I have been heading over to Margaret River for the Cape to Cape for the last 5 years. It’s pretty amazing looking back over the years and seeing how it has evolved, from a small gathering of 100 riders in 2008 to 1100 riders in 2012. The race certainly had so much going for it from the outset, location being just one of many. With fine tuning and rider demand increasing each year, the Cape to Cape maintains a uniqueness that sometimes gets absorbed in growth, it seems that this race gets bigger and better year in and year out.

It was my first time racing a 29er (my 26er is dealing with the betrayal) Giant provided me with the XTC hard tail and short of creating miracles it lived up to my expectations over the four days of racing.

I was lucky to share my accommodation with the Flow Magazine crew and New Zealander Nic Leary, who all made sure that the time between stages was as entertaining as the race itself. Mick Ross and Chris Southwood impressed me, and lots of other people by maintaining as much energy on the bike as off, which is really saying something. Nic ended up finishing 3rd which was an awesome effort in such a strong female field.

Nic Leary riding a chocolate milk cow

Stage 1 seemed like a much longer affair this time around. In previous years stage 1 has always felt like a short stage; a climb, some sand, a beach, more sand and tarmac towards the end. My memory for details has never been that good and now there are 1099 people who can vouch for this too. Yes, there’s quite a bit more going on in stage 1 than my swiss cheese description (because there are a lot of holes in swiss cheese).
I never got into any type of rhythm during stage 1, it felt tough in all regards. I tried to stay with riders but whenever the course turned upward my legs had other ideas. As I continually moved back through the field I slowly gave in. When I eventually crossed the finish line at Hamelin Bay I knew that I was a long way down, so I very quickly turned my attention to other people and finding out about their race and when that was done I headed to the water at Hamelin Bay.

Hamelin Bay, stunning!

Stage 1 was again the decisive stage among the men and women, both Lachie Norris and Jenny Fay went on to take the overall win. Jenny increased her lead daily while Lachie’s lead was chipped into a bit but not enough to change the overall results.

Stage 2 starts at Hamelin Bay and from start to finish the scenery is stunning. Early on the course made its way through Boranup Forest which is a truly breath taking experience in itself. I tried to enjoy the riding but my legs were really struggling, I had nothing. On the up side I looked around a lot more on this stage than I have in other years, but at the slow pace I was traveling at it was going to be a very long day. Luckily a Giant train consisting of Craig, Brad and Mark passed me with 20 kilometres to go, I dug deep and grabbed their wheel and managed to stay with them all the way to the finish line at Zanadu Winery. I felt very grateful for their tow and happy that I had been able to push a bit deeper.

Looking every bit as shelled as what I was feeling

No doubt the first two days of racing felt really tough. It is often the case that I go into races questioning my fitness and wishing I’d done more riding, prepared better, perhaps eaten less chocolate and had a lot less to drink leading into the race, all that is pretty standard and this race was no exception. But I also found myself thinking a little deeper about what it is that I want to get out of racing these days. I’ve always enjoyed racing no matter where my fitness is at—racing is always hard no matter how fit you are—but it’s fair to say there’s a lot more satisfaction at the finish line when you’ve achieved a great result or achieved the goal you set out to achieve.

Stage 3 is just about everyones favourite stage, the Margaret River special stage. With more single track than the other 3 stages combined. The event crew and locals have been working tirelessly on making this single track as fun as possible, it’s been a work in progress since year 2 and it’s well and truly paid off. Tracks that used to be bumpy and slow going are now fast, flowing, beautifully ‘bedded in’ and made complete with perfectly positioned berms. The stage finished at Colonnial Brewery, the location for that nights function.

The last 2 days of racing really stand out for me. I can contribute a lot of that to the fact I rode with my close friend Jenni King, Jen had just got home from 5 days of racing at the Tour of Langkawi, where she finished 8th in a mostly european field. With weary legs she didn’t have the punch to ride at the front of the race so after 2 days of racing she rode back in the field with me. I am a big fan of pairs racing—shared experiences are in my opinion so much more fulfilling—so I was very grateful to Jen for hanging back with me as there were numerous occasions when she clearly dropped the anchor for my benefit.

