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Authors: Mike White & Sifty Tom
The ” Mud Team” set off in high spirits for our 10:30 PM ferry . Having been well and truly ripped off for our tickets, on a crap boat that was an hour late. We arrived in the south island at 2:30am in the middle of Cyclone Drena. As usual we had nowhere to stay so drove for a couple of hours to find a particularly hard and uncomfortable site to pitch our borrowed ‘3 man tent’. Fits one comfortably, 3 yeah right.
Waking half an hour after my team mates at 6 am, with a grand total of 2 ½ hours sleep. We drove into Havelock for a toasty sandwich for breakfast. Driving on through to Nelson battling the cyclone and Mike Mayne’s sketch driving (hanging it out in the pissing rain may do for delivering pizzas but is not appreciated qualities in a team driver). As we drove past the “Welcome to the sunshine capital” sign a particularly heavy downpour of rain found its way into the car through the numerous leaks wetting our legs.
Driving past a rather damp Tahuna Beach with the surf pounding over the road we spotted who was to become one of the trips full on sponging free loaders, Anna (ex-significant other of Team Coach/ Manager/ Mechanic (for the car) and sport class representative, Tom). Whom we stupidly picked up, not knowing the financial ruin it would lead to.
For extreme cross training and pre race build up Mike M, Tom and free loader one went tramping in Nelson Lakes for four days, meeting up with another sponging free loader in St Arnaud, Jane, Mikes current girlfriend. While Mike W returned the team vehicle to the race venue (visiting a few relies on the way).
On casual questioning on race venues and course layout we were led to believe that Area 51 had been moved to Nelson and the race was being held around the alien craft it self. Pre riding of the course was out of the question unless you had written permission from the Pentagon. However when Mike turned up for a casual ride at the venue to discover the local favourites all had inside knowledge and busy practicing the DH and XC courses. Fortunately they were more than happy to show Mike W the one true path.
The course started and finished at Branford park, 500m from the main street of Nelson. First climbing steeply up 4wd track for a few hundred metres before descending down some fast single track to Botanical park, one of the most primo looking lawns you’ll see. Swinging back into the single track and a stair section ,climbing to the summit and lookout for the wrongly titled ‘Centre of New Zealand’ ( the real centre of NZ in fact lies about 100km south but isn’t located very well as a tourist trap). From here were great views of Tasman Bay and Nelson city, before dropping down a short but steep and rooty dropoff to the last climb of the circuit. (Note from Tama : this same dropoff broke Tom's fingers about 2 years after this story - he was demonstrating how to do techincal drop offs "properly") A flat and gentle middle ring climb for mighty Team Mud riders (a steep and technical climb for your grandmother on ferreno) .With continued views of Nelson and unrestricted sun access. This all ends rather nastily with vicious bike carry and die section before hitting the top of the last downhill, this also formed the top of the DH course. Starting in open fast farm land dropping into a tight and technical singletrack filled with switchbacks and grotty rocky bits.
After several days of sifting in the sun and pre-riding the course, Mike W cruised on back to pick up the trampers. Turning up to the road end finding four wet and cold trampers huddling in the shelter in their sleeping bags. Mike returned remaining members of Team Mud Mike and Tom (and free loaders) to Nelson and palatial accommodation at Mikes grandparents. Here the full on free loading began for the free loading spongers who had failed to organise any where to stay in nelson for that week, assuming that Team Mud would sort it for them, along with chauffeuring them all over the upper south island.
Mike White abandoned his team uniform for the DH preferring the added style and ventilation of his trusty Hawaiian shirt and surf baggies. Mike managed a respectable middle of the field placing on his trusty cross country steed, in a field dominated by big travel bikes (Mike had two inches of leaking front suspension, and an Aluminium hardtail).
Come race day Team Mud were on form, Mike Mayne had toasted his knee tramping ,demolished his seat-post and snapped his brand new XTR shifter practising the dropoff. Tom was battling a windpipe infection , had burnt out his tire on the car exhaust and was deeply hurt by cutting jibes about riding an XTR bike in sport class. And our resident spongers wanted a lift to the airport in the middle of the race program. Tom managed 6th in his race in perfect weather, with the cheering crowds screaming for a Mud victory.
Come 2pm, with the free loaders long gone, and Toms' shifter transferred to Mike bike, it began to rain. As the call came up for bike scrutinising , the Mikes were beginning to believe they had bitten of more than they could chew by entering Pro Elite. With rumours of burgling Euros in N.Z to pick World Cup ranking, and an abundance of factory teams with gleaming new bikes, the Mikes were fully freaked. When the stickers were placed on the frames and wheels, to prevent illegal swapping of parts, Mike and Mike were confused as to who had the money to have spare parts. Come start time the sun was out and the Mikes were cowering at the back of the start line up. However their fears were soon put to rest , with Mike white moving towards the top ten and Mike Mayne in close pursuit. Then came the rain turning the fast and technical course into a mud laden hell that drove roadies and other soft riders away in droves. Leaving only the hardcore to complete the race. With Mike White having worked his way up to 7th place, Before puncturing letting through recently passed GT rider and Mike Mayne and one other. The positions remained the same for till the finish.
Team Mud showed up those Euro posers and factory tossers, with Mike Mayne in the top ten at 9th and Mike White in 11th
All and all one of the best organised races Team Mud has had the pleasure of attending Thanks to Nathan’s awesome organisation and Nelsons weather.
10 Things we learnt
