Mt. Stromlo in No Mood to Suffer Weakness
The first real test of the new mountain bike season came in the form of the Australian Mountain Bike 100. With four distances on offer, from 33, 66, 100 and 165 km, I naturally opted for the latter, keen to test myself and obtain a gauge of my current form, after some solid pre-season training. With a weekly dose of indoor Watts training with fellow endurance rider, Mike Israel and sadistic instructor and elite mountain-biker, James Lamb 'Chops', served with a slice of faster road training with Manly Warringah Cycling Club, I was interested to see where this had left my stamina.
A number of obstacles were to present themselves long before the five am start on Sunday morning.The Rocky Trail Organisers, Martin and Julianne, were in close communication with the Chief of the ACT Fire Service, and emergency evacuation procedures were put in place. Temperatures were set to soar into the high thirties and fire conditions were close to catastrophic. For this reason, I delayed my departure to Canberra, fearing a wasted journey of around seven hours. I replaced the tyres on both bikes with Racing Ralph Snakeskin, predicting the worst from the myriad of sharp, loose rocks on Stromlo mountain, and replaced the chain on the Turner Czar, thus making the ultimate 'amateur error' of changing components the day before a race, without even leaving time for a test ride.
A number of obstacles were to present themselves long before the five am start on Sunday morning.The Rocky Trail Organisers, Martin and Julianne, were in close communication with the Chief of the ACT Fire Service, and emergency evacuation procedures were put in place. Temperatures were set to soar into the high thirties and fire conditions were close to catastrophic. For this reason, I delayed my departure to Canberra, fearing a wasted journey of around seven hours. I replaced the tyres on both bikes with Racing Ralph Snakeskin, predicting the worst from the myriad of sharp, loose rocks on Stromlo mountain, and replaced the chain on the Turner Czar, thus making the ultimate 'amateur error' of changing components the day before a race, without even leaving time for a test ride.
Fire up those engines. Outer Image Collection, 2014 Five o'clock Sunday morning, lights fired up on helmets and bars, and Martin Wisata unleashed the 35 hardy 100 milers into the darkness still shrouding the mountains encompassing the event centre. A mild 12 degrees welcomed the leading riders into the funnel of singletrack and the start of the switchbacks which meandered up the initial climb. I waited for the new chain to start slipping on the cassette but it never happened. Now to lay the ghost of WEMBO, where I had self-imploded on this very track, to see my dreams of podium success melt away in the early morning sun, nineteen hours into that race. Unlike the debacle of the 24 hour World's, I was to feel reasonably strong throughout the entirety of this race.
That's not to say that this event was without moments of anxiety. Normally, I would complete a practice lap of an unknown course before the race. Having arrived late, this had not been possible, and so I was not sure how the track would be linked and, to make matters worse, the initial lap was to be completed in the dark. After descending the hair-raising descent that is Terminal Velocity, I turned left instead of continuing up the hill and knew almost immediately I was going the wrong way. Two riders passed, and I jumped on their wheel and followed them through the back sections of Stromlo, Pork Barrel, Brindabella, Slick Rock and Deep Creek. The pace was slower, but at least I was able to complete the lap without further mishap. I then realised, I had not taken my tyres levers, which would have made a puncture problematic.
Still smiling Mr Bond! AMB Magazine, 2014 The sun had risen by the time I started the second lap, and I realised I had a couple of familiar rivals for company. A rider behind me greeted me by name. I assumed he was keen to pass and I obliged, by moving over. I was surprised to see Elvio Fernandes, and even more impressed when he later moved away in an impressive show of strength. It took me until the start of lap three to eventually reel him back and, only when he was held up on a technical climb, did he vanish from view. He told me later that, when he had said hello he was hoping to stay on my wheel. When I let him through, he had reluctantly passed, now having to do all the work, while I sat comfortably in his shadow. Nevertheless, Elvio is getting stronger each race and he is really benefiting from a solid coaching programme.
At the same time as Elvio, fellow Masters rider, Clayton Locke had passed and left me behind. Clayton is another rider who is improving significantly with every race. As he disappeared, I wondered if he could sustain the speed he was setting. As we started the third lap, I overtook him and gradually picked up the pace and it appeared to be enough. As I descended the wonderfully constructed Pork Barrel, the first of the 100 kilometre riders came steaming past, closely followed by a plethora of Giant-sponsored riders and I was able to get a free ride for a few hundred metres, before waiting for the next group of faster-moving (and fresher) riders. At Skyline, Garry James powered past and I asked if he was winning, the brain not quite computing that his race had only just started whereas mine was already well over three hours old.
I was told Tony looked young but this is ridiculous! The first four laps were immensely satisfying and I was still thoroughly enjoying the course. The race had played out in my mind to Adele's 'Skyfall' and the connection with the special agent amused me. If I could be anyone, I think James Bond would certainly take some beating. What hot-blooded male wouldn't want all that adventure, excitement, talent and the choice of the world's most beautiful women. At 'Breakout' Adele would step aside for Swing Out Sister, a personal favourite from the eighties. By lap five the party in my head had subsided and was replaced with a steaming headache of heat and dehydration. Up to that point, the two large water bidons had served me well, but now, with the temperature in the high thirties, my feet had swollen and so I was extremely happy that the race had been shortened and this was to be the final lap. I was to finish a gratifying second to the incredible Tony Rice (fourth overall), the National Rowing Coach from the Australian Institute for Sport, and Clayton Locke was to finish 40 minutes back in third. The heat was to claim a number of high profile riders, although Ed McDonald was undaunted and, despite an early crash into a hapless kangaroo, he was still able to win the Elite category from Callum McNamara and singlespeed legend, Brett Bellchambers.
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