By 7am I'd actually managed to get some sleep, consumed more than 1and half liters of water and got my bike ready for racing. I was wired!
The waiting was too much for me - by 7.30am I just had to get out in the forest and get in a couple of laps just to get the feeling of the track before the race at 10am.
Before I knew it, it's race briefing. As the under 17s were called up yet again they left me out! I ran over to a race organiser (who luckily ended up being the one that was meant to change me during registration at the Event Centre the night before - phew!! and he told me to quickly jump in with the rest of the under 17s and he'd sort out the details. Unfortunately this meant at the back of the bunch - no one was going to give me a prime spot near the front.
At the 2 minute countdown everyone you could feel the tension in the bunch. At 1minute everyone was right edge. All of a sudden "the race will start in the next 15 seconds"... then the horn! all so quick!
From the back I had a really slow take off from the start line which forced me to ease back from my normal starting style. I sat on a guys wheel that was going at the same speed as me and after the long painful climb up the entry road it was clear that one of the front-runners had fallen in front of other riders on the short but very steep climb into Genesis. In the carnage that followed I quickly unclipped and ran for it, managing to leap-frog into the top 15. Boy! you've got to be ready for those chances.
The rest of the 1st lap was the same - I would pass someone then I in turn would be passed - constant leapfrog of positions. By sitting right on the rider in front of me and gassing it at every opportunity I managed to climb up to 8th position. The nervous energy I had before the start disappeared.
Beginning the second lap my cornering started to feel a bit out of shape but I tried to ignore it and kept pushing hard it. Halfway through the 3rd lap going into the start of Pig Trail as I was chasing fellow JAFAKID Alex Beaven my front tyre lost all pressure. NOOO!!!!! My race strategy to take no equipment (to save weight) was a silly and costly mistake. I was too far from the feed zone for help - my race was over!
All I could do now was watch the rest of the fields go past and accept that DNF was my mark this year. Bummer. That's Mountain biking for you - expect the unexpected, hope for the best!
While I was a little annoyed that I couldn't finish the race I'd been up against the best and had held my own.
After the prize giving for the Juniors and Masters it was time to watch the Elite and older riders.
As the various groups started to line up, you could see all the media starting to turn up just to get footage of the Anton Cooper and Dirk Peters race the promised to be epic.
I reminded one of my coaches and ex-jafa, Sasha Smith (Piki) that "no pressure" she had to win it and she just laughed at me. She ended up winning the under-23s and got the NZ title - which I knew she could get. So awesome!
The Dirk Peters or Anton Cooper race didn't disappoint either. After nearly 40km at a blistering pace it all came down to the last corner. The media and spectators were treated to an see incredible sprint finish with only a second separating them. While Dirk didn't beat Anton, both of them were stars - and such gracious and humble racers. Huge "clicks" to Anton for donating prize money to the juniors - an amazingly generous thing.
Brilliant work by everyone that raced in the national cup serious and championships. Great day, great people, great event.
Anton and Dirk sprinting around the corner.
Anton taking it out.
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