Michelle Bellamy

2011-05-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Check out the latest Spoke mag, issue 41. There are heaps of great articles and photography, and also a piece on me on pages 22-23.

2011-05-12T00:22:00.000-07:00

So I skipped work for a week and headed over to Golden Bay. Stunning. Beautiful weather and amazing photography. Got a wee bit of riding done over there which was very scenic, and spent much time hiking around with my camera. Also had a 3hr cold water leg soak whilst up to my undies photographing some great scenery. Ran along the beach, and did some yoga facing the sunset.
It was great to get out of the studio and enjoy the country, although now I must work nights to catch up!

2011-04-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

Southern Riding?

Lake Moananui, early morning, 50 meters from my front door.

I have been a bit slack with the updates recently. This NZ summer I have been staying away from the race scene a focusing on my weakness's and doing quite a large pile of work. Having minimal output last year with my painting due to the two big jobs and time overseas racing, I am feeling the need to put more work out there. On the other hand, I have had the chance to dabble in running, easy weights, pilates, yoga and now some squash. My coach has also been trying very hard to get me inspired to swim in the pool.
However at this time of year when we get our first snow falls down south I am finding it very hard to stay in my studio, and am considering a road trip south. The light, changing colours and unpredictable weather always make great photography. Also running and riding some awesome mountain ranges and new trails in the process makes so much more inviting. Where to go is the question? Meander down the west coast or head east and into Otago?

2011-04-04T02:33:00.001-07:00

Jamis Dakota D29 Review

This summer I test rode the Jamis Dakota D29er for a few months. Previously I had been riding the Jamis Dakota XCR a 26" bike. After a few rides to get used to the cornering I set up a short XC loop with lots of terrain variety to test one ride against another. The first hard lap I rode the 26" felt sharp and pulled out a good time. On the second lap I rode the 29er, while at race pace it 'felt' harder, like I was pushing a bit more dead weight, my lap time was actually about 20sec faster.
So I compared both bikes on sustained super tight downhills, the 26" came out much faster with more sharper handling. However on straight sweeping descents the 29er came out to play, and I could free wheel more yet hold speed.
Climbing was also a similar story each bike suited different terrain. The 29er was great on rough climbs and fine on long climbs. The 26 felt more responsive on punchy climbs.
I really liked the 29er for the fact that it rode rough single track with ease and made drop offs seem smaller. I also liked the fact that the BB clearance was slightly higher and I felt I could really lay the bike down around corners. The 26" was superior for tight, fast, quick reaction downhills and had faster acceleration.
Overall I would say each bike suited different terrain and different riding styles. I would recommend the 29er for endurance racing and rough open terrain. However I prefer the 26" for XC racing as it feels more responsive and twitchy which I like. Though it would be a hard decision on which bike I would take back to Colorado as the 29er would suit the back country terrain well. For the NZ races you will be seeing me on the 26".

2010-12-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

Jamis Xenith Team size 51 For Sale

It would fit a rider 160-180cm tall.

FRAME

Ultra-high modulus carbon fiber, Omniad fiber lay-up, SST tubing diameters, 1 1/8-1 1/2" head tube, BB30 OS BB shell

FORKSL ultra-high modulus carbon fiber, full 1-pc monocoque with 1.5" hollow crown & carbon dropouts

WHEELS

Mavic Cosmic Carbon SL wheelset

TIRES

Vittoria Diamante Pro folding, 23c

DRIVETRAIN

Shimano Dura-Ace 7900 derailleurs, Dura-Ace 7900 levers and FSA SL-K Lite

B30 crankset, 53/39

BRAKES

ETShimano Dura-Ace 7900 calipers with Shimano -Ace 7900 STI levers

COCKPIT3T Ergosum Pro 7050 alloy handlebars, 3T ARX Pro stem, 3T Doric Team carbon fiber seatpost & Fizik Airone CX saddle

Retails for $9999.99

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=369093677

2010-10-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

So, I have been very busy. I have converted another room in my house to a studio. Due to the fact that I am undertaking a 3.1m x 2.4 meter commisson, I need to have more working space.

