VIC 2013 VES Enduro Series.
- Thread starter mmatrix
- Start date
jamespierce
Likes Dirt
Albury Round
Wow could we have had a more perfect day.
It is a bit of a drive yes, but the Hume makes it pretty easy. Up on the Friday night to stay and then over to race HQ in the morning. Great onsite coffee, flawless organisation and marshalling and a very fun little race HQ given a fairly difficult location without much space. The course was tough, rocky and climby with lots of little gullies and switchbacks - Has a Beechworth feel but with more flow and some bigger drop offs etc. Unfortunately it claimed a few scalps with some nasty crashes and plenty of bandages visible by the end of the day, at the pointy end of the field and further down the ranks. The start loop was brutal - Strava says ~2km @ 5.5% which did a very nice job of breaking up the field considering we hit it full gas.
Personally I've had a cold this week and only just on the mend, so the engine was hurting all day. The body is hammered too from 6 rocky laps - I feel very much for all the solo riders. Very few spots to eat and drink on that course.
I can't say enough about the friendliness and efficiency (persos were started at 4:50pm) of the Albury crew. Chapeau.
Wow could we have had a more perfect day.
It is a bit of a drive yes, but the Hume makes it pretty easy. Up on the Friday night to stay and then over to race HQ in the morning. Great onsite coffee, flawless organisation and marshalling and a very fun little race HQ given a fairly difficult location without much space. The course was tough, rocky and climby with lots of little gullies and switchbacks - Has a Beechworth feel but with more flow and some bigger drop offs etc. Unfortunately it claimed a few scalps with some nasty crashes and plenty of bandages visible by the end of the day, at the pointy end of the field and further down the ranks. The start loop was brutal - Strava says ~2km @ 5.5% which did a very nice job of breaking up the field considering we hit it full gas.
Personally I've had a cold this week and only just on the mend, so the engine was hurting all day. The body is hammered too from 6 rocky laps - I feel very much for all the solo riders. Very few spots to eat and drink on that course.
I can't say enough about the friendliness and efficiency (persos were started at 4:50pm) of the Albury crew. Chapeau.
The weather was fantastic, the course was tough and rocky - that said I found it quite enjoyable albeit hard to find places to eat / drink. Bit disappointed in myself for only getting in 8 laps solo instead of the hoped for 10 but the course was much more technical then anticipated and the engine just didn't want to run as good as it could have!!! :violin:
Well done AWMTB for putting on a fantastic event
:cheer2:Some pictures from the latter part of the race at http://paulbr.smugmug.com/MTB/Races/Pushys-6hr-Enduro-2013/
Baby Animal
Likes Bikes
Hey Guys,
Just wanted to say a Massive THANKS to the volunteers of the AWmtb club for there speedy assistance yesterday when I went down over the back on the downhill section, I reckon they were at me while I was still cartwheeling.... They couldn't do enough for me!!!
Also same to Michael Brill, Gareth, Scott C and all the others that helped my wife packing my van with all my gear so quickly, I owe you guys a beer...Thanks!!!
The track was even better than last year and rougher too.. Wasn't a lot of places to eat but made strategy even more important which keeps ya on ya toes...
The new downhill section was awesome and the only reason I went down was cause of operator error not the course!!!! I have a Motocross/BMX background and should have realised I didn't have a motor to get me out if trouble.......
Excellent job race by the club and see you guys next year....
thanks Scott
Just wanted to say a Massive THANKS to the volunteers of the AWmtb club for there speedy assistance yesterday when I went down over the back on the downhill section, I reckon they were at me while I was still cartwheeling.... They couldn't do enough for me!!!
Also same to Michael Brill, Gareth, Scott C and all the others that helped my wife packing my van with all my gear so quickly, I owe you guys a beer...Thanks!!!
The track was even better than last year and rougher too.. Wasn't a lot of places to eat but made strategy even more important which keeps ya on ya toes...
The new downhill section was awesome and the only reason I went down was cause of operator error not the course!!!! I have a Motocross/BMX background and should have realised I didn't have a motor to get me out if trouble.......
Excellent job race by the club and see you guys next year....
thanks Scott
Le Matelot
Canberra Off-Road Cyclists
Results ...
Sorry - I put these up in a separate thread yesterday afternoon.
Results attached and also available on the web at DURT.
View attachment Pushys_Alb_6Hr_2013_CatSum.pdf
View attachment Pushys_Alb_6Hr_2013_LapSplits.pdf
View attachment Pushys_Alb_6Hr_2013_Overall.pdf
View attachment Pushys_Alb_6Hr_2013_Podiums.pdf
View attachment Pushys_Alb_6Hr_2013_Top20F_Laps.pdf
View attachment Pushys_Alb_6Hr_2013_Top20M_Laps.pdf
Sorry - I put these up in a separate thread yesterday afternoon.
Results attached and also available on the web at DURT.
