Sunday 31 July 2011
Saturday 23 July 2011
Judgement Day: Irish XC Champs 2011
I honestly don't know what happened. About 4 months ago I used to get excited by the jumps, skids, wheelies and g-narly to the power of max rad descents of Downhill Mountain-Biking. These days looking at a pro's power stats for a Tour De France stage or pulling on my lycra and going spinning on my XC bike seem to be making my boat float.
"Anything in particular", he asked. "Yeh, my calves are a bit tight" I replied. So as the massage man began, I buried my head in the towel at the end of the bed and clenched my fists with each of his pokes and rubs feeling like a right hook from Rocky. Then as expected came a hardly confidence inspiring, "What the f*** have you done to yourself"
Maybe my post champs tapering process may have been a little off the mark. Haha.
Got my super athlete warmup done, consisting of riding up the road, sending all the hips and bumps at the edge of the road, then spotting a car about halfway up the lane and sprinting to see if I could get past it. Didn't quite notice the other car pulling out and near got flattened, but I think wearing Matt Adair's invincibility cloak (skinsuit) saved me life, and I knew it was gonna be a good day.
Went back to the car to get a drink and eat some, but never got the chance as John Runciman came running over to tell me my race was starting in two minutes which I had also realised, but hadn't really registered how short two minutes is. So ran over to the start and jumped over the fence to find everyone had been gridded, and there was no room for me anywhere but the back, on the outside of the first corner. Nightmare.
Luckily I got clipped in as quick as the man blew his whistle or whatever he did to start the race, and I had got up into 5th or so coming into the first corner. As I took the corner, since I was still stuck in the outside line, I tried to cut across into the inside so that I could line her up for the next corner right. This worked ok, til I heard the carnage behind me, 1 lad who I must have clipped was lying on the ground, another facing backwards, and everyone else ploughing into the back of them. My bad...
Luckily I got clipped in as quick as the man blew his whistle or whatever he did to start the race, and I had got up into 5th or so coming into the first corner. As I took the corner, since I was still stuck in the outside line, I tried to cut across into the inside so that I could line her up for the next corner right. This worked ok, til I heard the carnage behind me, 1 lad who I must have clipped was lying on the ground, another facing backwards, and everyone else ploughing into the back of them. My bad...Made up another place or two coming out of the next corner, and by the time I got into the first bit of singletrack I was sitting in a comfortable second to Chris Oakley. Rode behind him for a while before he so kindly moved over a bit and let me past! What a gentleman!
That left me free to get the power down and get away from the rest of the field. I gave her the beans and tried to stay off the brakes as much as I could, and coming across the line for my first lap I'd opened up a good gap.
From then on I did my best to maintain the lead by just riding steady and as smoothly as possible. This was the biggest race of the year for me(other than the Epic Blast, haha) so I really really didn't want to end it with a puncture or make a silly mistake and break the bike or myself! I opened her up on the fireroads and took her easy on the singletrack to make sure I was in no danger of wrecking something, and kept the legs spinning til I got back to the start/finish for the end of my second and final lap.
That left me free to get the power down and get away from the rest of the field. I gave her the beans and tried to stay off the brakes as much as I could, and coming across the line for my first lap I'd opened up a good gap.From then on I did my best to maintain the lead by just riding steady and as smoothly as possible. This was the biggest race of the year for me(other than the Epic Blast, haha) so I really really didn't want to end it with a puncture or make a silly mistake and break the bike or myself! I opened her up on the fireroads and took her easy on the singletrack to make sure I was in no danger of wrecking something, and kept the legs spinning til I got back to the start/finish for the end of my second and final lap.
And that was it, U16 Irish XC Champion, jeb!
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of my sponsors who I couldn't have done without. Lol Jk, I don't have any. Davidmmontee@aol.com.
Would like to thank me Mammy and Daddy, Simon Curry, Barry Kellett, Gar Mckee, Willy Mulligan, Ronnie Ogilby, Ciara MacManus, Greg May and everyone else who's helped me out this year.
Thursday 7 July 2011
Some Pure Beaut Photies
I don't have any stories to put these photos with I thought I'd just throw you a link for my Racing 2011 photos on faceybee anyway if you're interested. Maybe someday I'll write the stories to go with them too. Keep checking..
Should have some photos to accompany the below post tonight or tomorrow as well for you to feast your eyes upon. For now just copy and paste the link below into the top of your screen and job's a good'un!
