Long distance qualification race

Wednesday, 8 August 2007

Just when you thought you'd had enough racing we had to back up and race for a spot in the long distance final.  Only 60 riders get to ride the final, so this is how it works;  Heats of about 40 riders - 3 for the men and 2 for the women, starting 3 people every 3 minutes on 3 separate, relay type courses.  The first 20 in each heat get to race the final.

There are two important things with the long qualification.  Firstly and most obviously, qualify.  Secondly to qualify in a good position.  The start times in the final are based on your finishing position in the qualification race. So what you say?

If you start a race first then you are flattening the grass and thistles for the riders who come behind you.  You're also smoothing the way along the rougher tracks and making a bit of a path.  So it's nice to have as many people in front of you as possible.  But if you start too late it can be a lonely race out there.  So it's also nice to have other riders around you who are about your speed.  That way when you catch them (hopefully and not  the other way around) you get a bit of a lift and race together to the finish.  So that's the rub with qualifiers.

Thor qualified strongly with a 13th in her heat.  Given there were two heats, this translates into a 25th type place if she were to ride the same in the final.  Alex exorcised his demons from yesterday and cruised a very solid 6th in his heat.  Paul, also in the same heat, eased off the gas today and was 13th.  This time lucky 13.  Dave (almost divesting his mantle as Larry) made one 3 minute mistake on the course, but still qualified strongly in 15th place.

Tony had a really good ride, except for one check point where he lost 12 minutes.  We were very disappointed for him that he got caught out on the small 'dotty' tracks.  Alex pretty much summed the state of small tracks up on the way home "I turned onto a dotty track and straight away got lost".  These small tracks are so indistinct it's really hard to find and follow them.  Dave Wood, now on his 8th MBO race ever, was just 3 minutes off qualifying in 26th place.

Tomorrow we have a rest day.  And apart from going for a nice, very slow ride, we can all promise that very little else will be happening.  Another thunder storm just rolled through so the forest is starting to get a bit softer and muddier.  We may need to make a change to mud tyres.