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Chocolate Foot STM 7 hour Series - Event 5 - Kinross Forest, Orange

16/10/2014

3 Comments

 

Not at the Races

After gallivanting around the world in the last few months, racing at the Sudety MTB Challenge in Poland and the Czech Republic and the Mongolia Bike Challenge, it was time to return to racing in Australia. What better way than to team up with Mike Israel in the Masters Pairs Category at the magnificent sun-baked Kinross Forest track in Orange.
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Benny (Ben Edols)
This series had been incredibly competitive and often a few seconds, never mind minutes, would separate the top four or five teams at the end of seven hours of racing. After managing to secure second at Taree (Round 1) and, with Michael Brown filling in for an injured Mike, we held on to first at Mogo (Round 2) by a mere thirty-eight seconds. As I was racing overseas and Mike was still recovering from a broken collarbone, we missed Round 3 at Awaba but in Round 4 at Nowra, Mike and Michael Brown were able to attain second place by a couple of minutes from event leaders Benny and the Jet (Ben Edols and Mark Hardy)
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The Jet (Mark Hardy)
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Fortyplusfrothers (Troy Roberts & Matthew Pandelus)
We came into the round at Kinross Forest, reasonably confident of securing a decent result. In fact, both Mike and I mistakenly believed we could win the overall series, neither of us realising that it is not possible to drop your worst result (our no show at Awaba), as is the case in the solo series.

The opening lap saw Mark Hardy, Mike Israel and Matthew Pandelus come through timing separated by just thirty seconds. I took chase, but immediately knew when I hit the first climb that the legs simply weren't there. I saw my rivals power away into the distance but hoped that they would suffer for their early exuberance. Both Ben and Troy Roberts were a minute faster, putting in blistering laps of around twenty six and a half minutes. Surely, they would suffer later on as the day heated up, the legs wearied and the lungs imploded.

Mike finished our third lap and we were now a minute and a half behind the fortyplusfrothers. The gap was widening and there appeared to be absolutely nothing we could do to rescue the situation. I continued in vain to try to close the gap. My mind was still willing but the body was refusing to cooperate.
By the time I finished my fourth lap, my times had slipped from 27.30 to 28.09 and we were six minutes behind the leading two teams. Mike decided to do a double lap, in an attempt to eat into their lead and averaged an impressive 27.40 for the two laps. But a real titanic battle was unfolding ahead and on lap 9, the two leading teams were separated by a bike length and neither looked like cracking. For us, our day was done. For the next three laps, the two leading teams could not be separated and it took an almighty effort from Mark Hardy, fuelled up on several chocolate frogs, to finally put some daylight between them and open up a minute lead. This was enough and the final winning margin was just two minutes, with Mike and I ten minutes back and missing the cut-off for the final lap.
The Chocolate Foot series always seems to throw up close, competitive racing at wonderful venues around New South Wales. This has always been true in the solo category, as it was for our first venture into pairs racing. It really depends on who has the goods on the day, in a competition where any of the top four or five teams could win. With Paul and Jason Morgan (BBC-Shimano) and Darren Smith and Richard Peil (Trek Racing Australia) also involved in the Masters Pairs Category, this has certainly been an exciting series involving some quality athletes. I hope to be able to learn from this experience, and return next year a stronger and better rider.
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7 hour Masters Pairs Overall Classification (Troy, Matthew, Ben, Mark, Mike and Phil)
3 Comments
Brenda Taylor
21/10/2014 14:02:42

Well done Phil. You did well considering you have had a longer break since your last race xxx

Reply
Ian Bridgland
30/10/2014 00:58:09

Nice one Phil, you did the jets proud

Reply
Angelina C link
15/8/2021 17:29:54

Love thiis

Reply



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    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

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    • Crocodile Trophy 2013, Australia - 5th
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    • WEMBO World 24 hour Solo, Italy, 2012 - 2nd
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    • 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

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    • Sydney 12 hr, 2014 - 1st
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    • National 6+6, 2014 - 1st
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