After the last few races being quite relaxed at the start I decided it was time to push the pace right from the start and see who had the legs to hold on. So race start was fast and frantic and I sat in behind Anton for a few metres then nailed it to lead onto the single track shoot. Straight away I cranked it into top gear and Anton and I already had a good gap once back onto the open gravel road!
The race was three laps, 10km each lap with 350m climbing gain. After a super quick first lap we had a substantial lead over the others and I lead us into the pit area/feed zone. Toward the end of the second lap Anton made a strong attack up a climb and despite seeing it coming my legs just weren't quite there to respond!
Although Anton slipped slowly away I consolidated my position to come in a strong second overall. I was pretty pleased how I handled this one with nearly 5 minutes back to 3rd place.
My Trek 29er was running mint, smooth as anything along the Hanmer trails and ideally suited to these tracks. After last weekend I would be fair to say my setup was a bit more suited to this race than last weekend!
My Geax Barro Race tyres were excellent even though there were some damp/wet parts of the tracks to contend with. They really are a super fast, fantastic free rolling XC race tyre!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Frog Rock Race
The Frog Rock Race was another beauty of a race for climbing. Amongst the hills of Waipara, the course was 26km but while short it had 1000m of vertical climbing.
From race start the course shot up a steep hill and I had quickly realised my bike was setup incorrectly for the climbing as I was already in my lowest gear grinding away! I still easily held on but knew she would be a tough day if this kept up. Not long after the first climb the course hadn't been marked properly and the leading group of riders, including me, found ourselves agreeing to jump a gate in the hope we were still on the right track! Once we came to another gate we figured we were still off track so after a nice wee climb back up the hill we found a farm track that took us back on the right path. From here we were riding with the rest of the field making our way through everyone.
Once we had some clear track I was riding with Craig Oliver following me, grinding away up the majority of the climbs being badly over geared. On one of the fast downhills at roughly the 19km mark I heard an air chilling scream from behind and while the temptation was there to gap it and eat into Anton's lead, I decided to do the right thing and go back and check Craig hadn't seriously injured himself.
With Craig back on his bike, I rode the remainder of the race with him and came down the final downhill leading. I was now spinning like crazy towards the finish, tapped out to the max with my gearing. I was not expecting the sprint to be contested but sure enough it was and I made sure I took the next winning place 2nd overall.
From race start the course shot up a steep hill and I had quickly realised my bike was setup incorrectly for the climbing as I was already in my lowest gear grinding away! I still easily held on but knew she would be a tough day if this kept up. Not long after the first climb the course hadn't been marked properly and the leading group of riders, including me, found ourselves agreeing to jump a gate in the hope we were still on the right track! Once we came to another gate we figured we were still off track so after a nice wee climb back up the hill we found a farm track that took us back on the right path. From here we were riding with the rest of the field making our way through everyone.
Once we had some clear track I was riding with Craig Oliver following me, grinding away up the majority of the climbs being badly over geared. On one of the fast downhills at roughly the 19km mark I heard an air chilling scream from behind and while the temptation was there to gap it and eat into Anton's lead, I decided to do the right thing and go back and check Craig hadn't seriously injured himself.
With Craig back on his bike, I rode the remainder of the race with him and came down the final downhill leading. I was now spinning like crazy towards the finish, tapped out to the max with my gearing. I was not expecting the sprint to be contested but sure enough it was and I made sure I took the next winning place 2nd overall.
Spring Crusher
The Spring Crusher MTB race was certainly a good race to have a crack at. With 36km across all of the Hanmer tracks and trails along with 1000m of vertical climbing gains it made for a solid on the body. From the start I was where I needed to be and not long after the first hill the race split up with three of us leading the charge. Conditions were wet and as we came onto the first long single trail downhill my tyre choice wasn't on the money. I struggled to ride smoothly and cleanly slowly slipping away from the other two. Not that this mattered too much as I could still see them up the next few climbs that made there way throughout the forest roads. Each corner I knew I was gaining easily back onto them and thought this was great as I didn't have to put myself in the 'box' to get back on. But when I was about 20metres behind the inevitable happened. The course came around a corner and levelled out, I managed to follow some old course markers which made there way down the hill and up the valley, completely off track! Once I realised this I knew any chance of winning was well in truly over as I had already lost roughly 10 minutes so I followed my tracks back and found where I was supposed to go! I was pretty disappointed but it was still a good training ride around the Hanmer trail network!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Lees Valley 80km Race
The Lees Valley Mountain Bike Challenge was a first for me. It consisted of 80km of fantastic open gravel roads amongst some spectacular scenery. The course stretched right into the middle of the valley and climbed back out to reach the finish line with a few farm animals to ride around which made for a couple of close calls at times!
Right from when we hit the first hill the legs felt fantastic and a game plan was being put into place. There were a few of us at the front of the race until Brent Miller came off around a corner. I waited for around 30 seconds in anticipation to have someone to work with over the approx 25km of flat and undulating middle section of the race. I looked back and saw nothing so I decided it was time to go and see what I had in the tank.
I dropped Craig up a short climb as I put the pressure on and now it was "go" time. I came down not shortly after to cross the river and saw I already had a big gap after stepping the pace up the previous short climb. It was now time to go solo and get stuck in, head down until I reached the final 20km of hilly terrain to reach the finish. I had a strong ride and once I hit the hills again no one was insight but I kept pushing hard and came across the line with the new course record of 2 hours 47 minutes. (exact time to be confirmed) I was very pleased, to say the least, with my ride!
Thanks to Cycleways, event organisers, marshalls and event sponsors.
Right from when we hit the first hill the legs felt fantastic and a game plan was being put into place. There were a few of us at the front of the race until Brent Miller came off around a corner. I waited for around 30 seconds in anticipation to have someone to work with over the approx 25km of flat and undulating middle section of the race. I looked back and saw nothing so I decided it was time to go and see what I had in the tank.
I dropped Craig up a short climb as I put the pressure on and now it was "go" time. I came down not shortly after to cross the river and saw I already had a big gap after stepping the pace up the previous short climb. It was now time to go solo and get stuck in, head down until I reached the final 20km of hilly terrain to reach the finish. I had a strong ride and once I hit the hills again no one was insight but I kept pushing hard and came across the line with the new course record of 2 hours 47 minutes. (exact time to be confirmed) I was very pleased, to say the least, with my ride!