Jen and I at the finish line after Stage 3

The organisers of the Cape to Cape have always maintained that the nights during the Cape to Cape are as integral as the days themselves. Therefore the functions throughout the event are an important element to the overall experience. The Colonial Brewey function has always been a favourite, after all what more could a mountain biker want than a plate overflowing with food and so many choices of beer on tap. The guys at the brewery have hit the nail on the head.

Stage racing is such a physical and emotional journey, sometimes it feels like you wake up with a different set of legs each morning, how you felt the previous day can sometimes bear no indication of how you will might feel the next. Although there are ups and downs, there’s also opportunity to regroup and tweak your attitude so that you can give things another shot. Perhaps my fondness for stage racing is a reflection of my inconsistent energy levels, I am not sure, but amongst the elation of finishing I can always count on there being a tinge of sadness knowing that I have crossed the finish line for the last time.

The organisers have done something pretty special with this event, they’ve managed to build a race that accommodates all types of riders, from the serious recreational to the super elite. It’s a noticeable aspect and key feature to the events success, with more and more industry keen to jump on board.

For me the event was made extra special having my sponsors Giant there supporting the riders and also riding in the event. Thanks to Dom and Alistair for making sure that I had a smooth running bike over the four days and thanks also to Al for helping to get us to the finish line on the final stage.

It has to be seen to be believed, Peter Hatton baking.

Thanks to my sponsors, Giant, Shimano, Adidas and thanks for reading.

The reality of my fitness situation isn’t quite in line with my hopes and dreams, in fact, reality and my dreams are worlds apart. Never mind, I am in beautiful Margaret River where the sun is always shining and other than aching muscles and raw lungs I don’t have a worry in the world—it’s just not a consideration in this part of the world.

Day 1 of Cape to Cape is done and dusted and although I didn’t achieve a great result, my body is telling me that I achieved something in simply making it to the finish line—the stage includes the most ascension of all the days, the most hike a bike and the dreaded beach stretch that threatens to swallow you up and dump you out at sea.

All in all it was a super day 1. At the pointy end Lach Norris won comfortably with Andy Blaire and Adrian Jackson in 2nd and 3rd respectively. Among the women Jenny Fay won comfortably x 2 with fellow liv Giant rider Jodie Willet in 2nd and Becky Mates in 3rd.

Time to soak up the atmosphere and jump in the amazing turquoise water at Hamelin Bay!

Trent looking rather ‘blue steelish’ pre race

It’s been a long winter and with spring now upon us it’s time to dust off the bike, whack a race plate on and shock the body out of winter shut down mode. Which is exactly what took place yesterday with Trent and I heading to Bendigo to race the 6hr in the mixed pairs category.

We were up against some good competition including fellow Giant riders Nicci Jeffries and Lewis Rattray, as well as the formidable duo of Jenni King and Daniel Skerry. Jen and Daniel had a 3rd non-rider in their team called Ed, who took care of trash talking the opposition and providing between-lap entertainment, adding overall value to the day—thanks Ed.

Trent and I opted to do double laps throughout the entire day while other teams alternated 1 for 1. Trent being Trent had no trouble maintaining a blistering pace over the two laps while I tended to fizz out by the end of the two laps, but having the extra time to relax and eat between laps far outweighed the loss of a few potential seconds.

Trent flew through his first two laps and succeeded in intimidating our rivals, this petered out not long after Trent handed over to me. I didn’t know how much of a buffer I had but expected Skerry to be breathing down my neck at any moment. I kept the pressure on throughout the lap and managed to hold him off, but when the course came back on itself in the last 3rd I caught sight of him, so I knew that Jen would be reeling me in very soon in my second lap.

That’s Jen behind about to suck my helmet off in my second set of laps

I got almost half way around the course before Jen overtook me, I tried to keep her in sights but reality enforced me to back off pretty quickly—I would like there to be a narrower margin between how fast my legs can peddle and how fast I wish they could peddle—Anyway, this was basically the pattern that setup the next 2 sets of doubles between Trent and I, with him riding in damage control mode and making up the ground that I would so ruefully lose.

