Crazy Rampage Compensates For Failed BLR WOF

Well seeing as Davo failed The Crazyman WOF for 2010. I decided to take my old body into VTNZ to see if I could get a check over. Yip, as I thought, it failed on account of too much rust and crumbling pistons. Despite not obtaining a satisfactory WOF, I signed up to the Crazyman anyway, but brought race insurance with a ring-in runner – Stephen Day.

After a long night Sandbagging in Queenstown with MonoStrosity Civil Defence - Queenstown Emergency, I sifted back to Wellington just in time to take the start line. It seems that during the trip home Mono had a monostrosity and subsequently failed his Crazyman WOF due to a lack of riding. Leaving just me and Wonderwoman to up hold the good BLR name.


The "Southerlies, thunderstorms & hail" were due to hit Wellington about the time the mountain bike section of the race kicked off. All Crazyman entrants were watching nervously as it rolled in across Wellington and rampaged up the Western hills! Much to everyone’s delight the Southerly stayed West long enough for it not to hit the race.

9am and the hooter went (Mono and Davo were probably tucked up getting their hooters online), the Crazyman was underway. Leaving the runners to do the real work. Stephen was all arms and legs along the beach front, getting ready to settle into the hills. Loving the up hills, he appeared second out of the bush behind James Coughbrogh who holds the current course run record). Stephen was able to hold this position to the transition area where I took over for the MTB ride.

The course had changed from the previous year and included some of the ace Wainui singletrack. I decided it would be best to stallion off the front and concentrate on catching the 'Capital Sports Medicine Team', which I managed about midway through the climbs. Unfortunately Alex Revell had the same plans and caught me near the top, just before starting the undulating section midway through the race. As he passed me and I chased hard, Alex took what looked like a cunning alternate line to make extra ground on me... Mega fail on his part as he hit a steep hill pinch, allowing me to steal 50m on him to take the lead. Now the fun started - it was DH RAMPAGE time and as the BLR DH God (Slackbladder) had proven over the years, there aren’t many who can own a rampaging Bushie on an XC DH RAMPAGE mission. So I opened up the taps and stepped on the juice. Was able to take a good couple of minutes out of Alex which I would need later on the 12km gravel track to home. Head down with the Flux locked out, I steamed the river trail road with Alex chasing close. Every time I looked back expecting Alex to ride past no-handed, browsing my horoscope in the Hutt Times, I was pleased to see he had not made much ground on me. Big head throbbing and little head shrinking, I dug a little deeper to hold Alex to a 23sec gap for the Duathlon Team win. MINT! First rider home too. I was stoked with me and Stephen’s efforts for the day.

A wicked day out and another Team Duathlon course record for the second year in a row - Awesome.

Cheers
Tiger

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The Crazyman WOF for 2010

This was a simple outing with the idea to give ourselves a bit of a warrant of fitness before Crazyman 2010. Originally we were going to recreate as much of the course as possible and do a run/bike but for various reasons I will not go into, this was canned.

We did the full crazyman run in about 1.30. Timing was difficult due to the banter breaks, and waiting for Davo to finish showing us how to do pushups.

And how not to.....

Marco was inspiring in his usual running kit.

Jo took out the downhill section, no picture of this as there was absolutely no way of catching her. However pictures of Davo and Marco are available.

Jo showed her usual determination to reach the top first.

And Davo.... musing on perhaps accepting a ride to the event next time rather than going over belmont to begin with!

The full team of Marco, Davo, Sharpie and Jo (I am missing from the picture due to a lack of a long arm) at the top of the hill.

Marco chose this moment to get a head start on everyone leaving us looking silly before bolting after him.

A nice outing with full marks to everyone else who rode out to the nui to then do the 18km trail run. Also full credit to the godfather who decided to run the last road section in bare feet.

Some nice video action interviews happened. Although this is the only one that has "family" content.

And a small amount of house keeping....

