After having my car pulled out of a wee bogholl and spending saturday afternoon sponging water out of the passenger seat floor (don’t ask), I rocked up to the Currambene race track feeling confident, and perhaps a touch cocky over the once again expected defeat of one Dr Eggs. The grumpy old man had, as many grumpy old men do, an injury sustained at the otway only a week ago so this weeks battle was to be restricted between the young gun and undisbuted Egg vs Spoon champion (me) and well, the Egg . Don’t get me wrong here, I had good reason to believe that my path to being the pie hurler at the end of the series was going to be plain sailing. With a 3rd in the series for the solo men last year, the complete obbliteration of Dreggsy at the last round, not to mention a completely unblemished win loss record since the Otway last year and the numbers were stacked in my favour…

…boy was I in for a shock.

It’s not like he’s never beaten me, and even in the last year on the odd occasion, he’s even managed to get in front. There was even a time when getting infront was pretty tough, but often unnecessary when sitting back and watching Dr Eggs Crack was all that was needed to take the victory. It was still somewhat of a surprise to see the Ellsworth jersey in the middle of a pace line slide steathly past down the fire trail. Hang on, flat track, couple of hours in, I thought I was feeling pretty good and well, I’m behind dreggsy! To make it worse, a quick turn in to single track and a bit of traffic later, I could only watch as he pulled away, knowing that the next passing spot to clea the traffic was a little way away.

5 hours in, and after racing wheel to wheel with Michael Crummy virtually the whole race, I see a familiar sight, Dreggsy by the side of the track, though this time I wasn’t lapping him, I had just caught him back after he’d taken a quick call to nature. Ha I knew it! he’s history now, just need to keep this pace up with Mr Crummy and I’m home sweet! Little was I to know the stealthy, low down rotten move that was to come! Turns out I wasn’t able to keep Michael’s wheel, and backing the pace off a little my lap times started to creep towards 30mins. I was still confident, although starting to hurt a little, and despite having not put the same sort of k’s in through the summer this year, I had history on my side right!? ‘Sif dreggsy was going to beat me, he was tucked up behind me and probably thinking of his next excuse

For some reason, I had started to settle into a cruisier pace. There was only an hour and a half to go, and typically most of the 8hrs in the past have turned into a bit of a procession by now. Perhaps even complacency had settled in or just, I had resolved to accept whatever fate that came. In through the first section of single track, and not being as spritely as I’d been earlier in the race, struggling with a few mechanical issues I was just hoping would survive to get me home and then comes the double whammy…. Behind pulls up a rider, he was obviously not grossly faster, but not very talkative either answering with some odd and well, one word answers. Finally I hear a "yeah track if you can" and I look ahead, find a clear spot to slow down and pull over only to see the flash of that familiar ellsworth jersey go flying past! Gah he’s suckerd me in! and then I discover why my drive train was playing up. With a quick flick of my lever, I find myself all of a sudden in 32:11 and well, no shifting. Half way around the track with only 3 inappropriate gears and a snapped gear cable, I limp home to swap bikes and head out for my last two laps.

2mins! was the call from the El PreSSidente, now normally I’d know better than believe his splits, but he was looking kind of serious about it, so after a bit of faffing I pushed out to smash out the two fastest laps I could. On the rivit the whole time, I was digging as deep as I could just hoping to make up some time. Out of the saddle in the dog pretty much the whole way and really starting to hurt. I passed another Ellsworth rider, Harrisen Walden up the final climb to transition to the sounds of "Hi Craig, By Craig" but I couldn’t stop to chat, I was on a mission!

Through transition, grab a coke and out for my last lap. This time the call was 40secs, and he was slowing down! I don’t know what I was thinking, but I had to give it a shot and just opened up. As if to make life doubly interesting, I pick up another solo rider "Hey I think you’re on the same lap…" I didn’t have a clue, and definately had no idea what lap I was on, but in a blink of an eye, we were both hurtling down the fire trail for the last time, just pushing the limits of man and mind. Through the last bit of single track, the seas just seemed to part as the call to track if you can was made, but with only one painfull little pinch left, I was starting to fade. A rider I had just passed pulls up behind cheering me on, if only to beat the guy in front… little did he know, or I know that the real race had been run. And with dreggsy already lounging around transition, I was spat out of the final section of single track on to the fire road through transition for the last time… tired… broken… and for the first time in over a year, defeated!

I have to say, it must have been the best 8hr race I’ve been in for a long time. The competition was tight the whole day. To spend the first 5 1/2 hours wheel to wheel with a fellow solo rider was a blast, and with less than 10% seperating the top 10, it wasn’t going to take much of a mistake to see you sailing out of the leader board. But the race has been run and with the grudge match now leveled at 1 all, I leave you with this quote:

"It’s really good that French rode well, he normally rides crap!" - Ryan Bayley

Congratulations Dreggsy! good to see you have your legs back

Happy Trails!

Spoonie…

Wow!!!, what a day out,

Probably one of the nicest trails I’ve ever ridden, lost of twisty turny single-track with a short climb thrown in for good measure.
Approx 440 teams turned up for this one, and while talking to people setting up they were saying this was a flat track, so I decided to see how long I could keep it in the big ring.

