Not a good way to finish the last Capital Punishment

Sadly the last Capital Punishment didn't go to plan at ALL! And even though this isn't really a race report as it was a DNF there is a story behind it.

In the lead up to the race I was feeling like I was coming in to a little bit of form after a solid couple of months of training. That all went out of the window when a Manly Dam challenge the Sunday before CP (4 laps < 2hours (Chitts, Warthog and Me) and 2 laps < 1 hour (StantheMan)) went wrong for me on the final section of the 4th lap when I crashed heavily after my front wheel slipped out on a rock and I landed on the boardwalk. A deep wound to my knee and lots of skin off from my ankle to knee and elbow was the result! In saying that I was the only challenger to complete the 4 laps < 2hours (1:56:53 with about 90 secs lost to the accident and giving directions!) so think that I am at least owed breakfast......

I was planning an easy week before CP, trying to maintain some intensity and scaling back the duration. I tested it out on Tuesday but even though I could pedal I was all out of balance as I couldn't put any real power through my left leg and my right was having to compensate. I tested it out again on Thursday pushing a bit harder but it was still uncomfortable and although I could get my HR up my right leg was getting tired. At this point I'd decided to race rather than pull out and just see how I got on.

Brian and I shared a car down to Canberra and we had dinner with Dave (Doc) and Gary. Bikes were prepared in the evening and all was fine despite the fairly typical broken sleep the night before a race.

Up early on Saturday morning to eat and get to the start. Brian and I headed out to warm up and both of us really weren't happy with how we were feeling. A few hills climbs trying to get going just felt hard on the legs, this didn't look like it was going to be a good race! We then misjudged the start and ended up lining up at the back of the 1st wave with Dave and Justin. We were soon underway and normally the speed and shock of the start has my HR almost peaking, today I was about 20bpm lower but my legs felt sore. I picked up a few places and just tried to hold on. Entering the single track wasn't too bad but after the 2nd section there was a flatish fireroad and people around me were putting the power down... I just had nothing. I'd already resigned myself to trying to hang on and hope that I rode myself into some sort of rhythm and my legs loosened up.

Dave came past me at this point making it look easy... the next thing I know a rider was down in front of me on a fast left hander going up a slight rise, and it took me a second to realise it was Dave. I slowed and saw that he was holding his elbow and had already started bleeding. I pulled over and got his bike and contents of his jersey pockets off the trail as he sat down and started to go into a bit of shock. He sat down on the side of the trail and only then did I realise that his cranks had failed in a BIG way. It soon became evident that Dave needed help and we wouldn't be walking out of this one. I called the emergency number...voicemail, called the alternate number, voicemail, recalled the energency number again, nothing, then back to the other number and someone thankfully answered. At this point Gary, who had started in W2, arrived and stopped to see that things were ok, he stopped a couple of minutes then rode on, reporting the accident to the next marshall. One thing has always impressed me about mountain biking, and that is the sense of camaraderie between riders, nearly everyone that passed asked whether we were ok, that's one of the aspects of this sport I hope never goes away. After about the 5th wave the first aid arrived and by this time we'd already been there about 40 minutes so were starting to get cold. Until they arrived Dave was getting waves of pain so all I could really do was offer moral support... he at least retained his sense of humour and asked that I take photos!

Dave was patched up as best as possible to stem the bleeding and put in the car, they drove back to the start and i rode. From there we packed up the car and drove to Canberra Hospital Emergency and he was admitted immediately. It took a while before the Doc had a look at Dave's wounds and he was sent for x-rays which revealed a fractured elbow that required surgery and also to clean out the deep wound. Whilst Dave is going to be off the bike for a while thankfully it was not any worse, given the nature of the crank failure anything could have happened. So get well soon Dave, hopefully see you back on the bike soon!

Next up, for me I hope, is the James Williamson Enduro.. hope my knee holds up!