The mont

[villy]

So who went and how did you find it?? This was my first mont well first xc race for that matter and i loved it. I am really sad its over and am alredy looking forward to next year. Maybe next time ill have gears:p
So post your thoughts on the race.
Yes and a big thankyou to CORC and to all the helpers.:)
VIlly
OH and i was the guy in the picachu suit:D

[scratchy]

Good to hear. A little more on the weather.

Was it Hot?
Was it Cold?
Was it Snowing?
Was it Hailing?

Or was it just all of the above?

Don't forget the Kona 24 in Vic. Early December a cracker of a track.

[fred the emu]

it rained, it was cold, and windy and the track was muddy.
And a tree fell over

[...jim]

it rained, it was cold, and windy and the track was muddy.
And a tree fell over

Or in other words, it was tops! It's been very wet in Canberra and the ground was not in much of a mood to soak up a lot of new moisture, hnece when 6.5mm fell on Friday it turned a bone-dry and perfect track into something that wasn't. That said, although it was muddy - with a couple of VERY muddy bits - the course held up unbelievably well. Props to CORC and Paul Cole.

It did get cold on Sat night - though only down to about 2 or 3, nothing like the -6 of 2003. The course started in pretty reasonable shape, went off a bit at night (as did most people's riding) then came good again with the sunlight - save a few bog holes that you could easily lose half a bike in.

Infact I heard of one shagged solo rider who's bike got so stuck that he walked back to transition after failing to free it! Perhaps one for mythbusters, but I know I had to haul pretty hard - and more than once - on the two occations my forward momentum was halted hub-deep.

Great weekend though! Different to all the previous races, challenging conditions, but far from hellish!

[porter_111]

Well Done to all the CORC people who organised the event and especially to the people who did all the track work. For a track like that to handle all those laps in those conditions, really showed what an awesome job the team did.

I haven't ridden in mud that tacky before. It really got hard pushing the pedals around to keep on moving towards the end of the lap. It also made for exciting slippery times during the extra showers on the early sunday morning.

The food options were brilliant this year. I don't plan on taking any food or cooking equipment next year due to such good facilities.

It was our team tent that was under the Pine tree that fell over. Happy to report that noone was injured (very lucky). All we lost was one Easy-Up and one tool kit which is now firmly wedge under the base of the tree if anyone is keen enough to go or chop it out. For some reason we had all the team bike out from under the easy up at that stage and noone was standing around near it. The large tree managed to get wedged in another tree a few metres from the ground, so saved three tents, a caravan and a camper who were all in its path.

Everyone better start planning teams for next year, based on the smiling faces I saw everywhere at the end of the race, everyone will be back next year and spaces will fill up in record time.

Lets hope its a dry track !

[demo man]

provisional results can be found here (http://www.corc.asn.au/news/index.asp#347)

from my perspective it was a very good but very tiring event.

i was there from Thursday morning setting up fences and tables and tents, and then i was on traffic control for a lot of friday (untill 11:30pm), then i was back at traffic control on saturday from 6:30am, then i was doing some marshalling at timing/transition for most of saturday, saturday night and then sunday morning. and tthen traffic duty for a few hours after the race had finished too.

plus fixing power problems of all sorts and dealing with a lot of questions from the wonderful and in most cases very polite public.

have a look at the news item i will post up in the CORC area for some more info from me.

i hope all of you enjoyed yourself thourougly, and i hope that you all decide to come along next year!

[fred the emu]

yer although it was muddy and a bit cold i still had a ball and the night rides were awsome fun and ill definatly be back next year.:D

[sammydog]

When it started raining I was bloody thankfull that my team had a rule that if it rained at night, we slept.

So from around 1am to 4:30, we all slept.

We didn't win.

All in all, an awesome weekend and I will be back next year.

[villy]

Well does anyone have a picture(s) oh me riding in my suit becuas i dont have any:(
Cheers
Havrvest on

[2 smooth 4 u]

will i would pay to see photos of u in lycra this is gonna be so funny
how did u go did u beat all the weight weenie xc races on ur ss dj bike

[villy]

sam i didn't wear lycra ok i dont have any. ANd it was ok my my bike i just couldnt ride up any of the big hills:p

[cossack]

That again was a lot of fun.
On my first lap I almost cleaned up a large skippy above the switchbacks and on my second lap at 3am it was snowing.
The mud did get a little possessive at times and two hands were required to retrieve the bike from it grip.
We didn't win either. What I do need to do for next year is to put as much effort into training as I do organising the team.
The team is now looking at the gravity 12 hour, maybe.

