Corrieyairack 2008 .. updated ..

posted by Dave, Friday, July 18, 2008

The little pothole that did for Dave on the Corrieyairack

The Corrieyairack Challenge .. a 43 mile Mountain Bike Charity event over the Corrieyairack Pass … (a General Wade ‘road’ in Scotland over a very high pass ..) .. we do this as a Team event .. Mike, Kieth and Myself + Claire as our Helper (all teams have to have someone to help on the day .. Thanks Claire :-) ..) … It was great weather wise … I was determined to stay up at the front as there is a bottleneck a couple of miles in .. so I went off with the front-runners (or front-bikers ?) .. anyway .. this worked and I was up there in the top 20 and improving my position … infact one of the few people to overtake me on the very long (10 mile 2500 foot) climb .. was Mike ! … evidently the ROCK that I’d found in my pack before the start (that Mike & Kieth had put there … ) .. was no longer slowing me down !

I could see Mike all the way to the top .. so only perhaps 5 minutes down on him … very good so far as I’m usually quicker on the road section … I hare down the descent … unusual this as I’m going past people ??? .. still .. I feel in control .. I think I’m in control .. I’m concentrating .. it’s going fine .. UNTIL .. whoooaaaa .. I’m Flying (literally) through the air … front wheels gone into a hole I didn’t see and launched me at high speed over the bars … I try to fold up into a ball .. but …. WALLOP .. smack into the ground … chest first … wind knocked out of me .. just to add to the torment the bike lands on top of me from a great height leading to other injuries .. I lie there .. legs gone into serious cramp .. totally winded .. thinking.. ’that’s it .. it’s mountain rescue time’

.. but after a couple of minutes .. I stagger upright … 2 guys I’d past ages ago gingerly come past me .. one asks if I’m OK … stupid question :-) … check the bike over (Cube AMS Carbon) .. can’t blame the bike .. bad driving ! .. bike’s OK .. start off again .. get down the technical sections to tarmac ..Hurrah ! .. but can’t ride properly for the injured ribs .. still .. battle on into the wind .. change to road wheels and continue the final 25 miles .. I’m suffering with the injuries ..not moving as fast as I should be .. but I’m still overtaking people somehow ?? .. I finish in 13th place .. about 10 minutes behind Mike (in 7th) .. and to the amazement of Claire who didn’t think I was that fast ! .. I wasn’t fastest senior vet though… that guy was 4 minutes ahead of Mike .. and he used Tri-Bars on his bike ! (is that cheating ??) .. anyway .. we’re going to do that next year … and I’m going to try really hard not to fall off !
Great Fun ! .. we all went to the Laggan Wolftrax centre the next day .. we were too tired to give it a real go !!
Piccy of the Hill Ghillies team at the race end below ..