Thanks to Cycleways, event organisers, marshalls and event sponsors.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Mcleans Island 12 Hour
This year we had another strong Cycleways Team competing in the 2011 Mcleans Island Mountain Bike 12 Hour race consisting of Phil Patterson, Nick Clark, Dave Ives, Mark Richards and myself.
Phil was the man to get the race rolling for us and with a Le Mans start to the race that meant for a short run amongst a fair amount of caos as riders ducked and dived for their bikes. Phil came in second after the first lap making up huge ground after he struggled to find his bike in the crowd from the start. With myself heading out second in the team I pulled some good time into the leading team only a few seconds behind with a very quick lap and then Nick went and slotted us into the lead. With Dave and Mark holding their own the race, the day went really quickly and the weather could not have been much better!
Once the 6 hour riders were off the track that meant for even quicker lap times and less traffic to deal with. I had an excellent third to last lap which was the fastest lap of the day overall so I was buzzing once back at our team site! I followed that up with No2 fastest lap of the day.
The North Canterbury Cycling Club Junior Team had a strong ride, keeping us on their toes for a while and their fastest rider Anton doing double laps but our team was too strong and consistent and we took the overall win in the end!
Thoughts go out to the few riders and their families who had attained serious injuries including one fatal heart attack.
Big thanks to Rod and Jane from Bluedog Events for another very well run proffessional events and to Matt Bailey and the Team for all the support, not to mention Mum and Dad for all the usual bits and pieces that go about in these events!
Phil was the man to get the race rolling for us and with a Le Mans start to the race that meant for a short run amongst a fair amount of caos as riders ducked and dived for their bikes. Phil came in second after the first lap making up huge ground after he struggled to find his bike in the crowd from the start. With myself heading out second in the team I pulled some good time into the leading team only a few seconds behind with a very quick lap and then Nick went and slotted us into the lead. With Dave and Mark holding their own the race, the day went really quickly and the weather could not have been much better!
Once the 6 hour riders were off the track that meant for even quicker lap times and less traffic to deal with. I had an excellent third to last lap which was the fastest lap of the day overall so I was buzzing once back at our team site! I followed that up with No2 fastest lap of the day.
The North Canterbury Cycling Club Junior Team had a strong ride, keeping us on their toes for a while and their fastest rider Anton doing double laps but our team was too strong and consistent and we took the overall win in the end!
Thoughts go out to the few riders and their families who had attained serious injuries including one fatal heart attack.
Big thanks to Rod and Jane from Bluedog Events for another very well run proffessional events and to Matt Bailey and the Team for all the support, not to mention Mum and Dad for all the usual bits and pieces that go about in these events!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Dusky Trail 2011
Todays race was the 2011 Dusky Trail mountain bike race held down in Twizel. 44km of mostly open four wheel drive terrain. This involved a few wee pinch climbs, a few river crossings that made for mandatory dismount, boggey patches and some false flats that made you feel like you were grinding away and pushing harder than required! All this mixed together with a nice day with the sun coming out during the event.
From the start it wasn't long before the front of the race saw 3 of us riding away. After several Kilometres of shingle roads and tarmac the 2 riders with me were starting to slow the pace so I pressed on over the rough terrain. Here there were 3 of us all on 29ers (and a 1-2-3 at the finish) and the big wheels were fantastic over the bumpy surface. I jumped at the front and pushed on and a couple of minutes later (not long before the first river crossing) I looked back and saw I had a gap.
Once through the river I kept the pace up and had a strong ride to the finish. The false flats that gradually climbed up into the valley also on some damp sections felt quite energy sapping but my Trek 29'er bike felt superior on a course like this.
I am also using a new set of Geax Barro Race Tyres which I have been using in the Short Track Racing here in Christchurch. Right from the first race I thought they were fantastic! The hook they have at high speed is excellent and on one of the high speed shoots coming down to a tight left hand corner to start the climb they provide real confidence for me to hook into at pace. I'm looking forward to racing them in the National Rounds kicking off in January.
Next weekend is the Mcleans 12 Hour Event held right here on home ground. Keep a look out for a fast Cycleways Team in the Orange colours!
From the start it wasn't long before the front of the race saw 3 of us riding away. After several Kilometres of shingle roads and tarmac the 2 riders with me were starting to slow the pace so I pressed on over the rough terrain. Here there were 3 of us all on 29ers (and a 1-2-3 at the finish) and the big wheels were fantastic over the bumpy surface. I jumped at the front and pushed on and a couple of minutes later (not long before the first river crossing) I looked back and saw I had a gap.
Once through the river I kept the pace up and had a strong ride to the finish. The false flats that gradually climbed up into the valley also on some damp sections felt quite energy sapping but my Trek 29'er bike felt superior on a course like this.
I am also using a new set of Geax Barro Race Tyres which I have been using in the Short Track Racing here in Christchurch. Right from the first race I thought they were fantastic! The hook they have at high speed is excellent and on one of the high speed shoots coming down to a tight left hand corner to start the climb they provide real confidence for me to hook into at pace. I'm looking forward to racing them in the National Rounds kicking off in January.
Next weekend is the Mcleans 12 Hour Event held right here on home ground. Keep a look out for a fast Cycleways Team in the Orange colours!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Le Race 2011
Todays Le Race went pretty well all things considered. After just getting back into training with no base miles done yet I finished with a very respectable net time of 2 hours 53 minutes and 6 seconds. Conditions were tough along the summit roads with high winds, little visability and rain, this all made for a solid 100 kilometres.
From the start the body was pretty cold and up the to the kiwi I had a bit of work to do getting back onto the main front bunch once the body started to warm up. This whole section onto the down hill toward Gebbies pass went pretty steadily.
The downhill's were very greasy and once I had some clear vision I saw that the whole field had split up with some riders way down the hill (most were the top riders I think) so I pressed on and got some nice passing manoeuvres going. On one of the cattle stops on a bend a rider skated on the deck infront of me - not the prettiest site but he got back up.
By the bottom of the hill I was inbetween the leaders and the main front bunch so I settled back into the up coming group. A few Km's into the flat section one of the top riders who was with us pushed the pace and I fell back. I kept pressing on and a couple of riders caught me up and we got some good momentum going. Just before the Akaroa hill the Peloton caught up also but as soon as we hit the hill it was game on! I settled into a very good rhythm and dropped the peloton and caught and past quite a few other riders ahead.
