Whitford forest has everything needed to make for a tough race; slippery hills that go up, faster (not to mention bumpier) hills that go down, and steep fire roads to burn the lungs of the uninitiated. Pre-riding the course for the first time, half an hour before race briefing, this was evident. Clay hills make for slippery riding on the now wet surface, and getting off and running some sections wasn't frowned upon.
Getting ready to start, surrounded by more riders than I was lead to believe, I wasn't sure what to expect from this race. Having competed in the first race and coming a reasonable 5th, I was on the fringes of a podium assault but would have to bust a gut to get there. On the other hand, I could use this race to find out other riders styles and weaknesses, but all thoughts went out the window as the starting whistle blew and I sprinted straight up the road, in the lead of the entire group.
There is nothing quite like starting a race just right; that feeling when you know you were in the right position, you were alert, you had the right breakfast, and were well warmed up. It all just clicks together and for a few seconds, you experience what it feels to race at your peak. This feeling is quickly lost up the first hill as euphoria is turned to a burn deep in your lungs as the pack starts gaining and the first few riders start edging ahead. Hitting the single track in 4th put me in a good position to control my race, with overtaking thick and fast as we hit the downhill.
Duelling it out with me was fellow rider Aaron and we would be pushing each other throughout the entire race. Not too far behind us were fellow JAFAKIDS Kim and Isaac, keeping us honest and cranking hard. The first lap went as followed; I would pull away from Aaron, then he would close the gap and make me work to stay ahead and avoid getting passed. Towards the end of the first lap I had pretty much pulled away from Aaron and built a 'safe' lead, or so I thought.
Hitting lap 2 I felt good, but my bike wasn't so sure. The riders behind me had chewed up the trail ahead as I entered the second lap, and my fast rolling Racing Ralph tyres, so good on the fire roads but barely holding it together in the mud, were now slipping and sliding all over the course like an epileptic eel. Climbing the steep clay hills became that little bit harder, and walking just that little bit more frequent. Looking back, about 2/3rds of the way through my second and final lap, Aaron had started making a comeback and was slowly but steadily pulling in closer as each climb passed. I still had the lead on him though, in a comfortable 3rd place, and coming through the last singletrack section I still had about a 5s lead. Then, just as I hit the exit of the singletrack and got ready to sprint up the final climb, my chain drops, going uphill. No choice but to get off and put the chain on manually. As Aaron cranks past, he offers a sympathetic "I am so, so sorry for you..."
No time to wallow in my misery though, Kim and Isaac are close behind and I cross the line seconds before Kim in 4th place, 15 seconds behind Aaron. The other podium takers in my category were Cosmo and Tom, in 1st and 2nd respectively. Those 2 were in a race of their own, having a years age advantage of the rest of us, which showed in their 6 minute lead. Special mention goes out to Isaac for finishing 6th, not far at all behind us despite being off the Mountain Bike since April after a broken wrist. Apparently road fitness is quite effective...
So what have I learned from this race?
1) My new Tifosi riding glasses (review earlier on this blog) were very effective at keeping the mud out my eyes.
2) I need some grippier tyres for wet days. The Racing Ralphs are great in Rotorua and in the dry, but not so much in very muddy conditions.
3) My fitness is back. Having been in a slight training 'slump,' I am now officially back and firing on all cylinders.
4) I now know where all my opponents weak points are, and I don't intend to tell them, but do intend to exploit them... watch out everyone!
Thanks Auckland Grammar school MTB club for organising this race, and I look forward to race 4 (the Final!) I have a feeling there will be some heated racing between us all.
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