Link here to Series Points
With series leader Simon Kennett riding 101 minutes for course 1, 11 minutes faster than his closest rival Magnus Bengtsson, the threat from the Swedish rider disappeared. Third-placed Bryce Lorcet didn't have the points to catch up, and fourth-placed Andrew McLellan had started before Kennett and was still not back, so...
But wait a minute - McLellan had only three scores on the board, all of them wins, so today's points could give him quite a shot. Let's see, Kennett now has 96.5, that means the canny Scot only needs 21.5, that means (whir, whir) he only has to ride 117 minutes and... AND HERE HE IS! McLellan's time of 110 shot him up to 97.9, into the lead by 1.4 points. This roughly equates to 5 minutes over a rider's four counting events!
The other classes weren't so finely balanced. Vet Men could have been, but neither leader Ant Bradshaw nor challenger Marco Renalli rode and no-one else was close, so Bradshaw (second last year) took the gong. Dirk Naish posted fastest time on course 2 after Steve Meeres joined the wrong dots at the master maps - though his time suggests he would have easily won - a win which would have put him above Renalli but not Bradshaw.
Sarah Drake already had the open women sewn up, though she was beaten into third place today by Jacqui Sinclair from New Plymouth (winner in 2000 and runner-up twice since) and Hilary Miller. Last year's winner Jenny Visser threw away at least 10min by overlooking the obvious route to the last control, otherwise she would have won the day; in spite of that only 8min covered the top four women.
Tom Bradshaw likewise was already the junior boys winner and didn't ride; the day going to Kyle Higham on his first MTBO event. And Janice Meeres takes the vet womens title.
Dave King did an excellent job opening up tracks and remapping the south block of the forest, not used since extensive logging. The earliest replanting next to the village is now quite tall and there are some new tracks there, and in the long macrocarpa strip next to the beach. Recent rain created some deep puddles here, though it also firmed up the sandy tracks in the more open clearings. Green lines made the beach an allowable route and it was quite fast, although the only landmark which identifies where you can get back into the forest is the Hydrabad shipwreck!
King also implemented an unusual provision - jumping tracks close together was allowed, although many didn't read the clause which was on the map, the registration table and the start table. The course notes also include hazards, and they should be read even by the "old hands"!
So even though the area looked too small, there was route choice, navigational challenge, and the courses were a good length. He made sure of that with a "scenic" control atop the highest hill! It was a welcome return to the south block.
Course planner of OHV. Assisted on the day by Brenda and Matt Betts. Access thanks to Matariki Forests and domain provided by Horowhenua District Council.
The World #9 woman Marquita Gelderman showed her class in wet conditions today at Tunnel Gully, coming in 20min clear of the other women and only 3min behind the top Vet Man Marco Renalli. Andrew McLellan kept his chances alive with a win in the Open Men.
In spite of Gelderman's win Sarah Drake did enough to secure the womens series title. Also Tom Bradshaw though unfortunately without competition rides extremely well and thoroughly deserves the junior award. The men's leader Simon Kennett was in Rotorua preparing courses for the World MTB Champs, and he is exposed to being caught by McLellan who has only three results on the board - there are four to count - and possibly also by Magnus Bengtsson.
Meantime, who would lay bets on the Vet Mens class? Ant Bradshaw has 99.7 points out of 100, and a win in the final at Waitarere would net him precisely 0.2 of a point. But Renalli has three 25's and a 20, and a win in the final would give him the perfect 100. Watch this space...
Graeme Silcock's courses today made good use of the Tunnel Gully area, without using all that is available. In fact he didn't use the tunnel - at least not the one on the former railway line. Course 1 (only) used an underpass below the new SH2 over the Kaitoke Hill to access tracks that join into the Twin Lakes reserve. Starting at the top of the Kaitoke Hill, riders were challenged with route choices beyond the glider airstrip and rifle range, and in the other direction as far as the usual start place at the Tunnel Gully picnic area.
Graeme had done some impressive work on the tracks, opening up a lovely downhill near the rifle range which had always been a grovel, cleaning out the single track which contours along the hillside above Station Drive, and cutting/marking a new route below Station Drive which comes out near the entrance to the picnic area. Logging has changed the landscape quite a lot in the last couple of years, and though we have lost some nice trails, other possibilities have now become feasible.
Course planner Russell Higham comments...
This event obviously seemed too easy for the majority of the Wellington MTBO fraternity, no hills, no wind or rain, no hills, no mud……, yep it is a long way to drive, I hope it was worth it for those that attended. I told you I had ordered a sunny day – didn’t you believe me?
(Webmaster: I think he's referring to the modest numbers, but the media had filled everyone's heads with images of snow, and both PN and Wgtn were showery. In fact Santoft was warm and dry, with the Tararuas stripping the moisture from the south-easterly flow:-))
My main aim for the day was to try get the distances right, and provide a modicum of route choice given the bland vast expanse of coastal dune ex-forest. I hope the MTBer’s that came along found it a bit of change from the Wellington vertical green. The buggers cut all the decent orienteering forest down, so you can enjoy it while we wait for it to grow again.
Winning times were right on spec - thanks people for restoring my reputation after last year’s shortish event. Control 307 was probably a bit unfair as the motor cycle track had disappeared somewhat under a carpet of pine needles – thought I’d try to keep you awake at the end of a long ride! As I’m not a MTBer I’d appreciate any to improve these events in our terrain.
See ya next year…..
Course planner Steve Betts reviews the day (second edition with minor corrections) ...
