Tuesday, 4 March 2008

Karapoti 08


So!
A new Record.
A super fast dry course.
First time on fully.
I just accomplished something pretty good.

Last weekend I did the Karapoti Classic 50km mtb race through Upper Hutt's rugged forest.
Most people are fully aware that this race is a pretty popular one.

Almost every hardcore MTBer in the NZ cycling community has done it and you won't find many who haven't. Anyway I set a new jr record of 2.26 slicing 8 mins off Carl Jone's record.

I rode a Santacruz Blur supplied by one of my sponsors (Alex), I must say I had my doubts at first but that bike is a rocket, it felt as if I was floating the whole time. I managed to ride deadwood and most of staircase, when all the rest were pushing. It's hard to explain in words just how efficently it climbed, even when there was a rock step the backwheel would just flick me up.
And I rode the entire rock garden easily(which I have always struggled with). The best bike to have by far on race day!!

I felt like I was going slow. I taped the 2hr 30min time splits onto my stem as I was hoping to go under that time. I was just shocked each time I checked my stopwatch as at top of staircase I was 9mins ahead of time.

Anyway I stopped 3 times as I got chainsuck badly. My fault as I didn't take time with lubing, and one of the times was at the bottom of dopers so I walked the first part, then rode in granny the rest because I didn't want to risk putting it in middle, so I lost 4mins just on that hill.

Anyway I'm really eager to have ago at Clintons race record next year. I think 12mins is achievable with everything going well.

Sure enough if Jefe creates a strategic plan and conditions are perfect I may be in for a show
watch out next year..

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