Moonride

Team Avanti Plus hit the moonride in Rotorua to take on the 12hr.  The biggest teams race in the country which always has the best atmosphere and toughest competition.  Rotorua is known for its hard and fast riding with plenty of rain the week before it was always going to be interesting.  We set up the tents on arrival and once they were all up it looked like a Avanti Plus ally way. 

With Sadie and Sasha joining some friends and forming a women’s team and the boys racing the open 12hr, while Josh took on the 24hr solo.  Once again I got the duty of starting the race with the blast on the asphalt then off onto the course.  Managing to get a good clean start at the head of the field it was plan to see it was going to be a mud fest.  As we hit the 24hr tent village with the grass no longer visible it looked like a mud slide. 

 It was a struggle to keep yourself upright and moving.  It was slip sliding and two wheel drifting which was a lot of fun but very scary when you have to dodge trees at speed while both wheels are sliding.  After completing my two start laps I handed over to Scott with us in 3^rd place.  The track continued to get cut up throughout the day.  It was a case of riding smooth to be fast which was made easy with my Kenda Kama tires. 

We continued to battle between 2^nd and 3^rd throughout the day and as night fell we moved into 2nd place, the chase for 1^st was on.    After finishing 2^nd in the Wellington 12hr to the same team leading we were desperate to make ground.  We were refueling on Peak Fuel, Chocolate Cake and Cookies. 

After deciding to hold back a little during the day and then giving it everything in the night laps  we hope we could make a come back.  With the muddy conditions it was a constant cleaning and lubing of our machines but with my Scott Spark not missing a beat we managed to all come away with no mechanicals even under the testing conditions. 

With the gap sitting at 12 minutes, we would a pull a minute here and there and then they would take the gap back.  With the course so muddy and slow it was becoming very hard to tap out fast laps.  We ended up taking 2^nd place and were very happy to be on the podium and the Girls winning there grade and solo man Josh amazingly gaining 2^nd after his nanny nap back a base camp.  Thanks to the team Jamie, Martyn, Scott,  Ian and our hot team managers/time keepers what a great race and amazing achievements by Avanti over all, we took over the podium in most categories.