Jo I have your drink bottle and orange

Godfather I have your drink bottle

Davo I have your pottle of vasaline...

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Reach For The Sky.... controller

Post by Davo, not Tiger :D

In April the Bushlove Team contested the Duathlon team event at the Kathmandu Crazyman. Tony 'Tiger' Keith and ring-in runner, hardman Dan Clendon, chalked up a fine victory and set a new duathlon record in the process.

Sky TV are showing footage of the Crazyman this week and apart from seeing the race, we have it on good authority that the word BUSHLOVE is mentioned at least once and a full frontal of the mighty Tiger is there for the whole of New Zealand to swoon over. Sit down when watching, ladies. We don't want any fainting injuries.

Crazyman TV Coverage
June 4 - 9:30pm - SKY1
June 5 - 6:30pm - SKY2
June 6 - 11:00am - SKY1
June 7 - 6:30am - SKY2

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The Only Bushlover racing, Craaaazy-man!!

After a motivating text from Davo first thing in the morning I was ready to go. “In hard buddy, I’ll be thinking of you”. Gold! love predictive texting or is that what Davo really meant, hmmm confused and scared at the same time.

Being the only Bushlover racing in the weekend I felt a little pressure to uphold our name, coupled with the fact that The Crazyman is a race that means a little more to me than just another day at the office. It was the first mountain bike race I had ever raced so has a special place in my short mountain bike career.

The day turned out to be better than I could have imagined. The week leading up to the race the weather was crap, arse, rain, wind and bloody cold. But the 2nd of May turned out a fantastic one, no rain, little wind, lets race!!!

Dan Clendon ( my team runner) took off on the run surrounded by a sea of skinny legs and shorts so marginal they could only be described as togs, togs, togs, undies! The God Father (Marco Renalli) went one step further wearing shorts from the 60’s showing waaaaay to much leg, but I fear this was his ploy to scare any runner into submission.

The next time I saw Dan he was about 50min into the run out in front and looking strong. So it was into the car and over to the transition in Wainui for me, for bit of a warm up and to slap on the lycra. Dan came in with a good 5mins lead over the field. Off I went caning the first hill to the water tower and on to the top of the ridge, I felt great, the bike was great. It was time to settle in and give this one shit. Out in front by myself it ended up being a solo race, but that did not stop me from spending the whole time talking to myself just waiting for Gav McCarthy (Gavatron) to pop around the corner and steam me down like a council worker eating a pie.

I made it to the river bank and still no Gav in site, so I locked out both the front and rear shocks on the Merida and tucked into my roadie stance. Wahoo I was flying, all the way along the gravel road to the finish line. First rider to cross the line and first Duathlon Team. We were stoked!

The Merida 5000 full carbon dream worked a treat, you can find a nice review about this bike in the latest New Zealand Mountain Biker magazine and believe you me the write up is no lie, quick, stiff and is all win! Looks hot too ;)















The course itself was in great condition, dry, fast and well cleared. With an interesting 2-3mtr drop in the middle that riders had to get off and clamber down with bike in hand... or so I thought!!! at the finish line I heard someone mention that after I went through the marshal at this station was lowering peoples bikes down with a rope... bugger missed out on that one.

Some highlights for me were being able to hold Gavatron to a 5min defecit, when I was expecting him to tear me another… well lets just say where my bike seat sits and Dan and I setting a new Crazyman Team Duathlon course record. But the one that put the biggest smile on my face was definitely when on the way up to receive our win placing the commentator mentioned how well this “Bushlove Team” are doing and have been seen winning lots of events lately including the Grand Traverse a few weeks before! BLR FTW.

Big ups to all competitors who turned out on the day, its a great race. Smiles all around including the biggest smile of all from Michelle Cole who finally won a spot prize, only to find out it was a Merida hydration back pack with green flames on it. Rock on, wish I had one.

Lataz Blog Dudes & Dudettes

Tiger

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