View attachment Pushys_Alb_6Hr_2013_CatSum.pdf
View attachment Pushys_Alb_6Hr_2013_LapSplits.pdf
View attachment Pushys_Alb_6Hr_2013_Overall.pdf
View attachment Pushys_Alb_6Hr_2013_Podiums.pdf
View attachment Pushys_Alb_6Hr_2013_Top20F_Laps.pdf
View attachment Pushys_Alb_6Hr_2013_Top20M_Laps.pdf
Baby Animal
Likes Bikes
Haha yeah maybe a bit too much tape....Relieved to hear you're ok Scott. It was a scary looking crash. You might be interested in photos 209-211 from the above post. Have you managed to get your tools unwrapped yet?
I've had some massive tumbles racing motocross so used to it even tho I don't like it....
I believe it's from trying too hard not lack of skill....haha
Seen them and remember every bit bar head hitting the dirt, I was jumping the left side to make it a tabletop and trying to stay left to land smooth... It worked for 10laps....haha was hooking fast down that section and loves it every time!!!
thanks again for all your help!!!
I owe ya a couple of beers....
See ya at the next race...
Scott
riderideride
Likes Dirt
That was total awesomeness!! What a great track! Loved learning the lines and trying to get smoother each lap. Riding it at speed was quite a challenge! Loved it. Thanks to all the volunteers, and especially the lady that was on that bitch of a switchback climb section ALL DAY providing inspiration to everyone to keep going. What a legend! Tops day out, will definitely be back next year.
Tops day out, will definitely be back next year.Baby Animal
Likes Bikes
She's not to healthy at the moment... Reckon it ill straighten out.... Up to the mechanic...
Had a great day on the bike, still sore now though. Got in 11 laps so really happy with that. Scott, you passed me about a minute or two before attempting to prove if man can fly. You were hammering down the hill much faster than I could even consider going with my very limited (almost non-existent on downhills) skill set. It looked really nasty. I stopped to check if I could help but the marshals had it in hand.
Does anyone know haw the young lad was who crashed on the first lap or two? He looked like he'd come down hard.
Does anyone know haw the young lad was who crashed on the first lap or two? He looked like he'd come down hard.
The Duckmeister
Has a juicy midrange
Ow, that was tough!
Great event though, really well run - thanks to everyone involved. Kudos to all the riders too - no aggro at all that I saw or heard, which is how it should be. :smile:
Got out on Friday for a practice lap, so I at least had a clue of what to expect, and knew that it'd be a hard one. That lap was harder than it needed to be 'cos I missed a turn & slogged all the way up that evil bitch of a fire track. I was greatly relieved to discover that the full climb was not on the course!
Come race day, my plan as always, even on a lap course, was to settle into a groove & plug away until the time ran out, so I kitted up with the camelbag ready for the long haul. That plan lasted a bit more than three & a half hours, when the demanding track began to take a bit of a toll. I pitted, had a bit of a rest & refuel, then rolled back out with two hours remaining. With the go-all-day plan out the window, I stripped the baggage back, whacked a bottle on the bike & stuffed the essentials in the pockets, allowing the body to move a bit more freely, which helped get the groove back. I had one more brief stop as I started the last lap, just to refill the bottle. I was starting to get a bit toasted by the top of the last climb, so I knew that would be the last one, regardless of what the clock said. I finished up with 9 laps, which was what I expected based on the practice run, so I'm happy with that. I reckon it's close to the toughest race I've done.
Great event though, really well run - thanks to everyone involved. Kudos to all the riders too - no aggro at all that I saw or heard, which is how it should be. :smile:
Got out on Friday for a practice lap, so I at least had a clue of what to expect, and knew that it'd be a hard one. That lap was harder than it needed to be 'cos I missed a turn & slogged all the way up that evil bitch of a fire track. I was greatly relieved to discover that the full climb was not on the course!
Come race day, my plan as always, even on a lap course, was to settle into a groove & plug away until the time ran out, so I kitted up with the camelbag ready for the long haul. That plan lasted a bit more than three & a half hours, when the demanding track began to take a bit of a toll. I pitted, had a bit of a rest & refuel, then rolled back out with two hours remaining. With the go-all-day plan out the window, I stripped the baggage back, whacked a bottle on the bike & stuffed the essentials in the pockets, allowing the body to move a bit more freely, which helped get the groove back. I had one more brief stop as I started the last lap, just to refill the bottle. I was starting to get a bit toasted by the top of the last climb, so I knew that would be the last one, regardless of what the clock said. I finished up with 9 laps, which was what I expected based on the practice run, so I'm happy with that. I reckon it's close to the toughest race I've done.
Josh Seksy
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Gash on the leg, 10 stitches. All OK.
Baby Animal
Likes Bikes
Thanks for Stopping Steve.....
Yeah still haven't worked the flying part out yet......
I wouldn't change a thing from saturday's race bar crashing and not being able to max my heart rate even tho i thought it was climbing at the start of the race, that was just one mistake i made that bit me hard but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.....
I hit that jump 9 times before and not a problem so it tells me i'm not perfect....
Do i go slower or faster next time??? do i change lines from the one that was working the 9 times before, i'm the only one who can answer that..