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1624055836846.2075572.1100007106
Should have some photos to accompany the below post tonight or tomorrow as well for you to feast your eyes upon. For now just copy and paste the link below into the top of your screen and job's a good'un!
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1624055836846.2075572.1100007106
Putting Some Stuff Down
Ok, maybe this blog thing didn't quite start out as planned. Sort of missed writing up about the last NPS, UXC round and various road races and in fact any semi-interesting thing I've been up to. But rather than leave it until I do something even a wee bit interesting to write about, I thought I'd just go ahead and stick something down for til occupy your precious time.
Shall begin with a little write-up of the Quarry Circuit club road race that I went down to last night. I like this circuit, the start is only 4mile down the road so it's one I can't really make any excuses for not getting to! About 3 miles of the 5mile circuit is a road I ride a couple of times a week to get into town, so I know every pothole and dip which is handy enough when you can't really see infront of you for the sweat in your eyes! Couple of wee kicker climbs and downhills mix it up a bit from the usual drags of circuits and suits me pretty good.
Left the house far too late as usual, so had a solid 4mile time trial to warmup! Down the first hill and realised I'd forgotten to take the huge limiter screw out of my rear derailleur so was going to be stuck in the first six rings of my cassette all night. Faaantastic.
Got to the start, got me name down on the sign on sheet, coat in the back of Ivor's car, and watered the nearest hedge, all in good time for the last minute shout before we were let off, does well! Noticed I'd still got two full water bottles on the bike, but my completely unwise side told me to keep both of them in for the sheer sensation of complete crazyness to the maximum; carrying round an extra 750mls weight on me carbon fibre bike. Na, to be honest I just couldn't be assed taking it out.
Off we went, a fairly large group of shaved legs and lycra on a pain pilgrimage for the line when(if?) the fifth lap came. Hard to believe but I actually enjoy these road races. Well, to a certain extent. I enjoy the speed and excitement from every attack and change in pace, and the occasional bit of craic had between the bunch. Also hard not to enjoy the occasional sideways moment atop 700c wheels and tyres thinner than me finger. Not that I have extraordinarily fat fingers, the point I'm trying to make is that the tyres are pretty thin and sketchy! In most road races I've ever competed in, some hairy bumcheek always ends up shouting at me or someone else in the bunch though. If you're one of them and you're reading this, give it up(give it up, baaaby give it upp) you only look like a complete fool, racing is racing, if someone cuts you off or comes out of their line a little bit in a corner, MTFU.
Back to the race, 1st lap was fairly high pace, strong bunch that worked fairly well together. Myself and a tvr lad shared a good bit of the workload on the front and most other people took their turn aswell. After starting 11mins behind the 1st group we had made 4mins on them as we crossed the line for the first time. Keeping the pace steady, we gobbled up the rest of the groups in good time, and by the last lap most of the strong riders in each group we'd caught were all hanging on to us. With about 4 miles to go we caught the boys on the front, and the intensity began to build.
Coming in to the last corner of the circuit, it's a downhill into quite a tight left hander. Then you rise up from the corner, and it's a good 300m sprint up the road til you reach the line. Unfortunately just before the last hill, I had let two boys come past me with the intention of sitting behind them and then jumping after the corner, but then as I went join back in behind them, the next rider asked me to let him past, I thought fair enough, and let him past. Little did I know/realize that there must have been another 5 riders tight on his wheel, and once I let him past, I had no option but to either Mark Cavendish them out of the way(ever wondered why I wear the pisspot in road races?) or let them through. Cycling club racing rather than MMA club fighting I thought it was probably best to let them through and then see what I could do to beat the fudgers(up) through the corner and up the other side.
As we came down the last hill towards the corner, I hear 'tractor' being shouted. Next thing I get my head round the boy(or the 10 boys that have now got infront and blocked me..) infront and see a flipping tractor coming up the road, right in my line for the corner! Thankfully my bunnyhopping skills are fairly tidy and my bike fairly light, so I knew if the worst came to the worst we could just put all those hours of watching Danny Macaskill into practice and jump the fook off the bike into the hedge. As in most cases in life, the worst didn't come to the worst, and we all squeezed into the one lane to get past the tractor. I then did my best to put the power down around the corner and sprint out of it, but sadly there were no heroics to be seen, (well, other than blocking heroics by some of the other lads coming up the hill!) and I could only salvage a couple of places to end up with a 3rd place on the night. Maybe I should have thrown off that water bottle when I had the chance..