Once I got a fresh bottle at the top (thanks mum) it was the last 40km to the finish. I was with a few other riders but eventually it became 3 of us right to the finish with myself being the middle rider.
I crossed the line 23rd overall with a pretty cold body and tired legs but all in all a very good outing!
From the start the body was pretty cold and up the to the kiwi I had a bit of work to do getting back onto the main front bunch once the body started to warm up. This whole section onto the down hill toward Gebbies pass went pretty steadily.
The downhill's were very greasy and once I had some clear vision I saw that the whole field had split up with some riders way down the hill (most were the top riders I think) so I pressed on and got some nice passing manoeuvres going. On one of the cattle stops on a bend a rider skated on the deck infront of me - not the prettiest site but he got back up.
By the bottom of the hill I was inbetween the leaders and the main front bunch so I settled back into the up coming group. A few Km's into the flat section one of the top riders who was with us pushed the pace and I fell back. I kept pressing on and a couple of riders caught me up and we got some good momentum going. Just before the Akaroa hill the Peloton caught up also but as soon as we hit the hill it was game on! I settled into a very good rhythm and dropped the peloton and caught and past quite a few other riders ahead.
Once I got a fresh bottle at the top (thanks mum) it was the last 40km to the finish. I was with a few other riders but eventually it became 3 of us right to the finish with myself being the middle rider.
I crossed the line 23rd overall with a pretty cold body and tired legs but all in all a very good outing!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
2011 World Championships
The 2011 World Championships were held in Champery, Switzerland. After competing in the final World Cup Round in Italy just under 2 weeks ago I was very excited to be in the biggest and last race of the season. All the training and build this year comes down to this Pinnacle event and the need for a solid performance is a necessity.
The World Champs XCO track was a fantastic race course! It had lots of rooty sections to negotiate with. As the venue is situated amongst a valley in trees it never really dried out as during the week we had a couple of rain showers. The track also had a neat drop off in it which a few riders had some good crashes in during practise. It was the ideal track for my 29er wheels and newly crowned 2011 Elite male World Champion, Jaroslav Kuharvy proved that today on his full suspension 29er machine!
Two days out from the race I was starting to feel the nerves. I knew that the first lap was going to be frantic! So race day Friday came around and as we were racing at 5pm it was a nervous wait all day. The last few hours before the race flew by and before I knew it I was on the line ready to go!
I had a pretty good start but it could have been a wee bit better as the legs weren’t feeling fantastic. This wasn’t too much of an issue though as it was all bunched up and there wasn’t much room to play with at that stage! However once around roughly 1-2 minutes of track I saw a clean side line and smacked it hard gaining several positions and moving up toward the front half of the pack!
From here the start loop went through the feed zone area and up the major climb of the race. As we passed through the feed zone we entered the tarmac (that eventually follows up the hill) and would have been doing roughly over 30km/h. I was near the left hand side and was eyeing up my attack to push further up the field. As I was nailing it a Dutch rider came up the inside of me standing up sprinting and collided with my handle bars. I came off and in spectacular fashion and went over my handle bars and slammed onto the barrier and road. I was not impressed!
I got back on my bike with a few bumps and a bit of a bloody elbow but pushed on up the hill to meet the bottle neck at the top. Once I finally got some clear room on the first proper lap I moved up and gained some positions but another problem had struck me. Due to the crash my front derailleur had basically chiselled off where the cable comes around so I was stuck in my Small chain ring! I tried to keep as positive as I could trying to focus on smashing it out but after the crash and now a mechanical problem (not to mention the huge amount of lost time) I just wasn’t able to ride as well as what I should have and eventually got lapped out due to all my lost time.
I was extremely gutted. The season for me has certainly been a tough one and to get a solid result here would have been a huge high for me to end my 2011 season. Racing can be a very cruel sport at times I sure got my fair share yesterday! If I look at the positives I will take my experience that I have gained in my campaign and use it next year to improve and get knuckling down to get where I need to and should be. I would like to say a huge thanks to all my support back home, having people who believe in me although I haven’t had the greatest of luck so far it really does help and I hope next season that things start to come together as they should!
Anyway it’s time for me to have a well earnt break after the hard build up I have had. I’ll back in New Zealand on Thursday and looking forward to being at home with friends and my awesome family!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Italy World Cup Round
The Italian World Cup Race was the final round of the UCI World Cup. The course was steep, hard and fast that involved some solid short climbs mixed with some neat wee downhills that kept you on your toes and eyes wide open.
During the week I had a serious problem to sort with my bike. I had a cracked frame on my hands, this was also the case in the Czech WC race last weekend which I found out the day before. With the help of dad back home he was able to communicate to the Trek Reps and with the expertise and professional business that Trek represents I had a frame couriered to me over night! I can’t thank the Trek Family and everyone involved enough as this weekend’s race was going to be good – no dodgy frame on the back of my mind.
During practice the days were very hot! But luckily our race was at 9am so while the sun was out shining it certainly wasn’t as bad as what the Elites had to deal with in the afternoon..
My race went pretty well – I was pleased with how I rode especially after a chaotic first lap! There were about three sections where I had to get off my bike (along with many others) as all it takes is one muppet to make a mistake and the rest of the field pays the price while the riders in front simply ride ahead! So while I would have lost over a minute just like that on the first lap with all the bottlenecking once this was over I started to make some solid momentum. The first main climb up the open grass was one of the sections I rode very strong. Most riders’ small ringed it up here but I smacked it up in the big ring and passed a lot of riders and was improving my position.
The race was a 5 lap race and on my second to last lap the legs were starting to feel it after I had been attacking most of the race. I knew the last lap was going to be a bit of a “well here we go!” but after a couple of climbs and some sketchy down hills with the concentrations levels dropping, I was back over the line with very little left in the tank. I finished 61st out of roughly 100 riders.
After last weekend performance I am very proud of the way I rode, as mentally I was positive the whole race and remembered a couple of quotes and words “pain is temporary, winning is forever!” and “attack attack attack!”. For myself today I won my own race and the biggest thing was overcoming the lows of racing such as last weekend but as for today it was a huge turnaround physically but mostly mentally. With just under 2 weeks of training left till World Champs in Champery I am looking forward to a solid result and will be aiming for a top 50 as a first year under 23 of 4 years.
