http://katepotternet.blogspot.com
http://joolzedymond.com
http://cotic.co.uk/product/soda
Showing posts with label Soda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soda. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
World Championships : race photos of Kate
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: Paul and Claire
Date: 2009/9/6
Subject: Photos of Kate
To: Kate Potter <kate@aquickrelease.com>, cy@cotic.co.uk
Cc: Paul Dexter <paul@cotic.co.uk>
Hey There, here are some shots I got of Kate during the race. Cheers Paul
Monday, June 15, 2009
British Mountain Bike Series Round 3 - Full Gallery
Photos by Joolze Dymond, lots more from her at this event here:
Kate has a race report on this blog as well:
Kate is riding her custom World Cup Soda, designed for her by Cy Turner.
Info on the more recent incarnation of the production Soda here:
Kate is using Bontrager wheels and components.
Kate is using Magura forks and brakes.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Soda World Cup
Begin forwarded message:
From: Kate Potter <kate@aquickrelease.com>Date: 24 April 2009 17:57:49 BDTTo: Cy Turner - Cotic <cy@cotic.co.uk>Cc: Kelvin Owers <kelvin@spittingcat.com>Subject: photos of sodaHi Guys,Photos of new bike.......Let's call it AWESOME!!!!!!!Neil has also changed my position big time, and there is more gap between seat height and bars, so I feel like I'm in more of a racier position.There have been plenty of 'oohs and ahhhhs' as it looks very nice.I have had loads of people already come up and take photos of it and look closely at it.It is much quicker through the single track, and around the bends, and I lost control a few times, as I'm not used to how agile it is. I was tired yesterday and kept going off line because it was taking me by surprise. I rode it again today and had to do two laps at race pace.....I love it!!!!Anyway will get more pics to you soon.CheeriosKPxo
On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 4:10 PM, Cy Turner <cy@cotic.co.uk> wrote:
* Custom Cotic Soda World Cup titanium hardtail
* Bontrager XXX-Lite carbon rimmed wheels and carbon cranks
* Bontrager XXX-Lite Seatpost, FIT saddle
* Race X-Lite stem, XXX-Lite flat handlebars
* Bontrager XXX-Lite Cranks
* Bontrager Tubeless Ready tyres appropriate for the conditions
with Superjuice tubeless system.
* Bontrager Race X-Lite Shoes
* Magura Durin 100SL fork
* Magura Marta SL Magnesium
* KMC Chains
* KCNC Bottom Bracket, Cassette and detail kit
* Crank Bros Eggbeater 4Ti pedals, Cobalt SL Directset and multi-tool
* Purple Extreme chain lube
Cy
www.cotic.co.uk
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 10, 2008
Australian National Cross Country Series Round 4 – Mt Beauty, Victoria.
The Cotic Bontrager Race Team has arrived back in the UK, leaving behind the hot dusty days of Oz and settling back into the frost filled mornings of winter in the UK. I decided to write my last Aussie race report when I returned to the UK, as I thought the distant memories of an Aussie summer would bring some much needed warmth back into my bones….mmmm maybe not as I sit here all rugged up in a dozen layers and my trusty ol’ Cotic beanie.
It was a week between the Australia National cross country race in Canberra and the final round of the Australian Series down in the Victorian Alps. After a disastrous race in Canberra I couldn’t wait to have another crack at a national XC race. I had all this built up frustration that I wanted to let rip on the racecourse and I was determined to make the final race in Oz a good one. Ian was also pleased I had another race so soon after the worst race of my life, as he was forced to spend over 6hrs in the same vehicle with an angry Ms Potter, who I must say was becoming quite the whingeing Pom of the Potter brigade at that moment in time. As somebody who loves to race hard, there’s nothing worse when perfect preparation and strong legs aren’t enough to bring home a good result. I guess that’s what makes mountain bike racing so exciting, and why I actually thrive on turning a bad race into a good one.
I was looking forward to racing at Mt Beauty again. The mountain bike club, ‘Team Mount Beauty’ who were organising the event, have developed a wide range of trails over the years, including plenty of down hill tracks that are all very testing, along with huge single track climbs that are a pleasure to suffer on, if that makes any sense. The area is similar to our summer home in the French Pyrenees, and the local mountain bike scene is a true blue biker friendly one. I’m not going to go into tonnes of detail about the three days leading up to the race. All I can say is those three days were spent riding and enjoying the beauty that is Mt Beauty, it’s one of the loveliest places to go mountain biking in Oz.
