th on the back of a group of riders. As we hit the big climb I rode past most of them and started pulling a gap, One guy decided he would stick to my wheel and we started to pull in the leaders until he did a short turn on the front and when I took the lead on a climb again he dropped off rather fast!?!. I spent the rest of the race chasing but wasnt making any head way as the leaders started attacking each other. As I crossed the finish line I thought I was 4th but it turns out one of the many riders standing on the side of the track during the last lap fixing a flat, was one of the guys ahead of me. I will take that, as it kinda happened to me earlier in the race! so third it is.

In the morning we are loading all our gear into the vans and driving up to Bromont to get ready for the Canada cup race on the weekend.

So Ive been in Canada for over a week now, Ive gone from having to work all day and then train in the cold, dark often wet and down right crap weather, to having tan lines and going through a bottle each hour of my ride. I had only been in the country 22hours and I started in a local club mtb race, After going the wrong way "4 times" I caught the leader with about 15min to go. I followed him for about 10min and then took the lead back, As we came towards the end I worked out where I was and opened up the sprint nice and early and took the win by a couple bike lenghts.

I spent the week training near hardwood hills and then headed into stay closer to Kelso where our first race will be, We race at 1:30pm Sunday/ 5:30am Monday and the track is pritty cool with a nasty climb at the start, some fast stuff and some good ol Canadian rocks!

Back on line and time to throw a few updates up so you all know just what I have been up to over the past week or so and how the rest of my trip unfolds.

Id just like to say a HUGE THANKS to Paul Swain, www.intripid.com My main man when it comes to me needing any thing sorted out with web site stuff.