Mt.Buller hosted Round 2 of the 'new for 2012' National Series All Mountain Cup from Friday 20/1 to Sunday 22/1.
Ahh, those races where it all just comes together...can someone let me know what they're like? I haven't had one for a while and this weekend was unfortunately no different!
I entered this series on a whim and full of enthusiasm. I'd just spent 9 days and 8 nights camping in the alpine region near Mt.Hotham without touching a bike so I was itching to not just ride but RACE BABY YEAH!!! The day before I left for the race I spent some quality time on the iTunes store spending up on some pump-up/feel-good tunes (such as THIS one) for the 3.5hr drive to Buller and that's pretty much where my organisation and preparation for this race started and finished!
Everyone has been raving about the trails at Mt.Buller recently so this race was a perfect opportunity for me to race on them and see for myself. The format of the All Mountain Cup is a 3 day stage race with a Super D, an XCO and finishing with a Point to Point. I was super keen for the Super D. A 12km fireroad descent with negligible climbing, massive water bars/ruts, mud, creek crossings and loose toaster sized rocks? Yep, I'll be in that thankyou very much!
Unfortunately and despite a really good practice run, I punctured near the top of the course. Intent on not letting this ruin my run I virtually started changing the tube before I'd come to a complete stop. Back on the bike and back past those that had passed me while I was stationary only to find I'd bent a link in a hurried chain adjustment which eventuated in the back plate of my derailleur getting carved off and leaving my chain dangling. It was pushing and scooting to the line for me. I was not the lone sufferer of bike carnage today. This essentially meant my racing was over as I couldn't afford a new rear mech but after a couple of pleading phone calls Ross had organised Shannon at All Terrain Cycles to sort me out with a complimentary replacement XT mech. A couple of bloody legends! And a reminder of one of the reasons why I enjoy riding on the iRide team so much.
The XCO on Saturday was a much more straight forward affair for me which means no mechanicals or flats! Once again, not quite pinning the technical sections as well as I perhaps could have but that does tend to happen when I'm trying to keep up with Olympians! A better day today!
But just as things were getting better they got worse. Just 15 minutes into the final stage of the All Mountain Cup, the 22km Point to Point, and I flatted on the rear tyre once again. Learn to ride rocks!! This is where it gets embarrassing: I can't remove my tyre without tyre levers. However, no one I know can get my tyres off (or on!) without levers which makes me feel a little better. Hence I always carry levers but today they'd found their way out of my pocket and onto the track anywhere in the last 15mins. It was the straw and this camels back was broken. Without outside assistance I wasn't going anywhere despite having TWO spare tubes on me. Race abandoned. No one likes a DNF next to their name. It won't happen again!
Time to clear the head with another 9 days of track work before 12hrs of power at the Bright Gravity 12hr!
A knackered rear mech
A knackered XCO racer
(photo by Russel Baker)
