This was always going to be a competitive team, just look who is in it. From the start I thought we had a good chance at a podium finish, and finding out on Friday that I wasn't able to compete in the Mont 24 due to work commitments I was ready to give this race everything I had.
From the start I was a bit worried about the track, it sounded as if it would suit road riders more than technical riders (I consider myself the later although with my recent dosage of training on the road that could be argued I guess) but actually the circuit worked really well. Yeah the hill was painful but then they always are and it was easy to put your head down and grind it out. The gully was great fun and you could carry some pretty decent speed through there. I had a couple of stacks on the off camber roots on the new section of single track that annoyed me a bit but 
somehow didn't slow me down and in the end all of my laps where within a few seconds of each other (apart from the madness before it the race was pulled for the night. Yes it rained, it rained a lot. Rocky trail made the right call to call it when they did, sending people out at night in that rain would not have been a popular call, it was getting dangerous.
This is the first race I have used my heart rate as my "speedo" and the technique worked well for me. When you get fatigued it's easy to drop the pace without realising it but watching the heart you can keep the same level of effort at all times, even down hill. This works best of all when you get to the top of a climb when most people back off, this is the perfect time to bang it down a few gears and get some speed up.
I wasn't THAT surprised we were leading out category but when I heard we where second in open fours that was quite a shock. John had already made his mind up we were going to win the whole thing and was going after getting first overall, I think he was racing Jason English! The rest of us where along for the ride. Each of us rode as hard as we could every lap, there was no pace setting, it was just one long sprint. No mess ups, not too many crashes (despite Steve_01 pushing his luck on the cabin steps), just hard riding. It felt great to be on such a quick team.
Great vibe out on the track, lots of chatting (although none from my fatigued lungs). And a nice last lap dual with an unknown rider right up to the finish line. I hadn't been passed all weekend and was damned if I was going to let that happen on the line. Competitive? Perhaps I was in the right team after all
Highlights:
Not being passed during the event
Food and Hydration spot on
Consistent Lap times
Brilliant team
My first first place (I think)
Lowlight: Getting home to find my house had been flooded
Well done to "Pissed and peddling" (hope your tooth mends well Blondie). Thanks to the roadies that made it out on both days, great to see you make the effort and appreciate the support even if I did more or less blank you on the road, race face was firmly attached. Thanks to Whisperer for pulling the great team together and doing all the organising etc.. Thanks to Steve_01 for stepping up as the gun and handing me that last unexpected lap. And thanks to John for the advice, comedy and endless reminders that he has some kiwi in him somewhere. Eh Bro?
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