2nd
Aug
2011

I was pretty stoked to get an invitation to ride the Olympic test event, although, only finding out a month or so before, I knew it didn’t really fit around the season I had planned. The test event is a dress rehearsal for the real race next year; to allow the organisers to find any issues and also to allow riders from other countries to experience, and race on, the course. A select field of the World’s top riders came with their respective national bodies, along with us ‘invitational’ riders from GBR to help bring the size up to 50 (the size of the Olympic race).

A Holiday Inn a few miles down the road had been booked out, acting as a impromptu Athletes’ Village. Staying with Ben Thomas, we managed to hit the big time in the ‘executive suit’; I wonder what Ben put down on our booking form? It was a good experience wineing and dinning with a multitude of languages filling the room. 

Arriving on the Friday, Ben and I set off for the course through the lovely network of A roads and roundabouts between Basildon and Hadleigh. Me on a recovery spin still trying to salvage my legs from last weekends’ 24hr, he planned on riding a few laps of the course. As expected, I couldn’t resist either and my rest day went out the window as I learned how both physically and technically demanding the course was. 

Saturday I headed to the course to get my real practice in. Unfortunately for me, my gears were playing up and with any power stroke or loose terrain my chain jumped off. I got a few laps in but wasn’t ever able to really give it beans like I had planned. It appeared 24/12 had taken its toll on both me and my bike, as my bearings were shot. Adding to the problem, I had filled down ¼ of my big ring on one of the rocks. I felt like a amateur rocking up to there first race on their bike which had been left in the garage for months as I went around asking for bits to fix my bike! Thankfully, a combination of Beno the mechanic at Specialized, Shimano neutral support, Mountain Trax and the Orange Monkey pits I had a working bike by 10.30am on Sunday.

So, finally a paragraph about the race. The start was fast but not too messy like a WC, I moved up a few places around the mid 30s but from then onwards I went backwards. I had been told by many not to expect anything the week after a 24hr race but I wasn’t going to turn down this opportunity. Don’t be fooled by the photos, the course is relentless, probably the toughest I have ever raced and not a nice place to be on a bad day. I waved around off the back most the race, with a number of riders still in sight acting as my only carrot to chase and stop me grinding to a complete halt. That, and the amazing support from the 5000 spectators lining the course; they either didn’t discriminate or know any different for me, the lonesome backmarker.

I finished 44th, living up to my number board. I don’t particularly like being bottom of the results sheet, but the gaps were still pretty close to most the other brits pulled on the same lap and considering how I felt, that isn’t all that bad. I would have liked to be able to go into the race properly prepared and fresh, as the small field presented a real opportunity for a good race with none of the traffic excuses of a WC, but with a peak at Nat Champs and then 24/12 it wasn’t to be. 

Thanks to Martyn and all other at LOCOG for giving us the opportunity to race the event, plus all the support out on the course. Now for some decent training with a nice break between racing.