[villy]

It was snowing!!!!:eek: How heany was it?

Vily Harvest on

[demo man]

www.pixelpics.com (maybe .au) were in attendance and have taken nearly 5000 pics, i'm sure one of them is of you!

they'll be up in not too long.

here are some random stats put together by CORC's fantastic equipment manager and timing guru Russ Baker:

445 Riders Av Age 34.04 (last year was 2176)
Male 2107 Av Age 34.46
Female 338 Av Age 31.41

Riders on Track 612

Laps Completed 8621
Distance Ridden 164,747 Km = 4.11 times around the Earth.

Total attendees:
6,500 people
2,500 cars

Rider by State/Country is attached as a pdf report (in other post)

Campsite areas:
Main (north) 30,000 Sq metres
3/4/6 (south) 160,000 Sq metres

Corporate Marquees used: 40


have a look at my post in the CORC area of Farkin for some more stats! http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?p=487965#post487965

[demo man]

wow, i didn't know it snowed this year!

it snowed in the minus 6 degree race in 2003, but since then it has been comparitivley warm (this year was about 2 or 3 degrees at minimum).

[cossack]

demo

The snow was very very light and only for a short time.
When I got home sunday night there was 3 inches of snow on the ground and Canberra is only 100 kms north of here.
I thought CORC had put on just for me.

[BrumbyJack]

Hey Villy!!! I didn't get a pic of you, but I definitely saw you ride through transition in your pikachu suit!!! The announcer said you were a bumblebee :rolleyes:

Lucky about the fallen tree, that could have been very nasty. Was it during the night or day?????

[demo man]

i beleive it happened on Sunday morning, thinking back to seeing Paul Cole walking past me holding a chainsaw with a wild look on his face! plus all the chatter over the radio made it easy to know what was going on.

a very lucky thing that it didn't hurt anybody indeed! it could have been a lot uglier!

[Smiker]

Yeah I made the annual sojourn to the mont, and our team was denied big time. This was to be my 6th Mont (and it still was!) and 8th 24hr race. But we just didn;t have the right combination of luck etc on our side! But what a race, solo male and female categories were closely fought, as were many of the other categories, and with a massive field of riders too. A big congratulations to CORC again for stepping up and excelling their previous years event year after year.

So what happened to our team? One gun rider has a saddle sore vying for its own postcode (hence he pulled the pin fater 2 laps), I broke a pawl in my freehub (19km duathlon!) in my first lap and flatted on my next lap. I don't think my rim enjoyed being ridden on. And after that, the weather cracked us at about 1:30am. A shame we didn't check results though, as we'd made up some lost ground and were in 4th. But you live and learn!

I hope everyone else enjoyed their race. How good was the greengrocers set up? fresh food was a bonus...

Smiker

[PDogg]

Well Smiker, you beat us!

I came back from my first arvo lap and was informed the others had made the executive decision that we would all be doing one night lap only, and then recommence once the sun came out. If I'd been there for the comittee meeting i would have voted no, but since I'd been absent I just had to go with the status quo. Damn, no mud fest riding in rain at 3 in the morning for me!

Once DJ did his dawn lap and the course was a swamp we all decied to complete the super soft approach and call it quits. What a bunch of slackers!

[Smiker]

That's why we often call ourselves the Princess Dream Team I suppose. We pulled out when it got muddy and cold! Oh well. It's the first time I've done it, and it will be the last too.

Smiker

[dilemma]

I hope everyone else enjoyed their race. How good was the greengrocers set up? fresh food was a bonus...



Agree with you on that one, I had the pumpkin soup and damper roll for lunch on Saturday, it was delicious! Hot pasta with loads of parmesan cheese went down well for tea after my evening lap as well :)

We had a corporate team with 8, we planned it to have 2 laps each and then ended up with time for an extra lap. I headed out at 4pm and 4:40am - waking up after hearing it rain during the night was a struggle! until I checked outside my tent and saw that it wasn't raining after all.

That lap was fun, half in darkness until the sun came up, with the ground still veeeery soft from the night's rain!

I loved it, had a great time.

Last year, I was so sore I couldn't even ride my bike back to the car park. I got in the car and said "I'm never doing that ever again!" (I was in a team of 3 girls last year).

I rode my roadie to work the very next morning and by that afternoon, I was saying "that was so mcuh fun! I can't wait to do it again!!" Hehehehe suckers, aren't we!

But huge props to all involved in getting it up and running, and spent the hard yards out in the cold at marshalling points, timing tent, car parking attendants, and everyone else involved.



...


