World Marathon Mountain Bike Championships, Ornans, France 7th October 2012.

We flew out to France early and so enjoyed the luxury of doing nothing other than recca a bit of the course a day at a time and relax with French pastries and coffee.  It was a good job, the course was that tough it took three days to get round.  To be fair we'd also rode most of the men's circuit by accident, neither me or Rob are that great with maps!  The weather had been mixed, one day riding in mud and  rain,. the others hot and sunny but the forcast for race day didn't look great so it was good to know how bad it could be.  

Should have done more gym sessions!

Keeping energy levels up mid course!

After a clear blue sky Saturday I woke early Sunday in the dark to that dreaded noise of cars going through water.  Still, it was pretty warm and the course was going to be so hard, getting cold, my biggest fear wasn't going to happen!  9.10am we started after the elite and open men.  Straight onto a wet churned up muddy track  I was caught up in two early crashes, one taking out one of the pre race favourites; Sabine Spitz.  Moving up again I then got stopped on the first climb.  I am slowly learning with mountain biking how its not all about just going as fast as you can, pacing it and leaving a descent gap in case riders stop in front is far quicker in the end.  Once climbing the gaps opened up and near the top I was surprised to catch and pass Brit Jane Nuessli. It was short lived as  we dropped through the forest, now not only steep and technical but with the added slippy deep mud covering wet rocks.  Jumping off and running bits that I'd done in practice was inevitable, it was far more impoartant to finish the race and lose a few minutes.  Jumping back on near the bottom I'd rdoe a few meters when my front wheel just slipped out and I was left tangled up.  The brake lever dug in my quad and my initial thought was that I'd broke both my leg and bike!  However, twisting the levers back to where they belonged I also knew my leg was ok, it had missed my knee and was only painful when I peddled, umm only 45km to go!!    Rob was at the feed and gave me energy drink.  Having drank nothing so far I cleaned myself and bike up a bit wishing it was water but with eyes and face so full of mud I wasn't going to complain.  While the other Nations had the luxury of team cars, mechanics, spare sun glasses and even power washes  Rob looked after half the GB team with a bike and backpack, feeding both me and Rachel Fenton.  From that feed we started climbing again.  I was unsure if the rain had stopped as the course was so muddy and wet you couldn't tell whether it was coming from the sky or the ground!  Luckily the organisers took a section out, one we'd tried and failed to ride on Thursday when it was also raining.   It looked a great single track but was on a slight camber and impossible for even the top guys to ride even then.  

The last 20km was really slow going.  At one point I was riding up a climb with the bike getting heavier each pedal stroke and was aware that two men were walking up behind as fast!  The mud we were carrying on the bike started to get worse as the rain stopped and it started drying up.  During the race I  became a bit of an expert in mud identification.. there was the almost pleasant 'Wet Flowing Mud' which gave a fine spray, then the real 'Slippy Mud' which was impossible to walk on never mind try ride, the 'Surprise Mud Flicks' which left big chunks in your eyes, then the dreaded 'Thick Stuff', impossible to ride it clung onto the bike until the back wheel could no longer be pushed round so you had to stop every few minutes to clear it!  Despite all this I still felt good: had managed to get a bar and few gels down and caught and dropped a few girls in front of me on the last climb.  Unfortunanly they passed and left me again as we descended into the forest back down to Ornans, the flowing single track covered in roots becoming a bit tricky for me, not helped by the fact my right cleat was now attached to my pedal and not my shoe!    So lucky really as it happened after the last climb but did mean I lost 2 minutes to the 2 in front in the last 4km.  

As I crossed the line the massive feeling of relief and delight at finishing in one piece and in 13th position was soon replaced by a desperate need to clear my eyes of mud while my leg made it nearly impossible to walk.  Funny how you can feel so fit one minute to feeling like a broken wreck the next!!  Luckily Rob was on hand again taking my bike to the bike wash queue while I cleaned myself and iced a leg that was starting to look like Chris Hoy's!  A few days rest will see it right which is timed quite well for a week of travelling:  home, then to Johannesburg then the long drive to George in time for the Cape Pioneer with Bizhub partner Ischen Stopforth next Sunday where I am hoping it'll be a bit drier!!   

Think I need a wash!!