Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Christchurch CX Race at Steamscene July 14 2013

Took Friday off work to drive up to CHCH.
1hour 10 to Omarama, looking forward to coffee at the Mobil station; the disappointment lasted all the way to Twizel as it was thermo nuclear.
Lunch at Farm Barn cafe near Fairlie = yum everytime.
Finally found the elusive Thompsons track which basically follows the old train line from Geraldine to Rakaia.
Then the new motorway leads round to Woolston way nicely without any of that snarl up through Hornby etc.








My host for the weekend; Marc Sharman said meet me at the Brewery
Pizza, beer and a friend of his; Ali who physco analysed me all night.
I was easy - she's a child physcologist.






Saturday we managed to achieve very little - at the market, a visit to Eastgate Mall which had Mr Sharman climbing the walls to escape the Zombie Apocolypse, coffee here and there and we didn't even get into the CBD.
Oh, I forgot Ewen chased and faced the headtube on my dualie 29er while Marc ogled the Cup Cake girls.

No pub before race and due to a lack of geographical awareness no coffee enroute to the race either.
Lucky we smashed one down in St Martins early in the morning.







Scott, Jeremy and the gang ( I guess we could mention Timo here and his nodding Mercedes dog) put on another sensational course with a spiral of doom, hail and rain at the start a new section out the back with actual sand, noted that it wasn't liquifaction !

Anyone in fancy dress or a skinsuit got a headstart on the Le Mons running start through the spiral of doom. Have to say that running in cycling shoes in ever decreasing circles is pretty dicey.



Somebody won, probably Logan or Dayle.
Results and more pictures here
I finished in front of the first Lady home and Marc and Peter Page so that's my bragging done.
Um, Darron Burns pasted me in pure straight line speed in his first CX race but did have to crash a few times in the corners. Top effort.

Then we went to the pub for Collector Card number 2 release party.
Special thanks to Ewen for bringing his stunt double along without a translator.
A good turn out, with Shark Marmon co-ordinating his floozies nicely throughout the night so there was never any down time.
For a Sunday night we once again behaved like small children who like drinking. Awesome.

Monday was low key, pack up have coffee with Marc & Scott then back track home with a stop at the museum in Fairlie for chow which was excellent and highly recommended.

Cycleworld Dunedin CX Race 4 - Kaikorai Valley



OMG, the courses just get better and better.
This one through a garden centre and surrounds which used to be a firewood and car wreckers yard.
I thought it much like Kosovo mid conflict.

Puddles over your shoes and you have no idea what's lurking beneath.

A fast pace on a long course meant this week I pretty much sucked.
Mind you I didn't crash or puncture.

Craig Bates came back with a vengeance after I pasted him the week before at Forester Park.
Kashi Leuchs pasted most everyone and finished second behind Tristan.
Speaking of Kashi - I've never raced with him previously - no surprises there, but man can he ride - he flows like water. Very Impressive.
Timo & Dayle and Dayle's hot Mrs made the trip from Christchurch and weren't disappointed.
Neither was I.

This race also marked the unveiling of the Richard Woodward Collector card series.

Thanks to Matt & Trudi for the accomodation and my family for braving the cold weather on the day.

Brendan Ward Photgraphy was there again which contributed the next card in the series, but more on that later.


Results and more race details here