Big thanks to Mum and Dad back home and to the Trek family for getting me a new frame in no time. Also to Mark Wallace-Bell for the mental side of things and to my coach for a bit of a motivation kick also! Thanks to all my support back in NZ also – the motivating emails and messages really do help!
As for me now, time to knuckle down into my last couple of weeks of training, I have a Swiss Bike Trophy race on Thursday night on a street course and after that am off to World Champs. Time for me to keep on attacking!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Czech World Cup 2011
We arrived to our accommodation in Czech on the Wendesday night after a solid couple of weeks training up in the hills of Fanas, Switzerland. I was looking forward to our first race and being able to see where my fitness level and speed was against the top competition. It was also fantastic to be able to ride some proper single trail and get amongst the World Cup atmosphere!
The course was a fast and overall a good amount of technicle trails. Throughout the practice days it cut up and rutted and there were quite a few roots to look out for.. It had a couple of exciting spectator sections over rock obstacles and one section called the Gigantic drop which was actually easily ridable on the big 29er wheels!
The night before the race there was rain forcasted.. This started to make me a bit nervous as with all the roots and ruts it would have got rather dicey but the rain was short lasted and my Kenda Karmas were almost perfect for the job.
After a good warm up I was called up to the line in 58th and was still rather happy with my start position considering I didnt get to secure my 3rd place in the Oceanias which the UCI points help with starting positions.
Before I had a moment to relax we were off and boy was it fast! I was stuck right in the middle of the bunch and started to loose my nerve a little bit when a couple riders beside me collided so she was all go as you would expect!
The start loop was fast, hard and intense. I went good up the first climb but the legs were a bit shy to give out serious power so it was a slow first downhill amongst the caos and cluster of riders.
First proper lap and I started to fall behind the main group of riders in the field. I kept trying to smack it but after just coming out of a cold New Zealand Winter the intensity was a huge shock to the body.
Second lap came around and I ended up crashing after getting off-line through a rock garden. After this I had lost quite a bit of time but I kept moving on until I got pulled 65 out of 86 starters.
So now it is time to refresh and refocus and get motivated to complete a successful race in Italy next weekend to get a solid result.
On the positive side of things well done to Anton for a awesome race winning the Under 19's and to Mat for finishing a fantastic 13th!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
New Training Ground - Fanas, Switzerland
We arrived in Zurich Airport in Switzerland after 30 hours of travel time to be greeted by one of our newly adopted parents, Erik with a very nice New Zealand flag welcoming our arrival!
After a nights sleep after very little shut eye on the planes we headed off to our new training location up in the hills of Fanas (Eggli). To reach our accommodation hut required a ride up the Funicular (Gondula) to where we would reach 1700 metres above sea-level!
As we took the birds eye view up the hill with all our gear we got a fair idea of how steep this road was leading up to the hut but until we actually got onto our bikes and road it first hand, man did we get a bit of a shock! It is very steep!
Our training requires us to head down the hill to where it is accessible to trails and tarmac roads. From the bottom and flat it is a 1100metre climb to the top! All that means is that we have a good solid climb to finish our ride - good preparation for Champery where the World Champs will be held.
Today Mat and I rode a loop that I had negotiated my way around yesterday which included a nice tarseal ride amongst the forest that leads into a town called Shuders. From here we enjoyed a solid 20minutes of downhill alongside an impressive river and the most spectacular scenery!
Our location is quite remote but the views are stunning and so it is the perfect place to unwind and relax after a good training session!
I look forward to heading off to our first World Cup Round in Czech once our 2 weeks of training are complete and will be updating my blog again after the race!
Hope that all back in our Homeland are keeping safe and warm with all that snow!
Photos to come!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
European Campaign
The excitment is building!!!
After months of planning a European Campaign it has come together and this Saturday I will set off on the big bird to begin my trip!
Earlier in the year after racing the New Zealand National Series and Oceania Champs I had gained selection into the 2011 New Zealand Mountain Bike Team to compete in the World Championships in Champery, Switzerland. Being an first year Under 23 rider I decided it was time to step up my game so a Campaign for roughly a month and a half was put into place.
The races I will be competing in are;
1) World Cup Round 6 Czech Republic
2) World Cup Round 7 Italy
3) Swiss Bike Trophy, Bern - Switzerland
4) World Championships, Champery - Switzerland.
So far my build up has gone pretty well - the routine of getting up first thing and training is certainly a lot different and harder than when I was a school boy but with realityof work now, I have had to become even more disciplined to chase my dream. The last couple of weeks have been getting harder (as I get more and more keen to get overseas!) but I am looking forward to living the pro-cyclist life and being able to get in a couple of solid weeks of training in before I hit the UCI World Cup round in Czech Republic.
I will be travelling with Mat Waghorn from Palmerston North (Oceania Champ U19 2010 and Oceanias U19 runner up 2011) and we will be working together throughout our campaign.
There are a few people I would like to make special mention to before I head off on my journey.
Firstly - my sponsor Cycleways and the boys there (who have just done a fantastic job of brushing my bike up to pristine condition) and in particular Matt Bailey - the sponsorship has been great!
My boss from Halswell Butchery Brad Williams - you have been a fantastic influence and I appreciate all the help and guidance you have given me.
Single Track Club and Huxster- Craig and Rebekah Tregurtha and Andrea Murray - It has been great to have been part of both of the clubs and the drive the and work you guys put it along with the member is awesome!!!
My Coach Dave Plew - for being just a brilliant coach and always taking in what I have to say.
Andrew Abakhan - for the help you have put in with my build up to get me into shape.
Erik Herlyn - he has been a huge help with putting my campaign together, my trip wouldn't be happening without the help from him and his family!
And of course to my parents - my number 1 sponsor, without their help this trip would be a right struggle. I really do appreciate all the help you have given me to chase my goals and aspirations!
I'll be keeping my facebook and blog updated throughout the trip so keep an eye out to see whats happening with my progress!
Time to go put my mark on the World!!!
After months of planning a European Campaign it has come together and this Saturday I will set off on the big bird to begin my trip!
Earlier in the year after racing the New Zealand National Series and Oceania Champs I had gained selection into the 2011 New Zealand Mountain Bike Team to compete in the World Championships in Champery, Switzerland. Being an first year Under 23 rider I decided it was time to step up my game so a Campaign for roughly a month and a half was put into place.