The second studio, has my Dec exhibition coming together in it, while in the big studio I am prepping (high drama stretching raw linen) and preparing the big one.

I between this madness I have been enjoying the odd ride or two and even had a crack at some running. It has been raining here for ages with a couple of stunning days thrown in between, so the running is less time consuming and more pleasant to do in the wet.

The legs hurt most rides. A lot. I am forcing myself to pedal with a better technique so lots of ouchies. I don't see myself racing any time soon, as I'll be flat out with work until christmas, then I'll be moving studio.

So later this summer after all the big jobs are done and the tax bills paid, I might have to get out the race gear and get fast.

2010-09-23T23:52:00.000-07:00

Working working and working. The weather is raining raining and raining and I am a busy bee until christmas!

2010-08-28T17:05:00.001-07:00

Not good. At all.

2010-08-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I raced in the Bromont Canada cup. It was average from the start. I felt way too mellow and didn't really 'care' on the start line. I've had mechanicals in every race after Colorado. Everything is so worn out after a season in New Zealand then a constant thrashing in Colorado. I have been riding the mountain bike constantly, for the last 6 months.

So it really didn't help my head space, as I expected something to happen to my bike during the race. Unfortunately it did, my chainrings are thrashed and my chain jammed up a few times, but it was really no excuse I just wasn't in the right space, and my legs were not feeling the best to be honest.

I ended up just cruising 4 out of 5 laps rather than racing, although at least I did not pull out. The only thing that kept me going was the track, it was so fun that I just couldn't pull and had fun instead. I rode some more Bromont trails today, and I really love riding in this area.

2010-08-08T19:10:00.001-07:00

On Sunday I raced in the 6th Ontario Cup in Kelso, Toronto. 20 min before start I realised my rear valve was leaking-it was bent from customs repacking gear, oh yeah and my front shock has packed up too. I got a good start and took the lead into the bottom of the first climb. As I rounded the first corner I got caught by surprise-birthday boy, Locky was on the side of the track. I asked him if he was OK. He said no, but didn't say what was wrong. He had a broken chain we found out later, and I had the tool in my pocket.

I got into 3-4th place somewhere there, there was a bunch of 3 girls and two in view up the track.

At the end of my 1st lap my bottle cage came loose and I had to take it off. Lost the leaders doing that, and felt pissed off that I'd have to race with no water. So each lap I'd come through a very bumpy feed-zone, pause guzzle as much water as I could handle, lose a minute or so and keep going. I couldn't take any gels as I had no water to wash them down.

By the way some bright person decided to start all the other male grades behind the Elite Women, so we were surrounded, and had guys trying to get past that would sit in front of you and hold you up. I was getting angry by then. I was in no mans land surrounded by not so fast guys riding crazy.

Then one tried to slowly come past, hit something and slammed into me. I pinged over the bars, went flying, landed in the dudes bike with the dude and my bike on top of me, also on my sore side from previous big crash over bars. Untangled was steaming mad by then and continued.

Next lap I was still being annoyed by the guys, and then chain got caught, fell off and a train of 15 guys caught up and got in front. I was furious.

In the end I made it to the finish with a broken bike and a bruised me.

So now I have to see the bike doctor and nurse my Boo-boo's.

2010-07-30T13:19:00.001-07:00

2010-07-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

Elite Posers.

Start.

2010-07-11T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hurting badly during the XC race. Altitude makes it tough!

2010-07-06T09:55:00.001-07:00

A Photo is a thousand words-hence the lack of reports.

2010-07-05T15:04:00.001-07:00

2010-06-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

2010-06-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

Need I say more? Finally go pics of the wheelset I designed and helped build. I have ridden them around here and they roll very well, I'm doing similar speeds in training as if I were on the roady. These babies are coming with me to Colorado. I just could not be stuffed carting two bikes around like last time. At least with one if you get stranded you can throw your pack and spare wheels on your back and ride. (Although you may look like a camel.)