The morning of race day I woke up feeling rather sad as I knew it might be a couple of years before we would return to race in Australia again, unless we win the lottery. Ian couldn’t understand my mixed emotions the morning of the race. One minute angry to race hard, the next minute a right cry-baby who was sad to leave Oz…so as all good husbands do he threw me in the pool. It did the trick though, as I couldn’t stop laughing after that and all my nerves disappeared.
I decided to warm up early and focus on my race plan, or rather I tried to think of a half decent race plan. I knew a good start was crucial, but I was going to be starting towards the back of the grid, which meant I could get blocked on the single track early on as there wasn’t much overtaking space on this course. I tried to imagine each section of the course and where there would be opportunities to pass people.
The start of the course was a fairly wide 100m climb that soon became a narrow piece of single track into the first technical section of the race. A set of tight switchbacks followed, before a series of step-downs in between a couple of gum trees or rather one tree that had been split at the base to form a V. It wasn’t a difficult section to ride slowly, but you had to be careful your handle bar didn’t catch the side of each trunk as it would be easy to lose momentum and end up kissing dirt. There was an A and B line at the end of this section. The B line was a short steep drop on to the fire road, while the A line was again through a tree, but you had to roll over a huge root to begin with as you entered the V line of the trunk. In practice I only saw the elite men riding the quicker line. Ian asked me what line I would ride during the race. It wasn’t really a question though, but rather ‘YOU WILL RIDE THAT LINE!’ I can tell when Ian expects me to ride something easily. Mr Potter gives me this daring little smile and sometimes does this really bad imitation of some creature called Yoda who says ‘Do or do not, there is no try!’. The voice is cringe worthy at the best of times. The A line was definitely the faster line. So I went for it and had no worries rolling through the tree, in fact it was quite easy once I relaxed and believed I could ride it. One of my pet hates is when your mind plays tricks on you and makes you think a trail is much harder than it actually is.
Once you dropped on to the fire road the climb really started and soon turned into a narrow piece of single track that weaved up the mountainside. I lost count of the number of switchbacks, and rooty straights that followed; plus there was a cheeky little rock garden that forced your whole body into action in order to maintain constant speed over the sharp jagged rocks.
At the top of the climb there was a wide trail of no more than 300m long that lead to some really testing single track at speed. There were fast sandy berms, and logs to jump, before a tight switch back that dropped into a fast bomb hole, that was longer than any bomb hole I have ever ridden in the UK. The trail was pretty rough at the bottom, with plenty of braking bumps to keep it testing. Then the trail narrowed into an off camber section over a few rocks, before another off camber shoot that had roots and rocks across it, forcing you on to the clearest line that was right on the edge of a drop that was eroding away.
The trail then undulated through the tress and this is when the fun really started. You could pick up plenty of speed, but there were numerous obstacles in the way from rock gardens to north shore, drop offs to bmx style jumps that kept you buzzing all the way down. Parts of the trail were grippy for an Aussie trail, but every so often the sandy sections would leave you drifting wide as your tyres tried to find grip. There were a few short steep climbs towards the end of this section to remind you how painfully fun mountain biking always is, before more fast bermed sections that were such a pleasure to ride hard. Once you left the gum trees behind you faced a wide grassy descent that had huge deep gullies all the way down. Ian was jumping the lot of them in practice, and just letting the brakes off all the way down. I was a bit more conservative (or perhaps a little too chicken) to let the brakes off completely, as I had visions of nose-diving in the air if I got my timing wrong. There was a drop off at the end of this section as the trail widened, before a short piece of single track that opened up to the finishing straight.
I spent my entire warm up before the race imagining the course from start to finish and different scenarios that could take place. I knew the lines I wanted to take and even dared myself to let go of the brakes on the last grassy track, as that was the only section I was not riding aggressively enough in practice.
