MM & MP

Even in a ten man team, someone has to do the death shift at a 24hr race: a.k.a. the 4am lap when no matter how much caffeine you've consumed and how many energy bars you've eaten you just want the lap to be over so you can go to bed. This year the honour fell to team-mate Roger, which was lucky as I only realised I'd forgotten my number board after I'd dragged myself out of my sleeping bag over to transition, so I had a few spare minutes to dash back and zip-tie it on. 

As ever, the Sunday brought sunshine, but the new earlier finish meant that the plasticine fire roads never fully dried out before the 24hrs were up. Their unbelievable stickiness will be forgotten though and the abiding memory will be of the amazing variety of riders taking part.

This was the 10th time I've done Mountain Mayhem and I fear it may be the last time I compete with my old uni mates. From Sport Men to Team of Ten, there is now talk of spending the entry fee on alcohol next year and just going along to watch. Seeing as I spend far too much time doing just that already as I play at race organiser (the watching bit, not spending the entry fees on alcohol...), 2012 may just see the return of an xcracer.com elite mixed team!

Onto Margam Park and a vision of our near future. There must be a reason it's either baking hot or pouring with rain there and I'd say it has something to do with the amount of iron filings that get pumped into the atmosphere from the nearby refinery...

With a 4hr drive to get there I was certain of two things: 1. There was no way I wasn't going to finish. 2. I needed to avoid a trip to the medics tent as it was a long drive back home again. So, the last weekend in June and my first 'proper' XC race of the year= gridded last. At least I could guarantee finishing higher than my race plate! After getting over the shock of seeing me with a number board on my bike, Ickle Paul took one look at my 'optimistic' rear tyre and said there was no way I'd get round on it. And he was right. The 1x9 set-up didn't help matters either.

After a promising start, it wasn't long before my over enthusiasm caught up with me and I began sliding from race mode to survival mode. I have always relished the climbs and the heat at Margam in previous years, but after getting lapped by Oli B at the half way point it was simply a war of attrition. Thankfully the commissaires were too busy enforcing the principle yet seemingly forgotten rule of Mtbing racing that stops it from turning into cyclocross* to catch myself and fellow Expert Cat. pack fodder begging spectators for any ice cold drinks or performance enhancing drugs they might happen to have on their person. Even a last lap coke didn't perk me up. Mr. Hayes - let battle re-commence at Newnham :-)

*a.k.a. British Cycling regulation 10.4. If you aren't elite, stick an inner tube and a multi tool in your pocket, rather than sticking a pit bitch in the feed zone with a full Park Tool mobile mechanic set up and a 'spare' £600 wheelset.

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