So I fly out Tues 15 June to sunshine, warmth and yes a bit of altitude. I'm sure I will suffer for the first couple of days. But I an't wait, and it'll be sooo good to leave the wet, cold countryside of New Zealand behind for the winter.

Bring on the tan-lines!

2010-05-24T02:49:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I headed over to Taupo for a brand new event- the Crank Taupo. I figured it was one I could not miss as it was a prime opportunity to ride some new trails. The local guys with JK in charge had been building some awesome trails around Mt Tauhara in Taupo.

The XC started at 10am with a random honk on a car horn that cut a conversation short between myself and Cabin. 5 min up the road and we hit some good singletrack, cow poops and lots of fun. There was some knarly, punchy tracks in the forest, so good to have something tight and challenging for a change. The rest of the race was a mixture of handmade tracks with a moto feel and a few short gravel sections thrown in, finishing with farm-style tracks. Very fun and much more interesting than the typical well-groomed North Is NZ tracks.

Anyway it was a race and it was hard, chasing a young fella around the whole time. I finished 1st women by a wee while and 15th overall in the XC.

I had a quick feed then jumped in the next shuttle for a few practice DH runs. I creeped down checking out all the lines (although I took a different one almost every run). It was a great DH, depending on how much

travel you had under your butt determined how fast you could push it. But it was all very ridable on my hardtail, and the top more technical bit was actually quite tight so it cut down the speed.

Over the afternoon I got progressively faster and my legs cramped more. I also got to race in the final where the start guy tried to commission a painting off me 10sec before my run. By that time the legs were feeling quite hammered and I managed to take another different line which was not the best idea. But I hung in there, kept my tyres on the ground (mostly) and got 3rd in the DH. That was a ok enough spot to grab the all mountain title. Yus! I like. Thanks everyone for organizing it, I will be back next year, and thanks to Cody for lending me her protective gear.

Then I went riding in Rotorua the next day and it rained soooo much and I got covered in mud and now I have to clean my bike!!! But it was fun.

2010-05-16T00:05:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to go...working like a mad person, riding around thunderstorms. I think the rain has settled in here to stay so good that I'm heading out on the 15th June. All booked and good to go. My project at the moment is building some sexy wheels for my mtb (I found some hot rims that I just couldn't resist). Well...I'm actually designing them, someone nice is doing the actual build! I wont say much more but everyone will want them!

I am heading to Colorado for the first month and a half or so. Should slaughter me with the high altitude races. Then heading to Toronto to catch up with some NZer then just cruising around out east from there. By the way rode some motocross tracks today. My gosh! They were very muddy (after a week of rain), but very fun, and in the dry there must be about 100+kms of unknown singletrack out there. I did need my garmin or I would have been a very lost and lonely madam!

2010-04-15T22:52:00.001-07:00

New race kit arrived this week, in time for the overseas season...very nice. Thanks to Tim at Tineli for a great job.

2010-03-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

2010-03-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

Oceania Champs. Legs just didn't turn up today, still battling with some bio mechanical issues. Felt great yesterday though. 8th Elite Woman.

2010-03-04T13:18:00.001-08:00

Hmmm...yes National Champs. Broken chain, still having very bad thoughts about it.

2010-02-22T00:32:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I raced in the 6th and final round of the NZ Cup series. It was held in Rotorua and the weather was perfect for racing. After more tinkerage with my bicycle I turned up not quite knowing what to expect. The last time I raced on a similar Rotorua track I was recovering from injury and not in good shape. But a bit further down the track and I was expecting much better outcome.

However the revised version of the track was pretty cool. Some fun downhills and 90% singletrack.

I knew the local girls were going to be hard to beat, it's a track that if you have it dialled you'll go pretty sweet.

