For as long as I have been racing Sandilands has been the 2nd stop on the MCA calendar. Due 6-inces of snow, however, and the cancellation of the Grand Beach race a week earlier, Sandilands was the 1st chance to shake the cobwebs out of my legs. I have had some success at this race in the past, and have always enjoyed the challenges it offers. Many others must feel the same way, for the event was well attended despite the inclement weather greeting the racers, with the ‘parking lot’ overflowing into the ditches and under the trees.
The Race Course:
Body Driven Sports and Woodcock Cycle Works had a nice treat for the racers running the course backwards. It was basically a 5-mile loop with 2 sections of significant single track, loads of ATV trail, the “wall”, one or two run ups (depending on how strong a rider you were), a super slick off camber technical section, and two long autobahns - one in the middle and one at the start/finish. Riding ‘backwards’ through the sandy racecourse trails there seemed to be more turns and challenging root sections. The “Wall” was a long, vomits inducing switchback section that, according to one seasoned Expert, “racers either love it or hate it, but always have something to say about it.” One Sport mentioned, “It’s a challenging course and it’s unique and it’s hard; it’s really a lot of fun… in a sick kind of way. It’s sandy and muddy, and the upper technical sections make you really concentrate. Then when you hit the Wall you whish you were dead, and arrrggghhh...for 2-mintues after you suffer, then right, left, and you start to believe it will never end, then you’re across the line.”
Murphy’s 1st Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong!
It was in relatively cool conditions that race got underway around 15-minutes late. I rode to the start line just before Dave called my name, ditched my hat, jacket and pod. It was snowing heavily as I place my bike in the front row to the far left, and right up against the orange cone. If I could have I would have place my bike dead center, but the start line was already filled up. I was aware that I might get boxed out, but was hoping for a good start and better position for the ‘hole shot’. Mostly, however, I just wanted to avoid the jostling and crashes. I took a quick look around and noticed that everybody was there with a few notable exceptions. MIA: Dallas, Bill, Daniel, Patrick and a few others. Slackers ;)
I botched the start - pulling a ‘Dylan’ I missed the pedal and nearly lost all my teeth – and enter the first single track in ~10th. I endured the frustration of a very slow queue behind Tomek until we hit the brems. Free of the single track I started to pick off riders as best I could. Hal, Kevin, Tomek… Ollie had ‘jumped’ on the fist autobahn and Dylan – having the day of his life – had given chase. The race was on! I hammered the flats, zipped through the hills and chilled out on the technical sections. By the end of the 1st of 5 laps I had whittled the leader’s gap down to about 100-meters. I knew I could never out pace Ollie (a former member of some European National team) on the flats, or best Dylan in the technical sections. The plan was to ‘sit-in’ and let Dylan pull me up to Ollie, then ditch the lot on the final lap in the hills when fitness would start to play a role.
Murphy’s 2nd Law: “If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which something can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop”.
I was feeling good about having bridged the gap after a lame start, and was hardening my resolve for a hard fought race when… CRACK! My seat post bolt gave way pitching me farward on to my handlebars. WTF? Not wanting to giveup any ground, I pushed through the 2nd lap while trying to avoid being impregnated by my saddle. Despite my best efforts Dylan and Ollie pulled away. Aaaaa! When I was 5-minutes into the 3rd lap, 4:30 up on Kevin and 1:30 off of the lead, I jumped off the bike, and tried to fix my seat. My hands were frozen usless lumps, and I fumbled about unable to grasp the tool. First Kevin, then Hal, and finally Morgan caught and passed me while I worked on the bike. 5 or 6 agonizing minutes passed before I was back in the race. Half frozen, and throughly frustreated, I started to give chase. I love to chase! I gritted my teeth and narrowed my focus… Morgan, Hal and in short order… Kevin. Yes! I can do this!
Murphy’s 3rd Law: If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.
As I laped for the final time I had whittled the leaders gap down to ~ 1 minute. I started calculating in my head. “Ollie is Elite… no worries there…. Dylan is gone for the summer… no worries there… I only need to ride out the last lap in 3rd place, and I might just get full points”. I cautioned myself not to count my chickens before they hatched, took a bottle onboard from the feed zone, and plunged into the first single track with a fierce determination not to give up an inch of ground!
I was feeling pretty good and started to pore it on knowing that everyone else was doing the same. I approach the first decent tiered but strong, and feathered the rear brake… nothing… in a panic I clutched the lever with all my strength… nothing! Whack!!! I piled straight into a tree. My rear brake had packed it in! On every decent and every corner from that point on I had only two choices: avoid braking altogether and crash, or use the front brake only and crash. I chose to crash and that is exactly what I did over and over and over again. By the time I hit the last technical section I was running both up and down every hill. At some point during my circus act the bottom bracket packed it in as well! Tomek, who had recovered from his earlier difficulties, took advantage of my misfortunate and hammered up the final climb like the devil himself was chasing. Kevin, looking very strong, also dropped me like a wet log and never looked back.
The Race Course:
Body Driven Sports and Woodcock Cycle Works had a nice treat for the racers running the course backwards. It was basically a 5-mile loop with 2 sections of significant single track, loads of ATV trail, the “wall”, one or two run ups (depending on how strong a rider you were), a super slick off camber technical section, and two long autobahns - one in the middle and one at the start/finish. Riding ‘backwards’ through the sandy racecourse trails there seemed to be more turns and challenging root sections. The “Wall” was a long, vomits inducing switchback section that, according to one seasoned Expert, “racers either love it or hate it, but always have something to say about it.” One Sport mentioned, “It’s a challenging course and it’s unique and it’s hard; it’s really a lot of fun… in a sick kind of way. It’s sandy and muddy, and the upper technical sections make you really concentrate. Then when you hit the Wall you whish you were dead, and arrrggghhh...for 2-mintues after you suffer, then right, left, and you start to believe it will never end, then you’re across the line.”