Got mud? :p

[chuckrockswell]

how good were the fucking chicken and roast pumpkin pies!!!

they were the shit. the hightlight of my entire weekend actually.

[nick]

hey villy i think we were camped across the track from you in your picachu suit and it was only 10m behind my tent where the tree fell it was bloody loud! We were winning the male skools category the whole race till ash's lights stuffed up 12km into the lap so he came back we lost a lap and an hour 40 to kyneton. was awesome fun though. feels good different to club races in the fact i did lap not getting passed once but pasing at least 50 people makes youy feel good :D . I loved the track though a shame it wasnt perfect and fast like on my practise lap on friday. how funny was everyone falling off the bridge(wouldnt be so funny if it was me!!!) nah i cant wait for next year gotta beat kyneton. Oh and our name was 8 mini metrosexual mountainbikers. and i did my first lap in a shirt and tie with "nick likes the pink" written on the back in pink.

[villy]

Yeah were you guys right across the path from us sitting next to the track with the pink stuff on your faces?

[sammydog]

how good were the fucking chicken and roast pumpkin pies!!!

they were the shit. the hightlight of my entire weekend actually.

Well that explains the funky smell in my tent anyway.

Great weekend and great track. I'll be back for more next year for sure.

[FR Drew]

The folks cheating by cutting sections of the course was pretty farked up. It was some of the faster riders out there too.

I know of one person who reported it only to get told "shush". Guess they didn't want the mood of the event being spoiled by the cheating being publicised.

Personally, I don't get why folks would cut the course to cheat. What, you did more laps than someone who was riding a longer course than you? And that proves what? Ditto if you have a shorter lap time. I just don't get it.

The event itself, the infrastructure, the course, the facilities etc was awesome as usual. This was my third Mont 24 and although the weather didn't do the course any favours things were kept really well together. Congrats to all.

Except the wankers cheating by taking short cuts.

[demo man]

we did as much as we could to stop cheating, unfortunately it was possibly not quite enough, but hey, if all of you still had a great time then what does it matter?

Con's place was awsome (fruit place with pie's etc.)!

his normal place out at Gulburn has:

fruit store
cafe
bike store
bed and breakfast

!!!!!!!!!
jack of all trades - except he is master iof ALL as opposed to none!
a really nice bloke too.


you know, i will probably be racing next MONT myself, and i'll have a weight weenie (and price weenie to some extent) XC rig in my collection soon, mainly due to this event!
so much fun! even if i didn't actually get to see any of the track other than the fireroad near transition!

[alchemist]

even if i didn't actually get to see any of the track other than the fireroad near transition!

Here's some of what you missed then...

http://singlespeed.smugmug.com/gallery/871986

[tjb]

The folks cheating by cutting sections of the course was pretty farked up. It was some of the faster riders out there too.

Except the wankers cheating by taking short cuts.

Well I didn't see a single corner get cut. Were people cutting full sections of singletrack and staying on the fireroads ??

[chuckrockswell]

there were definitely faster, 'cleaner' lines out there off the main trail..... not sure if thats classified as cheating as such though. if people were cutting out sections, then it really needed to be bunted better.

so long as its inside the tape then its up to the riders interpretations - dems da rulz.

[villy]

Yeah are you talking about just cutting round the mud or compleatly out of the coarse?
Heheheh i found a photo f me:D

[The_Hoff]

It was an excellent event as always and a great track, which I thought (as most people have) held up remarkably well given the amount of traffic and the conditions.

The folks cheating by cutting sections of the course was pretty farked up. It was some of the faster riders out there too.


A bit dissapointing to hear this and I hope it didn't actually happen???? I know on Sunday morning some of the faster riders were riding out halfway around the course on their rest breaks to cheer on particular solo riders. This may have led some people to think they were cutting the course?

there were definitely faster, 'cleaner' lines out there off the main trail..... not sure if thats classified as cheating as such though. if people were cutting out sections, then it really needed to be bunted better.

so long as its inside the tape then its up to the riders interpretations - dems da rulz.

That's correct, different lines through mud and trees only metres apart doesn't constitute cheating as long as the riders remain within the confines of bunted sections.

I highly doubt anyone would be stupid or slack enough to cheat at such an event, especially people who are "known". Hopefully it's all just a misunderstanding:)

See everyone there again next year......hopefully a touch warmer and a little drier;)

[FR Drew]

I'm afraid to say that I spoke to at least 4 folks who saw bloody fast riders taking the short fireroad links and skipping the singletrack in later stages of the course. A good number of them reported team mates having see nthe same thing. I don't think it was camaraderie and solo rider support.

