Thanks Davey. What a day, you couldn't ask for anything more, the course was great as always there and with the weather doing it's thing it was unbeatable. We all got a great tan if nothing else.
Light representation from the club this year, only 3 of us suited up:
Anto was thrown into the Elite race and still managed 14th or so I believe. Looked to me like he would have been 4th in an all U23 race, in which case he might have found that little bit extra with a podium and bronze medal on the line!
I had a great start out of a huge field of greying/balding M40's. When I was still sitting in a group of 6 with Robin and John Dorris at the top of the climb I started to think something special might happen, but then they actually started racing! Still managed 10th which was my goal for the day at the start of the season so couldn't be happier.
Leo was our third suited up club member, not racing but roving around the course with no lack of encouragement. With a different spot each lap it was like where's Waldo except that you could hear him before you could see him!
Most exciting moment of the day though has to go to Adam, riding neck in neck the entire U16 race with Lee Harvey (do his friends call him Ozzie?) and taking the long sprint through the long grass to JUST get the national championship on the line!
All in all a great day. I'll be there again for sure next year, fit or not. To anyone who hasn't been it's a definite step up in feel and excitement to your standard NPS. As an experience it's well worth everyone making it a part of the race season no matter your race level, not to mention the fact that for over 30's it's one of the few chances you get to race XC by age group. Would be great to see lots of IMBRC blue around the course in 2017.
