Events/Results - MTB

Dusk 'til Dawn

6th Oct 2007

Report submitted by Lee Goodman

I turned up Saturday afternoon to find a massive field full of the team riders. I was then shown that the solo riders had their own pits right next to the track, so I set up. When I say set up, I got my bike out of the back of the car and it looked as if I had come unprepared, because most of the other soloist entrants had tents and gazebos. I got my gear on and went out for a sighting lap to see what the course was like. All I can say is, Wow! This course had everything, 4 bomb holes, lots and lots of flowing single track and fast fire roads connecting each piece together.

So, time for the start of the race the darkness had dropped and everyone had got their lights on. We were led off by a quad for the first mile or so, just to break the pack up. My first lap, and with the help off my newly purchased HID lights from Lumicycle, giving me as much light as you could have wished for I was riding as fast as I did in the day. My race strategy was to stay out for 3 laps then every 2 after that. As the night wore on I was happy as I seemed to be passing people lap after lap and not being passed that often myself. At 7 hours I came into the pits because I was getting cold and couldn't feel my fingers. So I changed into my warm kit sat down and had something to eat. This was nearly a fatal mistake because once I had sat down and tried getting up again my legs didn't want to move. However I forced myself to get going once again and was off, lapping again very slowly.

I soon got into the rhythm again, putting the pain of my legs to the back of my head. I pitted again at the end of the 9th lap and took more food and gels, re-filled my camelback and went straight out again, not giving my legs a chance to stiffen up. I then put in a good lap nearly as fast as my opening lap as the light of the morning lighted the course for the 11th lap. It felt like I was flying. Decision time! Do I pit stop again at the end of the lap to get a bit more food for the last lap or carry on? I decided with only one more lap to go that I wouldn't need any, but that was big mistake. About 3 miles in on the last lap I just bombed. My body decided - no more! So I was left with 8 and a half miles of what felt like torture, but as I crossed the line I heard the announcer say I had come in 8th place. A big smile came across my face and the pain went away (for about thirty seconds that is). So to sum it all up, I had a really good time. It is a great race to be part of and I look forward to next years race hopefully as a team if anyone is interested?