CycoActive - Professional Endurance Cycle Coaching
  • CycoActive Coaching
  • Your Coach
  • Pricing
  • Mallorca Guiding
  • Contact Me
  • Going Solo Blog
  • Backroads Blog
  • MarathonMTB
  • Mallorca - Sian & Mark

The Mont 24 hr Race

27/10/2014

2 Comments

 

Top Gun - The Bike Race

On October 25, 2014 the Kowalski Brothers organised a 24 hour team race for thousands of mountain bikers to participate in multiple categories of teams of four and six. The Organizers proposed the podium positions could only be attained by the top one percent of its participants. The purpose was to encourage the lost art of dirt combat and to ensure the handful of men and women who podiumed were the best mountain bike riders in Australia. They succeeded. Today, the mountain bike community calls it The Mont 24 hour. One rider calls it: Top Gun
Picture
Starring Phil Welch, Ben Edols, John Miller, Ian Bridgland and Kelly McGillis (as the token love interest)
Only three weeks ago, I was approached at a race and pulled to a covert location. I was informed a Top Masters four man team had a rider down and they were looking for a fresh recruit. They heard that I had a reputation. I was a quality rider but I was dangerous. The word was my ego was writing cheques my body couldn't cash. But this team was willing to take a chance and so the approach was made. As the conversation unfolded, I knew this person was a leader of men. He told me his name was classified but I could call him Ben. If I took up the challenge, I would be joining a team of veteran warriors on whom the sun daren't set. I was honoured by the offer, but such an undertaking could not be entered into too lightly. I needed to withdraw to ascertain my options, but a week later I sent a message to say I was in. I would be racing against the best. I would be going to Top Gun.
The team of combatants I was joining was known as 'Benny and the Jets'. Apparently Elton John's 1974 hit single is Marilyn Manson's favourite song and inspired 'Guns and Rose's' lead singer Axl Rose to become a singer. I was inducted into the squadron as the 'Hornet'. As a supersonic twin engine machine capable of Mach 1.8 and an all-weather multi-role fighter I felt the name was reasonably appropriate. Of course Benny  was our squadron leader, but John 'Iceman' Miller was a bike pilot of considerable reputation and experience and has fought successfully in top-level triathlon, while Ian 'Goose' Bridgland was the best wingman in the business and a terrific bike pilot in his own right.
As a solo rider, having competed in no less than nine solo 24 hours, I was seen by the team as an independent minded person and certainly not used to working closely with others in a team. I was labelled 'Maverick' and the name appeared to stick. Ben addressed his troops: "Gentlemen - You are the Top 1% of Mont Bike Riders - The Elite - The best of the best". We were now expected to prove it.

The training was over and as, in excess of 6000 competitors turned up in the paddocks adjoining Kowen Forest in Canberra, the mood changed from jovial to austere. Ben would lead us into battle and as a crescendo of cow bells signalled the start of the race, Ben flew past our position in a cloud of dust as he sucked the drag of the lead motorbikes. He was so fast, only one of us actually saw him and she was able to inform HQ that Ben had been sitting in 10th place until the start of the first climb. Unfortunately, at this point multiple bogeys swamped our squadron leader. Ben held his nerve, and negotiated the wonderful twists and turns of the magnificent 19 kilometre course to finish his lap in 52:29 and 32nd position overall. He even had the audacity to buzz the tower as he flew past transition and handed the baton to John Miller.
Picture
Ben Edols - Squadron Leader
Picture
John Miller - as cool as ice
PictureIan Bridgland - suffered major wing damage



John 'Iceman' Miller is the undisputed powerhouse of the Jets. Also known as 'Ramjet', he rides most efficiently at supersonic speeds of around Mach 3 but has been known to have reached speeds of up to Mach 6 on the 'Luge' descent at Mt. Stromlo, Canberra. John lived up to his name, putting in the team's fastest lap of the whole 24 hours, finishing with an impressive lap time of 51:52.


