ELBRY SANDLAND: June 2015

Sunday, 28 June 2015

Bike Fest 2015 (my hardest race ever)

Bike Fest 12 solo was a wet day in June.. The race got going and i was passed by both Rocky Mtn A and B teams (4 men teams) and soon found a pace i was happy with and on the steep climb at the back of the loop i passed the B team and was getting round a lot of the 4 and paired rider teams, i was trying to not push that hard but at Ashton its hard to ride the track slow, 4 hours in and i had been putting in 29 min laps and i went pop, i had blown up and i could not see how i was going to finish the race.. i focused on trying to make the 6 hour mark and then see how i felt, I was on the cola and fueled up and pushed on, Its a real head game race when you spot a solo rider, Is he on your lap? have you lapped him.. then you end up in a race bar to bar yet you have 5 hours to go! Come the 8 hour mark and again i started to blow again and i shut the speed off and focused on how many more laps i needed to do and just get the job done, We rolled in for 4th place, Have to say i was gutted not to get on the box but at the same time i could of been 20th, i had know idea how i would do in a race like this with so many riders that just do this style of events. So having done the race been ill and spent two days in bed sleeping im happy with 4th and have no plans to race 12 hour solo ever again!, Big thanks to Greenover/ Rocky Mountain UK, not only did they give me a great bike in the Thunderbolt that worked perfect all day and was the most fun bike ever on the jumps ( anyone behind me seemed to love my whips every lap ) and made the 12 hours a lot more fun than it could of been, But also for the pit support, Now were feeling better we have been up the woods boosting road gaps and jumps on the very same bike! Next big event will be the 24 hour race for Rocky as a team of 4, Its going to be rad!