Although we'd all like to think that it didn't happen, it sounds like there was a fair bit of it going on during the night this year.

in previous years, the position of the checking stations and the course layout made it nigh on impossible to cheat effectively and make up much gain. You had to climb up to the firetower to get to the check station so cutting there was impossible.

This year, because of the looping nature of the latter stages there were a few places where a quick fireroad detour of a hundred metres or two would shave a km or more off the course. at night you could see folks going in on one side and coming out just up the road.

at night, if you didn't see the riders front number then you'd have no way of knowing who it was cutting the loops, be they known or not.

Because of the course layout, there would have had to be another 2 checking tents at least to prevent it being done which wasn't feasible. an unfortunate byproduct of having to switch the course layout due to weather (and of course crap human nature)

Sad but unfortunately true.

Ditto with the bike thieves. Wankers.

[The_Hoff]

Sounds like the lure of $500 or the glory of quick lap time got the better of some people, very unfortunate.

I will put my mediocre lap times down to the fact that everyone who went quicker than me cheated, not because I was cold and tired :rolleyes: (Note: I am kidding)

Maybe that helicopter should have remained in the air to spot cheaters :cool: .

Those who cheated are just cheating themselves and have to live with knowing that they slack pricks and are going to get spanked at the next race where they are unable to take a shortcut :p

I am happy to have average lap times and a clean conscience :D

NB: a cheater got caught at a National XC Round last year and it did nothing for their reputation.

[b there soon]

I know a few of our Cannondale boys were heading out to the back sections of fireroad to cheer on our other rider Gordo, solo winner.

So if you guys are talking in respect to that, thats what was going on

[...jim]

[QUOTE=The_Hoff]Sounds like the lure of $500 or the glory of quick lap time got the better of some people, very unfortunate.
[QUOTE]

That'd be a toughie to claim! The fastest day lap is almost always targeted and achieved by the second rider on one of the gun teams. Rider one goes out and gives your fast nut a near clear course for his tilt at glory. Night might be a bit different - but even then it'd be a closely scrutinised lap if it wasn't a "name". I know the timing system has a number of alarms built in and unusual lap times cop a good going-over.

[2 smooth 4 u]

Yeah are you talking about just cutting round the mud or compleatly out of the coarse?
Heheheh i found a photo f me:D


post it up will

[The_Hoff]

Sounds like the lure of $500 or the glory of quick lap time got the better of some people, very unfortunate.


That'd be a toughie to claim! The fastest day lap is almost always targeted and achieved by the second rider on one of the gun teams. Rider one goes out and gives your fast nut a near clear course for his tilt at glory. Night might be a bit different - but even then it'd be a closely scrutinised lap if it wasn't a "name". I know the timing system has a number of alarms built in and unusual lap times cop a good going-over.

That's exactly right, I looked at Saturdays quick day laps whilst at the event and no one looked out of place in that particular list. None I heard over night sounded out of place either.

Meh, if people had to take a detour to have a rest rather than cut time I find that amusing more than anything.

Until something is proven and not just heresay from weary travellers out on course I would like to think everyone did the right thing.

I know a few of our Cannondale boys were heading out to the back sections of fireroad to cheer on our other rider Gordo, solo winner.


I saw those boys and some of the Yeti boys cheering on Willo, it was obvious that is what they were up to and were clearly not doing laps and cutting the course. But perhaps people got confused?

By the look of a few faces on Sunday morning I am sure some people didn't even know where they were let alone what other people were up to ;)

[Gravjunkie]

I'm afraid to say that I spoke to at least 4 folks who saw bloody fast riders taking the short fireroad links and skipping the singletrack in later stages of the course. A good number of them reported team mates having see nthe same thing. I don't think it was camaraderie and solo rider support.

Although we'd all like to think that it didn't happen, it sounds like there was a fair bit of it going on during the night this year.

in previous years, the position of the checking stations and the course layout made it nigh on impossible to cheat effectively and make up much gain. You had to climb up to the firetower to get to the check station so cutting there was impossible.

This year, because of the looping nature of the latter stages there were a few places where a quick fireroad detour of a hundred metres or two would shave a km or more off the course. at night you could see folks going in on one side and coming out just up the road.

at night, if you didn't see the riders front number then you'd have no way of knowing who it was cutting the loops, be they known or not.

Because of the course layout, there would have had to be another 2 checking tents at least to prevent it being done which wasn't feasible. an unfortunate byproduct of having to switch the course layout due to weather (and of course crap human nature)

Sad but unfortunately true.

