Castlemaine XC

Back to the Pines... Need i say more....

think the last time i raced around the pine forest from the gun club was in the Single Speed Nationals/Worlds years. Slightly hazy riding but the riding was awesome...

2003 single speed nationals. I rode the whole course....

So sundays race was going to be good fun, and the trails didn't disappoint. Weather was perfect for racing. Trail was slightly damp but just enough for the dirt to be grippy and the roots slippery.

Plenty of folks lined up in A grade with some big names there to keep everyone honest. Paul VDP, Neil VDP, Brenton Jones(TORQ), Phil Orr, Jack Lamshed(Felt), Ashley Hayat, Camm Winn, Andrew Choma, Neil Robinson(single speeds are very 2003 mate...)

All ready for action.

I chose to ride the ASR5 for maximum squish and cause its a sweet ride. And it delivered. The start was straight up fireroad, Jack and Brenton took the lead and were gaping the field within 500m. I was hangin out in the top ten watching Paul VDP who wasn't giving chase.... Hmmmm smart me thinks.

Lap one we arranged ourselves with me in 5th or 6th. I had ridden onto a group with Jack and Michael Crosbie. Up ahead i could see Brenton and further up Neil. Paul was out of sight.

Feeling great i set about getting past the small group and working my way onto the podium. Lap 2 i passed Michael and Jack and rode up to Brenton, i overtook Brenton at the start/finish onto lap 3 and managed to catch Neil soon after that. Paul was nowhere to be seen.

The trails were sweet, drifty, fast and flowy. I was loving it. Lap 4 was just a matter of holding off Neil to keep my second place overall. Great finish!! Paul was about 2 mins in front and Neil came in a minute back.

Mel raced as well. She chose B grade to get 3 laps. More riding. 17th out of 53 in B grade. Bloody unreal.