The races I will be competing in are;
1) World Cup Round 6 Czech Republic
2) World Cup Round 7 Italy
3) Swiss Bike Trophy, Bern - Switzerland
4) World Championships, Champery - Switzerland.
So far my build up has gone pretty well - the routine of getting up first thing and training is certainly a lot different and harder than when I was a school boy but with realityof work now, I have had to become even more disciplined to chase my dream. The last couple of weeks have been getting harder (as I get more and more keen to get overseas!) but I am looking forward to living the pro-cyclist life and being able to get in a couple of solid weeks of training in before I hit the UCI World Cup round in Czech Republic.
I will be travelling with Mat Waghorn from Palmerston North (Oceania Champ U19 2010 and Oceanias U19 runner up 2011) and we will be working together throughout our campaign.
There are a few people I would like to make special mention to before I head off on my journey.
Firstly - my sponsor Cycleways and the boys there (who have just done a fantastic job of brushing my bike up to pristine condition) and in particular Matt Bailey - the sponsorship has been great!
My boss from Halswell Butchery Brad Williams - you have been a fantastic influence and I appreciate all the help and guidance you have given me.
Single Track Club and Huxster- Craig and Rebekah Tregurtha and Andrea Murray - It has been great to have been part of both of the clubs and the drive the and work you guys put it along with the member is awesome!!!
My Coach Dave Plew - for being just a brilliant coach and always taking in what I have to say.
Andrew Abakhan - for the help you have put in with my build up to get me into shape.
Erik Herlyn - he has been a huge help with putting my campaign together, my trip wouldn't be happening without the help from him and his family!
And of course to my parents - my number 1 sponsor, without their help this trip would be a right struggle. I really do appreciate all the help you have given me to chase my goals and aspirations!
I'll be keeping my facebook and blog updated throughout the trip so keep an eye out to see whats happening with my progress!
Time to go put my mark on the World!!!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Blue Dog Night Racing Winter Series
The 2011 Night Racing series consisted of 8 races in total with the first race a practise night. Out of the first 6 races (after the practise night) the best 3 placings were taken including the final round.
Over the series I had some good races and some not so good races. I rode in the junior category but still looked at the overall picture and had a couple of outright wins. One night I fronted to race with a cold but still had enough juice in the tank to take the win but other nights saw various woes from mechanical breakdowns to just not feeling quite right and falling back a bit not to mention a crash tucked in there also!
Out of the series my placings were:
4th May (Practice) 1st Overall
11 May-2nd Overall, 2nd Junior
18 May-5th Overall, 1st Junior
25th May-1st Overall
1st June-2nd Overall, 1st Junior
8th June-DNF
15th June-3rd Overall, 1st Junior
22nd June (Final) 1st Overall
With these results I took out the Junior Category and become the 2011 Junior World Night Racing Champion!
These events made up for a fantastic bit of Winter training and Blue Dog Events saw numbers around the 200 mark! Not bad for a hardy bunch of Canterbury riders!
Big Thanks must go to Rod and Jane from Blue Dog Events for putting on the series and to my sponsor Matt Bailey and the boys from Cycleways for sorting out my racing machine so it was running in top form. Congratulations must go to Mark Dunlop for taking out the overall win as well as Phil Patterson for cleaning up the Vet category!
Over the series I had some good races and some not so good races. I rode in the junior category but still looked at the overall picture and had a couple of outright wins. One night I fronted to race with a cold but still had enough juice in the tank to take the win but other nights saw various woes from mechanical breakdowns to just not feeling quite right and falling back a bit not to mention a crash tucked in there also!
Out of the series my placings were:
4th May (Practice) 1st Overall
11 May-2nd Overall, 2nd Junior
18 May-5th Overall, 1st Junior
25th May-1st Overall
1st June-2nd Overall, 1st Junior
8th June-DNF
15th June-3rd Overall, 1st Junior
22nd June (Final) 1st Overall
With these results I took out the Junior Category and become the 2011 Junior World Night Racing Champion!
These events made up for a fantastic bit of Winter training and Blue Dog Events saw numbers around the 200 mark! Not bad for a hardy bunch of Canterbury riders!
Big Thanks must go to Rod and Jane from Blue Dog Events for putting on the series and to my sponsor Matt Bailey and the boys from Cycleways for sorting out my racing machine so it was running in top form. Congratulations must go to Mark Dunlop for taking out the overall win as well as Phil Patterson for cleaning up the Vet category!
Waipara Classic 90km Road Race 21st May
The 2011 Waipara 90km Classic Handi-cap Road Race was my first race on my Brand New 2011 Trek Madone 5.2 Road Bike from Cycleways. The bike set up with an super slick Ultegra groupset and a very sleek and kiwi Black and White paint job! With a set of Dura-ace Wheels borrowed courtesy of Brad Williams I was very keen to get out and see how the new machine went!
The course went up toward Greta Valley and after a bit of a loop came back along the Weka Pass. With mint conditions for racing with the sun out and little wind the mind and body was in good form!
As it was a handi-cap event and was only my second road event this season (my first event this season on my old 2003 Giant TCR Road Bike) I chose to ride in the Break group. The course suited me well as it undulated in several sections and I did a lot of work up the front of the bunch. One thing I found was that the harder I rode the Trek the better it felt!
Towards the end of the race we had the last couple of short hills up the Weka Pass which was a very quick pace as a couple of riders tried to break away-the legs were starting to feel a bit on the tired side but I managed to hold on and keep the pressure on over the last 10km.
The course then turned left and it started to get a bit congested as we had caught up the next couple of Bunches (due to the handi-capping) and before I knew it we had crossed the finish line but no real chance of a sprint!
This didn't matter however as the handi-capping was not right but it was an excellent day for racing and I was very pleased with my new machine and how I rode!
Big thanks to Brad for lending me his wheels and to My Sponsor Matt Bailey (Cycleways) for sorting me out a fantastic new Machine!
Mt Isobel Challenge 26th May
The Mt Isobel Challenge is a Duathlon event in Hanmer Springs that consists of an 8km hill run up the Mt Isobel track to the summit with a 1000 metre ascent. This then gets followed up with a 22km undulating mountain bike back to the finish line at the domain.
