Round 1 2012 national series

Round 1 was held in Dunedin "Dunas" over the weekend. I had a niggle in my right knee a few days before flying down. It was a new track this year with a 10min climb gaining about 205 virt meters and then a decent dropping us back to the start finish, the track was going to be a very tough race track. Throw in some rain and the climb became unridable in parts on Friday. The decent also became challenging, even just to keep the bike up right and on the track meant you were doing well in places. I flicked some GEAX GATO tyres on as they were going to be the best choice for the conditions, giving me grip on both the climb and decent with out loosing to much rolling resistance. During Saturday practice the climb dried out and was fully ridable again but the decent stayed wet and slippery. During my couple laps I had a "moment" and my front wheel slipped off the track thanks to a small rock garden mixed in with the mud, as my wheel slipped off the side of the I steeped out with a straight leg and turned that niggle in my knee into a lot of pain! Ice was the first point of call at the end of the lap and a few other things to try and settle it down once we got home. Race day I decided to use a bit of strapping tape to try and support it and stop any over extending during the race.
I had a good start and was able to hit the front on the first pinch of the climb along side one of the two Aussies that had made the trip over (chasing UCI points), Part way up the climb a few riders slipped past me and opened a small gap, I decided to ride tempo to look after the knee a bit (as it was already hurting) and also as it was going to be a hard day out and there was a good chance of people blowing and coming back later in the race. On the way down the hill I had a few "moments" and gave the knee a few more reasons to hurt, By the time I was on the third lap I was mostly using my left leg to do the work and that dosnt work while trying to keep you balance on the slippery tree roots and rocks, so I decided to shut it down before I did any more damage as I would rather take a few days to recover at the start of the season and have it sorted for the up coming races. It always sucks having to stand there and wait for the leader to come through to lap us out but at least this way I could get a few points (and every point helps).
I have had the knee looked at and have a couple more physio appointments during the week so hopefully I can have it ok for the weekend so I can race in Christchurch"Chch".

A weekend of racing

I didnt plan on racing this weekend, but on Tuesday I found out about a cross country eliminator being held on Friday night. I decided it would be a good hit out and a good way to see what the eliminator was all about as it will be held for the first time at the National champs this year. With a small turn out (all 12 of us) and about a 1 minute lap it was all over rather fast. Rounds with 3 or 4 riders on the track at a time with the winners going on to the next round until there is only 4 riders to make up the final. I was able to make it into the final after a few good battles and a couple (gentle) head butts to move a rider over as he tried to put me into the tape marking the track, then in the final I had to trade elbow blows with another rider to get down the stairs in first, from this point I was able to keep the lead to take the win!.
The following two days saw the first "Tour de Whaka" a mtb stage race. Saturday had a 13min hill climb, a 18ish min superD, and a 12ish min xc time trial. Sunday was a one hour(ish) cross country (xc) race. As I said at the start of this I wasnt planning to race this weekend but after the racing on Friday I decided to do the rest of the weekend as it looked like so much fun. With Carl, Dirk and myself (the top three in last years NZ National xc champs race) lining up it was always going to hurt while we were racing, but while waiting for the next stage it was all about hanging out and talking smack! My prep for the weekend didnt really happen so it was nice that during the weekend I had moments when my legs felt good and thats got to be a good sign for the next three weeks racing. I finished 3rd over all with three 3rds and a 4th, not as good as I wanted but the fun side of things made up for it.

2012

Well the new year has hit us already, that means race season is on the door step! Yep National series starts on the 15th for us here in NZ. Round 1 is in Dunedin followed by Christchurch and then Nelson for the National Champs, three weeks on the trot. We then get a week or two before the series picks up again in the north island mid Feb with Wellington and finishing in Napier, giving us one weekend off before the Oceania champs in Rotorua.
Since my last up date and after a lot of asking questions I finally found out about the 2011 national marathon champs race, Because the race was called off half way through it was not classed as a marathon so no title could be awarded. We had a race in "Rotovagas" and it used the new rock garden, I was with two others swapping about for the lead and on the second time down the raoc garden I burped a bunch of air out my front tyre, I rode the next lap with about 8psi in the front tyre before stopping to pump it up and loosing the lead guys. Ocne I was back up and running I was back in 4th or 5th but was able to make my way back to third by the finish.    I was lucky enough to get away up to the Coromandel to stay with one of my "second families" for a few days leading up to new years, we got out a couple times in the boat and caught some fish, I slipped out for a few rides (when it wasnt pissing down with rain), and caught up with some friends I havent seen for a few years. Yesterday I shot through to "Rotovagas" for a ride on the mtb with my coach Bobby Tuxford and the other guys he is coaching, it was a good fun day out until we were almost at the 2hr mark and Bobby told us he wanted us to do 2 laps of a block of tracks at race pace! Yep that hurt!!!  
Looking back on 2011, well it had its ups and downs, both on and off the bike! I had an average NZ season (by my standards) on the bike and decided not to go away over seas so I could try and work on a few things for this year, we will see if they have payed off in the next couple weeks I guess.

National Marathon Champion or not, that is the question???

Yesterday (26^th “MO”vember) was the Grate lake cycle challenge, NZs largest cycling event with close to 10,000 people taking part. From a four person team doing 40km each to 10 laps of the 160km ride around Lake Taupo or the “HUKA” a 85km MTB ride/race.

