SINGLE SPEED WORLD CHAMPS

On Saturday 23rd I raced in my first Single Speed World Champs.
Since returning from the MTB World Champs in Canada early September, I have been busy training and getting used to riding with one gear. I raced a 50km race the week before the Worlds as a prep race and to see just how hard itwould be, Winning the race by 5min over Garth Weinberg (NZs MR Single Speed).
With a rather eye catching kit thanks to BELLAMY GELLARY and riding my Carbon JAMIS XC bike converted to a SS, a couple PEAK FUEL tubes taped to the frame it was time to race.
The big key to this race was going to be luck! with just over 900 riders all starting at the same time, Every one riding around a big circle and the starter with a blind fold on it all came down to luck on where you were when the gun went. Turnsout it wasnt my lucky day!! I was close to the 800s when the gun went off, A few of the top guys were in the first 30-40 so I knew it was going to be a hard day to catch them. After having to run up the first steep part of the climb, I finally found how far is to far to lean my GEAX SAGURO TNT tyres and hit the deck on one of the fastest parts of the track. Latter in the lap my chain came off, TWICE!! (in a couple hundred meters) and then again on the second lap just before the mid lap BEER short cut, After chugging a beer and using a tool to tighten my chain I was off again and still chasing down the guys in front making my way up to finish the race in 6th place.
It was an awesome day and an Awesome race to be a part of and already has me thinking about doing the National Champs.

Getting ready for the Waka 50 and my first proper race on a Single Speed, I Spent a good chunk of the day before playing with chain lenghts and changing crank sets around to get my carbon race bike set up as a single speed. The race was my first race since the World Champs in Canada and went well with my legs hanging in and not feeling tooooo bad after the 50km race in 2hr 18min and most of the biggest climbs we normally ride up in the forest being used in the race. My main reason for doing this race was to get a feel for racing the Single Speed as Im racing the Single Speed World Champs this weekend in Rotorua!

Yep with just over 900 riders entered and a couple beer short cuts and a tattoo for the winner, this will be a full on race and (prize giving) after party to say the least!!!

Oh yea I won the Waka 50 by 5 min so like I said it was a good day out.

What was I thinking?

For more info on this Photo check out www.adamcraig.net and click on the Windham update.

Since the Worlds I flew back to NZ arriving on Thursday morning, spent the day in Auckland then drove home in the evening. Friday was spent unpacking and doing a few things around the house. Saturday I was in Taupo for the JAMIS Day/Night 12hr teams race, I arrived at the race with enough time to get changed put the bike together and ride to the start line where Daza was all lined up and looking nervous I wouldnt make it in time. As we were changing the transponder the 5min call was made. The start was jumped (like it is every year) and it took me till the first small climb to hit the lead, Once I had it the gap opened up and I thought every one turned around as there was no one in sight at the end of the second straight in the tents. About half way around the lap my legs reminded me that they had done a plane ride half way around the world and hadnt done a warm up so I made a deal with them, I would back off a bit and they would do more laps as the day went on. I finished the first lap and start loop in 22min 30sec about 1min up on second, I was able to do 19min laps most of the day with my last being a 22 in the wet/muddy/dark at just after 930pm.

Monday was my first day back at work, we are based at a large pulp and paper mill. It was the start of a 10day shut down where half the mill shuts down for maintaince so yep 12hr days for the first 4days then we cut back to 8hr days but had to work the weekend making 12days straight.

Today was my first day off and we decided to go for a hike/run in the bush not far from where I grew up. this was fine until we decided to go down another track for a bit turning our 1hr 30 trip into 3hr30 (WHAT WAS I THINKING?) getting back about half an hour before it started to get dark! Tomorrow I think will have to be a couple/few hours on the single speed as the Single Speed World Champs are getting close and I still havent done much riding on it yet

World Champs Cross Country race

I finished 65th in a super fast and crazy hard race in one of the best places to race MTB in the World. It was a stacked field with Sven Nys only two spots ahead of me and a few of the top Canadians a little bit further up the road at the finish of my race.

Full race report soon

World Champs teams race

Was having an ok lap and was feeling pretty good until my chain twisted at the top of the last decent and I had to free wheel/scoot to the end of the lap.

Full report to come

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