The race was fun, longish and kept everyone on their toes till the end. Myself and Monique worked together for the first few laps, trying to rein in Eloise, who had taken off at the front. We got her into sight then she took off. I got quite a beating on the last lap when I launched a wee jump landed crazy-sideways and tensed. Ouchies massive cramp in right thigh, I had a yell and almost shed a tear. To sum it all up I came third, with Rotorua local ladies Eloise and Monique ahead.

2010-02-14T00:13:00.000-08:00

Pain, pain and some more. In my left diff. Ah fabulous I have now set up my pedals to what I think is perfectly but unfortunately I have to use both legs evenly now, which hurts my left butt quite a lot!

So I cruised up to Hamilton and did a spindalleridge on Saturday to try out the track for the first time ever, it was flat as a pancake with a bazillion corners thrown in. Did two laps felt rather lost then headed to Gavs place at the campground, where I proceeded to hog his floor-space with my big mattress. Had a shower the went back past the berry place on the way to the supermarket.

Over the next 24hrs I consumed almost 2kg of blueberries, yum yum yum, cleaned my bike and watched the winter olympics. Very exciting.

Woke up on race day after minimal sleep due to heavy rain, lumpy mattress and tree banging on roof. Watched more winter olympics, pooped blueberry coloured poos and then headed out to the race. The race was a rather terrible day for me, got a bad bad start, had minimal power output through left leg so that started hurting pretty early on, and wasn't to familiar with the track. For the first 3 laps I suffered, considered pulling, but figured it was a good training day in the saddle.

Weirdly enough the hip pain became ignorable about halfway through the 4th lap (switched to the feet) and I started to thank Chris that we were doing 5 laps. I then passed Raewyn - as she slowed then collapsed sideways off her bike in front of me, grinning and telling me she felt dizzy. Heat-stroke I guess, it was very hot, so I hollered to Sadie that she might need assistance. On the 5th lap I reeled another rider in, and did a sneaky, sitting on her through the parts I din't know then ditching her towards the end. After all that I ended up 5th and had thought that I was seriously out the ass, but was actually only 3 mins off the leader. A very very weird day.

2010-02-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

Just did the first race of the North Is round of the NZ MTB Cup in Tokoroa. It was hot, so hot that I emptied the majority of my bottles over my head, which worked nicely to keep me in the zone. But back to the start, did a grassy start loop where I just sat in, then got nearer to the single-track and I put on the gass. Managed to squeeze through into 1st place during the first lap, while Nic totally wiped out. Then Samara put on a surge and I jumped in behind her. We pretty much rode 30sec apart the whole race. According to spectators I started to wind her in around the 3rd and 4th lap.

However in the 4th lap my strong leg decided to pack a sad (I'd been playing with the other cleat and ignoring the left one, assuming it was correct) rather painful, but survivable. I have some lovely new Time MTB shoes which fit like a dream, just in the process of setting them up.

Other that that, it was a really fun race, I finished 3rd in Pro Elite women behind Nic and Samara. I liked the track and the distance was exactly the same as overseas racing which fits in well. A good change from the 2.20hr+ races distances.

Overall I am pleased with my race, it was a good hit out especially as I am still doing base training, tempted to hit some speed work, but we'll save that for later...

2010-01-24T12:14:00.000-08:00

I went over to the second race in the N-Duro series. After a very hard week my coach decided I needed to toughen up and do the 45km race. Whilst warming up my legs felt like bags of sand, and my left leg was exceptionally tired and sore, as I've been concentrating on evening up both legs (an unfortunate ongoing issue).

I had a good spot on the start line, but as we took off and rounded the second bend, Nic Leary bumped into me, I made a comment, and she pointed out that she was getting shoved to bits by an over-excited man. 3 seconds later, the guy got way too antsy and shoved me off my bike smack bang in front of 80 or so riders, almost taking Nic out in the process. So that was not the best start for sure. I picked up myself and my discarded bottle, got myself in order and took off. I ended up pretty much last into the singletrack and spent the first few Km's trying to pass people that didn't want to be passed.