I am lead to believe this years Huka race is also the NZ  National Marathon Champs, it is on the UCI web site for 2011 http://www.uci.ch/templates/BUILTIN-NOFRAMES/Template3/layout.asp?MenuId=MTUyMjU&LangId=1 but every time I asked an official about it, no one knew any thing about it!?!  I guess I am going to send a few emails and try and sort it out.

OK now about the race it self. The wind was out of control! We started at 7am and I attacked about 500meters in to the race, Yep at the bottom of the first climb! I went clear and one or two younger riders bridged the gap for a short time. I was getting away from them when the top of a tree fell and landed on the track just in front of me although I was able to dodge most of it and kept going, This was the start of what was to follow as a rather scary ride in the forest. I had the gap out to 30sec before to long and settled into a steady pace not to go to deep but keep the pace high and try and stay out of sight, As the race went on more and more trees were snapping  all around us, pine cones and branches falling from above hitting people (myself included). As I was nearing the rely change over I was sent the wrong way but because this is my fourth time doing this race I knew it was wrong so I pinned it along the bit of single track until I could get back out onto the road and down to the change over where I slowed to tell the organisers what had happened, One of them was on the phone at that time and put it down to yell to me to stop “the race has been stopped” As I stood there in confusion (along with all the team members and supporters) about what was going on, the top of an old pine tree snapped and fell to the ground missing some kids playing near by.  We were all told to go down the road a bit and meet up with all the other riders then all ride the last part as no trees had fallen and it was deemed safe enough to ride. The race was over and it was just a social ride from here on so we got a bunch of the top riders together and rode the track doing skids and jumps along the way having a laugh as we went. It was decided that the results would stand as per the order of riders on the track when the race was stopped, Myself 1^st, Dirk Peters 2^nd and Tim Wilding 3^rd . This result gives me a record of 2 seconds and 2 wins in the four years of this event running , not a bad tally if I do say so my self.

The right call was made at the time with the conditions we were facing and it is just lucky on one was killed out there   

new ride all pimped out!

So 2012 is closing in rather fast and things are starting to happen on the new look Mikey Northcott front as well, I now have my new bike and a swoosh new set of white wall GEAX tyres. With a few other things on the go at the moment, its busy and exciting times. A big thanks to Ross and the team from Jamis NZ for getting my new bike sorted and so quickly, As for those swoosh white wall tyres from GEAX, Id say dont delay and order a set today if you want a set they wont last long 

Finally, update time

Well where do I start, I havent done many races since my last up date. Winter N-duro final =1st, JAMIS day/night thriller =3rd team and now the "spring fling"=5th.
With the weather having being so good in the last few months I have been able to get some good training done with some mint views and only a few magpies attacking me so far,
I had a good first two laps in the JAMIS day/nighter putting two of the fastest laps of the day, riding with current NZ Nat champ Carl Jones who had just returned from racing in Europe and the World Champs (I think he was a little bit shocked with my speed considering I have spent the winter at home training and not racing). The spring fling today was more of a fun race with only 33 racers and my VERY last minute decision to go, I grabbed the wheels off the single speed on the way out the door and some mud tyres and tried to change them when I arrived as the rain was coming down by the bucket full, Two pinched tubes latter I decided to flag that idea and just ride the GEAX AKAs that were on my bike already. The track was Jumps track and Corrners then down the road to Nat DH finish, about 11min30 for the fastest time. It was rather wet and muddy so riding my Carbon JAMIS hardtail (as per xc race set up) with the AKA tyres was always going to be fun! My first run went ok just trying to find my way down finishing that run in 7th, the second run I new where we were going and felt better on the top part but messed up a few corners towards the bottom loosing speed and time. With the two times combined I finished 5th over all, Not to bad considering no practice my bike set up and some of the guys that were there.
Well I better go get some gear packed as Im off to Hamilton for another fun week doing tests at trade school

Craters classic,Taupo

On a nice frosty morning my first mission was to let the car warm up for ten minutes while tipping water over the windows with the wipers going so they would stop freezing! The tracks in Taupo are always fun to race on with good flow and a high average speed, not many tree roots or stuff to make it tricky so the key is to go as fast as you can to make things interesting. We raced over most of the tracks in the park and a few spots were lacking in the tape and arrow department, but we will get to that soon. I took the lead almost straight away, young Nigel McDowell was on my wheel and away we went leaving the rest of the field. After about 10min Nigel made a mistake and I was gone slowly extending my lead to about 30-40sec, Then I got to "better than p" we almost always race over this track and with only a tiny bit of tape between two trees (and no arrows to be seen) I decided to do "better than p" in favor of "young pines" ( better than p is longer anyway) I stopped at the end of the track and asked if I had gone the wrong way. About 10sec of trying to work out where I went wrong Nigel and Garth Weinberg came through, I jumped in behind them and then a stick jammed in my chain rings. Once going again I was able to catch them on "coaster" and Nigel and I rode away from Garth on the next climb. As Nigel is about to head over to get ready for the World Champs in Swiss land I decided I would set a good solid pace and keep him in the red zone (kinda like motor pacing him I guess) as we neared the end I put in a couple little hits as the pitch went up. I broke the elastic and pulled away on the last single track to take the win. I raced with my BRYTON and have decided to unlock the file to be viewed so you can all check it out and get a taste of some of the cool stuff able to be done with the bryton  www.brytonsport.com/mapLatestTracks/2?         keyword: mikeynorthcott
It was awesome to race again as I cant remember the last time I have had this much time between races, Single speed Champs was my last race during easter weekend and the race before that was the Oceania champs mid March. I think the lack of racing has been good as Im keen to be back out there hitting it again. I cant wait for next year