Ian Bridgland took flight for our third lap, aptly named 'Afterburner' because Ian is most noted for ingesting several caffeine gels during solo 24's, enabling him to inject additional fuel into his engine and allowing him to blast past his bemused opposition. Unfortunately, Ian was suffering damage to his left wing, and the rocky and uneven terrain was taking a toll early on. He managed to limp in to transition with a respectable 57:41 but the early signs were not good. Painkillers were taken as frantic work was carried out on his damaged shoulder in preparation for his next lap. Only time would tell whether or not he could nurse his battered fuselage through another 21 hours.
It was actually a relief to start riding and to at last engage full throttle. It was 2.43 pm when I started my first lap, and all the waiting around had only made me more nervous. I just didn't want to let my new teammates down and I just didn't know how well the Hornet was going to fly. I shouldn't have worried. Despite the incredible amount of traffic I needed to pass and the heat of the day with the mercury tipping 30 degrees, I was motoring. The course was an absolute dream to ride and I cherished every kilometre. My only problem was trying to engage in conversation  (as commanded at race briefing) with all 50 riders I passed on the course on that first lap. I actually lost my voice by the time I made the final descent. Despite negotiating so much traffic, I still managed a 54:33, the fastest time in our category for that particular lap. We were sitting fourth in the Masters Category, three minutes behind 3Fidi Coached, who were in third.
Picture
Phil 'Maverick' Welch
Ben and John were able to put in two more solid sub 54 minute laps which had put us into third by five minutes, but the team was going to experience its first major casualty. Ian had taken several hits and his wing was severely damaged. To continue would have ended in total destruction. I took off on my second lap, but I knew my buddy was gone. I cast my mind back to my first ever squadron of riders: a team of six at the Scott 24 hour. We lost 5 of the riders, 3 to injury and 2 left disillusioned. I was left to ride alone, solo for 24 hours. I still managed third. It was the same here. First one dies, you die too. But there will be others. You can count on that. I had to let him go. The team had to let him go. I rode on, driving down the power in memory of my lost comrade. A 54 minute lap was my tribute to my fallen hero. Night had fallen on Canberra, but the night had yet to fall on the team. We would fight on as a team of three.
Picture
Ian Brigland - Manning HQ after sustaining collateral damage during the race
Our next three laps were solid, and as I flew into transition to finish lap 11, we had regained third by the narrowest of margins: just 16 seconds. By the end of my next lap, we had slipped 53 seconds behind. It was 1.15 am and the night was beginning to bite. Our illustrious leader Ben, looked jaded and his times were slipping over the hour. Meanwhile, our opposition were staying strong, their superior numbers helping them to rotate less frequently. We knew they would be getting more sleep. We had time for very little. The gap opened to six minutes. Ben was hurting and he seemed worried about the increased kilometres he was having to do. This had definitely not been the plan. The team needed to remain strong.
I managed to get a little sleep and when I opened my eyes, I could see the sun had risen over the Canberra hills. John Miller appeared from behind the sun and had monstered an incredible 58:39 lap to put us two minutes ahead of 3Fidi. A titanic dogfight ensued in the early daylight hours. Ben then dug deep within his body and soul and pulled out an outstanding 57:30. I commented that it was truly a captain's knock.  Their times quickened but we were able to match them and even surpass their times by a few seconds.  We felt the need...the need for speed. All three of us rode 56 minute laps. The final five hours involved both teams throwing in all they could. Nothing was left in the tank. But when John rolled in at midday, the sun had truly set on 3Fidi. The gap had blown out to six minutes and the battle had been won. This race was all about the podium - there is no glory in fourth place!
Picture
Benny and the Jets Post Race
Picture
A captain's knock - Ben Edols is congratulated by wife Cath
Picture
All smiles after Ben rolls in a sensational last lap
Picture
In case some of you are wondering who the best is, they are up here on this podium. (Viper, Top Gun)
2 Comments

Ay-Up 12 hour Dusk till Dawn, Tamworth

17/2/2014

4 Comments

 

Idiot's Guide to beating a Multiple World Champion

Channel 7 Preview Video
Newspaper Race Report
Crummy's Race Video
Picture
Having raced mountain bikes for just over four years, it often comes as a surprise that so much can be learnt from a single race. Weeks earlier, Pete Selkrig had convinced me to ride with him and his long-time friend, Ray Griffin, in the Baiocchi Griffin JT Fossey team of three. Now, the adage is that 'you are never too old to learn' and with my two team mates both on the wrong side of fifty, these words of wisdom would surely come under a prodigious amount of scrutiny. On the other hand, both Pete and Ray come armed with an impressive resume that would put many elite riders to shame. Pete has won State and National titles across several disciplines encompassing track, mountain biking, road and cyclocross, while Ray won the state criterium and time trail and was second in the Australian Nationals criterium in 2013. Nevertheless, the transition from road to mountain bike is not an easy one, with different energy systems utilised, tactics and strategies vary significantly, and markedly different bike handling skills are required. 