I had to keep my eye on Spoonboy in this one as I was hungry for the win, and I need the points after a disappointing 1st round.
So the typical start with everyone racing up the fire-road I had somehow managed to get to the not so pointy section of the field.

Just as we get to the first bit of fire trail I just miss out on getting into the singletrack up front, so the first 2km was spent sitting behind a slower rider holding up approx 20 of us who wanted to pass. He kindly pulled over when he had a chance and let us through. It was to be a little like this for the whole race as there is very little passing room on this course.
Up in the distance I could see 2 soloists one of the being spoonboy, I try to catch them but some of the newer riders slowed me down just that little bit
after 4 laps I am finally behind them and there is a big fire road section coming up which is full of people.

Slowly and quietly, I creep up behind them, put the hammer down and race past him and another soloist (Michael Crumb?)

Ha Ha, I laughes like a lunatic to myself quietly, I’ve got him ha ha ha….I keep the pressure on, looking behind me on the switchbacks next lap I can see he is still not that far behind me.
Hmmmm, I’d better keep the pressure down.
6 laps later I stop on the top of the hill to visit mother nature, thinking that Spoonboy is well behind.
I turn around to hop on my bike and Spoonboy in tow with Michael Crumb creep past,
I follow them to transition where I stop, Grab a fresh bottle spend what seems forever looking for my powerbars I eventually find one and hurry it down.
I see Spoonboy disappear into the distance again…….
Damn… he’s now got close to a minute on me.
Thats OK I’ve got 3 hours to catch and pass him,

"Yeah Yeah " Rob your not going to get me with you mind games I say to myself.

Next lap "He’s only 10 seconds in front " people are yelling at me

Yeah Yeah sure sure.

I put the hammer down,

What’s that up ahead?
Is it?
It cant be?
It is!!!

I get a second wind….

Up in the distance are the familiar KHS colours of Spoon boy, I slowly gain on him and ride behind him for a Km or so, pretending to be somebody else.

He looks hurt.

On one of the slower sections of single track I ask if I can pass he pulls over giving me enough track to pass, and wham i make a break pedalling as fast as possible trying to make time on my new found lead.

"Yes" I think to myself "I’ve done it" but I had better keep the pressure down,

One lap later I come back into transition and Rob says I have made 2 minutes on him,
We are at the final stages of the day, I have no idea of how much time we have left, but I’m thinking I have probably one more lap to go before they close the course for the day.
I get passed by BMC rider David Rome whom I chat to as we descend some of the fun parts and tells me this is last the lap.

OK keep my head straight don’t do anything stupid and pedal.
Up the hill for the last time and I cramp the right hand side of my body luckily there’s only 500m to go and Spoonboy is nowhere in sight.

I cross the line.
Finally I’ve done it.
By the time I put my bike down catch my breath, do some starjumps and 20 pushups,
Spoonboy crosses the line
3 minutes behind me, man what a race.
Best. Race. Ever.

1 all Spoonie.

Linsdale, just outside Lithgow.

A nice part of the world on the other side of the Blue Mountains,
400 people, 1 track, a-lot of mates and some familiar faces, this is round one of the Working Week Series.
Standing in the rego line holding coffee chatting to mates i remembered what an demanding track this can be.
With a few weeks of rain leading up to race day we were told the course was going to be fast, tacky with a few mud puddles thrown in for good measure.
One puddle was so big that there was a wooden palette put over it for traction.
After a quick riders briefing we head down a fire road to try and get a good starting position. We elbow our way towards the front leaving the very fast guys up front.
starting these races is always fun as there are approx 300 teams and one short sharp section of fireroad.

3…2….1…..go,

We are off and trying to wrestle our way to the front of the field over taking assorted riders left right and center. The fire road is dry and fast, I pass what seems to be the whole field of riders. start the first section of singletrack and we come to a complete halt.
I see both Ray and Craig aka LeSpoon off in the distance, I’m desperately trying to gain ground on them, which i am slowly doing, due to the fact that i am slowly losing my rear brake.
The track is twisty and turny with alot of traction so much in fact that on one of the steeper sections of the course we are pedalling downhill.
After my second lap I have a look at my rear brake and see that its missing a mounting bolt, no wonder I have no braking power.

Oh well, I Pinch a bolt from another bike (thanks Rob), and also decide its time to put in some new brake pads.
I adjust everything accordingly and am happily on my way,
A few laps later its getting harder and harder to pedal. I re-adjust my caliper as the pads were hitting the rotor,

Off I go again for another lap and its absolutely killing me, pedalling is a struggle,
I stop to check it out, I lift up rear wheel off the ground and pedal with my hands, the turns…almost one revolution…my brake pistions have somehow moved all the way in and will not release off the disc.
I hop back on the bike and slowly turn the pedals around as its getting harder and harder to keep them going round and round.

I stop at the top of one climb dizzy, panting and exhausted leaning on my bike to hold me up, the familiar green socks of Spoonboy stop to see if I’m alright and to give me a few encouraging words.
The finish line is in sight, I regretfully stop, sit down, exhausted.

I have failed to finish my first race due to bad home mechanics or lack of.

next time guys next time………….