2006
Masters World Championships |
Sun
Peaks Resort, BC
Canada |
3rd
September |
|
Over the weekend of the 3rd and 4th September, Sun Peaks resort in Canada were once again hosting the World Masters Championships for XC and DH. This seemed like an ideal opportunity to race abroad again and so have made a focus of this racing season, hoping to peak for the race and bring home a medal. Unfortunately my focus lapsed two weeks before travelling out there as a drinking incident resulted in me breaking my right little knuckle….BUGGER!! Anyway I decided to not bother with hospital opinions so I could still race, and so I flew out the Thursday before the race on Saturday (maybe not the best idea!) with my national series nemesis Neil Arnold from Hope technology. A 10hr flight (no legroom!) and 41/2hr drive later we arrived at Sun Peaks and met up with old friend and ex Team Animal rider Andy Bostock with who we were staying with, a trip straight to the pub to help us aclimatise then build up the bikes and see if they had made it in one piece…they had!! There was a healthy turn out of UK riders at the race and everyone we saw had something to say about the course, how fast it was and how many straight sections there were in it. We awoke and set out to sign on and then we had a day of practise to see what the fuss was all about. We got to the top of the course (aah chairlifts!) and greeted more familiar British faces waiting to ride the course. There was quite a queue to set off but as the course was so dusty you had to leave a good thirty seconds between riders so you could see the course. The course was a funny old beast, quite old school in its design as it wasn’t technically demanding, but had some super fast straights and firetrack sprinting sections, many were moaning about it but I was keeping an open mind. From the start there was a small drop then left over a rolling jump then straight into the first chute which was 6 inches deep in dust 150m long and a 40% angle, it was like going straight down a sand dune with a deep rut developing at the bottom. A straight then a couple or berms and then you hit the second chute, again the same loose surface not as steep in the middle but longer and with a slightly bermed right hander at the bottom. Cut across the ski piste and into a multiple berm section before hitting the third chute, seemingly looser still and steeper and with berms to navigate, get through these and try to let off the brakes fully and hold on for dear life. This was littered with mini bombholes and small kickers before hitting a tricky left berm deep in dust, always found myself laughing outload as I was simply a passenger down here…happy days! This would then fire you out across a road and down the other side into a full tuck as you were spinning out top gear hitting 45mph+. Over a rise and jump a stream and across a road then through a flowing fast slightly bermed sectioned, get the line that jumps between a tree and a stump then get ready to pedal along an open section. Keep it pinned through some fast turns then prepare for the most technical section of the track, 30secs of singletrack similar to Peebles but a bit more flow to it besides one tight right hander on entry that needed caution to come out with some speed. Out of this singletrack and cross a cambered open section with a couple of stream hops along it, you had to try and keep speed going where you could. Then enter another small singletrack section which was dusty which then fired you into the final wooded section which was quite fun. Quite deep dust two riders wide and not too steep, it tested your nerve a bit where some pedalled but you just kept off the brakes and pinned with a couple of corners that could be hit fast. Exiting these woods was a left right left berm with the right hander deep in dust it was easy to go down on. Through these and it was time to see who had energy left for a 300m sprint to the finish around a big right hand loop…and relax, I mean breathe!! I was racing in the 30-34 category which ended up looking like a hall of fame race, names like Shaums March, Waylon Smith (old friend of mine who has British passport but lives in America), Tim Ponting, Nigel Page, Neil Arnold, Mike Jones (the presenter from ride guide!) and more. Seeding came and went Saturday morning and I decided to back off a bit on the pedalling to save energy, posting a 5:18 I placed 11th, I was hoping for better if I’m honest but I was still doing OK. Most managed to better their times in their race, myself included where I put in more effort but only gained three seconds to post a 5:15.21 but did get to sit in the hot seat to my surprise…and felt pretty good! (at least I knew I had beaten Neil and got my revenge for Scotland!!). The following riders came in quicker and quicker with Tim coming in to take the lead then Waylon just bettered him (fit rider, drug test please!!) only for Shaums to cross the line nearly 4secs up. UK riders results are as follows: 30-34 35-39 40-44 55+ WOMEN 35+ All in all a good trip, after the race we hit the only night spot MacDaddy’s for some extreme dance floor abuse and hula hoop dancing (long story!). Then a lot of us headed for whistler to ride… Click here to read this story |
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