Ricky Boyer has jumped aboard and has kindly offered farkin his report of what's been happening in his area lately. In this issue (hopefully more to come) he travels to Buller for the final national round then to Dargle for the first NSW state round.
Well it's about time for another race report and Boyer update. Here goes.
My last report was after the Nationals, the Mudcows boys are pushing their footage into places most people could only dream. They are constantly updating their web site too and have interviewed me for an upcoming addition to the smashing site. Also check out update #3 on mudcows.com in the news section for my induction to the holiest of Mountainbiker tribes, The Minjin, initiated by Tribal Elder Glen Jacobs. The pictures and the look on my face say it all. The infamous stinging tree leaf...
Smithson and Jusso
The drive to Buller was a killer as usual, 9 hours of freeway love. Having had a sore back on and off for the past two weeks the drive stuffed it completely. Luckily Shawna Ward was available for some lower back muscle massage, it worked wonders and I was able to ride like it wasn't even sore - kinda. The track was definitely the best we had seen all season, rough, steep, rocky, rough, just the way I liked it and the way any good downhill should be. Lots of practice and a couple of offs here and there, I knew where I could open it up, and also where I needed to be cautious I could...Qualifying was smooth with a nice easy clean conservative run, putting me in 5th. I had 4 or so seconds up on Miles and about 7 on Smithson, I knew that with a good run in the final I could take out 2nd spot in the Championship beating these two.
Come final I felt on the money, the run was superb, fast where and consistent in the gnarlier stuff, one tiny little slip up in the last chute had me clipping my pedal on a stump that hadn't caused any trouble the whole weekend, I hadn't planned on the more difficult line getting as chopped out as it did. But the long and short of it was that I rode the top tube for a few metres before finally going over the bars and losing the bike in the dust, reaching back up to grab it I could feel my gloves filling up with dust and my 2nd spot chances slipping away. It put me 3rd in the series and 7th in the race.
Smithson had an even worse run than me and slipped into 4th in the series, a concellation none the less. Miles had a stonking run which put him into 5th in the race and he held onto his 2nd in the Championship, nice one bruvva. The coulda shoulda woulda was that Miles didn’t even beat my qualifier... oh well. Still had a fair few spectators come up and comment that I looked the fastest through their section.
With no rest for the wicked we were home the next day for work and consequently racing again the next weekend at Dargle for the first of the NSW State series. I have been looking forward to this to contend my title as last years State Champion. I managed to squeeze in a visit to the physio at 8.30 pm on Friday, a quick rub down, some strapping and exercise instructions I was on my to help out with the timing on Saturday and then Practice and Racing on Sunday.
Qualifying was ragged, feet out, messy. Still qualified fastest ahead of Havukainen, Smithson, Odams and all the local hot shots who were smoking. It saw some controversial timing however the top few times didn't change after checking the timing system. Come race time I knew I had a bit lefty in the bag and with a very tidy run I crossed the line with what I thought was the winner, well pipped at the post by 0.05 of a second. Slipping back behind Smithson by a poof-teenth of a bees dick on a 1 minute 24 sec track. Not quite as I had planned but a good series opener anyhow.
Thanks again to all of you out there who are continually supporting me and keeping me racing: Smith Optics, Orange, SRAM, NoTubes and Royal Racing.
Off to Thredbo first weekend of May for State DH round 2, less coulda shoulda woulda and more podium.
See you at the next race,
Rickyboy.
Thanks to Ben for letting us use his photos. You can check them out at http://photos.dontyell.net
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