Fitting Finale to a Furiously Fought Series
New team, new sponsors, same old face The organisers of the Chocolate Foot STM Series chose to make Kinross Forest the location for the final round of the series. With an abundance of flowing singletrack, absorbing technical sections and heart-pounding descents, the reasons for their decision were clear. Many categories were still closely contested and the Masters Solo was no different. Garry James was likely to take out the series win, but only four points separated myself and Dave Langley in third. Throw Paul Brodie into the mix and an intriguing day of racing lay ahead.
Orange had avoided the deluge of rain that had been soaking Sydney and the East coast, and offered up clear, blue skies and a dry and dusty track which had undergone a lot of trail work since last year's inaugural STM event. Needless to say, the track was fantastic to race on!
Orange had avoided the deluge of rain that had been soaking Sydney and the East coast, and offered up clear, blue skies and a dry and dusty track which had undergone a lot of trail work since last year's inaugural STM event. Needless to say, the track was fantastic to race on!
Chatting to Dave Langley before the ill-fated WEMBO Paul Brodie was the early pace-setter once again in the Master's Solo and led for five hours and by up to six minutes from Garry, before he was finally reeled in. The duo fought it out for the next two laps before Paul finally cracked and Garry was able to seal yet another victory. A few minutes behind, Dave and I were fighting our own private duel. Dave invariably starts conservatively and endeavours to grind his rivals down. Four and a quarter hours had elapsed when I glimpsed the 'Soggy Bottom' blue and yellow shirt of my nemesis. It wasn't too long before he had caught, passed and left me choking in his dust. I chased him hard, and on lap nine, we were the fastest two masters solo riders on course. Unfortunately, I couldn't maintain the pace, and Dave started to open up a sizable gap, whilst maintaining his pace for the next two laps.
With an hour and twenty minutes left of the series, I calculated I had three laps to go and I ought to at least attempt to close the gap on the three leading riders. I was really enjoying the course, particularly the 'A' lines, which may have been only marginally faster, but they were making the course slightly more challenging and, at the same time, a great deal of fun. Furthermore, I was being admirably supported by my wife in transition, who was making my bottle changes flawless, allowing me to roll through and maintain momentum. To my surprise, I suddenly spotted Dave in the switchbacks ahead. The problem was, I only had half a lap to close the gap and I would have to overtake him on the downhill, which would have been extremely hazardous. Dave had also spotted me and shot off like a scolded animal. My attempt to reclaim third place was to end in vain, the final gap being 46 seconds, and Dave was to claim second place in the series.
Masters Solo Series Podium This is my third STM series and it has been one of the most memorable. Joe and Fi have taken the races to great locations and created a great atmosphere at all their events. The racing in the Masters Solo has been amazing, and I have forged some great friendships with my fellow competitors. Congratulations to Garry on his second series win, but also to Dave Langley, Jason McAvoy, Mike Israel, and Paul Brodie for making our races so competitive. The rivalry brings out the best in all of us. A number of races have been decided by minutes, sometimes seconds, and even though the riding is fierce, the respect is always conspicuous. Next year, I look forward to reconvening the battles and competition of the last three years.
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