When the race started, as expected I was blocked, and not in the best of positions early on as I made my way into the first technical section between the trees. I was ready to dismount and run, as I knew there would be a bottleneck and somebody was bound to fall. As expected it was a girl right in front of me, so I jumped through the trees trying my best not to tread on her head and focused on riding the A line. All the girls in front were taking the B line, so I knew it was a good opportunity to make up some positions. However I didn’t have a lot of speed and as I approached the root the side of my body was forced into the trunk and I was on the verge of going over the handlebars. There were a lot of spectators watching this section, and as always you heard the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ as the riders passed by, including plenty of cheering. I didn’t want to kiss dirt in front of this crowd, so I had to think of Ian’s bad Yoda impression ‘Do or Do Not, there is no try!’. I looked ahead and somehow made it on to the fire road where I moved into 5th or 6th position…so three cheers for Yoda who made me think DO!
I started to make up more places on the climb, but found myself behind Dellys Starr who had about a 20 second gap on Rowena Fry who was leading the series and Tory Thomas the local favourite. I tried several time to pass the girls in front, but they held their line confidently and I remained buzzing on their back wheels. I felt like I could have ridden the climb quicker, but I was lacking any short sprint power to get by. On the descents they were both rapid, and I had to give it everything to keep them in sight. It wasn’t until half way round the third lap that I finally passed Tory and caught up to Rowena who was in second place. I remained on Rowena’s back wheel and encouraged her to get a move on up the climb, as I was certain we were going to be caught.
On the final lap I had to think about making a move, as I knew I had to be in front of Rowena going into the final descent. It wasn’t until the top of the final climb that I passed Rowena and then I just sprinted as hard as I could. I thought Rowena was still on my back wheel, and I knew I had to let go of the brakes down the last grassy descent if I was going to stay in front. I remembered Yoda and thought to myself ‘Do or Do Not! There is no Try!’. I pushed myself to find air over the grassy jumps and let out a little squeal in the process. I would like to say it was a squeal of delight, but I’m pretty sure it was one of ‘Holly cow, please let me land this…type squeal’ if you get my drift. I sprinted all the way across the finishing straight and took a very pleasing second place behind Dellys Starr.
I absolutely loved this race from start to finish. The course was testing both physically and technically. It wasn’t enough to be fit, you had to be able to ride a mountain bike to really enjoy this course. It was a nice feeling to have a good race, especially as this was the last national race on my 07 Cotic Soda, who has looked after me and been my own little brumby of a race bike. I have a slightly different Soda for 2008 that will hopefully be built up very soon, as I can’t wait to show her off to the biking world.
As always I’m very grateful to the Cotic Bontrager Team and loyal sponsors who continue to support my racing adventures in Oz, UK and across Europe.
Also a special thank you to Yoda for your inspirational words, and Ian Potter for being such a great team mate!
It was a week between the Australia National cross country race in Canberra and the final round of the Australian Series down in the Victorian Alps. After a disastrous race in Canberra I couldn’t wait to have another crack at a national XC race. I had all this built up frustration that I wanted to let rip on the racecourse and I was determined to make the final race in Oz a good one. Ian was also pleased I had another race so soon after the worst race of my life, as he was forced to spend over 6hrs in the same vehicle with an angry Ms Potter, who I must say was becoming quite the whingeing Pom of the Potter brigade at that moment in time. As somebody who loves to race hard, there’s nothing worse when perfect preparation and strong legs aren’t enough to bring home a good result. I guess that’s what makes mountain bike racing so exciting, and why I actually thrive on turning a bad race into a good one.
I was looking forward to racing at Mt Beauty again. The mountain bike club, ‘Team Mount Beauty’ who were organising the event, have developed a wide range of trails over the years, including plenty of down hill tracks that are all very testing, along with huge single track climbs that are a pleasure to suffer on, if that makes any sense. The area is similar to our summer home in the French Pyrenees, and the local mountain bike scene is a true blue biker friendly one. I’m not going to go into tonnes of detail about the three days leading up to the race. All I can say is those three days were spent riding and enjoying the beauty that is Mt Beauty, it’s one of the loveliest places to go mountain biking in Oz.
The morning of race day I woke up feeling rather sad as I knew it might be a couple of years before we would return to race in Australia again, unless we win the lottery. Ian couldn’t understand my mixed emotions the morning of the race. One minute angry to race hard, the next minute a right cry-baby who was sad to leave Oz…so as all good husbands do he threw me in the pool. It did the trick though, as I couldn’t stop laughing after that and all my nerves disappeared.
