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Photo - Paul Whibley:
Photo courtesy of Andy McGechan:
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Whibs and Katherine are keeping us updated whenever they are able on their 2005 European campaign with John Shirt GASGAS UK::
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Hello everyone,
The weekend just gone was round two of the Fast Eddy Cross Ccountry series. The course consisted of an MX track and parts of the in- field. A grassy flat paddock laid out in flowing special test style. With a section in some bush. The MX track was hard pack but some rain (strange for England?) on Friday/Saturday dampened down the dust, and ensured the bush section was loamy.
The pro race started at 1.00pm, after the morning Clubman's race had broken the track in for us. I got a good start and was second round the first corner. I got arm pump and lost contact with first position. At the hour mark I was battling between second and fourth, depending on pit stops and lap traffic.
After two hours I was third, comfortably ahead of fourth and one minute thirty seconds behind second place, Euan McConnell. I still felt strong and was able to push hard. I began gaining ten to twenty seconds on McConnell each lap. When I had closed the gap to about thirty seconds Euan crashed in the bush and I emerged with a thirty second lead over him.
I maintained this gap to the finish and gained slightly on Ryan Voase in first. Still second is good and I'm happy with my condition and being able to push to the end. I have started using pivot pegs on my race bikes now and I think these niffty pegs have been a great help in saving energy, as they help keep your feet on the pegs.
I also have put a WER steering damper on my WEC Gas Gas and I'm very happy with it's performance. I now plan to fit one to my BEC bike.
Maurice Ebbett, a friend of mine from Pahiatua was over on this side of the world. He is workin for Suzuki as a mechanic in the WRC. He came and stayed with Kath and I for a few days leading up to the fast eddy. Staying at Hotel Sprinter.
I made a few calls and got him an entry to the race. I talked to Shirty (the Gas Gas UK importer) to see if it was ok if Morrie used my practice bike. Being the top bloke that Shirty is, he gave us the thumbs up. Morrie was keen but bike time in the last couple of months had been minimal, so predictably he was shattered after the race.
I think also the combination of a shorter loop and a lot more traffic than the New Zealand Cross Country makes for a much more intense race. Morrie was thrown in at the deep end!>BR> But he did good, finishing 56th from 120 odd riders.
A couple of weeks ago I competed in the most complicated race I have ever done. The race is basically a two man four hour with some crazy rules. I still don't fully understand all the rules but I will try to explain the best I can.
It is like a time card cross country. The race starts in groups of five, enduro style (five riders a minute). The first rider has thirty minutes to do as many laps as possible., then clock in at the check to change riders. If he goes over that thirty minutes he is penalised. Now this is where it gets complicated. Every minute you are late you get penalised one fifth of a lap. So if you are five minutes late you are penalised a whole lap. The trick is to work out if it is worth squeezing an extra lap in and be a bit late or just wait at the check to clock in. You really need an abacus strapped to the bar pad to work it out, or a really clued up pit crew.
So for the first two hours each rider does two thirty minute segments (of the five minute a lap course). Then we have a lunch break. Racing starts back up after a one hour break.
The track is run backwards after lunch. Also the first lap of of the afternoon segment is timed like a special test. And so the afternoon has two thirty minute segments for each rider again, thus completing the four hours of racing. As well as the body worn from the race the mind is numb from all the arithmatic.
In case you're wondering, I teamed up with Kiwi, we won. We did four more laps than everyone else and won by one and four fifths of a lap????!!!!!
Next we are off to Spain (Gernika) for Round four of the WEC. A 24 hour boat cruise to Bilbao Spain, should make a change from the usual two day drive.
Til next time
Paul and Katherine.
