Rocky Trail Grand Prix

Last years GP series was won by the current 24 Solo World Champ, Jason English. This years series had played host to some of the best riders from NSW and the ACT, including the 24 Solo World Champ 2007, Craig Gordon. Chances were slim that I would be able to walk away with a series win after the great start I had in round one.

Getting a lesson from Mr English

It was a couple of laps in when the race settled down, the lead two riders had streaked away and that left a couple of us fighting it out for the minor placings. The steep dirt road climb began to tax and I watched with disbelief as a fellow GP rider muscled his way up the climb in the dog. I thought my choice of middle ring and spin may have been a bit soft. The soft soil of the single track had now turned to mud, a good line choice was essential and I took full advantage of the unusual but faster lines I found. If I had been overtaken in the recent dirt road section at the top of the course, I would make it up and then some on the first decent.
If it wasn’t bad enough with the wet weather, the grit of the track was playing havoc with the rear derailleur and cables. I was finding it harder to shift up and the cable was sticking on the way down. Things were getting bad, enough for me to fear a broken chain though bad shifting. I pushed on as long as I could past the half way point of the race. The chain skipping and phantom shifting.
Things weren’t all bad, I was lucky enough to be camping in with some serious 24hr riders who’s crew and an occasional spectator handed me my fuel for the race. We were setup so as you rode past before the U-turn you could give a shout for what you needed or other selfish and sometimes un-comprehendible demands. Be it electrolyte, peanut butter sandwich, gel and in my case, “the GT upside-down with the rear wheel off”. The crews of my fellow riders did a great job looking after the hydration, food and bikes.
So it was that I changed bikes. I had been deliberating all week about the weather, the forecast had not improved and in the final days before the event the second bike was readied. This was the definitive move. I went from mud hugging dually to slick hard-tail, the sort of bike I felt suited the conditions and course much better.
The course was being re-carved with the amount rain and the constant hammering from tyres. Each hour the sections were getting more pronounced. Tacking the first rocky section in the third hour, Rocky Trail had some of their people out maintaining the trail and putting up some safety mesh. It was this moment with people beside the trail and a rider not to far behind me I received the obligatory mud in the eye. This lead to an intimate moment between rocks and myself as I didn’t make the decent look easy.
Back on the bike and passing through transition the race commentator remarked about the claret I was showing, but rubbing is racing right? During these final stages of the race I hoped I wasn’t the only one paying the penalties. And in the final last laps the GT turned fully rigid as the remote lockout on the secondary fork gunked up. Mud splattered I crossed the line, to be told unofficially I was third (by the race commentator)! What ever it was, a top five result would see me easily win the 2009/10 Rocky Trail Grand Prix Series.
Thanks to the hard working support crews of our 24hr riders for putting up with me. The sustained energy from FRS. A sweet GT from Bikes at the Basin and Velvet fork that never lets down from DIY MTB.