BMC 100km Classic - Race Report
By: Ashley Crowther

It's not often that such a fantastic day starts with the beep beep beep of a 5 am alarm clock. Shuffling out of the house, careful not to wake sleeping kiddies, and I was on the highway to Woodend. I had organised everything from the night before - no need to double check, except that the email I'd printed out with the final instructions, including how to get to the race, was not an email on some boring crap from work. Oops better stop at a servo and find out where this Camarray Waters is. Not in the phone book, but what is this? Two cars with mountain bikes on their roofs at 6am on a Sunday. Pretty good odds that if I follow them I'll get there.

With the mist and fog sitting over the rolling paddocks, the place looked like an ideal place to stage a race. Everything was well organised. I guess it wouldn't matter how many portable toilets are at events like these, everybody needs to go, and the conversations with a total stranger whiling chatting away the minutes was actually quite enjoyable and took my mind of the butterflies slowly waking in my stomach.

Now to the race. I am normally pretty eager out of the starting gates and mix it with the good guys (alright not the really good guys - they're freaks) for a good part of a race like this - then I collapse in a heap, crawling home like a caterpillar for the last twenty k's. The staggered starts and the timing system, which meant that only when you cross the start line does your time start, meant that I could start with the casual guys and then go at my own pace. Good in theory, except I had left the casual guys before I got out the front gate of the farm, and then had to pass alot of riders (that had left in the earlier bunch) in the singletrack about 5 k's on. Not that it was a problem, everyone was pretty friendly and accomodating. i think everyone was just really enjoying the tracks. They were awesome. So many sweeping turns weaving between trees: log jump, turn, turn, jump, brake, accelerate, do i break for the corner, do i roll through it? Heaps of fun!

One advantage of starting with the casuals was that when i got to one really sweet downhill section I happened to be behind a guy on more of a trail bike, and he obviously knew the track. I just stuck on his tail, including over a couple of really big drops and a double jump that i would never have done except following. Ihad a ball!

Of course towards the end of the race, all my tender bits hurt, back, arse, triceps (yes even my triceps), neck, hands, feet and legs but i was still having fun. As I always do at about the 80k mark on these rides, I remind myself how much better I would be feeling and going if only I actually did some half decent training. Maybe next time.

The drink stations were well positioned and there was a great selection of stuff - fruit, gu, water, lollies, plus a bike maintenance stand, with some much needed lube for my chain. I happened to have a couple of minor mechanicals and lots of folks asked if I was okay, which is always nice, knowing there is the comraderie - and people arent' just saying it. On a few occassion Isaw blokes helping other blokes fix their steeds. Good to see!

But the best bit was far and away the great course selection. A good amount of fire trails, lots and lots of great single track, no crazy steep hills that wreck the legs. And excellent track marking - no chance of getting lost. The bit through the pines was pretty tough, but in a way it was good putting it towards the end, because those riders who had done the hard yards - done the training, they would have killed it through there (and clearly did based on the times - four and a half hours!!). And a race like this should reward those who have done the training, but it shouldn't destory the moral of the vast majority of participants in the process. And I think, unlike other rides that shall remain nameless, this race has struck the balance perfectly.