This was an event I did last year during the winter season where I finished second in the Junior category and as it was a great event and I had good fun I was keen to have another crack at it. So with a bit more of a running base compared to last year and almost the identical conditions (icy cold wind early morning at the transition up Jacks Pass Road but sunny once we got going) it was going to be a good hit out!
The pace at the start was hot and I was sitting somewhere in the front half of the pack. We followed up the gravel road for a kilometre or so till we came onto the single track. A gnarly run/grunt eventually made its way to the top and along the ridgeline to reach the peak. From there it was a sign of relief as I knew it was all downhill until I got onto the bike. The downhill was fast and furious. I had my mate Sam Bell and Boss Brad Williams (a bit of humble competition) to try and keep up with which turned into quite a mission with a lack of downhill adventure running and road running shoes on sketchy and steep terrain. Nevertheless I got down in one piece and after a slow transition I was off - time to wind up the big wheels!
This bike section I was looking forward to as I knew I could make up some good placings with this and prior to the race the idea was to save the legs for a good smack fest once on two wheels. However after the intensity in the run the legs felt dead and so after grinding up every hill and still managing to pull in quite a few riders (including Sam and Brad!) I eventually made it back to the finish 2nd in my class and 6th overall. Well done to young Craig Oliver who smashed the course and took out first overall in the event!
A great day out and an awesome event during the Winter time, highly recommended!
This was an event I did last year during the winter season where I finished second in the Junior category and as it was a great event and I had good fun I was keen to have another crack at it. So with a bit more of a running base compared to last year and almost the identical conditions (icy cold wind early morning at the transition up Jacks Pass Road but sunny once we got going) it was going to be a good hit out!
The pace at the start was hot and I was sitting somewhere in the front half of the pack. We followed up the gravel road for a kilometre or so till we came onto the single track. A gnarly run/grunt eventually made its way to the top and along the ridgeline to reach the peak. From there it was a sign of relief as I knew it was all downhill until I got onto the bike. The downhill was fast and furious. I had my mate Sam Bell and Boss Brad Williams (a bit of humble competition) to try and keep up with which turned into quite a mission with a lack of downhill adventure running and road running shoes on sketchy and steep terrain. Nevertheless I got down in one piece and after a slow transition I was off - time to wind up the big wheels!
This bike section I was looking forward to as I knew I could make up some good placings with this and prior to the race the idea was to save the legs for a good smack fest once on two wheels. However after the intensity in the run the legs felt dead and so after grinding up every hill and still managing to pull in quite a few riders (including Sam and Brad!) I eventually made it back to the finish 2nd in my class and 6th overall. Well done to young Craig Oliver who smashed the course and took out first overall in the event!
A great day out and an awesome event during the Winter time, highly recommended!
Monday, March 21, 2011
2011 Oceania Champs
The 2011 Oceania Champs were held over in Shepparton, Australia. I arrived in Melbourne airport on the Wednesday and set off for the extra 2 hour stretch to get to the track and have a look. My first impressions were that it was rather tame as it was a steady but not that steep climb which would mean for a fast hard race to come. The further around the track the more interesting it became. Toward the top it started to get very similar in rock positioning as the Port Hills in Christchurch. Once right along the top it got exciting. The course sidled along angled rock cliffs then came up to the 'Waterfall' section. This had a steep 1-2 metre near rideable drop which in practice was the part to go over. I looked at it once and straight down I went! With a bit more fast flowing downhill and a grassy paddock to push up and around and the lap was complete.
After another practice Thursday and feeling I had the course sussed I was ready for battle come Friday. Race day had good conditions hot but not over the top. After a good warm up it was time to head to the start box. Elite men started 3 minutes ahead of my Category Under23. I had a good start and was sitting in about 5th on the single track climb however was stuck in this position the whole first lap and the leader started to slip away. Second lap came around and both Dirk Peters and I started to gain some positions getting passed the slower riders. This was all good and I was going great. I faded a little on the fourth lap but was in the mind set to smash out the final lap. At this stage I was in a solid 3rd place with a good couple of minutes gap between me and the 4th rider.
After I got a fresh bottle I came up behind an elite rider and was waiting to pass. We went up a zigzag and he took a gel. I was ready to pounce but the track was too tight to nip through. With a 10 metre gap between the last zig zag and an tree/rocky obstacle to ride over I made my move so that I could knock out a fast hard lap to fully secure my bronze placing. Once beside this Elite Aussie rider who started 3 minutes ahead of me he simply decided he wasn't going to let me though and as we came side by side up to the obstacle I had turned in to get over and he was still there. He toppled onto my bike and munted my front wheel leaving me to walk back and DNF!
After all my hard work put into this race and my first season as an under23 trying to consolidate good race results, I was absolutely gutted not being able to get on the podium for New Zealand, my sponsor Cycleways, Trek and my parents and friends/supporters.
Besides the disappointment I was proud of the way I raced knowing for next season that while this one had its ups and downs I am where I need to be for the build up for Worlds and next season!
Big thanks to Mildy for taking the time and care to collect and arrange transport for our group from the Airport and to Dookie etc.
Huge thanks to Debbie and Cyndi Hills for organising some fantastic accommodation, it surely brought a very positive atmosphere around for all!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Motatapu 2011
New event for me this year was the 2011 Motatapu! After hearing some good things about this race I was keen to try my luck on a course that was well suited to my Trek 29'er machine. It was all fairly rushed on race day as I had to bring through the race all the compulsory gear which required me last minute to tape on my seat tube my jacket and thermal so the bike was looking right ready for a nights camping!
However business was needed to be done and the race started off hot both in conditions and pace. After some several kilometres of flat, we started to hit the undulations and Anton started to put on the pressure. Unfortunately with the after affects of my cold, I was feeling pretty flat throughout the race, not being able to smack it up the pinch climbs - with an on-form Anton Cooper who rode off the front. This then meant it was a fight for second. Brent Miller, myself and an unknown rider battled it out for a while before I had a good few minutes of feeling better and got ahead up to just before the highest point where Brent Miller caught and slipped in front of me.
With no fire in the belly he slowly got away and out of sight once we hit the final 10km among the hillside and down to the rivers. This section was excellent fun! With a bike perfect for the condition I was able to ride just about all of the rivers making up good time and having a blast putting on a big splash effort on the final crossing for the crowd - hopefully there's a good photo!
