Monday 27 August 2012

Medal ceremony

We won silver! Marquita, Viv and I came 2nd in the W40 relay at the World MTBO Champs.

We all moved grades to make a New Zealand team. Viv from W50 and Marquita and I from elite. With a mass start of all grades and genders and athletes grabbing their map and then running to their bikes, Marquita had a great first leg and blitzed it to give us the lead over the Czech team. Viv had an awesome ride and we were still in contact with the Czechs. I took the third leg and and saw the Czech rider at control 4. I then made a navigation error and ended up riding round a green forested area looking for control 5. Unfortunately I rode through some thorn bushes and 5 min later I had a flattie.

I have sealant-filled inner tubes so I expected that the goo would seal the hole and it may only need a little bit of air. I hand pumped it up and carried on. I had to pump it up 3 times before unsuccessfully using the CO2 canister and then running my bike home for the last two controls.

Near the finish line, I looked behind and saw a cyclist coming. A team was cheering them on furiously. I couldn't tell if it was male or female so I started to run harder for the line in case it was the next team. I was determined to reach the line on foot before them! The commentator then assured me I could stop sprinting because they weren't from our grade.  Ha!

There were two areas on this course that the riders came through for spectators to be involved in the event.  It was a great place to get a dousing with water.  When I rode into the first spectator area I had just done the first pump up of my tyre, so I was determined to ride fast to catch up, and said I didn't need any water because I didn't want to stop to grab it.  They just threw it on me anyway.  It was sooooo good.  It was so hot out there.  High 30s.

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