At the start of the first downhill I passed Monique, who was having a decidedly more average day than me (we had a moan afterwards together about how mean our coaches are) and just tried to survive.

It was an unpleasant experience going up 3 sizable hills with soreness, and pretty much only one leg functioning. But the downhills and singletrack made it a bit sweeter, as I could stand up and move about on the bike much more. I ended up 6th in the open women's race, it was hard but a good training day in the saddle. It was another very well run event by the N-Duro guys, with a great turn out.

2010-01-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

Went for a spindallaridge in Rotovegas today. Rode the back and long way out to ride split-endz and pondys but it was all closed off due to logging. So kept on going and got bored so rode up this mint as new track we've found. Got to the top and found the sign with a no planting weed symbol on it, it was the Tuhoto-Ariki track. A very nice piece of riding I must say, even better backwards! Had a good play in the forest on the very responsive new carbon Jamis hardtail. Very nice!

2010-01-11T00:23:00.001-08:00

Cruised over to Rotovegas for some single-track action on the weekend. On the coaches orders I raced in the first round of the N-Duro series, in the 25km race. I got a speedy start off the line and was about 5th overall into the single-track. The course was quite fun, with good variety. I ended up riding with a group of about 5. We kept swapping and changing positions, and I got to play with some young spocket riders for a bit which was fun, but they sure could brush up on the technical side of things! Overall, had the first speed nudge since worlds and felt good finishing 8th overall and first lady. Will have to do the 45km next time as I got very hassled on the start line by Marcus. Also big thanks to him and all the N-duro organizers for a great event.

Fuffles

2009-12-27T21:40:00.000-08:00

2009-12-18T02:16:00.000-08:00

Hello world. If anyone checks this blog, I am still alive and will be using it a lot more as I've been re-vamping my work site and will have all my cycling stuff on here now. Updates on riding: got hit by car while going fast down a hill. Not a good thing to do, so have been sorting out a large insurance claim. But the great news, just before christmas too, I have got my hot new wheels, well actually two sets in fact if you count the insurance one. The carbon Jamis Dakota XC Team showed up today in the mail. Very nice. Very light and very sexy! Thanks Jamis. So I guess I will be sneaking out for lots of MTB rides over the next few days!! With the racing side of things, I am meandering over a few options at the moment, and will let you know what I am doing when I finally know-probally a couple of days before I fly out...

2009 World Champs Update 001

2009-08-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Have been in Canberra, hangin around the Worlds course and taking spins past kangaroos with babys in their pouches, and large noisy white birds. We all arrived on the monday, took a spin and hit the supermarket. Mean feed!
The next day we squished into Gavs car and made a track to the course. The course needs a bit of getting used to. We cruised around for the first lap, myself riding like a nana (you have to get a bit aggressive on this one) and checked out all the lines. The second lap was much smoother, although you need to put in some max effort to get over some parts, and we were still a bit iffy on one of the decents called the Hammer Head.
Over the next few days we continued to go over our lines and up the speed on the technical parts. We, and everyone else but the Aussies had a bit of a gathering around the Hammer Head and got a bit rowdy watching everyone attempt it. We snuck out early the next morning, avoiding the crowds around the Hammer Head and we all rode it a few times, trying to up the speed while keeping it nice and smooth. Yesterday we just cruised around the big lake here, saw the sights and passed the Swiss, French and Netherlands teams doing the same thing going the other way.
Today it is more dismal, it rained last night and its still trying to with a drop to the temperature. Were getting ready to head up to the track soon, avoiding the crowds again, as the rest of the team arrived yesterday and they want to go over the course in peace. Were all pretty satisfied with it and reckon we have the course dialled, might do a bit of a skid today, in the rain.

