An earlier start time caught a few off guard and there was a last minute rush to get everyone on the start line in time for the gun. With daylight beginning to fail, it is necessary to get these rides underway earlier which is not always convenient but out of our control. We should get two more Thursdays in before daylight saving ends at Easter weekend. So next week it is rumoured that we will be back at the MTB park followed a week later by an Easter egg hunt at Conders Bend on Thursday 2nd April.
More new young faces joined us last evening and this seems to be a trend nationwide, the sport is gaining in popularity. Justin was given the task of setting the two courses but ran out of hardware and this caused a navigational complication. At the end of lap one Sarnim had a trail of lost souls following him at a leisurely pace. There were about eight riders so recording race numbers was impossible, some of the riders turned about before reaching the start/finish area. Consequently lap 1 times are fictitious in some instances. As riders found the correct tracks and race speed the times for lap 2 onwards are more realistic.
So Sarnim led the way just as he had done at club champs on the weekend. Don’t know if the same intensity was there but he did enough to fend off a well performed young Ethan joining us for the first time. Joel slotted into third spot after his great results from the National Secondary Schools Champs in Auckland last weekend. Joel was second in the under 16 age group and so continues to fly the clubs flag at a very high level.
Tristan, Zahkhan and Keith also completed four of the longer laps in the allocated 50 minutes.
Newcomers and brothers Adam and Andrew Bidwell and Jed Washer were happy after two laps, and Ethan’s sisters Katie and Sophie Batt managed five laps of the shorter course. Lap times attached.
All in all a great way to round off the day and we hope to see another good turnout next week at the earlier time of 6 pm registration for a 6:30 race start.
For those of you with limitless energy and very deep pockets you may be interested in www.thepioneer.co.nz This is a week long stage race from Christchurch to Queenstown and looks as though it should cater for the extreme fraternity.