A chat to whoever was standing about and a few congratulations to the boys who got 1st and 2nd and before I got cold me and my 6 gears were back on our way home.
Til next time, Monty.
Ps. Ever tried beans and pork sausages from a can? Don't bother.
Shall begin with a little write-up of the Quarry Circuit club road race that I went down to last night. I like this circuit, the start is only 4mile down the road so it's one I can't really make any excuses for not getting to! About 3 miles of the 5mile circuit is a road I ride a couple of times a week to get into town, so I know every pothole and dip which is handy enough when you can't really see infront of you for the sweat in your eyes! Couple of wee kicker climbs and downhills mix it up a bit from the usual drags of circuits and suits me pretty good.
Left the house far too late as usual, so had a solid 4mile time trial to warmup! Down the first hill and realised I'd forgotten to take the huge limiter screw out of my rear derailleur so was going to be stuck in the first six rings of my cassette all night. Faaantastic.
Got to the start, got me name down on the sign on sheet, coat in the back of Ivor's car, and watered the nearest hedge, all in good time for the last minute shout before we were let off, does well! Noticed I'd still got two full water bottles on the bike, but my completely unwise side told me to keep both of them in for the sheer sensation of complete crazyness to the maximum; carrying round an extra 750mls weight on me carbon fibre bike. Na, to be honest I just couldn't be assed taking it out.
Off we went, a fairly large group of shaved legs and lycra on a pain pilgrimage for the line when(if?) the fifth lap came. Hard to believe but I actually enjoy these road races. Well, to a certain extent. I enjoy the speed and excitement from every attack and change in pace, and the occasional bit of craic had between the bunch. Also hard not to enjoy the occasional sideways moment atop 700c wheels and tyres thinner than me finger. Not that I have extraordinarily fat fingers, the point I'm trying to make is that the tyres are pretty thin and sketchy! In most road races I've ever competed in, some hairy bumcheek always ends up shouting at me or someone else in the bunch though. If you're one of them and you're reading this, give it up(give it up, baaaby give it upp) you only look like a complete fool, racing is racing, if someone cuts you off or comes out of their line a little bit in a corner, MTFU.
Back to the race, 1st lap was fairly high pace, strong bunch that worked fairly well together. Myself and a tvr lad shared a good bit of the workload on the front and most other people took their turn aswell. After starting 11mins behind the 1st group we had made 4mins on them as we crossed the line for the first time. Keeping the pace steady, we gobbled up the rest of the groups in good time, and by the last lap most of the strong riders in each group we'd caught were all hanging on to us. With about 4 miles to go we caught the boys on the front, and the intensity began to build.
Coming in to the last corner of the circuit, it's a downhill into quite a tight left hander. Then you rise up from the corner, and it's a good 300m sprint up the road til you reach the line. Unfortunately just before the last hill, I had let two boys come past me with the intention of sitting behind them and then jumping after the corner, but then as I went join back in behind them, the next rider asked me to let him past, I thought fair enough, and let him past. Little did I know/realize that there must have been another 5 riders tight on his wheel, and once I let him past, I had no option but to either Mark Cavendish them out of the way(ever wondered why I wear the pisspot in road races?) or let them through. Cycling club racing rather than MMA club fighting I thought it was probably best to let them through and then see what I could do to beat the fudgers(up) through the corner and up the other side.
As we came down the last hill towards the corner, I hear 'tractor' being shouted. Next thing I get my head round the boy(or the 10 boys that have now got infront and blocked me..) infront and see a flipping tractor coming up the road, right in my line for the corner! Thankfully my bunnyhopping skills are fairly tidy and my bike fairly light, so I knew if the worst came to the worst we could just put all those hours of watching Danny Macaskill into practice and jump the fook off the bike into the hedge. As in most cases in life, the worst didn't come to the worst, and we all squeezed into the one lane to get past the tractor. I then did my best to put the power down around the corner and sprint out of it, but sadly there were no heroics to be seen, (well, other than blocking heroics by some of the other lads coming up the hill!) and I could only salvage a couple of places to end up with a 3rd place on the night. Maybe I should have thrown off that water bottle when I had the chance..
A chat to whoever was standing about and a few congratulations to the boys who got 1st and 2nd and before I got cold me and my 6 gears were back on our way home.
Til next time, Monty.
Ps. Ever tried beans and pork sausages from a can? Don't bother.
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