Tour of Tarinaki

2009-06-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Day One-Stage 1 and Stage 2
Woke up to a stunningly beautiful, clear morning, but as we drove around the mountain the weather got decidedly more menacing. We rocked up to the T.T. as a breeze got up, it clouded over and dropped from 10 degrees to 4 degrees. After a chilly warm up, all the skin suit clad roadies started crankin out some fast times around the 8km circuit.
As to be expected from a mountain biker with a terribly upright position, no skin suit or queer-spares I clocked a desperately awful time. I figured I’d ignore the the fact I cant time trial to save myself and focus on having a nice time freezing my butt off over the next few days.
I think it actually cooled down for the afternoon stage (if possible) and then the rain came down. It was as flat as a pancake, with almost 60 of us trying to stay on the left side of the white line (or else)!!! We rode around like a bunch of drowned rats, getting a bit strung out at times, but pretty much stayed together. I just made sure I didn’t stray to far from the front and got 8th overall in the sprint and 2nd women.
Day Two-Stage 3 and Stage 4
The next day it was colder and snow was on the forecast for the afternoon. There were a few hills chucked into this stage to make things more interesting. People started to ping off the back as we climbed throughout the race. On the last wee climb the remaining bunch totally disintegrated and we ended up in packs of 3-5. I’m not sure where I finished overall, but as the 3rd chick across the line. Back into the car, crank up the heater and dry out the clothes.
An hour or so later it was back into the riding gear for another frigid blast. As the A grade started so did the sleet. I decided I had a much better chance of "warming up" if I stayed in the car with the heater on full blast. We got off to a pretty average start, however the wind had changed and gotten quite a bit stronger.
I almost packed my pants when a few super-strong gusts blasted my deeper dish wheels and I got a bit sideways. A nice man next to me said it was ok to crash into him, and that he’d catch me, so I gathered some courage and kept ploughing along. This stage was very rolly, fast paced in parts and extordanarily slow into a massive headwind. Then it snowed. On us.
Again on the homeward climb the bunch broke, but about 10-15 of us got away. So it was a sprinty finish. I was in the top 10 and 1st female.
Day Three-Stage 5
Woke up to a beautiful day, although a bit nippy. Had a good warm-up in anticipation of a fast climb not far into the race. Got to the climb, bunch went so slow that there was a crash. Got around it and stuck to the pointy end of the bunch for the rest of the race. We dropped a good part of the bunch as we hit the hills. Then cows. Yes. We got to one of the more major climbs and had to wait for baby cows to walk halfway up the hill. Meanwhile the dropped people caught us. Got past the cows, re-dropped the previously dropped people and continued on.
On the last hill it got nasty. I didn’t help myself much starting the climb from the back of the bunch. Silly me. Got a bit strung out over the top, lost a few more people, but I managed to bridge back to the main bunch which left it to another sprint finish. A very clueless man decided to yank the brakes on as the sprint went, therefore cutting the other woman and myself off. She tucked in behind me then hopped around for the finish, giving me 2nd female.
So after all that I came 19th overall in C grade, 2nd woman, froze my pants off and toughened up a bit. Must work on that T.T……..NOT, I’m a mountain biker, I belong in the hills!

...and the racing begins

2009-05-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

After cruising over to the beautiful Hawkes Bay for the weekend, for gurly gossip and re-inventing my tan-lines with some club racing and bunch riding in balmy conditions, the racing begins with the WBOP half distance road champs and the Tour of Tarinaki. I am feeling like such a roadie right now. I think my mountain bike has cobwebs gathering around the cables!!!
We had the most amazing weather for the WBOP road champs, and the turn-out was great. I managed to get my friend, Shiree's flu earlier on in the week, so I still felt a bit stuffed up and left a massive snail trail of snot around the course. But the weather was so nice, that I kept on riding and managed to get a silver medal in the elite women. Yay! Then continued on to eat my way through a huge selection of cake and bikkies afterwards.
So now I'm just chillin out and thinking about the fact that in a few days the weather will turn to crap and I will be slogging my way around the Tarinaki region on my wonderfull road bike. I'm crossing my fingers that there won't be any side winds as my wheels have slightly deeper rims that could cause me to go airbourne. Should be fun and will give me an excuse to eat more food.

