August MTB racing

[Sylv]

Saturday 14th - Brighton Big Dog - Stanmer Park

First time I rode this popular event. Entries were full early so decided to enter the "retro-bike pair" category, for pre-1995 bikes, with Phil Glowinski. Got my '93 Ibis rebuilt in time (well, the day before) and drove to Stanmer in the morning.

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Weather forecast not good, but dry till then. Met Ian Leitch who helps organising, and also rides solo, in between rounds of the X-terra triathlons (3rd place the other week). He wasn't too happy about Le Col's Yanto Barker turning up late to possibly win the event as last year .

About 8 retro-teams one of which included fast man Geoff Beetham who looked like a possible threat to us. Phil had borrowed a rigid Chas Roberts Dogs Bollox. I set off first, in the dry. Pretty hilly first part of the lap which got the heart racing straight away, 290m elevation per 10km lap. Got back in 37" and a bit, passing the baton to Phil, during whose lap it started to rain. After his lap we were in 2nd place. Went off for a very wet and muddy lap, which was great fun, alot of sliding around corners, but a lot slower, over 6" more.

The rain was on and off but mostly on, with the course getting trickier every lap.

[img]http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/files/credit_to_shimano_957.jpg[/img]
retrobike.co.uk

Cleaning the bike between laps was taking most of the spare time, and once you'd done that and eaten it was almost time to go out again. We got in the lead and the final laps, when it had stopped raining and the mud was drying to a sticky goo, were even slower, and not much fun at all. In the end we finished our 7 laps, 14" ahead of 2nd place. We got some great prizes, including a Mint Sauce Pillow made from one of Jo Burt's old jerseys! That made everyone in the audience jealous. Our friends from Mule Bar, incl. Chloe and Anna G, also snapped quite a few podiums. Ian won the solo comfortably, with Barker only completing 4 laps.

[img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4929621185_3028ca1094_z.jpg[/img] [img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4930210492_5a1c22893b_z.jpg[/img]
http://ontherivet.ning.com/ - that's Gary Coltman on 3rd step

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTbGj0WU ... re=related



Saturday 21st - Grand Raid Cristalp - Verbier, CH

My annual pilgrimage to the Swiss Alps and I was joined by Joel for his first event of this kind, both of us really looking forward to it, but him understandingly apprehensive! Course was bumped up by an extra 16km and 1,000m elevation this year, just to make things a little harder. Entries were well down for the long course, due to this and the increased entry fee mainly. I almost didn't make it though, with a bad stomach bug of some kind at the start of the week, and almost had to cancel it all. Wednesday it got better (though I'm still getting stomach pain from time to time) so was good to go.

First, after our TdF trip we had unfinished business to do in Les Rousses in the [url=http://twitter.com/lancearmstrong/statuses/16699559871]Jura[/url] (having missed the stage due to missed flight) so eventually did that ride as a warm-up with two days to go - climb to La Faucille, down to Les Rousses for the best burger/chips/salad you can eat, visit to [url=http://www.fofo-velo.com/espace-forestier-cycles/michel-forestier/]Michel Forestier[/url]'s bike shop (first MTB World Champ in '87), full of memorabilia including his winning bike and several other brand new ones from the '90s. Ride back via Switzerland for a good 80km hilly ride, meeting my mate Cyril by chance at the end.

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Friday we rode the climb to Verbier as a final warm-up, then drove to Sion for registration, including the first 20km of the course, which was little more than a pot-holed double track most of the way. Got some Assos-liscious bargains at the trade village, and then both of us realised that we'd forgotten our credit cards, and had just enough to buy the return bus tickets for after the race.

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Race day up at 4.30 for the 6am start, 1/2h earlier than before. Me on my Yeti, Joel on his new Airborne, with video camera on his bars.

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We stayed together for a while on the first climb, then I got ahead, was feeling quite good at this stage. After 650m climbing we rode for the flat for a bit with an awesome view on the misty valley and rising sun, before entering an unlit 200m long mining tunnel, with music playing - pretty cool. First downhill is always tricky, it's easy to get carried away and miss a gravelly hairpin. My semi slicks pumped up at 2.5 bars meant I had to be careful. Joel though was flying, he caught me up and passed me by the bottom.