My last lap, no energy left for smiling

Leading into my last two laps I really struggled to push the intensity, I lost a lot of time and when I came in and Trent went out for his last lap we were some minutes down. It was an impossible task for Trent but he flew around and probably regained a few minutes, but in the end the deficit was too great and Jen and Daniel well and truly proved their class. Nicci and Lewis finished behind us in 3rd.

Despite the shock to the system it was a really fun day. Full credit goes to Trent for riding so fast and ensuring our close battle. I look forward to round 2, which isn’t far away with the Officer 6hr being just around the corner. Hopefully we can make it an even closer battle.

The Bendigo trails are a real hoot and a good lesson in respecting the hundreds of potential tyre-slashing rocks. The sun was shinning adding to the atmosphere of the day. As always the Bendigo MTB club put on a great event.

Thanks for reading and thanks to my sponsors for making my day on the bike more enjoyable:

Giant bikes | Shimano | Adidas Eyewear |  Radical Lights

I’ve just finished working on some event graphics. Occasionally, work can be a lot of fun.  If you have a hankering for running down hills and riding fun trails for a very long time, check out Bighillevents.com.au for more info.

Damian Breach provided the photo for the artwork below. Love his work

Damn, time goes by quickly, especially when you’re having fun. There’s been months and months since my last blog entry—Wildside doesn’t come around often enough in my opinion and then when it does it quickly becomes a fond, but distant memory—since then I have been off and on my bike in some pretty spectacular parts of the world, including Italy during the wonderful weeks of the Giro. I escaped the Melbourne winter for 5 weeks, 2 of which I worked with Topbike Tours. Here’s a truncated photo log of my travels. If you would like to know more about Topbike tours go here.

The Baptism of Fire, my first day on the job:

Accommodation on tour got off to a flash start:

We drank lots of Hot Chocolate at the top of big hills:

Like this one:

And there were some pros as well:

Last weekend I raced in the open category at the Cyclocross National round at Darabin Parklands, I don’t own a CX bike… yet, but I didn’t want that to stop me from getting a taste of the action. So I went along with my trusty Giant Anthem X and had an absolute blast, sliding and skidding my way around. The guys from Dirty Deeds sure know a thing or two about space efficiency and did a stella job marking an awesome serpentine-like track. I stole this picture from Facebook to give you an idea of what I am talking about. So, it wasn’t just oxygen debt that was contributing to my head spinning.

I also stole this picture (thanks goes to Cam Wells); Unfortunately, I don’t think these legs belong to me…

I’m hopeful that I will be the proud owner of CX bike, somewhat like this one before the last weekend of the CX national rounds in Sydney in late september. Fingers (cycle)crossed.*

No apologies for cheesiness.

Wildside starts at Cradle Mountain and over 4 days makes its way to the seaside town of Strahan. There are seven competition stages and a few cruise stages in between. The cruise stages are an opportunity to spin out the legs, absorb the amazing scenery and catch up with new racing buddies. There are two stages each day roughly an hour long, except for the last day which was just one stage followed by a barbie and beers. The hours quickly added up and went by too quickly.

I was only at the front of the race for a short time and if I wasn’t dealing with busted lungs I could have savoured the moment. Riders were divvied up from fastest to slowest based on previous results. Subsequently there was a lot of shuffling post stage 1 to achieve a more accurate seed. But until that happened I ate copious amounts of dust in group A.
Stage 1 started on a small rise which provided a short sharp descent. Riders flew everywhere! For the next 50 minutes we rode through creek crossings, negotiated bikes down rocky descents and climbed loose and rocky fire road climbs. It was a straight forward stage and a good prelude to more challenging stages ahead. I lost contact with Jenni and Jodi (Bush) in a matter of minutes, which set up the trend for days ahead.

I was happy to have the first stage out of the way.

