I spoke with Sean a couple of days after returning to Australia, he said his legs were swollen and he was a little sore. We discussed single speed bikes and training wheels as the achievement he had just undertaken had not yet settled in. Let me fill you in.
It's Canada and it's summer. A warm 36 degrees in the Rockys and Canmore is the home to the 24hr of Adrenalin World Championships for the second year running. There is a range of accents in town, campervans and plenty of bikes. The Aussies were there again, in numbers, many vying for top dog placing. Around town there is a quagmire of trails, with the 24hr track having around 500 vertical meters of climbing and pushed out to 16km in length. Many an Aussie compared the track to Majura Pines, with steep climbs and root ridden sections. And the Canadian trails only go in two directions, straight up or straight down.
For those that ride solo, one of the hardest parts of a race can be the start, especially if it is Le Mans. The Le Monde start is often a 500 meter run into the transition area, hopefully remembering where your bike was. Dressed in a helmet and cycling shoes it is funny to watch but no fun to do.
Out on the track everyone has some form of plan, settle in for a long hard ride or go out hard then settle back and hold on. Sean’s plan was the latter and worked in his favor, leading the age group from the early hours. He powered on through sunset, the change in weather and hit the wall mid-race. A combination of a tough, rough course and nutrition had taken its toll. With a course like this just being able to ride each lap is high on the priority list with things like fluids and nutrition lower. It became important to stop and recharge, breaking out the sugar and caffeinated gels and fluids. But it was equally important Sean’s support crew kicked him back out onto the track for another lap for the “hold on” part of the plan.
A good support crew can make a difference. Sean’s crew was made up of his wife Kiri who traveled with him for the event and a Canadian friend of a friend Vang. They kept lap times, checked out the running results keeping a keen eye on the time and hopefully laps between Bozz and the riders behind him. Positive encouragement becomes more necessary as the course becomes more difficult to ride and with a solid ride through the dark hours they had managed to put two laps between first and second place. It is a massive effort by support crews to ensure riders have what the need and want, also a careful balance of emotion to get a rider back out on the course.
Throughout the morning as the hills be came mountains and descents like an endless rodeo bull-ride. It became vital to ride cleanly, without mistakes, preserving the lead they had and to “hold on” till the end. There were plenty of casualties to the descents but Sean rode within his limits, lap after lap, into the finish time. He placed first in his 25-29 age group category and an impressively ranked 18th overall.
Who is Bozz Bekkers? I asked when I called a week later. He had no comment and left it to me to give you an idea of the man. It is simple, give him a ball, he’ll kick it. Give him a surfboard, he’ll paddle it. Give him a mountainbike ...... And if he doesn’t like it, he’ll tell you.
MC, Two words to describe your riding?
SB, Long and strong, before being beaten by the worlds track.
MC, Any notable MTB injuries?
SB, No major injuries, I’m too timid.
MC, Where does the Worlds rate for you?
SB, The Worlds is at the top, it has been the biggest adventure.
MC, Your best move during the Worlds?
SB, Managing to stay on the bike throughout the course and not crashing.
MC, A World Champion support crew has to?
SB, My pit-crew was Kiri and she was all over my lap times and where I was in the field. She also looked after my nutrition and kicked my ass back out on the course when I didn’t want to go.
MC, What is the Canmore crowd like?
SB, The locals are very laid back. They love mountainbiking and came out in their thousands to check out the 24hrs of Adrenalin. Everyone motivated you, the teams, the pit-crews and the crowd.
MC, Something you must run on your bike?
SB, ESI grips, they are the best.
MC, Are you still running tubes or are you now tubeless?
SB, I run tubes with Ranchero tyres.
MC, Where to from now?
SB, I am going to do the Scott 24hr in a pairs team with Andy Fellows.
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