I decided to warm up early and focus on my race plan, or rather I tried to think of a half decent race plan. I knew a good start was crucial, but I was going to be starting towards the back of the grid, which meant I could get blocked on the single track early on as there wasn’t much overtaking space on this course. I tried to imagine each section of the course and where there would be opportunities to pass people.
The start of the course was a fairly wide 100m climb that soon became a narrow piece of single track into the first technical section of the race. A set of tight switchbacks followed, before a series of step-downs in between a couple of gum trees or rather one tree that had been split at the base to form a V. It wasn’t a difficult section to ride slowly, but you had to be careful your handle bar didn’t catch the side of each trunk as it would be easy to lose momentum and end up kissing dirt. There was an A and B line at the end of this section. The B line was a short steep drop on to the fire road, while the A line was again through a tree, but you had to roll over a huge root to begin with as you entered the V line of the trunk. In practice I only saw the elite men riding the quicker line. Ian asked me what line I would ride during the race. It wasn’t really a question though, but rather ‘YOU WILL RIDE THAT LINE!’ I can tell when Ian expects me to ride something easily. Mr Potter gives me this daring little smile and sometimes does this really bad imitation of some creature called Yoda who says ‘Do or do not, there is no try!’. The voice is cringe worthy at the best of times. The A line was definitely the faster line. So I went for it and had no worries rolling through the tree, in fact it was quite easy once I relaxed and believed I could ride it. One of my pet hates is when your mind plays tricks on you and makes you think a trail is much harder than it actually is.
Once you dropped on to the fire road the climb really started and soon turned into a narrow piece of single track that weaved up the mountainside. I lost count of the number of switchbacks, and rooty straights that followed; plus there was a cheeky little rock garden that forced your whole body into action in order to maintain constant speed over the sharp jagged rocks.
At the top of the climb there was a wide trail of no more than 300m long that lead to some really testing single track at speed. There were fast sandy berms, and logs to jump, before a tight switch back that dropped into a fast bomb hole, that was longer than any bomb hole I have ever ridden in the UK. The trail was pretty rough at the bottom, with plenty of braking bumps to keep it testing. Then the trail narrowed into an off camber section over a few rocks, before another off camber shoot that had roots and rocks across it, forcing you on to the clearest line that was right on the edge of a drop that was eroding away.
The trail then undulated through the tress and this is when the fun really started. You could pick up plenty of speed, but there were numerous obstacles in the way from rock gardens to north shore, drop offs to bmx style jumps that kept you buzzing all the way down. Parts of the trail were grippy for an Aussie trail, but every so often the sandy sections would leave you drifting wide as your tyres tried to find grip. There were a few short steep climbs towards the end of this section to remind you how painfully fun mountain biking always is, before more fast bermed sections that were such a pleasure to ride hard. Once you left the gum trees behind you faced a wide grassy descent that had huge deep gullies all the way down. Ian was jumping the lot of them in practice, and just letting the brakes off all the way down. I was a bit more conservative (or perhaps a little too chicken) to let the brakes off completely, as I had visions of nose-diving in the air if I got my timing wrong. There was a drop off at the end of this section as the trail widened, before a short piece of single track that opened up to the finishing straight.
I spent my entire warm up before the race imagining the course from start to finish and different scenarios that could take place. I knew the lines I wanted to take and even dared myself to let go of the brakes on the last grassy track, as that was the only section I was not riding aggressively enough in practice.
When the race started, as expected I was blocked, and not in the best of positions early on as I made my way into the first technical section between the trees. I was ready to dismount and run, as I knew there would be a bottleneck and somebody was bound to fall. As expected it was a girl right in front of me, so I jumped through the trees trying my best not to tread on her head and focused on riding the A line. All the girls in front were taking the B line, so I knew it was a good opportunity to make up some positions. However I didn’t have a lot of speed and as I approached the root the side of my body was forced into the trunk and I was on the verge of going over the handlebars. There were a lot of spectators watching this section, and as always you heard the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ as the riders passed by, including plenty of cheering. I didn’t want to kiss dirt in front of this crowd, so I had to think of Ian’s bad Yoda impression ‘Do or Do Not, there is no try!’. I looked ahead and somehow made it on to the fire road where I moved into 5th or 6th position…so three cheers for Yoda who made me think DO!
