XC Racer Blog Post

Southern XC Round 2

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BY: Louise Robinson

Published: 20th May, 2013


I thought it probably wasn't a very good idea, in fact I knew it wasn't a very good idea but turning down a 40th birthday party because I was racing the next day is definitely taking it all a lot more seriously than I ever want to. Even so, as I tottered into bed in the early hours of Sunday morning I was still deluding myself that it was all OK. Come 6am however, it really wasn't OK at all.


 

"The puddle" got deeper and deeper as the race worn on whilst David Belamy entertained himself taking pictures and hoping someone would go for a swim 


Despite a level of enthusiasm that closely resembled that with which my seven year old approaches his literacy homework, I kitted myself up and headed out for a practice lap. The course was predominantly dry, rooty single track with a few grassy straights and a few steep technical climbs.  Given the minimal amount of height gain from the GPS plot, there still seemed to be quite a bit of climbing.


 

Oh please don't let me fall off in the middle of this 

 

On the line there were 10 ladies in the elite race, a great turnout for the Southern Championships. From the gun Emily Iredale got a great start, closely followed by Sally Bigham who quickly reasserted her dominance and took the lead. I, as usual, got an abysmal start. A clash of handlebars on the start line saw the Expert ladies from the second line of the grid come swarming past me. Having pre-ridden the course I knew how important a good start was going to be as the course went quickly round the field and straight into the single track.  However, the best of intensions was worth nothing and I entered the single track well down in the field. It took me half a lap, but I clawed my way past the Expert, Sport  and Vet ladies who had beaten me off the line and up to fourth place in the Elite race. 


 

Sally Bigham was riding so fast the men just throw themselves to the ground in her wake 


One lap done and as the rain started the course began to deteriorate. Some seriously mucky stuff emerged, and we began slip sliding our way round the next three laps.  The worst thing was the energy sapping clag that just seemed to suck the power from my legs.  Anyone would have thought I had spent all last night dancing�oh yeah, I did!


 

Uh oh, it's that puddle again. This time with Anna Cippulo 


I hung on in fourth place till the end, feeling like I was going backwards on the last lap. Sally took the championships with Emily in a well-deserved second and Gemma Carter Collins in third. Leona Kadir took the Expert title, in a race that must have felt like a 10 minute sprint compared to her recent Cape Epic adventures and Liz Gilmour secured first placed Vet.


Leona Kadir putting the power down in the expert race 


Lessons for next time:
1. Get a good night's sleep before the race
2. Get some racing start practice in - being last off the line is becoming a bit of an embarrassing habit


 

Is it over yet? 

 

Congratulations to all the category winners and many thanks to Southern XC for putting on another cracking course. Next weekend sees the start of this years "team enduro" session with Erlestoke 12. I will be racing with my other hat on (literally), with the Four4th ladies. Hope to see some of you there.

 

After a hard morning spectating it's all too much. Anyone would think he has put a lot of miles in recently!


Louise Robinson, Mum, Pharmacist and Mountain Biker
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Louise Robinson

Mum, Pharmacist and XCracer Team Rider

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