I Learnt a lot from that incident and will try not to let it bring me unstuck in that situation again..
if i get hurt from going to fast i will slow down but i do believe in having a go at this awesome sport we compete in and things do happen...
Things happen that you can't control and so you have to deal with them the best you can...
Didn't have a heap of traffic during the race which was excellent and the solo set up worked a treat, passing wasn't hard and didn't lose much time at all...
Thanks Again for all of the help.... See ya out there soon...
Scott
LabRat
Likes Dirt
What a great event. It was my first time to Albury and definitely not my last!
I was so impressed with the technical and rocky course that I was disappointed when my body started to ache as I just wanted to keep riding.
As I made the journey up from Melbourne on my own, I'd like to give a big thanks to all the folk from Albury for making me feel welcome! :cheer2:
Does anyone know who the other photographers were out on course? I'm hoping to find some memorabilia from the ride but no pics to be found from the previous post.
I was so impressed with the technical and rocky course that I was disappointed when my body started to ache as I just wanted to keep riding.
As I made the journey up from Melbourne on my own, I'd like to give a big thanks to all the folk from Albury for making me feel welcome! :cheer2:
Does anyone know who the other photographers were out on course? I'm hoping to find some memorabilia from the ride but no pics to be found from the previous post.
leftieant
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hi everyone - great to hear that everyone had such a great day on Saturday, it's a great buzz to see new people getting a buzz out of riding our local trails.
A few people need to be thanked - Grant, our Race Director, worked his arse off getting organised for this round, all of the volunteers that helped out setting up, marshalling, timing, and packing up, Russ Baker for making the trip down from Canberra - again - to run timing, and finally everyone that turned up and raced. Big thanks to everyone that made the trip up to race as well - I hope we made it worth your while. A big thanks to you for leaving the place so clean afterwards, and also for being so good about parking on Range Rd.
A huge thanks to AlburyCity for supporting the event and allowing us to race up there too!
Scott - glad to hear you're ok after your tumble - any war wounds to speak of, or did the bike bear the brunt?
For those of you that have ridden previous years, I'd be interested to know your thoughts on the new section of trail included this year (Final Terms and Schweppes) vs the long fireroad climb of last year. From the people I talked to, it really seemed to change the nature of the race - eating and drinking opportunities needed to be carefully thought out, and although the Schweppes climb is (relatively) short, you really need to be on your game and on the gas to get up there. What would you prefer to see - this years course, or last years?
I did also hear one isolated tale of a bit of aggro on the course - did anyone else see / hear any of that about the place? I did neglect to give my usual trail / passing etiquette in the race brief and I'm subsequently feeling a little guilty about it.
Interested in any and all feedback - either by PM or posted here.
A few people need to be thanked - Grant, our Race Director, worked his arse off getting organised for this round, all of the volunteers that helped out setting up, marshalling, timing, and packing up, Russ Baker for making the trip down from Canberra - again - to run timing, and finally everyone that turned up and raced. Big thanks to everyone that made the trip up to race as well - I hope we made it worth your while. A big thanks to you for leaving the place so clean afterwards, and also for being so good about parking on Range Rd.
A huge thanks to AlburyCity for supporting the event and allowing us to race up there too!
Scott - glad to hear you're ok after your tumble - any war wounds to speak of, or did the bike bear the brunt?
For those of you that have ridden previous years, I'd be interested to know your thoughts on the new section of trail included this year (Final Terms and Schweppes) vs the long fireroad climb of last year. From the people I talked to, it really seemed to change the nature of the race - eating and drinking opportunities needed to be carefully thought out, and although the Schweppes climb is (relatively) short, you really need to be on your game and on the gas to get up there. What would you prefer to see - this years course, or last years?
I did also hear one isolated tale of a bit of aggro on the course - did anyone else see / hear any of that about the place? I did neglect to give my usual trail / passing etiquette in the race brief and I'm subsequently feeling a little guilty about it.
Interested in any and all feedback - either by PM or posted here.
Fantastic race, well run,and a tough course. I was only out there for 3 hours and my upper body is letting me know I haven't done enough mountain biking late
y. Full kudos to the guys and girls who stuck it out for the 6 hour.
I found 99% of passing was very polite, both passer and passee. There was one though (looking at you Apollo jersey), who either just got the timing completely wrong or was just being way too pushy. He passed a lady in front of me as the trail narrowed through some trees and they both tried to be in the same space through the gap. She was a bit shaken, as she seemed fairly new to racing.
On the flip side, one of the most polite passers was one of the Mt Beauty juniors, clearly much faster than me but prepared to wait until it was easy for both of us.
y. Full kudos to the guys and girls who stuck it out for the 6 hour.
I found 99% of passing was very polite, both passer and passee. There was one though (looking at you Apollo jersey), who either just got the timing completely wrong or was just being way too pushy. He passed a lady in front of me as the trail narrowed through some trees and they both tried to be in the same space through the gap. She was a bit shaken, as she seemed fairly new to racing.
On the flip side, one of the most polite passers was one of the Mt Beauty juniors, clearly much faster than me but prepared to wait until it was easy for both of us.