World Cup MTBO, Long – Gdansk, Poland

I had no idea how to pronounce the venue for the World Cup Long race in Gdansk.

Wzniesienie Marii 2 RjnO !! a huge steep hilly forest just on the outskirts of the city. The finish and spectator control were located in a beautiful meadow nestling in a forested valley in the centre of the map.

After a good warm up avoiding the somewhat stroppy locals trying to get up into the hills to their dachas for the weekend I decided to take it fairly easy for the first half until the spectator control and then open up a bit if my legs could take it.

I had fun on the way to the first control throwing my nice shiny Bow over the top of two huge fallen trees (not on the map) but luckily I got the right track into the flag. I made a little error on the way to 3 but just cut down through the forest to the path below correcting the overshoot. On the way to 4 I had perhaps my worst mistake of an otherwise great ride, choosing to ride around on the road rather than cutting cross country up the steep climb, though until I see the splits I’m not sure how much time I lost.

The decent down from number 4 was bonkers, right on the limit of adhesion feathering the front brake I made it to the bottom with a huge smile on my face bum hanging right over the rear wheel, very pleased I held my nerve. The punishment for fun then came with an equally steep climb backup the other side to number 5. Leg 6-7 was the first of the big route choice legs, right across the map. I decided to head west on what I felt was the best route for me, but again the splits will tell if I made the right choice. The course carried on towards the spectator control with steep climbs, lots of cutting through and big route choice decisions, but I felt I was riding really well, making no mistakes.

The route into spectator took us teetering over a stream on a fallen tree and then screaming down a steep bank to yet another stream crossing which I chose to run rather than risk riding.

I took a safe route choice to number 16, choosing to refuel and plan the rest of the course on a long vehicle track climb. A couple of tricky controls led us to a horrendously steep carry/push up a ridge to number 18 where I passed Christine Schaffner who had just climbed up the ridge from the opposite direction. She must have been all in after the climb and it sounded like the centre court of Wimbledon as I rode away, but it was good enough for second place on Women’s Elite for her just 20 seconds behind Michaela Gigon.

The tracks surrounding 19-22 were mainly vague forest extraction lanes and I navigated mainly by the contours, it often being quicker to ride cross country.

I took a huge risk to number 22 using a 600m long difficult to ride track along the ridge rather than descending and climbing back up. I really thought I’d blown it to start with with horrendous, mud and fallen trees but some aggression and running with the bike got me through and soon the track opened up into faster riding.

The sprint for home then started. I carved down a steep decent, weaving my though trees, masters and juniors climbing up right on the edge, before facing a evil climb over to the last control.

As I shouldered my bike I reflected between gasps of breath and screaming calves that no matter my placing I’d had a great ride and really put some demons to bed that have been nagging my confidence over the last month.

I nearly ‘Haselsbergerd’ the finish control, coming in way too fast to notice at the last minute the sandy track. I desperately fought the handlebars and brakes but managed not to do a ‘Kevin’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1QIuN_vhcw for a great clip of the master at work and his website at http://www.kevin-haselsberger.at/

The commentator grabbed me for an interview (us Brits are always popular because it makes it easy for them) and announced that I was currently in 13^th position, only 15 mins down. Although I knew there was still the red group of elites still to finish I was ecstatic. I then had to sit patiently and see how far I slipped down the table.

An eventual 26^th (out of 64 starters) though has achieved my first goal of the year (a top 30 at a world event) and although I keep on saying it is my best international performance to date.

Em had a very tough race to take 11=, Heather 21^st and Bobby in his first international race 51^st.

The masters GB team had its highs and lows. Unfortunately in the Men’s 40+ Bryan joined the many mechanical retrials with a bent frame after ripping off his rear mech (apparently having to visit a building site on the way back to the finish to get them to bend it back a bit so the rear wheel would go round).

Andy Conn started his race with a huge crack in his frame but it survived to take 7th only to be pipped on the line by BMBO chair John Houlihan by 13 secs to go into 6^th Place. Dickie Jones was 13^th. In men’s 50+ Tony was 7^th, and John 24^th.

Charlie and Sarah’s form continues with two wins in Women’s 40+ and 50+, Sarah by 12 mins so team GB will be waving the flag at the prize giving tonight.

Full results available at http://www.harpagan.pl/worldcup/?page=results&lang=en