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[youtubewww]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogw35EQOf78[/youtubewww]

I had said before the race that I would be "taking it easy", knowing my form was still average, due to lack of motivation to train and lose weight, injury and illness. I should have known that it was never going to happen, but by the second climb I knew I was feeling nowhere as good as the previous year, where I remembered riding with Ian and having great legs. So I settled into a mid-pace, I'd say half-way between taking it easy and racing hard. I let many riders pass me, without changing pace. I knew I wasn't going to set the world on fire, so decided to ride without killing myself, trying to enjoy it, looking around me at the breath-taking scenery (a little bit) more. On a long climb Joel slipped back, or maybe he was busy playing with his camera - next time I would see him would be after the finish.

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[youtubewww]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Nh6eWL-8vo[/youtubewww]

There were a lot fewer spectators along the course this year, but still more than you'd ever expect in the UK. They'd applause and encourage you by your name, featured on the number plate. Some even offered drinks. Long climbs were followed by screaming fast downhills, with a few good forest singletrack sections. Road climbs were somehow quite welcome, as they'd give you a break, and allowed to get into a rythm. After half-way you start passing the slower of the shorter courses entrants, which is always good for the morale. I was feeling ok until the hiking section at Pas de Lona, after 110km. I cannot believe I was running up that mountain last year, passing lots of people as if they were standing still. Here, I was the same as every one else, crawling my way up, having to stop to breathe every minute or so, and suffering quite a bit. Had the traditional bouillon (stock), cheese and bread at the summit, even though it was warm enough for a cold drink.

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lematin.ch

After a little more climbing it was time for the payback - a half-hour downhill from 2770m to 1450m, vith views on the Lac de Moiry and glacier in the background. Tiredness means you cannot fully enjoy it though, and sections you'd clear easily normally become virtually unrideable - stream crossings welcome though. You have to watch out for punctures, and of course crashing. I made it to the finish, the best bit being a fast grassy section to the line, lined with cheering spectators, on which you can give everything of what little is left in you. Time was [url=http://connect.garmin.com/activity/45996959]9h45[/url] (riding time 9h28), compared with 7h05 for the winner, Karl Platt from Germany, a late entrant who upset all the favourites, Alex Moos only managing 4th, and 9h03 for Fabienne Heinzmann (Moos's Misses). I was 26th in age group and 65th overall (45th last year), which I was happy enough with. I think I want to set a much better time next time though ..

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lematin.ch

Matt Page from the UK, training for the World solo 24h Champs in Australia, had a cracking ride in 8h34 for his first effort. Joel finished in 11h11 - but his Garmin shows he's actually been riding for only 9h24, so should be easy to improve on next time! Pete from NP was due to ride the long course but also got bugged by illness so had to revert first to the 93km course, then to the 37km one on the day. We didn't get back to base until 9.30pm, so had to rush to find a restaurant without even showering, and consumed lots of local wine, more melted cheese than I could eat (with chips), and I had an ice bath in a fountain on the way back. A long, but awesome day.


Sunday 29th - Gorrick 12h noon to midnight, Minley Manor

Yet to come ..

[Andrew G]

Quality nice . I'd thought about entering the Brighton Big Dog for something different to do but wasn't sure what I'd be doing so it just sort of drifted by, not dissapointed now with all that rain and gloopy mud.

[Sylv]

Sunday 29th - Gorrick 12h noon to midnight, Minley Manor

I entered this event the day I received an email about it, which was one month before it. Thought with the Cristalp a week before I'd be ideally trained for it, and want to try have a good late season of racing, but then started having doubt about whether I'd be sufficiently recovered. Decided I wouldn't be doing it if the weather was too bad - I like a bit of mud but not 12h of it. As time drew near I was feeling ok, and forecast ok too with only showers planned, so got ready. Drinks on Friday and the one 33cl Leffe I had planned on having turned into three, with chips and sausage rolls. Saturday I went onto Andrew's road ride and turned back at the top of Titsey, just 30km. Yeti was still pretty clean from having washed it in Avoriaz after a day of downhilling on Monday, and I decided to run my Conti tires tubeless with sealant to reduce the chance of punctures - despite having read that they were virtually impossible to seal, due to their wafer-thin and porous sidewalls. It took a little time, but eventually both tires were holding up air. I would still carry a tube and CO2 cartridge in the saddle bag.