I ended up finishing third overall and second in my class a bit frustated but had a great weekend. Big thanks to my neighbours John and Susan for taking me down and arranging accommodation for me.
With Oceania Champs this weekend on Friday 18th March I should be on good form after getting my health back up to scratch and refocus on a solid result!
However business was needed to be done and the race started off hot both in conditions and pace. After some several kilometres of flat, we started to hit the undulations and Anton started to put on the pressure. Unfortunately with the after affects of my cold, I was feeling pretty flat throughout the race, not being able to smack it up the pinch climbs - with an on-form Anton Cooper who rode off the front. This then meant it was a fight for second. Brent Miller, myself and an unknown rider battled it out for a while before I had a good few minutes of feeling better and got ahead up to just before the highest point where Brent Miller caught and slipped in front of me.
With no fire in the belly he slowly got away and out of sight once we hit the final 10km among the hillside and down to the rivers. This section was excellent fun! With a bike perfect for the condition I was able to ride just about all of the rivers making up good time and having a blast putting on a big splash effort on the final crossing for the crowd - hopefully there's a good photo!
I ended up finishing third overall and second in my class a bit frustated but had a great weekend. Big thanks to my neighbours John and Susan for taking me down and arranging accommodation for me.
With Oceania Champs this weekend on Friday 18th March I should be on good form after getting my health back up to scratch and refocus on a solid result!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Pass to Pub 2011
After National Champs and the continued build up towards Oceania Champs a couple of weeks away, the Pass2Pub event was going to be a good race, relatively close and a break from the longer distances travelled of late. So far this season I have been pretty lucky with my health but during the week I caught a nasty cold having a few days off the bike and coming into the race feeling that day only slightly better. Hot on competition down at this event was Kyle Wood in the same position as me with a past cold and Brent Miller.
From the start it was the 3 of us leading the race and after a while Kyle started to get away. I was dropping behind on the undulations but then settled down and worked up to the front where not long after the race was between Kyle and me and our two big 29'ers!
After a bit of tossing and turning past the half way mark we came into a tight and twisty farm track going through several creeks. On one of these I was right behind Kyle who jumped off which I attempted to ride however I spun on a rock. The course then went up a short hill which Kyle gapped it up and I was thinking I'll catch back up, he managed to hold around a 50 metre gap all the way to the finish!
I ended up coming in second 18 seconds behind but not too worried as I knew my cold had compromised my race.
From the start it was the 3 of us leading the race and after a while Kyle started to get away. I was dropping behind on the undulations but then settled down and worked up to the front where not long after the race was between Kyle and me and our two big 29'ers!
After a bit of tossing and turning past the half way mark we came into a tight and twisty farm track going through several creeks. On one of these I was right behind Kyle who jumped off which I attempted to ride however I spun on a rock. The course then went up a short hill which Kyle gapped it up and I was thinking I'll catch back up, he managed to hold around a 50 metre gap all the way to the finish!
I ended up coming in second 18 seconds behind but not too worried as I knew my cold had compromised my race.
National Champs 2011
The National Champs is the pinnacle of events on the New Zealand calender and to accommodate 2011 Dunedin hosted this high priority event. Conditions this year brought a lot of heartache for myself with tyres as the course's mid-section was an absolute mud bath and with no mud-tyres in stock for the 29'er prior to heading down south I was forced to use my standard set-up. Each of my two practice days the course became worse each time and race day was going to be full on just as any good race should be!
After waking up and heading to the venue it was a cold day and after watching the morning race it was time to get some warm gear on get a good solid warm up done. Just like any race the final hour before it starts fly by and before I knew it I was called up to the front row - a good staring position. I had a great start holding third postion through the start loop and gapped it up the major climb with Dirk Peters and Carl Jones. This then took us down a quick downhill then up the muddy mid-section of track which I was dreading. Once at the top the fun started...NOT!!! After watching Carl and Dirk ride away as they had appropriate tyres on and as I dropped behind, Mike Northcott caught me up by the bottom of the hill. We stayed together and I pushed it on the second lap but once again on that mid-section of track no traction meant no fast momentum! I lost another place coming down getting passed by Mark Leishman and my final couple of laps I ended up running this gnarly downhill. Knowing I couldn't do anything about the situation I was absolutely gutted after my fantastic start but all in all finishing 5th Elite and 2nd Under23 was not a bad result. However when you know you could have done better and it is out of your control it is always a tough feeling!
Next big race will be Oceania Champs in Australia - look forward to getting on the International scene again!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
National Round 4-Living Springs
Home Turf! - This had to mean a good perfomance, with knowing the track off the back of my hand and knowing how demanding the climbs will be this venue always has a welcoming touch! After an easy warm up with the legs feeling rather average, I did a couple of race starts to get the blood pumping. With a late line up call and a bit of mucking around before the start it was time to turn on the race face and get ready to start making the legs hurt!
Up the first climb there was about 5 of us and we all kept together with no mis-hapes on the fast tight flowing tracks that the talented Single Track Club members have built to accommodate a National quality race course. On the second lap it was a starting to become a different story - the legs just weren't going to perform as well as what they should have and I was starting to slip back however each time on lap 2 and 3 I caught back up each time on the downhill. The rest of the race on lap 4 split everyone up and this left me with a solo mission to complete my race with the last couple of laps to get around.
At the end after feeling I was in the 'box' the whole race I came in 3rd postion in the Elite Men, first Under 23 rider. A would like to thank Craig and Rebekah and the members of the Christchurch Single Track club for creating an amazing track!
Looking forward to National Champs this weekend in Dunedin, here's hoping for an excellent performance - time to really feel the pain!
National Round 3-Nelson
The Nelson National course had a good feeling about it and with UCI rules creating shorter laps the course was put back to the 2008 National Champs track where I had competed in my first National Championship back in the day! So this meant a very fast course with a good climb at the start but a very quick mid-section of track going right through back to the start/finish.
Race day was a good one and with racing in dry conditions I was ready to head to the start line after a solid warm up was completed. Before I knew it we were off smacking it up the first hill, I had a fantastic start being up the front but got swarmed by riders at the top of the hill (just didn't give it death!). This meant I got held up by the slower riders on the first lap putting me around 1 minute behind the leaders. I came through the first lap of six in 11th position and then started to make ground on the second and third lap catching up to Stu Houltham and then Mike Northcott and Carl jones. On the fifth lap Stu started to fade on the single track and as I was stuck behind Stu, Carl (4th at finish) and Mikey (3rd at finish) gapped it and I was left to wait for open ground to pass!