After hitting up the cruise stage over the tarmac —a considerable effort in itself — it was time to load up on salad rolls and fruit before setting off for stage 2. The start of stage 2 was a stark contrast to the mornings brush with group A. I settled into a rhythm and felt comfortable enough. It was another great stage and in conclusion a very rewarding day on the bike.
Day 2 and stages 3 and 4 offer some incredible riding and world class scenery. After climbing through rainforest on single track, hopping over logs, dipping in creek crossings and nudging rocks, we eventually arrived at the summit and hit the descent simultaneously. The descent started with a fire road that was smattered with massive loose rocks, which demanded serious respect. Soon enough we then ducked into a very technical singe track – an amazing riding experience, is all I can say.

The temperature was nearing the 40’s –in Tassie this is almost unheard of. We had a long early lunch that extended into the early afternoon. We assembled in our groups and scrambled into the shade of the rain forest wherever possible —everyone was desperate to get on their bikes knowing that the course through Montezuma Falls would offer some respite.

The initial tarmac climb was steady enough and I managed to hold wheels to get a good sit. We were soon flying along the rail trail, bouncing from sleeper to sleeper but maintaining good momentum up the gentle climb to the suspension bridge. After a bit more gradual climbing the profile took on a negative rise, it was fast, gradual and long, very long, with plenty of sections requiring quick thinking and fast twitch reactions. The cruise after the stage took us to Zeehan, a sleepy town that was once nicknamed the ‘silver city of the west’. Once a sparkling town that use to be the centre of silver mining it now looked almost like a ghost town.

That night we rolled into Strahan, our last stop en route to the finish line. Not long after arriving the heavens opened and this meant that the following day we were to be covered in mud. After all, it wouldn’t be Wildside without being marinated from head to toe in mud.

Stages 5 and 6 were tougher mentally than physically. The rain seemed to be coming from every direction, above, below and from the sides as well. The Time Trial stage was largely insignificant but consisted of mud in varying degrees of consistency. Not many were standing around swapping war stories after this stage. Other than refilling my bidden for the cruise to Trail Harbour, I was out of there. A long the way I took an opportunity to wash off in a small creek that I spotted not far off the road. Soon enough others were doing the same thing. It was cold and wet but I was clean.

Stage 6 to Granville Harbour is labelled as one of the toughest of the race. It starts with a solid climb out of Trial Harbour and follows the coastline north. The surface is a mix of grainy sand and sandstone bedrocks. The trails were hairy with some super-steep and technical climbing matched with equally as steep and technical descents.
I started the stage without any pads on my front brake. I only noticed this on the start line and therefore had to play it as safe as possible. I had one potentially neck breaking moment: a rider that I was quickly approaching slammed on their brakes while negotiating a very steep and rocky descent——forcing me to apply full brakes (rear only).  My bike slid sideways and ricocheted almost out of control. I stayed on but spent the remainder of the stage pedalling with jelly legs and feeling incredibly fortunate to be doing so. Despite this Wildside again impressed me with its attention grabbing variety.

The final stage is the flattest and fastest. About 12km of this stage is on the beach, which is hard packed, something that both bike and body are grateful for. The other bits of the course are made up of fast fire roads and undulating boggy sand dune trails. For the first time ever this stage was run in reverse. The race director is a nice guy and opted to run the stage in the same direction as the gusty winds. It was a call that didn’t go unappreciated nor unnoticed as riders eventually blasted their way over the finish line with smiles from ear to ear.

I felt particularly good on this last stage and gained a bit of time on Jodi Bush who sat in 2nd Open Women, but it was not enough to shuffle the overall placings. I stayed in 3rd place in Open Women and 5th overall. I didn’t go into the race with serious training under my belt so I was really happy to walk away with an iconic Wildside trophy.

Mountain biking often throws a few unknown variables at you, times when you’re not really sure how things might turn out. These moments, if nothing else remind us how vulnerable we are. If you’ve ridden Wildside and made it to the finish line on the final day I’m sure you’ve experienced this feeling for yourself. The terrain that Wildside travels is exceptional. Each stage is as varied and unique as the next, and it is a true mountain bikers’ stage race.

Thank you to my sponsors for making my days on the bike more enjoyable!
Giant | Shimano | Adidas