Great course for the event at Minley Manor off the M3 - not too hilly with 135m ascent per 12km lap, some great singletrack sections and no horrible bits. Spotted Marcus NP on second row, and squeezed next to him in a gap amidst all the single-lappers - not my usual strategy but I thought I'd try a fast start to avoid being blocked by slower riders. Rolling start behind a quad and we were off at high noon. First lap was pretty fast and I was kind of hoping to be in first place but overheard the speaker say 4th. Second lap I caught a solo guy on a Singular singlespeed who'd stopped, and we started racing each other! I sort of knew that over the distance a SS had not much chance of competing against a full-sus geared bike so was not overly worried, but it took a good while to distance him.

Couple hours in and my rear tire went almost flat all of a sudden. Not good! Fiddled with the canister, which I've only ever used once (and lost all the air outside the tire) and managed to pump it up. Wasn't holding too much hope though. It did hold up and it was another couple laps till I pumped it up again in the pits, thinking I'd have to do this every other lap - but then it held up all the way to the end. Was eating a mix of: magic energy cake (©®), gels, bananas, doritos, M&Ms, coke, energy drink. Towards the end I didn't feel like eating any of it though. Heard I was now 2nd, but didn't know who was in first, or how far ahead. Without helpers I was having to stop pretty much every lap for food/drink/lights/chain lube/leak, though not sure what a helper could have done for the latter.

Early night and it started raining quite heavily, altering some of the course. Didn't last too long, and didn't rain anymore. Couting down the hours, 4h gone and you've done 1/3rd, 6h and you're halfway, 8h and you've done 2/3rd - wait a second, or is that 3/4? It gets confusing by that stage, and you begin to see photographers crouched on the course whereas they're tree stumps. You try and remind yourself that you're doing this cos you love it, and that it's still better than a day in the office. Nice food every lap helps. So do things like a massive stereo in the middle of nowhere blasting crazy tunes like in an outdoor rave, or a tunnel-like section lit by blue christmas tree lights, and Joolze and co taking shots at random places on the course. Oh and overtaking people, especially team riders. Some of those who overtake you though, seem to be going at warp speed.

http://joolzedymond.com/photocart/index ... age=110274

My Use lights are meant to last 3h on full beam but I'd never tested this. Pretty much on the spot which was about 11pm and 14 laps in, they turned to the reserve low beam so I switched on the Hope lights I had borrowed. Wow what a difference. I couldn't really see where I was going (except when in a straight line). The beam was much narrower and power in lumens 3 times less. Some sections were tricky to negotiate, and I came off once. After about 3/4 of a lap I realised I could still also use my Use on the reserve beam (for how long I wasn't sure), and this was much much better! It held up until the end (and then some) and I was able to complete 16 laps in 12h25, moving speed just under 10mph, having been stopped for 30 minutes. That was good enough to keep 2nd place out of 63, some 30min behind the leader (will find helper next time!), and a lap ahead of 3rd. I had 3 of the fastest solo laps vs 10 for the winner. Got some excellent prize money and Torq goodies, at the latest prize giving I've ever been to! Marcus' mixed team got 5th, and ACC's Sue was in a women's team that got the win.

Was probably 2am by the time I got to bed, it had gotten chilly and was glad I'd brought my new eider sleeping bag, super warm these are. Waking up to a warm sun and bright blue sky was an awesome feeling, having breakfast outside before setting off. All in all a fab event with great organisation.

[Andrew G]

That's some way to finish off a great month's racing. Congratulations, superb stuff.
[quote="Sylv"]Without helpers I was having to stop pretty much every lap for food/drink/lights/chain lube/leak, though not sure what a helper could have done for the latter.

[Sylv]

I like that idea!

[Sylv]

Brilliant video by Joel

[youtubewww]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAe6Z4SC0lQ[/youtubewww]