Summer’s Here!
If the dusty trails and oppressive humidity are anything to go by, it’s definitely summer. It’s great to be able to leave the vests and arm warmers in the draw week after week and not have to plan your riding around the weather. The lights have been off the bikes for ages already, and the only thing I’ve really got to complain about is the wind (which I do, to the continued annoyance of those who are most often around me…).
It’s funny because one minute I feel like the season is right around the corner (complete with thoughts of ‘but I’m not ready yet!’) and the next it seems like it’s never going to arrive (complete with thoughts of ‘but I’m amped now!’). It’s different this season with the revised format of ‘nationals’. The split in to two Island Cups has meant the races are more spread out than in the past so all the competitors are having to decide which races they’re going to do. The obvious choice for me is the North Island Cup and it’s handy to have it followed immediately by National Champs, here at home on Mt Vic.
The summer schedule looks like this:
16 December - Mid North Island Champs final - Napier: 2 laps of a 21km course in Eskdale Forest
28-30 December - Tour de Femme - Nelson: 3 day, 5 stage tour including Takaka hill climb TT, circuit race, road race, 14km ITT, second road race on day 3 to finish
20 January - SI Cup 3 - Waipara: 5 laps of one of NZ’s finest XC loop courses (where I have unfinished business)
27 January - NI Cup 1 - Opotiki: 2 laps of a 20km course - pre-ride is unlikely…
2 February - NI Cup 2 - Rotorua: similar course to round 4 in 2007 - Vegas single track…
10 February - NI Cup 3 and final - Palmerston North: K-loop action returns to nationals racing.
16 February - National Champs - at home on Mt Vic.
1 March - Karapoti (sub-3?)
15 March - Oceanias - Nelson. Selection is based on national champs - my goal for the season is to qualify for the NZ team.
So, it’s a big season. And on one hand I’m starting to reflect on the year that’s been while on the other I’m amping to get moving on the next chapter.
Hey Lisa
That sounds like an awesome line up of races this season. All the best for the Eskdale final this Sunday. I hope the season is a successful and injury free one. We look forward to having you at “one of NZ’s finest XC loop courses” in January
Craig