Ditto with the bike thieves. Wankers.
What....didn't you get the fastest lap princess, so you've gotta resort to calling foul play. Your second paragraph said "there was a fair bit of it going on", funny how no- one else saw it. You didn't even see it, however "4 folks" did tho' eh? Get over it and put more training in for next year.

[demo man]

What....didn't you get the fastest lap princess, so you've gotta resort to calling foul play. Your second paragraph said "there was a fair bit of it going on", funny how no- one else saw it. You didn't even see it, however "4 folks" did tho' eh? Get over it and put more training in for next year.


lets not get into finger pointing here - or do you want this thread to be closed?
keep the convo about the event and not turn it into a bitch fest, ayy?
Drew would not make up somthing like this anyway, he's a good guy! besides, he pulled the plug after only a few laps as he was starting to get quite sick.

i don't think there was all that much, but there was definately a little bit of cheating.

so, did anyone see me? i was at transition a lot telling people to get off their bikes and walk, and i was at traffic control (parking) till late at night on friday and very early Saturday, plus after the race on sunday.
i was in a yellow vest and in jeens, a TLD jumper and a beenie.
any of you the rare few who got the shits with me (hehe)?

[villy]

ok for all those intersted(:rolleyes: ) theres a photo of me.
ah demo man were you one of the people comentating at transition?

[demo man]

^^

haha, sweet pic! love the yellow!
have you all noticed the news post in the CORC area on Farkin about the pictures from MONT?

no i wasn't commentating. before you go into the transition tent there were some fences creating a tight chicane, where someone was always there telling people to get of their bikes and walk (or after the first few hours just saying hello and making sure that people were walking). i was that person for a very large number of hours.
i did sleep in the same caravan as thge commentators though (well, for about an hour then i got up again).
remeber that i am a 105kg 15 year old...

[carbon pancreas]

check out the pixelpics site and have a look at the johnny waddell pics, you will note him riding no less than three bikes - awesome stuff.
It was great so him out there having a good time, i also saw him at 2pm on sunday arvo still riding , popping wheelies and stuffin around!

[Gravjunkie]

lets not get into finger pointing here - or do you want this thread to be closed?
keep the convo about the event and not turn it into a bitch fest, ayy?
Drew would not make up somthing like this anyway, he's a good guy! besides, he pulled the plug after only a few laps as he was starting to get quite sick.

i don't think there was all that much, but there was definately a little bit of cheating.

so, did anyone see me? i was at transition a lot telling people to get off their bikes and walk, and i was at traffic control (parking) till late at night on friday and very early Saturday, plus after the race on sunday.
i was in a yellow vest and in jeens, a TLD jumper and a beenie.
any of you the rare few who got the shits with me (hehe)?
Dont forum nazi me Demo man, this guy has made an unfounded accusation about certain competitors, which bought down the tone of what was a good forum up 'till then, I've just highlighted how some people (good guy or not) can always find a negative, in what was such a great weekend of riding.

Paul Cole is "the Man"

[chuckrockswell]

heres my Waddell pic........ last lap and still charging.

fuckin legend.

[orchie]

Dont forum nazi me Demo man, this guy has made an unfounded accusation about certain competitors, which bought down the tone of what was a good forum up 'till then, I've just highlighted how some people (good guy or not) can always find a negative, in what was such a great weekend of riding.

Paul Cole is "the Man"

I don't think he named names... just let it go and we'll try to make the thread happy ;)

Grant

[demo man]

^^
amen brother!

what did people think their goodies? did anyone score any cool prizes?

[nick]

Hey demo man were you the one who got me to go down and check if there were any tables left on friday?

We scored some cool stuff for getting 2nd in schools we got a nice medal each (just a shame theyre silver not gold!) and a trainer between us which were gonna sell and some other random things like a scored a kilo tub of gu2o powder!

if anyone wants to check my shirt and tie pic type 8005 into pixel pics or 8008 if you want to see lewi in his first lap pink outfit.

[alchemist]

^^
did anyone score any cool prizes?

A carbon fibre bottle cage, maybe I should put on my road bike instead...

[demo man]

Hey demo man were you the one who got me to go down and check if there were any tables left on friday?

yeah man, that was me - and just in case you didn't figure/find out - there were more tables in the yet-to-be-opened rego tent - we were fine.

there was some awsome stuff for grabs hey! i'm still ridiculously jelous of the guy who won the Yeti 575 though - bastard! although, i know the guy and it 'couldn't have gone to a better person' - such a cliche!

did anyone see some of the crashes at transition? god those were funny, people coming in way too fast and braking way to hard while unclipping - a few over-the-bars incidents straight into the fences! ouch!