I started to make up more places on the climb, but found myself behind Dellys Starr who had about a 20 second gap on Rowena Fry who was leading the series and Tory Thomas the local favourite. I tried several time to pass the girls in front, but they held their line confidently and I remained buzzing on their back wheels. I felt like I could have ridden the climb quicker, but I was lacking any short sprint power to get by. On the descents they were both rapid, and I had to give it everything to keep them in sight. It wasn’t until half way round the third lap that I finally passed Tory and caught up to Rowena who was in second place. I remained on Rowena’s back wheel and encouraged her to get a move on up the climb, as I was certain we were going to be caught.
On the final lap I had to think about making a move, as I knew I had to be in front of Rowena going into the final descent. It wasn’t until the top of the final climb that I passed Rowena and then I just sprinted as hard as I could. I thought Rowena was still on my back wheel, and I knew I had to let go of the brakes down the last grassy descent if I was going to stay in front. I remembered Yoda and thought to myself ‘Do or Do Not! There is no Try!’. I pushed myself to find air over the grassy jumps and let out a little squeal in the process. I would like to say it was a squeal of delight, but I’m pretty sure it was one of ‘Holly cow, please let me land this…type squeal’ if you get my drift. I sprinted all the way across the finishing straight and took a very pleasing second place behind Dellys Starr.
I absolutely loved this race from start to finish. The course was testing both physically and technically. It wasn’t enough to be fit, you had to be able to ride a mountain bike to really enjoy this course. It was a nice feeling to have a good race, especially as this was the last national race on my 07 Cotic Soda, who has looked after me and been my own little brumby of a race bike. I have a slightly different Soda for 2008 that will hopefully be built up very soon, as I can’t wait to show her off to the biking world.
As always I’m very grateful to the Cotic Bontrager Team and loyal sponsors who continue to support my racing adventures in Oz, UK and across Europe.
Also a special thank you to Yoda for your inspirational words, and Ian Potter for being such a great team mate!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
British NPS round 5 :: Marathon :: September 23, 2007
Kate's race report. All photos by Joolze Dymond.
I entered the British marathon championships in an attempt to claim the marathon series title. The series win was my number one goal for 2007, and I’m delighted to have achieved my personal aim for this year. As I’m Aussie born and bred, I knew I wasn’t eligible to race for the championship title, but after a puncture the day before during the cross country destroyed any chance of a podium place, I didn’t take any chances and raced the marathon hard from start to finish.
This weekend has been quite strange for me. I have been suffering with the most incredible fatigue and cold like symptoms the last couple of weeks. In fact I really expected the worst form this weekend, even though my coach Matt Hatt reassured me that my power was high and that I would be competitive….but I wasn’t convinced. After two years of virtually no rain, or cold conditions, I found the heavy down pours on Sunday morning frightening. From the moment I woke up my brain was trying to talk my body out of racing. Fortunately for me I had an amazing support crew or should I say counselling crew thanks to Paul, Jane, Matt, Joolze, Dave. Who all convinced me that I would love the 100km race and not to let Mr Potter down. Ian wasn’t here on the weekend as he was guiding in the ‘sunny’ Pyrenees. He would have loved nothing more than to be at Coed y Brenin passing me water bottles all day….mmmm maybe.
I didn’t want to be in the way of any of the British girls racing for their marathon title, so I decided early on that I would race myself, and not think about the opposition, just take one lap at a time and get out of any British girls way if they were close by. As the gun sounded the mass of bodies with their own personal goal took off. I hung on to the back of the elite men hoping to find my own space and rhythm. However, I discovered early on that there was a certain person on course who wasn’t even female, who appeared to be trying to prevent me from riding past them. I wasn’t too bothered at the time as it just fired me up, and eventually I was able to ride by. Unfortunately, later on I found out that such tactics from this same person caused a friend of mine to fall and abandon the race. I’m not going to go into too much detail, but was it really necessary? In the spirit of these events, surely winning is not always the be all and end all, especially when it causes somebody to be hurt. In the end I’ve always believed in what comes around goes around...
