Great Cycle Challenge 2024 - Ride #15

ACT Champs XCO

Afternoon Ride

Great Cycle Challenge 2024 - Ride #14

Started the race getting squeezed towards the back. It wasn't so much about losing the positioning but more about the fact that I just got squeezed  right out left right and center. I got over that pretty quickly and found my rhythm. 

Staying true to form I charged in a little too hot in a couple of places and almost came unstuck. 
First spot was turning from the fire trail up into the rock garden along the fence line on the first lap. Thinking that the turn was further along I locked up my brakes and had quite the skid going, just managing to keep upright as I went, but then I didn't have the momentum to get up into the rock garden. As I flicked back down to gear that I could start off in, the Elite women who started a couple of minutes after us went wizzing by. And were at least kind enough to ask if I was alright. They mustn't have been going that hard. 

Second spot was on the major descent through Planet Claire. I managed to get a little off line and clipped a tree with my handle bars. Still have no idea how I got that back under control, but sure glad I did. With those two near misses I think it certainly paid to off to have changed my front tyre the other day. 

I must have just managed to miss being lapped, as when I looked behind me on my final lap there was suddenly no-one behind me. Yet when I went through the start/finish line there had been a few people behind me. The last climb didn't seem to have the urgency of the previous three laps as there wasn't really anyone left to chase or be chased by. 

I also took a turn that I shouldn't have on the first lap and had to turn back around to get back on the track. Whoops, that  certainly cost me as well. On the plus side, the sharp up hill turn at the top of the course I was able to nail three out of the four times only having to walk it once because I let a faster rider up the inside and spun the wheel on some loose rocks.

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Jonathon Campbell

ACT Champs XCO

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Great Cycle Challenge 2024 - Ride #15

ACT Champs XCO

Afternoon Ride

Great Cycle Challenge 2024 - Ride #15

Great Cycle Challenge 2024 - Ride #14

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