Well last weekend was the Bontrager Twentyfour12 and I was racing the 24hr Solo. With Nik and Rob in support it was game on.
As you can imagine the course was wet, muddy and hard going. I was sitting in 4th and physically and mentally feeling strong.....well apart from my wrists developing servere tendonitis in both of them, which still hurts today.
Anyway, pulling out at about 10:30hrs i still finished 18th and will be able to keep training for my ultimate goal for this year. The worlds in Canmore in September.
This years results havent been as great as last year. There have been top 10's and 20's but nothing significant. Maybe the worlds is the big story this year?
At least out of the Twentyfour12 I can take some good things, Nik is now an awesome Pit Babe (Bitch) ;) and I was physically and mentally in a very good place. Just need to repair the broken bits.
As for the Twentyfour12 itself, the event was overall great as I hoped it would be as I really love this event. But two things stood out and I understand the first was difficult to manage.
Which was the changing of the course during the race. Not that it occured, but there did appear that an advantageous situation could have arose as a rider chasing another may have benefitted from arriving at the course change shortly after the change an behind the rider they are chasing as that other rider still had to deal with a sludge fest. Just a pondering and I am sure it was thought of.
The second, confused me to what Solo 24hr Racing is? No disrespect to the rider. But if you sign up for a 24hr, it is in my opinion and others for the challenge mentally, emotionally and physically. To which, at the point when you mentally need a usher to ride with you, surely based on this being part of the challenge I would imagine you would wisely withdraw for safety reasons an in the spirit of 24hr racing and its challenges. Just my thoughts as this seemed an odd tactic as a soloist and as I said, no disrespect meant rider he did well to find the physical ability to keep turning the pedals.
To the Bontrager Twentyfour12 team, Martin and Keith, thanks for another brilliant race, despite the monsoon.
Next stop Big Dog.
1 comment:
course changes were well thought out and decided upon because of 2 main reasons:
1 The cauldron section was re routed due to safety issues as it became very unstable in places.
2 paintball mudfest was re routed to enable a rideable course to be maintained rather than a push through the gloop.
the re routes took place when there were large gaps in the riders passing through so any advantage possibly gained could be measured in seconds rather than minutes and the majority of riders welcomed the changes.
The solo rider had a support rider with him on his last lap as a precaution as he was determined to continue and we had to ensure his safety between marshall points.
Given the conditions over the weekend martyn and his team did an amazing job .
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