Belmont PNP Race Report

Well this year has been fun and games as of late. For those that don't know I have been competing in a local mountain bike series here in Wellington. I have been racing with Damien (a Welly riding, training, racing mate) and things have been pretty competitive in a friendly way.

Going into the first race a couple of months ago we both had no idea how we would do. Last year at this race at Makara Peak I was 10th in Senior Mens. At the conclusion of a very tough race Damien actually won this round and I was 2nd (by about 2 mins). We were stocked. Very happy. At the next round in Wainouimata the gaps closed and there was more competition from some other riders. Leading into the 2nd lap I thought I was going to blowup going up a large hill for the second time. Low and behold Damien caught me up as did two others. Damien was on fire and I was not to catch him. However I hang onto the others and put in a solid effort at the end to again get second behind D.

Leading into the third race at Mt Vic we both had little idea how it might pan out. Due to various reasons we had not ridden together for a while. The first lap was straight up an evil hill after doing a lap of the velodrome. It always takes me a while to warm up. At the top of Mt Vic I was 4th. 10mins later I had caught up to Damien and we stayed together for the next 1.5 laps. Towards the end of the last lap I was feeling real good and pulled away from D. That is the last he would see of me till the end of the 3rd and final lap and I won my first race. A great feeling.

This leads me to the race report of the 4th race at Belmont Regional Park in Lower Hutt. The race was on the Sunday just been. It was a largely unknown track as no one has been able to preride it due to lambing. It must have been about 28km long, with 1100 odd metres of climbing. One large hill was a 350m stint.

It started out as they all seem too in a very painful manor. 50m of flat then straight up a very steep hill. For the Chch lot think steep parts of Worsleys.... Yikes. This was to string the field out before we entered Danzig. The uphill single track we would go up twice. (Photo below shows Damien leading myself up Danzig on the 1st lap)

Danzig is a great track but more suited to flying down (in my humble opinion). I had has did many issues with grip going up the slimy track. Especially in the upper half. Much wetter than that pictured above shows since this is in the lower part of the track and much drier. Anyways Damien stayed in the lead until the top where a maybe 2km 4wd road traversed the ridge before we went down the Bridal Track. A steep grassy, gorse laden wide goat track. A few hairy moments before splashing through 2 streams and back up Danzig. I stayed in the lead for the first 3/4 of this uphill till I got stuck behind some slow traffic. I went to pass, back wheel spun on mud and roots and my right knee flew into my shifter. F$%K it hurt like no ones business. I was jumping round in agony knowing the others were real close. I tried to ride but got a burning sensation emanating from my knee up and down my leg (A bit scary actually)

Within 2 mins I was back into 5th in Senior Mens. I hobbled to the top thinking I should pull out, at the same time I was stuffing a leppin down my throat. I was massively angry. When I reached the flattish 4wd road I got on the bike and using my left leg got kranking. Slowly the pain went and got my A into G. I could see Damien about 300-400m ahead of me along the ridge. I fired up and had caught him within 10 or 15 mins. I was hoping I had not blown my gaskets as that took a considerable effort.

So heading down the unknown Middle Ridge I was in front of Damien yet there were 3 more to pass. Holey moley what a day. I charged down the hill (again a 300m+ very fast decent into the base of the valley). I had a few scary moments that's for sure. A nasty fence running down the side of the track was begging me to be hang up on its nasty wires. At speeds of 50+kms this would not be a pretty site. Anyways got to the bottom only to head straight up the Belmont Trig Track. A 350m climb. I was quietly confident at this point as I had managed to pass Damien up a hill. Still this was one massive climb. At race speed maybe 20mins of solid climbing.

About 5 mins up the hill I passed two pro elites which was pretty cool, then slowly closed the gaps on 3rd, 2nd & 1st. I passed 3rd about half way up the hill then got within 30m of the top two by the top of the hill. The next 15mins of the race was unknown territory as we basically made our way to the top of the Middle Ridge decent from the opposite approach. A group of about 6 of us went the wrong way at a gate crossing. The other 2 just ahead of me went further the wrong way by about 20 m than I so when everyone realised our mistake we turned around and I had a jump start on them. While all these 'silly buggers' was going on Damien noticed our mistake and was once again in the lead. I had my work cut out here to yet again catch him. Some steep hills, downs, grassy slops were to follow and I got in front of Damien just before the decent into the valley bottom once again down Middle Ridge. This time I was smoother knowing the corners and critically a spot to change down the gears to climb an otherwise hike a bike section which saved time.

I crossed the line in 1st place. Damien unfortunatly got nabbed on the last part of the decent by one of the others and ended up in 3rd. So all in all a great race. It took me 1.42hr. It felt much longer. As a result of Damien heading away bike touring through Asia and getting third it means I have the series all sewn up with a race to go. Motivation is now a key factor. I will again want to do well but without the need for a win I am thinking that it will be the prospect of my last race of the year a week before I leave Wellington that will keep me motivated. I plan to enjoy some relaxed less training oriented riding in my last month here in Welly.

Just to end my novel I would like to thank Damien for the great riding and racing this year. we have both stepped it up a notch and its great having someone of a similar ability to ride a train with. We have had reasonable success this year. Damien has wrapped up 2nd in the series. We have both with the support of others got second in the Hanmer 12hr race in April (Neil and Alastair of Chch), and in Sept another 2nd in the Taupo Day Night Thriller by only 3mins (Marke form Jaffaville).

So until next time get out there and spin those wheels.