Tall tales
DH State champs 12/13 Nov 2005 |
| Posted by Badmin (badmin) on Feb 15 2009 |
| Tall tales >> DH |
**Jayne Randall steps up to the visiting author plate and wields the pen for this report
------Just for starters, this journal involves only 2 hard core DH MTBers, Joe and myself. All the other unfit punks out there decided not to come.
Practise day started out nicely by picking up the dunny from Blackwood. Next, pick up Joe from Jeff's house. I snuck a peak in the back of Joe's ute and what do I see? A new family member ? Welcome to the Sunday! SWEET!
Finally made it to the track after what felt like forever. It was possibly due to the dunny weighing us down or the stop off at Lobethal bakery for a pie and a donut. Mmmmm donuts?
After a few warm up runs on the top section, Joe had done the road gap and the Jetty jump. We wont speak about Joe's taming of the Sunday, but it made it interesting to follow him down the track. I wanted to hit the road gap first so then I could "warm up" to the jetty jump.
This was all going to plan...until they blocked off the road gap because it was getting too muddy at the bottom section. Thanks to Joe 'accidently' knocking over the "TRACK CLOSED" sign for me, I quickly rode off the road gap, which made me 'remember' how to do it and get rid of any first run jitters.
Next was onto the Jetty. Joe was doing it sweetly on the Sunday, which was obviously more suited to the track than his Liquid, which he rode there at the last race. After being called a 'girl' I thought I better get going and do the Jetty drop.
After remembering being there earlier in the year and seeing Tony's leg chunk (see gallery carnage). I really had to get my act together. I was feeling ok and decided to hit it. I made the drop sweet, but accidentally forgot about the corner afterwards, and found myself heading towards the bunting at great speed. After ripping on the brakes, I slid out and through the bunting. But who cared, I did the drop again! Yippiee!!. Mental note for later, take note of the corner after the drop. After trying it again I made it much nicer, and remembered the corner.
On to race day --- I donned the pink tutu again and I was nervous about the Jetty drop. When we arrived we saw that the whole bottom section was completely bogged out with mud. Ok, now I was worried about that part! No one was even up watching the Jetty as there was more carnage in the mud.
Joe decided he would step up to Elite and hopefully get 2 runs. Go Joe!
My qualifying run went smoothly and all obstacles were ok. Julia however, managed to have a big stack in the mud which was very entertaining! I qualified 2nd, but that doesn't often mean much as the first run is just like a warm up.
Joe's qualifying run wasn't as smooth, with a flat tyre in the top section of the track. Not a happy Joe. Smart thinking Joe ran down to rego and quickly registered for Expert men and ran up the top of the hill to do another race run with air in the tyres. In the mean time we learned that all the Elite men were going to qualify for a 2nd run. Poor Joe was in a hurry to complete his Expert run, then back up the hill for a final Elite run. Busy busy.
Meanwhile in the Elite women's final run, I was still nervous about the drops and the mud and I spend most my time worrying that it was coming up. I need to learn to just focus on what I am doing! More people yelling, "pedal" at me might help me go faster! I knocked 2 secs off my time, and ended up in 3rd place. Damn Julia got me at that track again. It's on Mt Torrens, you nemesis you, I'll get you next time muhahhaahaaa
Joe finished 16th in Elite and 6th in Expert. With the faster time being in Elite.
I hope that was my last race with a borrowed bike, and bring on next year racing and the new Scott beast
Last changed: Mar 20 2009 at 10:53 AM
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