Enough said. The race was as expected very challenging. My legs were strong and I tried to keep consistent laps, but I was freezing. Aussie blood and welsh weather are not a good mix. For the first two laps I knew Amy Hunt was close behind, but I didn’t want to be in her way as it wasn’t my personal goal she was after. However, Amy remained on my back wheel until I was forced to pull in to the side of the track to adjust my saddle pack. It had partly fallen off and had started catching the back tyre. I managed to catch Amy back up again on the next climb, and wondered if we were going to have another battle as we did the day before during the XC. However 100km is such a long distance that I simply focused on my own race goals and soon enough I was riding by myself. It was lovely to hear the cheers and encouragement from people on course or onlookers waiting in the pit area, even though I’m not a POM (sorry I had to throw it in). It always makes me want to ride harder and finish the race so that I can go and be social afterwards, as the race scene here in the UK is such a ‘loovely’ one. I actually forget I’m not British a lot of the time, even my new Nottinghamshire accent is starting to be accepted.
On lap 4 disaster struck. I had taken one sip of my water bottle when I realised it had fallen through the bottle cage. I still had over 10km to go until I could grab another bottle. I was a little concerned, but tried not to think about it. Lap 5 soon came round over 45 minutes later. I went to take a sip from my drink before realising the bottle had slipped through again. At this time I knew if I didn’t drink soon I would be really struggling to finish the race. Fortunately I was passed some bottles by fellow competitors and a very kind person in the pit area, but to no avail as I’m afraid I lost those bottles as well (sorry…please come and see me for a replacement). I started lap 6 looking for my bottles out on course so I could try and consume some drink along the way. I was starting to feel the effects of dehydration and brain wobble. Fortunately for the last two laps Paul found a bottle that remained in place, but I didn’t drink nearly as much as I needed to because I was worried about losing the bottle again if I took it from the bottle cage.
I had two more laps to complete 100km and to claim the series title, but I was growing weary and the wet conditions had worn away my brake pads. I considered changing them, but realised that little brake pad was making me ride faster on the descents. Scaring myself silly was actually keeping my mind off the fatigue I was experiencing. Until I realised I had too much speed to turn. I took a different line, a much smoother line in the air and into the arms of a tree. An interesting manoeuvre, but one I wouldn’t recommend if you’re pushed for time.
Finally, the 8th lap started and I just wanted it to end. My brake pads were singing the most dreadful tune, and I growled at every rock in case it dared puncture my tyre again. I refused to stop now, even if it meant riding on the rim. Only when I had crossed the line first lady home, and first out of the Aussie contingent of ‘me, myself and moi’, was I convinced that I had completed the 100km and won the overall series title. I had achieved my goal for 2007, and I could proudly say that the Cotic Soda is an amazing race machine that I will be riding again in 2008……thank you CY!
Well done to Liz Scalia who won the British Marathon Championships, and who raced her own race too. It was great to see you up there on the podium in your national colours, a deserving win to such a lovely person.
A special thank you to Paul Dexter and partner Jane for taking on the job of Mr Potter, who couldn’t support me this weekend. You two did an amazing job, and made my weekend a less stressful one at that.
Thank you to my coach, Matt Hart and TORQ for all your support this year, and for giving up your arm warmers Sunday morning.
Another special thank you to Clive from Climb on Bikes who ensured I had enough air canisters for the marathon to avoid another walk to the finish line.
As always, thank you to my title sponsors Cotic Bontrager and all my co-sponsors who have made it possible for me to race in 2007. Thank you for allowing me to use the equipment I wanted to use and for all your continuous support. Cy and Andy thank you for making it all happen.
Mr Potter can’t miss out on a huge thank you either, my number one team mate who taught me how to ride a bike and supports me in every way. I know you feel like you missed out this weekend, so I have two bikes waiting for you in the UK to fix :)
Finally, a sad farewell to Martyn Salt, TREK and the Inevent team who have decided to pass on responsibility of the cross country national series to another crew for 2008. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to the sport over the last four years. I have loved every event, even the muddy ones :)
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
British NPS round 5 :: XC :: September 22, 2007
Round 5 of the British National Point series was held for the first time at Coed y Brenin. A new venue was a refreshing change of scene and as expected Martyn Salt and his Inevent Team, plus the TREK crew, once more organised a fabulous weekend for mountain bikers of all ages, fitness and skill levels.