Ray had only recently purchased a mountain bike and was about to embark on only his second MTB race. His first had been on a track ideal for a road rider. Tamworth was an altogether different proposition. Tight and twisty pinch climbs with a plethora of rocks and hairpin turns, making the track a technical challenge for even some of the more experienced riders. The adrenaline charged downhills with a scattering of jumps and steep-sided berms would surely test tired riders later in the night.  

PictureSolo rider Jamie Vogele coming to terms with the local flora
Drought-breaking rain had been forecast for the Tamworth area, and the expectation was for a mud-fest and a bike-breaking ordeal. It was therefore a delight to ride a practice lap on a tacky course with the sprinkling of rain almost completely eliminating the choking, bright red dust. It quickly became apparent that excursions off the main track should be avoided with cactus, thorns and prickly pears abundant. 

The event organizers had attracted some of the biggest names of endurance mountain-biking to their inaugural event. Multiple World Champion, Jason English, would be pushed all the way by an ever-improving Andrew Lloyd, while dual 24 hour under 30, WEMBO champion, Sean Bekkers, and Michael Crummy would be sure to set a lightning, quick pace from the outset. Meanwhile, child prodigy, Guy Frail, aged just 16, from the TBSM team, had assembled a formidable team consisting of Brett Holl and Stefan Merriman (former four time World Enduro Champion) both of whom would be much more accustomed to winning races on a Yamaha.

Picture
Baiocchi Griffin JT Fossey vs The Bike Shed Mortdale
Guy Frail was to set the early pace, posting the fastest lap from the gun and our attempts to stay with them were clearly in vain. By the time I had finished the second lap, the night had closed in on the event centre and our hopes of beating TBSM had vanished with the setting sun. Ray returned from his first lap and admitted he had found the course troublesome. He had hit his arm on a tree, had struggled to negotiate a series of switchbacks and was voicing the fact that this would be a very long night. His next lap was a minute and half slower and I concurred with his earlier insight. The top three teams, and solo riders, Jason English and Andrew Lloyd, had now started to cut through the rest of the field. We were placed fifth for the first six hours, but we had our sights set on Crummy and Bekkers team of two. If Ray could maintain his lap times, we would eventually grind them down.
PictureTamworth's finest rag appears to be excited about the talent in town
Pete and I were posting consistent times, around the 35 to 37 minute mark, but Ray was to go one better. He was actually getting faster with each passing lap. It is testament to his skill and determination to learn a new bike art. He was now successfully riding a section of track he had previously struggled with, and was clearly learning how to ride effeciently under the impressively bright lights we had been supplied by sponsors Xeccon Lights. At 11 pm, we were fourteen minutes behind Bekkers and Crummy. By 12 pm it was just over three minutes. Bekkers was now doing double laps and, by 3 am, we were 30 seconds ahead. 
I was now being chased by Sean, and I was able to hold him off for the majority of a lap before finally succumbing to his superior pace. He now started his second lap with Ray following. Only days earlier, he had given Ray some lessons on mountain bike skills. As Sean came through, to hand over to Crummy, he retorted on the fact Ray was only just behind. Ray had tracked him all the way and it was now all too clear that we would win this particular battle. As Crummy left for his double lap I joked that he was the hare and the old greyhound, Selkrig, was about to chase him down. On being caught on the first climb, Crummy jumped on Pete's wheel. The old pro came to the fore and some suspect lines through the rock gardens left our poor rival in a heap and the game was up for Team Ay Up.

PictureThree man team podium
Meanwhile, Jason English had managed to crack Andrew Lloyd to win Solo honours. Utilising Lloydy's light, Jase had patiently sat behind his closest competitior, and when he came in for more batteries, Jase continued on, still with enough battery power for another lap. 

