Chase The Sun #1

Run and won, has a nice ring to it really...!

8.30am was the kickoff on a bright sunny day at Lysterfield, on Easter Sunday. (Scheduling could be reviewed...) With around 80 riders of varying abilities and experience, the commonwealth games finish chute saw its 3rd ever event start. We lined up in a very hurried state, with not more than a ten minutes warmup, and with a countdown to send us on our way, the race began (on time!!).




Jack surged to the front as is normal for him, and I chased hard, also normal ;) In a nice touch, I looked around as we raced up the first pinch, and saw that 3 out of the first 4 bikes were Felts! So away we charged off towards Blair Witch at race pace plus 10! On a miserable warm up, Jack and I were both turning ourselves inside out, but such is the enduro race, sacrifices must be made. Bombing down one of my favourite tracks of all time, the Virtues were laughing in our faces, begging for more speed and drift, which we tried to deliver! Giggling a little to ourselves how much fun it is to ride these bikes, laughter turned back to pain as the tempo stayed high for the remainder of the first lap. Jack fell ill of a misplaced stick, robbing him of foward motion for a momnet, and away we went. Next it was my turn to centrepunch a tree, running hot into a corner and moving my brake lever around the bar. With those two incidents the only problems for the day, we had a great day! Towards the end of the first lap, the other rider on a Felt RXC Team from Bendigo, took a gamble on a B line, and found that it really didn't pay off, so that was the last we saw of him. Leaving Scott Liston (Apollo/Raceline/Pinnacle Cycles) to challenge for first lap bragging right; it was all going well until he fell off the boardwalk at the end. Oh well...!! :)

So that was the excitement of the first lap. Pain was rendered, digging was done, and payment would be required in the later laps. Jason took off like a rocket to consolidate our lead, and did so admirably, before a 15 minute burying session mid lap to further increase the lead, put him on the same pain plateau as me. Its all part of the game tho, with careful nutritional maintenance (Redbull? Kidding..) during our off times, we pushed on, slooooowly stretching out lead out a minute at a time, until the final margin was about 13 minutes.

Jack took the occasion time out to snap a picture when he could. Good of him really!

Felt Racing has started a new Talent Identification program...

Jack continued to lap as he felt the urge, riding alone in the pairs catagory whilst our ring-in raced the Solo24 this weekend, so Felt Racing collected a few points along the way and Jack got some quality training in. Stopping to chat, take photos, eat easter eggs and socialize may not sound like training, somehow though he wouldn't have finished last in solo riders?!

Through the middle of the day proved tough, whilst it didn't feel hot in transition, it was smoking out on course, and getting enough water/ Endura in was proving a constant problem. Change overs at Felt Racing are always a pleasure, getting to see your team mate, and today was no exception. With a 20 km course (GPS Plotted thanks Eva and Grover) and hot, sunny weather, there was no shame in being tuckered out by the end of a lap.

Whilst charging around towards the end of the race, we did the obligatory maths to work out who gets the last lap, and it was *extremely* touch and go to see if Jason would have to do the final lap, and if we could sneak a lap on the other teams. He came in with about 52 minutes to go, meaning that I would have to do my fastest lap of the day on my last lap to get him out again. Riding with Jack, and briefly Big George from Total Rush/Specialized, we set about having a crack. Unfortunately the only thing cracking was my legs, and I was reduced to pedaling the uphills like 6 year old, and trying to make it up on the downhills, which nearly worked - my cycle computer said Jason was 30 secs from having to go out again, and being heartless bastard like I am, I tried to sneak it in. But lucky for him, my computer was wrong, and we were late, and it all ended just - like - that!

1st Place - Felt Racing - Chase the Sun #1

Big thanks go out once again to Gerald for making sure our bikes were totally dialed, even when we said there was things wrong with them and it was actually *us* that were creaking..! Tireless superstar, pack up, set up, photos, nothing phases the man. To Em and Tessa for looking after our minds and bodies all day, and enjoying themselves to boot. To the Grover for the links and photos that we 'borrow', the blow-by's that come and have a chat all day, and finally to Felt Bicycles, Hutchinson's awesome Piranha tires that were the perfect tire for the course, Echowell computers, and our Nightlightning lights that forlornly sat on the bench at home, waiting for a 12 hour or 24hour...

Having been hounded all day by the Pinnacle Apollo boys, it was a nice relief to stop cramping and get off the bike, having scored the win in a great race.

Commentator Tim has run out of trivia questions... He did a smashing job keeping us VERY amused all day.

Reliving the course...

Post race buzz, talking a million miles an hour!

Posing 'er up, 'sweat, its the new black...'

Photo Credit John Groves

Special mention must go to Duncan Murray (BSC) who rode the entire event on a fixed gear bike, even recording a 5 hour lap in which he toddled off to hospital to get 9 stitches in his arm after breaking his handlebars clean off, before returing to the course to complete the race. Nurse Pethadine has been sent a large easter hamper... Fortunatly, ASDA were not in attendance ;)

Photo Credit John Groves

Whilst waiting for Jason on his final lap, we were well toey and keen to ride...!
Photo Credit John Groves