N-Duro Winter MTB Series Race 3 - Final

Photo: Helen Brumby

It was with some trepidation that I drove out of the driveway on Sunday morning, heading to Rotorua for the third and final race of the N-Duro MTB Cup Winter Series. Having the petrol station attendant remark, “have fun… and look out for those trees!”, added to the sombre and ominous feeling I had. The night before I had a house full of Andrew’s relatives to celebrate his 40th birthday and I was feeling a bit jaded. A sugar free Red Bull and a good dose of Metallica soon had me feeling a little more neutral and in a headspace more focused on having a good day out.

N-Duro Winter MTB Series Race 2

After another less-than-satisfactory build up, I found myself drifting onto the back of the start group for Race 2 of the N-Duro Winter MTB Series. The temperature was a smidgen above freezing, but with the sun out I could pretend it wasn’t that bad. After a bit of smack-talk, sandbagging, and philosophising, we were rolling over the start mat. I stood up and chucked my legs up a gear into ‘flail’. I wanted to get past a few people before the traffic jam into the first forest uphill. Orangecruz tucked in somewhere behind me, with a few hoots of encouragement. I also heard a cry of “Oh! Its Mel! – GO MEL!!” and an echo say, “Go Mel!”. I have no idea who that was because I was too busy trying to pick my way past some people on the last couple of inches of track and not get caught up in the blackberry!