“When you are racing, there is nothing else”. (Filip Meirhaeghe (Bel))
There comes a time in some MTB racer’s careers when the opportunity to race for a living presents itself. The chance to give up your normal life & commit yourself 100% to a sport that you love. A chance to live the dream & make a go at climbing into that rarefied stratosphere of the Pro-circuit, the world elite, where your racing is your craft, where you get paid to race.
For me, last night, was about as close as I would ever get to that – bagging 2nd place overall with a handsome bootie of $15 for my troubles. Dirt Crits at Westgate last night was a ‘teams’ event, where the fastest rider is matched to the slowest rider & so on, based on the race times of previous races.
I was matched to, umm, a fast dude who probably doesn’t pay [full price] for his bike or gear – which tells you how gun a rider he must be. Being 7 laps, obviously he bags the lion share of 4 laps & wanted to go first to race with some other dudes who don’t pay for their bikes either, which I was cool with.
As each team was pairs, it meant at least 50% of the riders who fronted that evening where sitting on the start line, which made for a pretty crowded first lap. After the ensuing mêlée of the start dissipated, it was a peaceful 4 minutes before AJ basted through with a healthy margin over the next tight group that had my fella in it - he was hauling. Those 4 laps flew past & it was time to get pumped to slam out my 3 laps. It was only one other rider who rolled out ahead of me before my bloke came through for the hand over & I head off.
The course was damp but fast & I suddenly realised how cold it was as I smashed the big ring out from the start into the darkness. I couldn’t see anyone in front of me at all & rode pretty much the first kilometre out of the saddle until I slid into the start of the first set of tight corners. Half way around, over the railline I caught that one rider, a lady probably going half my pace, but as the singletrack was tight I sat behind until we both came out onto the only sealed, open section of the course where I overtook with gentile politeness (we don’t get many ladies racing MTB events, so it pays to be a gentleman I feel), my first of 3 laps down & I reckon we’re in the leading!
Out from start/finish the course ahead of me is clear of other riders, it looks like this will be mine to lose so even though I’m out riding on my own, I change up & smash it to an inch of my life on the open part of the course, railing the first tight section, elbows & feet dragging through the bushes as I make the corners as straight as I can. The second half of my 2nd lap, as I twist through singletrack as it folds back on itself I catch a glimpse of the large bunch of bobbing headlights streaming through the singletrack behind me. It looked like the race was catching me up. Again out on the open part of the course I’m out of the saddle, grinding the big ring into the start/finish chute to kick off my last lap.
In the darkness on the periphery of my headlight beam I could see the flicker of headlights hitting the bushes & trees around from the riders behind me. I’m grunting through my breathing & I can feel my legs slowing turning to water. In the tight singletrack I try to ride the momentum through the corners, my front tyre running the lip of the track, the bike bounces & leaps from one bump to another as the suspension cushions the blows & grunts through its strokes.
But in a flash I have someone on my rear wheel, carrying heaps more speed, but we’re in singletrack so there is no room to pass. I know as soon as we bust out onto the last bit of open course he’ll ride out from under me. As we emerge I roll the tight 90degree left corner onto the sealed section of the course as fast as I can but that makes me go wide. I hear our tyres roar on the bitumen as they grip the corner. From out on the inside he grinds a massive gear past me out ahead. I grunt something long the lines of “There goes fucking first”. I attempt to respond but changing to the higher gear my legs just stall on the pedals, leaving me heaving feebly in a vain pursuit.
Behind me there are lights but they’re distant & look like they’re embroiled in their own battles. I truck on & roll over the start/finish, pooped.
2 comments:
hehe, that race was all about strategy for us. We know that I blow up when I go out hard, so we did 2-2-2-1 - Mikeli would have passed you on the second of your laps. From there all I had to do was not get caught by anyone, which on a one lap sprint I was able to comfortably do, since all three of my laps I could do at first-lap pace.
It's still a popular format obviously.
hehe - nicely written, you had me giggling.
Teaming up with someone fast is also my tactic for doing well in races. :D
Post a Comment