My final lap came around and I had Kyle Wood hot on my tail. With noticing that he was starting to fade (just like myself) I pushed that little bit extra out up the climbs and stood up as much as possible. With a clean downhill run to the finish I came in 5th position very happy with my race especially after my first lap!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Malvern Lions Great Alpine Challenge
New event on the calender this year - The Great Alpine Challenge consisting of 46km of rideable mountain bike terrain, little did I know this was going to be one of the toughest climbing races I have done so far this season...
After a good solid warm up done during the fine, yet windy morning up in Springfield it was off to the start line to begin the 46km journey through the hilly ranges that Springfield land owners had to offer. A fast start through nailing it off the line I broke the bunch up so that Brent Miller, an unknown rider and myself lead the front of the race. After about 8km or so we came off the gravel road and came onto the farm track. Through venturing along this for a couple of kms we hit the first climb. Right at the bottom the unknown rider turned around (think he broke his chain) and Brent and I took off. The first hill was very steep and after the first 50 metres I started getting away from Brent and by the top of the hill had a good lead made (after the race I found out that the hill had gained around 400 metres vertical height over roughly 1.5km). This then took me along the side of the hill and onto an awesome downhill on steep, sketchy and rocky ground and to an extremely fast open section where I got tapped out on my 29'er-serious speed!
Once at the bottom, the course made its way around the lower part of the valley and started another long and steep climb. Once at the top of this, the Sport category shot down right to the finish and for us Elite category riders it was across the long, steep and windy ridgeline to eventually meet up on the original first down hill to complete our second lap down the hill, along the undulating lower valley and up the steep narly final climb.
By this time I certainly had felt like I had done alot of climbing and was very ready to find the finish line finally coming in around 2hour 34mins, 11mins ahead of second place!
After the race through talking to other competitors who had Garmins I found out that over 46km there was around 1760 metres of verticle climbing - can't complain about that for a solid training day!
After a good solid warm up done during the fine, yet windy morning up in Springfield it was off to the start line to begin the 46km journey through the hilly ranges that Springfield land owners had to offer. A fast start through nailing it off the line I broke the bunch up so that Brent Miller, an unknown rider and myself lead the front of the race. After about 8km or so we came off the gravel road and came onto the farm track. Through venturing along this for a couple of kms we hit the first climb. Right at the bottom the unknown rider turned around (think he broke his chain) and Brent and I took off. The first hill was very steep and after the first 50 metres I started getting away from Brent and by the top of the hill had a good lead made (after the race I found out that the hill had gained around 400 metres vertical height over roughly 1.5km). This then took me along the side of the hill and onto an awesome downhill on steep, sketchy and rocky ground and to an extremely fast open section where I got tapped out on my 29'er-serious speed!
Once at the bottom, the course made its way around the lower part of the valley and started another long and steep climb. Once at the top of this, the Sport category shot down right to the finish and for us Elite category riders it was across the long, steep and windy ridgeline to eventually meet up on the original first down hill to complete our second lap down the hill, along the undulating lower valley and up the steep narly final climb.
By this time I certainly had felt like I had done alot of climbing and was very ready to find the finish line finally coming in around 2hour 34mins, 11mins ahead of second place!
After the race through talking to other competitors who had Garmins I found out that over 46km there was around 1760 metres of verticle climbing - can't complain about that for a solid training day!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Vulcaniser MTB Race
Last year the Vulcaniser MTB race was cancelled due to heavy rain and while this year the race was all go as we were making our way up the farm track to race venue we experienced a little bit of wet ground! This made for an exciting arrival but while this was all good it brought to my mind that the track would no doubt be wet also and with only having summer tyres bolted on it was sure going to be all fun and games during the race!
Finally once I got my gear on and registered and found out they were only using half the course due to the second half of the track being extremely wet I set off to see what the track was really like...
After I did my lap and got back to the car with 3 minor crashes achieved I wasn't in too good a state of mind and with the only having the one pair on tyres I decided to make it a 'fun' race and not charge out and risk crashing.
Race start came around soon enough and as I arrived slightly late there was no room on the front row so I started near the back. Once we took off I hammered it up the side getting near the front until I rubbed up against someones wheel leaving me to quickly dismount. Finally I managed to start passing other riders and then I came to the dreaded downhill mud bath. With watching some riders go down during practise including me, I remembered a certain technique to follow and that was controlled pace, lots of rear brake and not much of the front. To my surprise I got down without coming off! This then took me onto the climb of the lap and about this time the 'race face' came on' and it was time to start racing!
Lap two came by and about this time a nice line was forming in the downhill which made it even better and I was actually enjoying the conditions! Finally with some more passing done I brought myself up to second place and had clear ground ahead completing my last two laps only seconds a lap slower than winner Anton Cooper who had come well prepared with mud tyres set up!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
National Round 2, Napier
The second National round was going to have a good turn out of competitive riders due to this being a category 1 event with UCI points up for grabs as well as some good prize money. With this season being the first race of year, the level of racing just got stepped up again as I am now in the Under23 age category which means racing with the Elite men also. After building up some good base over the past few months I was feeling pretty good about where I was at with my training and with a new machine it was time to unleash it on the racing scene and compete in my first race on it.
So this season I am riding on Trek Superfly 29'er hardtail and I am loving it! Anyway before I start raving on about it back to the race - The day's weather sure turned on a cracker of a day with mid-thirties temperatures but luckily the race was based in the shaded forest trees that had some excellent fast flowing tracks as well as a nice short sharp single track climb to keep everyone honest. Before I knew it I was at the start line and with a fairly average warm up done due to the heat I wasn't feeling as awake as what I should have been. This wasn't good as I had a terrible start and got caught up in the chaos in the early stages of the race. Finally when some space opened up I was able to start the big catch up and gained some places throughout the 6 lap trace finishing in 8th positiion and 3rd Under 23 male.
With Nationals about 6 weeks away its now time to start the intenstiy in the training so looking forward to getting some good form and speed in the time frame available.
Big thanks to my sponsor Cycleways for helping me out with the new bike as well as Cyclesport and to Mark Leishman for accommodating myself and travel buddy Logan on our adventure up to Napier as well as my Parents!
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