3-4 March 2018

Richard, Phil, Mick and me

So we were hosting the 24hr on our home trails at Rydal. In return for getting the trails ready Martin offered us a free team entry.

We’ll just ride around as marshals. says I. I’ve had a few injuries and haven’t been doing a lot of riding.

You may as well be timed…

Richard was keen, Phil less so. What about you Mick

I have a bit to do on Saturday but could do a few laps late afternoon.

We’re not taking it serious you may as well be involved.

The team was entered.

I’d have to say I got a little excited the morning of the race but with the 3 of us there racing in a 4 man team we had a chat and agreed we’d go for double laps and go as hard or not as we wanted and if we weren’t feeling it we’d sit out and have some beers.

Set up next to us Gaz as doing it solo so we were happy to give Jodie a bit of a hand supporting his efforts

All good nice and casual.

Except 3hrs  in someone looked at the times and realised we were just 30seconds of 3rd place an dnot far in front of 5th. I’m not a competitive person, or so I sometimes tell myself, but if I’m on the track I want to do my best. Game on.

Turned out the team we were chasing was that of a work mate from up at one of our sister mines. Definitely game on.

We began swapping back and forth from 4th to 3rd.

I was feeling pretty good, Mandy was out there massaging for Mind Body Intigration and I was lucky enough to get a bit of maintenance after each stint.

I’d forgotten how awesome the atmosphere is at a 24hr race. It’s really special. Last one I’d ridden was Dargle Farm in about 2005.

Music was blaring. At one point old mate came up to me and asks what time the music was going off as he was trying to sleep. It was 8:45pm…

It’s a 24hr race mate.

But we are trying to sleep!

You  know the whole concept of 24hr race?/!

The music went off around 10:30. It came back on at 5:30 super load and techno. Sounds horrible but it was such a great pick up after a long night of riding

A couple of Rydal residents didn’t think so and rang Martin to complain. He invited them up for coffee and an egg and bacon roll. all smoothed over.

Anyhoo I get ahead of myself

We were doing well, each of us with very consistent lap times.

Mick turned up around 6pm. He is quick anyway and with fresh legs shot out for a couple of fast laps.

What the hell was that. Muddy says, coming over. We were wondering how you’d go when you 4th rider showed up. He has just punched out a 27min lap!

W’d all been lapping in the low 30s.

Pity he isn’t staying.

Richard goes out, we are up into 2nd.

Mick goes again. We are in first

I go expecting that was Mick last stint. It’s good while it lasts.

Katrina, I might drop you home and come back. Woohoo Mick is in it for the long haul.

We extended out a bit of a lead over night. Get almost 7mins up but come day break the teams in second and third sent their fast riders out for some catch up laps.

Long story short heading into my last lap there was about 3min between the top 3 teams, not bad over a 24hr race. I got back giving Mick a 1min lead. He brought it home well and We found our selves on the top step of the podium.

Fantastic event. Martin and Juliane put on a great show.

Thanks to outer image collective and Lithgow Council for the photos

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