Murphy’s 1st Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong!
It was in relatively cool conditions that race got underway around 15-minutes late. I rode to the start line just before Dave called my name, ditched my hat, jacket and pod. It was snowing heavily as I place my bike in the front row to the far left, and right up against the orange cone. If I could have I would have place my bike dead center, but the start line was already filled up. I was aware that I might get boxed out, but was hoping for a good start and better position for the ‘hole shot’. Mostly, however, I just wanted to avoid the jostling and crashes. I took a quick look around and noticed that everybody was there with a few notable exceptions. MIA: Dallas, Bill, Daniel, Patrick and a few others. Slackers ;)
I botched the start - pulling a ‘Dylan’ I missed the pedal and nearly lost all my teeth – and enter the first single track in ~10th. I endured the frustration of a very slow queue behind Tomek until we hit the brems. Free of the single track I started to pick off riders as best I could. Hal, Kevin, Tomek… Ollie had ‘jumped’ on the fist autobahn and Dylan – having the day of his life – had given chase. The race was on! I hammered the flats, zipped through the hills and chilled out on the technical sections. By the end of the 1st of 5 laps I had whittled the leader’s gap down to about 100-meters. I knew I could never out pace Ollie (a former member of some European National team) on the flats, or best Dylan in the technical sections. The plan was to ‘sit-in’ and let Dylan pull me up to Ollie, then ditch the lot on the final lap in the hills when fitness would start to play a role.
Murphy’s 2nd Law: “If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which something can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop”.
I was feeling good about having bridged the gap after a lame start, and was hardening my resolve for a hard fought race when… CRACK! My seat post bolt gave way pitching me farward on to my handlebars. WTF? Not wanting to giveup any ground, I pushed through the 2nd lap while trying to avoid being impregnated by my saddle. Despite my best efforts Dylan and Ollie pulled away. Aaaaa! When I was 5-minutes into the 3rd lap, 4:30 up on Kevin and 1:30 off of the lead, I jumped off the bike, and tried to fix my seat. My hands were frozen usless lumps, and I fumbled about unable to grasp the tool. First Kevin, then Hal, and finally Morgan caught and passed me while I worked on the bike. 5 or 6 agonizing minutes passed before I was back in the race. Half frozen, and throughly frustreated, I started to give chase. I love to chase! I gritted my teeth and narrowed my focus… Morgan, Hal and in short order… Kevin. Yes! I can do this!
Murphy’s 3rd Law: If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.
As I laped for the final time I had whittled the leaders gap down to ~ 1 minute. I started calculating in my head. “Ollie is Elite… no worries there…. Dylan is gone for the summer… no worries there… I only need to ride out the last lap in 3rd place, and I might just get full points”. I cautioned myself not to count my chickens before they hatched, took a bottle onboard from the feed zone, and plunged into the first single track with a fierce determination not to give up an inch of ground!
I was feeling pretty good and started to pore it on knowing that everyone else was doing the same. I approach the first decent tiered but strong, and feathered the rear brake… nothing… in a panic I clutched the lever with all my strength… nothing! Whack!!! I piled straight into a tree. My rear brake had packed it in! On every decent and every corner from that point on I had only two choices: avoid braking altogether and crash, or use the front brake only and crash. I chose to crash and that is exactly what I did over and over and over again. By the time I hit the last technical section I was running both up and down every hill. At some point during my circus act the bottom bracket packed it in as well! Tomek, who had recovered from his earlier difficulties, took advantage of my misfortunate and hammered up the final climb like the devil himself was chasing. Kevin, looking very strong, also dropped me like a wet log and never looked back.
Murphy’s 4th Law: If you want something bad enough, chances are you won't get it.
Although I did not get full points, I did get some. Although I bust my bike, my body is still in one peace. When I look back years from now I will remember a challenging and unique race, and great competitors. In regards to my bad luck? Don't worry about Murphy's Law, you know it's gonna happen anyway, so just get on with it and get it over with!
Results Here
I have never been wounded like this in a race before. It was a great mental and physical challange.
ReplyDeleteWay to go Dave for doing as well as you did despite of all the challanges.
ss
I had a ball out there, but you sir, had an adventure! You'd think without gears, not much could go wrong, shows what I know. Great write up, better luck next time.
ReplyDeleteyeah, it happens to all of us at some point, bikes break at the worst possible times. i had lots of fun, frozen feet, but good times.
ReplyDeletegreat race report, always interesting to get other peoples perspectives.
KevinB
uh...sounded like quite the race...though in my(and Naomi's) defence/absence, we were and are now in another timezone, with another postal code.....hope your luck improves Dave.
ReplyDeleteSS: When the going gets tough the tough get going! You stuck it out until the end and that is the mark of a champion more then placing will ever be :)
ReplyDeleteGreg: Thanks. I was of the belief that single speeding was a bomb proof ride until 2007 Manitoba Super Cross
http://oneloveonegear.blogspot.com/2007/11/provincial-cross-was.html
PaddyH: Dude good to hear from you! I hope all is well and you are getting used to your new digs. The mountains and trails must be awesome. You better get your ass down for Reach-The-Beach! I am thinking (just thinking) of doing ½ Ass with Donny boy.