Pasta Blasta

2009-04-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

Just letting everyone know that Mike Northcott, and myself are organizing a night-ride, series race in Cougar Park, Tokoroa every Monday night (apart from Queens Brithday weekend). We are using the proceeds of this series to help fund both of us to go to the World Mountain Bike Champs later in the year.
The series starts on the first Monday of May (4th) and continues untill the last monday of June (29th). The races will start at 6pm with the winning time being 30min. The tracks are awesome, and have had heaps of work done to them recently, and there will be three different loops over the eight weeks. There are spotprizes at each race and overall series prizes, with a 'bag of cash' for the winners. The big attraction is a pasta feed, and hot showers available after the race, before you head home. Entry is $25.00 per race, or you can enter all eight for a cheaper rate.
Please come everyone, it will be heaps of fun, and there will be heaps of sparkly arrows out there so you wont get lost! Check it out at: http://pastablasta.blogspot.com/

2009-04-18T01:14:00.000-07:00

Jamis Xenith Team, a very nice ride!

2009-04-12T01:52:00.000-07:00

So Far in 09'
So far on 09' I have done a few local races as a build up for National Champs and Oceania Champs, unfortunately got a flu two days out from National Champs, was in bed the two days leading up to the race and got no sleep, started the race, three of us were battling it out for first, I got a mechanical, then I pulled with breathing probs and other nasty flu effects. This put more pressure on me to perform at the Oceania Champs, in order to get selected for the World Champs team. In Aussie I felt average on the day (probally the altitude), and got stuck behind at the start, but hung in and pushed it hard on the last lap to take the win, and therefore securing my place on the 2009 World Champs team.

2007-05-23T02:36:00.000-07:00

Summary of the 2007 National Series
My goals for the ‘07 National Series were to finish top 5 in as many races as possible and gain a top 5 overall ranking.
The ‘07 National Series started with a steep roady style course in Cadrona, Queenstown. The track had improved from the previous year, with a wicked down hill. However the unrelenting climbs proved too much for me and I finished 8th.
Dunedin was a different story, the first time I pre-rode the course I felt strong and confident on it, really carving up the down hills. On race day the weather decided to pack it in. It reminded me of ‘05. One of the main climbs was unrideable, and the downhill was very sketchy. The mud stuck to the bike and clogged it up so bad I had to dump it in the river during the race. I had a great race though, battling it with Jenny Smith on the third lap and finishing 5th.
I was prepared to be physically challenged in Rotorua. The track was relenting, leaving little time to drink and recover. I hung in there and crawled home to finish 7th.
The first half of the Auckland course reminded me of riding in Canada, full on and rooty. The second half was a hot slog out in the open, with a super fast, loose and dusty downhill. I had a speedy start off the line, got chased around by the Scottish chick, and finished 4th.
I wasn’t sure what to expect for Wellington, though I’d been told it would be hilly. It was. There was climb after climb. The downhills in between saved me, as they were fast and bumpy which kept me ahead of Nina Trass for the first 3 laps. However she out-climbed me in the fourth which put me in 5th place.
I felt faster and stronger towards the end of the series and feel satisfied with a 5th place overall ranking.

2007 National Championships
The race in Nelson was mapped out over some of Nelsons funkiest xc downhills and challenging climbs. On race day the weather decided on showers, so the clay open climb was cut out and a gravel road substituted. Up till about half an hour before the race I was not sure wether or not to race Elite U23 or the Elite grade as the organisers were not sure about the selection criteria. I decided to race Elite U23, the race was a very short one 2 laps instead of 3, and I came 2nd to Carissa Wilkes. The hardest thing was watching the Elite race and wanting to be battling it out with the others.

2007-05-22T14:32:00.000-07:00