A weekend at the mighty Huka and a GO for Team Avanti Plus. It just happened to be the launch of the new Avanti Plus team at the Great lake cycle challenge. It all started late on Thursday night as we made our way up from Wellie to Taupo. It’s hard not to get wrapped up in the excitement of this event. As we came across super enduro riders heading towards taupo on there 1280km mission, we slowed the car down tooting the horn and hanging out the window yelling encouragement. This meant we woke up my baby daughter not a good look at 12am, never mind she loves cycling.
Friday is pickup registration packs and meet up with long lost cycling friends and take in some of the action in town where the BMX free riders were doing there crazy ramp jump display. Good to see a big crowd enjoying the skilful display. Still think lots of them where there for the big crashes as there were a few. Friday nights street race fill of action as always, dominated by pure black racing. Then it was a meet and greet and team meeting at Team Avanti Plus HQ. A great mix of ages in the team everyone sharing the same enthusiasm for riding and racing. The team was buzzing looking forward to putting our new Avanti Vapors and Scott Spark 20's through there paces. Friday evening is spent fitting our new Kenda Karma tires, the usual carbo loading ready for the 80km ahead of us.
An early morning is a must to consume more carbs and roll down to the start line ready to start at 7am. With bottles and pockets full of Peak fuel we were just awaiting the gun. With a very deep and quality field one of the best I can remember for years. It was going to be tough day at the office for everyone. The race starts, as we take off with the roadies on one side and us on the other, the race was on. The pace was super hot right from the gun, the top contenders treating it like a short track race. I was just trying to hang on with no one wanting to be left behind into the single track. So it was wheel to wheel riding in a dust cloud as we hit the first section of single track. The first two hours of ride time was pretty intense with a lot of short sharp climbs.
The pace was on a few groups had formed already with me sitting in group two. Unfortunately passing Scott with a broken chain at this stage I got the first of two flat tires thanks to the black berry vine. Loosing my riding group but still enjoying the endless sweet single tracks of craters. My Scott Spark 20 was eating up the trail as it is a very easy bike to ride fast. One single track just merges into the next and then the next as they say ‘time fly’s when you are having fun’. Taupo put on a super hot and dusty day so I was glad I had plenty of Peak fuel on board.
I had just got my second flat and being passed by four or five rider before entering transition the 40km mark I was out of tubes and c02 .Thanks to Marco for lending me his, it was time to get my head down and try and move up the field. I took a new bottle from my partner/support crew thanks.
I was going to see what these old legs could do the next section of trail was very tight and slow but catching and passing Josh. Then riding back across to the Hub café, smokin down some fast and flowing goodness. The last 20km from the dam to the finish was good for me as I picked up a few riders and made up some lost ground passing a fading Tony as we hit the tar seal. As we rode into the finish area with the huge crowds cheering the riders on it was hard to believe we had just covered 80km of primo trail. Thanks to my Spark 20 it was only my legs that were smashed leaving my upper body and back feeling good.
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Riders then all hung in the park which is where we spent the rest of the day in the shade of the Avanti tent talking to riders and sharing race tails.
Then it was the highlight of my day escorting one of the youngsters on the heart ride. After getting the SOS call from Cabin for some extra riders to escort the young riders. It was paired up with a 6year old from Tauranga who could barely pedal. His Training wheels along at the start he was lacking confidence big time with plenty of encourage this grew over the 3km from Rainbow point to the finish. We had a few interesting moments along the way as he took an unplanned detour which was well saved and we got him back onto the trail. Coming into the finish straight we had a race to the finish line crossing it with a fist pump in the air. He was so proud of himself as he should have been it was inspiring to see the little kids on the heart ride getting so much out of the day, and for me been part of that was awesome.
A great weekend was had. Thanks to Team Avanti Plus, Scott bikes, Peak fuel and Kenda.
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