A MEMORABLE MAYHEM

The results are in and The Bike Mechanic Team came in a very respectable 30th place in the Sport Men's Category, out of a total of 229 teams, completing 25 laps in 24 hours and 7 seconds!

This year the course was 14km long with 350m of climbing, making it a pretty tough course. The Kenda Climb was once again in attendance - a brutal 150m climb over a distance of 1.8km, which consisted of a rutted grassy climb to start, then a steep gravel road climb and then onto some singletrack - plenty to keep the legs and mind occupied. There were a few interesting descents to make it worth the climbs, although some would disagree!

The weather forecast looked good for the weekend with just a few showers, so everything was crossed in Team HQ that we didn't get a repeat of Mountain Mayhem 2008. After a steady practice lap on Friday, the traditional pre-race preparations got underway - BBQ, some light refreshment and socialising with friends who had gathered in our little tent village for the weekend.

Saturday morning came with the seemingly endless wait for the 2pm start, giving plenty of time for the pre-race nerves to kick in. With some light showers during the night came the inevitable mud and after seeing some riders come back from their practice laps covered in sticky mud, panic set in. Did I have the right tyres? Did I have enough clothes? Would it be a repeat of last year's nightmare? So many questions, and so much time to think about all the answers.

Finally it was time for the starting line-up. We decided between us that Mark should do the Le Mans style run and start this year. Mark being the stronger runner would get a headstart from the main pack of riders and give us a strong, fast, first lap. And with a storming 56 minute first lap, the plan worked, and it was time for me to take the second lap in 51 minutes. We were on to a strong start and with Andrew and Jon following on with 56 and 55 minute laps, I had a feeling that things were looking good for the Team.

We continued lapping in sub-hour times until the early hours of the morning when we had some rain, which created some sticky and others slippery sections around the course. Nevertheless, the course remained rideable, and mostly enjoyable.

Once mid morning came, we were on the home straight and we knew we were in for a strong finish. With 3 hours to go, we calculated that if we were quick we would be able to squeeze an extra lap in at the end, but it would be tight. What we didn't appreciate was how tight it was going to be. After Jon's fast last lap the time on the official clock said 23h:07m:08s, meaning Mark would need to complete a sub 53 minute lap. His fastest lap was 50 minutes 42 seconds, so we knew he could do it, but could he do it after already completing 6 fast laps? Our race was on and he set off at blistering pace out of the arena. I was already dressed and ready to ride, and when we saw Mark pass the halfway point on the Kenda climb in 25 minutes, it was time to go and wait in the arena.

It was probably the longest 5 minutes of my life, watching the clock count down to 24 hours. Each tick got steadily louder and all I could focus on was the final corner and straight of the course, looking out for any sign of Mark. Then all of a sudden he appeared and was sprinting towards the change-over point, but it was too late, the hooter went, just as Mark came within 10 metres of the line. The look of disappointment on his face was devastating to see, but he had given it everything, and had finished in style!

The Mayhem this year will not be forgotten in a hurry, and for me, it was one of the best. The Team were excellent, and thanks for all their hard work, not only completing the laps in quick times, but also for being great team mates and friends. Huge thanks go to our support, Louisa and Charlotte, and Anne who joined us for the weekend!

As well as a good performance from The Bike Mechanic Team, there were even better results from good friends of ours. Matt Page, riding for Focus/Wiggle finally realised his dream of winning the 24-hour Solo Men's Category, and even proposed to his fiancé Nia at the finish line! And also, congratulations to Jo Evans, who came 2nd in the 24-hour Solo Women's Category.

Full results can be found on the Original Source Mountain Mayhem website.