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mmeehh
Re: This ride meeting:
The Husky 100ker Take2
Status:
Finished
Time:
05:03:02
Position (Overall):
21
Race Category:
100km Male Veterans
Position (Category):
8 not really that impressed with this one. regardless of weather, organising a race in a floodplain is only asking for these sorts of conditions. poor marshaling led to numerous shortcuts, some riders were correctly penalised, some not. if you're going to have a course that reuses so much of the same trails and loops around on itself like spaghetti junction, then you need to have a means in place of verifying positions around the course.
presentation was a flop. no podium, no photos - just wander on up to the banner and grab a pump or other prize, all in the most disorganised fashion.
was quite embarrassed to have paid so much for such a shambles.
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Still a damn good ride Tate!
I'd forgotten about the cheating. I came out of the first bit of single track about 3km after we crossed the main road. As we turned right onto a fire road a group of 5 came blasting up the hill from the left and blew past. There was no way they were back tracking from a wrong turn as it was really well marked. Funny thing their leader was obviously a roadie with good legs but when we hit the next single track which had a techy descent I was almost laughing watching him hitting trees and straddling his bike each time he hit a bump.
I saw some more cheating at about 45km where there is tape down the middle of the fire road where riders pass each other going in opposite directions. I was coming up and saw some guys sneak under the tape at the top of the hill which cut out about 15min. Didn't matter as when I was driving home I saw them riding along the main road back to the finish.
I'd heard there was also a lot of missed turns/directions by genuine error rather than cheating. A mate was in the lead bunch of SS riders that all missed a turn and cut 12.5 km out of the track, they got a flat 1 hr penalty for it so they are all very unhappy with the situation as it was a real error due to poor marking.
a simple example was when the track came back out onto the golf course near the finish. There was very little to actually direct people where to go. Most were able to follow the wheel tracks, but it would be hard to ping someone for not doing so when there was no real indication as to where the official track went. I actually went a bit wide following the guy in front of me, but I noticed someone to my left who must have kept going straight as he came out of the bush as he was about 50m off line on a much shorter route down one of the fairways.
At the start, it was obvious that a number of people had ridden straight across one of the golf greens to cut a corner up near the entry into the bush, and by the time I got back, one of the tees that the track seemed to go across was pretty trashed. Hope the RSL / golf club got enough revenue out of the weekend to not be too pissed off about that.
Rest of the marking didn't seem too bad (and certainly no problem following the wheel tracks in the gloop), but I did think there was minimal marshals out on the course for the 50, which does give folks the opportunity to cheat if they know the area well.
@fatboy. I know one of the guys in my division who missed a turn and ended up riding a shorter course. It wasnt because he was trying to gain an advantage and I am sure he would be cringing when reading your post about "cheating".
@Dan. The course was well enough marked to find the right way. There should have been marshals at some of the places where a wrong turn ended up with a shorter course. Is 1 hour a fair penalty? I dont think so.
I'm really pee'd off with the marking of the course.
About 30 of us so called 'cheats' followed each other and missed out 10km of track early on.
At no point did any one of us question we'd gone the wrong way untill later when the Elite's caught us up. Even then i was thinking it was them who had gotten lost. Whats even worse is that i was in fourth place in Masters behind Garry James and when i passed him with a mechanical i was in the running for a podium( or lack of according to Tate!)
Anyway after having mega gear problems myself i dropped back to fifth place over the finish line.
Ok, Yes, i had missed out 10km of track which with rough calculations from my average speed should have been about 35-40 mins but they put an hour onto our times which put us right up the field.
I finished in 4.45, add 40 mins onto that and it still puts me in a decent spot!
Anyway, Rant over! I myself knows i didn't cheat and i rode bloody hard and well. next time i'll bring a map and a compass and maybe have a go at orienteering!
Hey Gazza,
I never said you were a cheat, or correctly penalised or not. Apologies if it came across that way.
I don't think anyone would intentionally shortcut, and yesterday was so muddy most of us were probably intensely looking at the trail rather than little signs off to the side. Myself included. I actually saw a sign but missed what it said so went back to have a look. Worked out i was going the right way but felt better going back and checking.
At last years Fling i missed a sign which luckily added 10km rather than took off 10km. HAehaeah! We must all ride around with our eyes closed!
It wasn't really aimed at you.
don't want to be causing any arguments on here but dont like being called a cheat either!
Anyway I know you wouldn't try to get an advantage but thats the way it worked out.
@Tate The latest results have you moving up one more place. Where do you think you would have come if people didn't get lost?
For what it's worth guys I saw the guys looking around before lifting the tape and proceeding to rush under. No mistaking that as cheating. As for the other 5 I mentioned, the fact they were riding in a convoy at speed and could see all of us exiting the single track but kept their heads down and bolted as opposed to slowing to question why we were coming from a different directing kinda tells me they knew what they were doing.
For what it's worth, no NobMobbers could have been seen by me as you are all too bloody fast and were probably an hour ahead!!!!
Yes, I'm sure there were those that took a wrong turn and those that deliberately were looking to shortcut. From what you've all described the conditions like I can almost understand it
Gazza, it sounds like you were in the same group as Deon that missed the turn and came out ahead of the elites. He was the big guy on a titanium voodoo single speed. You know, the guy that was covered in mud with a helmet on.
Have to wonder why they'd bother! Like who are they racing against except themselves (and so cheating themselves) anyway? (Not talking about those who got lost)
Dramas, dramas... Hope the next ones dry!
Can anyone else not bring themselves to clean their bike yet? Gotta do dargle 12h this weekend and I can't be assed cleaning it before then!
Mines clean. So far I just need to replace the BB as it was full of crap. Haven't got to the brakes but I'm sure the pads will be gone.
save the cleaning till you can do it with a beer or two in your belly... wasn't pretty and kind of expensive
Look out Gazza I will be there this Saturday , the track should be signed pretty good but there could be some 10metre short cutting too be had in one spot ? All good catchup on Sat , the lovely Martine riding too ?
Won't be racing at the weekend. Have too much work on and too little time on my hands!
It's nice to be busy but I hate it when it cuts into ride time!
Enjoy!
cleaned the bike. wasnt so bad. no new scratches expect for where the chain kept getting jammed on the chainstays from copious amounts of chain suck.
new chain, pads, BB, cable guide (under BB), small chainring, jockey wheels. all other bearing are fine. not too bad really.