It really is great to be home in Australia again. I think you don’t really appreciate how good this place is until you travel or live somewhere else for a while.

L to R- Kyle, Alex and Damo.

Now that the WEC has finished for another year, it means that I can spend a good couple of months here in Oz before testing will begin in Februaury next year.

It’s great as it gives me a chance to begin organising deals for next season, a chance to work on my training a bit more, and a chance to hang out with my family and friends.

Last weekend my brother Alex and I were persuaded by our mate Tony from the local gym to compete in a 6hour Mountain Bike Race. He’d been egging us on all year to have a crack at one, but we had managed to hold him off with excuses
like “we were too busy’ or “I don’t want to hurt myself before a race.” Finally
we had nothing left and had to give in.

The race was run over a 9km course and had 4 classes. The 4 man (four members
racing one at a time- like WEC), the 3 man, the 2 man and the “Ironman” class
(where you did the whole bloody 6 hours on your own!!!). Me and Al decided to
pair up and go in the 2 man class, but after talking to the guys in the local
pushy shop (who also competed) we realised that this might be harder than it
sounds. “Your gunna get smoked, you gotta find someone else to join your team
to split the miles” we were told. So we promptly begged the apprentice at our
shop to join us, but it was to no avail. Luckily a mate of mine Perty hooked us
up with Kyle, the local BMX gun, who joined our squad. So we signed up and
entered the 3 man, complete with Team name “Manpower”.

After talking tactics, we decided that I’d do first rotor, so I planned to just
go ballistic at the start and keep it up for as long as I could….

The hooter sounded and I went like a bull out of a gate. I hit the lead and led
them into the first turn and through the transition for the first time. A quick
bit of fist pumping followed before I disappeared out of the sight of the crowd
and into the bush.

I was actually surprised to be leading for as long as I did, but I was crankin
on the pedals and didn’t have much left when I reached the first climb. As
gravity began to take it’s evil affect, I realized I had gone waaaayyyy too
hard waaaayyy too soon. I was 10 minutes in…. Then the Mountain Biking Paleton
motored past and into the distance. Sh%t.
At the top of the final climb, I forced myself to stop crying…. And regained my
composure.

The down hill section was where I was making the most time, so anyone that gone
in my way coming down the hill’s unfortunately got fenced….. actually there
wasn’t much carnage really, I only crashed into 2 people the whole race!

I came round for the first change over and tagged Kyle at transition. We were
4th in the 3 man class. I was greeted by Al who asked me what the track was
like, “Big hills, no jumps” I replied. Al smiled in a way you do when someone
tells a joke that aint funny…

24 minutes later Kyle burst out of the bush to complete his first lap and tag
Al. He had been smokin his way round and had put us in the lead of our class.
Respect.
Al took off as I got myself ready for my next stint. Tony told me to pace myself
and find a rythym the next time round, otherwise when I hit the hills again I’d
have nothing left.

Al came out of the bush still leading when I was tagged for round 2. A quick
look at his face’s red colour told me he was enjoying this as much as I was.
This time I maintained a strong pace without blowing out and by the end of the
lap, I had got round 2 and a half minutes quicker and extended our lead.

This basically continued throughout the race as lap by lap we extended our lead
more and more. Kyle cruised the last lap home with a 15 minute buffer from 2nd,
to be greeted by me Al embracing the sky on our knees. Manpower had taken the
win, and the race was over. Sweet..

So after splitting the winners cheque of $60, we decided over a healthy meal of
BigMacs on the way home, that we would team up again to defend the title at the
next one.
Should be a lot of fun.