Relaxing from the regime of drinking and eating after each lap, I went out at 5 am without enough sustenance. I began to feel faint and lost three minutes of time. I felt unable to continue and even asked Pete to do a double lap to finish the race. A quick nap, a plate of pasta, a caffeine and sugar hit, and I found myself on the start line, six minutes before the 7 am finish itching to make the most of the morning light, the heart rocking to a melody of legal stimulants.

Picture
Jase is lost for words on hearing that three old blokes had pipped him at the finish
Picture
Jason English came in just before Pete and he was content to forgo a final lap. Pete appeared soon after, and I was able to finish on a high with a respectable time. I pulled in to see the final result, and soon realised that the last lap had catapulted our team into second overall. TBSM had taken the race win, but there was much consolation in the fact we had beaten the World Solo Champion. It had taken three of us, riding solidly, to do it, but we had achieved a rare feat. 

It had been an amazing weekend, and I really enjoyed the experience of racing in a team with two great competitors. With Ray's amazing performance it is tangible proof that you can truly teach an old dog new tricks!

Official Result
Picture
Ray ' The Rookie' Griffin
Picture
Pete 'The Veteren' Selkrig
4 Comments
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Author


    ​Level 3 Road & Time Trial Cycle Coach with British Cycling (BC) & the Association of British Cyclists (ABBC)

    National Master Wattbike Instructor


    Cycle Strength & Conditioning Coach 

    ​Cycle Trip Leader

    Sports Scientist (Honours degree in PE & Sports Science - Loughborough University)

    Postgraduate Teaching degree in PE & History (Loughborough University)


    Silver Medalist in WEMBO's World MTB 24 hour 40-44 solo at Finale Ligure, Italy, 2012 

    Silver Medalist at the Australian National MTB 24 hour 40-44 solo, 2012 & 2013

    I have completed several of the World's biggest stage races, including the Crocodile Trophy in Australia, the Mongolia Bike Challenge, the Sudety in Poland and the Andalucia Bike Race

    Categories

    All
    12 Hour Races
    Andalucia Bike Race
    Asthma
    Coaching
    Commuting
    Crocodile Trophy
    Cycle Tourism
    Diet & Exercise
    Dragon Devil
    Indoor Cycling
    LEJOG
    Majorca 312
    Mallorca
    Marathon Races / 100 Km
    Mongolia Bike Challenge
    Most Popular
    Obesity
    Passion & Goals
    Philosophy Of Life
    Port To Port
    Principles Of Training
    Prudential 100
    Ramo Pro Cycling
    Rocky Trail
    Ronde Picarde
    Sportives
    Stage Racing
    STM Chocolate Foot
    Strava
    Sudety
    Sufferfest
    Teaching
    Team Races
    Tour Of Wessex
    Training Rides
    Travel
    Ventoux
    Watt Bike / Power Training
    WEMBO / 24 Hour Races
    WSMTB



    Significant Results

    Stage Races
    • Crocodile Trophy 2013, Australia - 5th
    • Port 2 Port 2014, Australia - 4th
    • Sudety MTB Challenge 2014, Poland / Czech Republic - 15th
    • Mongolia Bike Challenge 2014 - 6th

    24 Hours
    • WEMBO World 24 hour Solo, Italy, 2012 - 2nd
    • Australian National 24 hour Solo, 2013 - 2nd
    • Australian National 24 hour Solo, 2012 - 2nd
    • Scott 24 hour Solo, 2012 - 1st
    • Sydney 24 hour, 2011    - 1st

    7 hour Enduro Series
    • Rocky Trail 7 hour Series, 2013 - 1st
    • Chocolate Foot STM 7 hour Series, 2013 - 3rd
    • Chocolate Foot STM 7 hour Series, 2012 - 3rd
    • Chocolate Foot STM 7 hour Series, 2011 - 1st

    12 hour Enduros
    • Sydney 12 hr, 2014 - 1st
    • Sydney 12 hr, 2013 - 1st
    • Sydney 12 hr, 2012 - 1st

    6+6 hour Enduros
    • National 6+6, 2014 - 1st
    • Sydney 6+6, 2013 -    1st
    • Sydney 6+6, 2010 -    1st

    Archives

    August 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    April 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.