The terrain of the Sanctuary fenceline, Long Gully and Red Rocks tracks is unforgiving at best. Alas the weather for the Long Gully event was almost identical to the previous year's, with a warm northerly blowing across a dying southerly. The warm conditions created a surreal moist fog and some rain. The result was damp, slippery conditions under foot and tyre for those that managed to stay on their bikes. Still it didn't deter 49 riders (more then twice last year) from braving the elements.
Most still emerged at the finsh line with muddied smiles, even those who were late, had chain suck or broke a chain in the progress. I have to accept that the course was designed for slightly drier conditions than those experienced, but one positive for the day was that all points were visited. Starting at the northern end of the course meant that the high points were all much further out that usual, and the return ride on the day meant a long ride into a northerly. This also means that the open also have a better chance of riding further and scoring higher with an extra 30 minutes. The sanctuary fence route was designed as a route mainly for rec riders, where they could pick up a reasonable number of controls if not points. Again the 50-75 minute ride for most was probably much longer on the day and probably needed at least an extra 30 pointer along the track to compensate.
Number 22. I will be the first to admit that I had not visited the point before and the condition of the track was a little worse than expected when I encountered it on Friday. I had considered raising its score to 50 points, as well as including the stream as an allowable route. In light of the condition of the track I should have moved it closer to the south to make it easier. The weather conditions put a stop to using the stream as an allowable route, when what had been ankle deep on the Friday, was reported as up to the knees on Saturday. 24 and 26 were probably the sucker points set to draw people some where where they shouldn't be going. They suceeded with an extremely high number of actually braving the drop and push back up. Simon Kennett and Bryce Lorcet visited all the same points, except point 4 which Simon decided to pick up on the way home. Instead of arriving back 8 minutes early with Bryce, he arrived 6 minutes late promptly losing all the points and slipping into 3rd place.
Andrew McLellan (320 from 15 controls) in the open mens stood out, and even marking number 21 instead of number 27 as he did still left him 50 points out in front of the next rider. The same could be said about the Vet Mens winner Ant Bradshaw (250). Although Graeme Silcock did come close, he had an extra 13 minutes on the course to pick up the points and then lose them again. Keith Wild was second on 200 points.
The Open Womans event is much closer with Jo Holden edging out Sara Drake. There were no Vet woman. Thanks to those who ventured out and especially Marco and Barryn who picked up the controls - hope you got home before dark:-))
A brilliant day for some new parts of Belmont Regional Park (the bunkers up Hill Rd) and some old favourites (Stratton St and Danzig). Simon Kennett was not diverted by organisers' challenges today and won the 25km open men's course by 3min from Jeremy Blake - new faces this year after a long dominance by Craig Starnes. Likewise Jenny Visser, the womens winner for the last two years, hasn't been seen since a stint as ships doctor, and the fastest women were Lara Shepherd and Sarah Drake, two minutes apart. They rode the 20km course 2.
The close competition in vet men has always produced a variety of winners, but two of the last three series winners - Steve Meeres and Steve Betts - could only manage 7th and 8th! With the other one (Bill Brierly) riding open, today's vet winner was Marco Renalli, Graeme Silcock and Ant Bradshaw coming in 5-6min later. Ride of the day came from Tom Bradshaw (13yrs) who completed course 2 in just over 3hrs.
The courses were rather too long for a fixed order event. However planner Michael Wood achieved one of his goals, an event that could be put out on the day. He did actually place 6 of the 20 controls prior, but a team of two could have done it on the morning. Results updated 24 Apr 06.
Course planner of OHV. With help on the day from Matt Betts. Tidy up by Steve Betts and Tom Clarkson. Access by kind permission of Greater Wellington, the Fishers, Perrys and Belmont Pony Club.
See below for winners' routes, control visit stats.
The new MTBO series kicked off yesterday in the Maungakotukutuku Valley, which had hardly been touched by the rain enjoyed by Wellington and Hutt Valley:-)) Possibly the largest open fields in the 6-year history of the series were won by Andrew McLellan and Jo Forbes. Planner Steve Meeres offered to eat his undies if anyone visited all three 50-pointers - spread from the north end of the map to Titi in the south. Simon Kennett took up his challenge possibly at the expense of the overall win, and Steve had to eat undie pie:-))
Mathematical errors are legendary in score events - the pressure to declare the results lets them slip thru. Dave Rudge was credited with an extra 100 points on the day and must now be relegated to "mere mortal" in the vets category. So Ant Bradshaw takes the win, along with Andrew McLellan (open men), Jo Forbes (open women) and Janice Meeres (vet women). Must remember next time - make competitors work out their own scores and just check the top three - lesson destined to be forgotten I suspect:-)) Corrections still coming to light, updated 2 Apr.
Order of controls: 13, 25, 4, 23, 3, 2, (ugly climb) 21, (ugly dscent)30, 1,(ugliest climb!) 10, 20 (trig wasn't marked?), 11, 22, 24, 14 (eventually), 31, finish line, 15.
I reckoned North was better value with more points and less overall climb (although gentler climb) - not sure if that's true. But some local knowledge did help.
16 (then on up the pylon track - an 'easier' climb than Perhams Rd, and plenty of time to think), 9, 29, 32, 18 (fun track, but slow), 8, 19, 28 (reached 4X4 Adventures at half-time), 31, 2, 30, 21, 1, 3, 13.
Perhaps mint sauce would go well with the undies, Steve? Whoever suggested blending them into a chocolate smoothie is just plain sick!
Course planner of HVMBC, assisted by John Western. With help on the day from Matt Meeres and Janice Meeres. Control pickup by Steve Betts, Graeme Silcock, Jan Meeres, Michael Wood, John the Butcher. Access by kind permission of Greater Wellington and numerous other landowners, grateful thanks to Kapiti 4 X Four Adventures for use of quad bike.