I knew from November 2006 that I would be in for a long, lengthy and very tiring season. The last round of the national series has left many, including myself a little jaded. For myself, I chose to race and train in Oz, where the sun was shining, rather than make the most of a proper off-season over the winter period. Then it was time to move house from Australia to the UK and then back to France again, before working 16 hour days as a mountain bike guide, secretary, waitress, dish washer, event organiser and even ‘labourer’, as Ian and I turned our building site of a house into something that almost resembles a home and I learnt what a flat head screw driver is. In between the demands of daily life that we all know and experience too well, I managed to complete all the training Matt Hart prepared for me this year, which can be any thing from 2-5hr sessions, race regularly in the UK as well as out here in the Pyrenees. Finally, it was time to celebrate Ian’s coming of age over an entire week, which meant 7 fun filled days with old friends and family, that rolled into very late nights. By the end of that week in September, up until the race this weekend, I have been feeling totally ‘done in’, hung over to the max, which I didn’t think was possible without touching a drop of alcohol.
Phew, I had to get that off my chest, as a few people made comment that I was looking fresh as a daisy, presuming I had been chilling out all summer, when in fact I had mixed feelings about being fit enough to race this weekend. Like most elite mountain bike racers I work full time and it has been an exhausting year, no regrets at all because it has been full of excitement, adventure, plus new found friends and I have loved every moment of it. This weekend of racing, my final event of the season, not only produced mixed results, but more importantly it has taught me some valuable lessons.
I must admit I was feeling quite lethargic on race morning of the cross-country. I sat in the Cotic Bontrager tent and was quite concerned that my body would not make it round the course. I wish I could say I was really excited about racing the XC, but I just wanted to go back to bed and watch day time TV, which is quite scary as I hate day time television, in fact I hate sleeping during the day. I needed every ounce of mental strength to take myself off to warm up. I had read in one of those ‘informative’ ladies fitness magazines a little breathing trick that was supposed to make you more alert, but it left me feeling like I had bruised lungs and provoked a few concerned looks from people passing by. I began a few sprints to prod the heart into action and spent those thirty pre race minute re-acquainting myself with my shiny Soda which had been hung to rest since July.
The start of the race remains a blurred vision, but I found myself out in front early on, leading Jenn O’Connor, Amy Hunt and Jenny Copnall for some of the time, before they took their turn at the front. My legs felt surprisingly strong, and they didn’t recognise the long draggy climb as being particularly hard. I really enjoyed pushing myself and the intense breathing that followed really forced my brain into action. When the descending started on the first lap, down a twisty fire road, before a couple of short sections of rocky single track, I felt a soft feeling in the back of my rear tyre as I hit the first few bends. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it as the rain overnight had left the course quite moist. I moved back to 4th place and lost touch with the three girls who cruised past me. I stopped to check my tyre and it had lost some air, but it didn’t appear to be going down quickly so continued on hoping that the sealant inside had sorted it out.
I suddenly felt this urge to chase hard and if possible catch up to the three girls out in front. The lethargy I had suffered all morning had disappeared and a new wave of determination and excitement prevailed. I eventually caught the leading girls and together we headed towards the best section of the course. The fast rocky straights and bermed banks were good fun, but I was struggling on the rocky sections as my forks seized solid and I could feel every bump. So now with soft back end and rigid front end, I simply tried to take the smoothest line possible. By the end of the first lap I was in third and still digging deep for that extra speed, hoping my legs could find another gear. I was surprised to bridge the gap on the start of the second lap and find myself back in the lead, with Amy Hunt right on my tail. As we hit the rocky single track I could feel myself tensing and tried to pick the smoothest line possible between the rocks. Ian has this little mantra “where you look is where you go”, so I put it to the test and found myself staring straight at a huge rock in the middle of the trail, which forced me to fly across the handle bars and not only look closely, but kiss the ground as well. Amy called out a few words of ‘encouragement’, and flew off down the trail. I cursed than giggled to myself, and took off down the remaining single track, feeling quite fired up and ready to race. I know this may sound ridiculous, but I always ride quicker after I have fallen off my bike. It allows all the tension to be released from my body, and I feel completely relaxed and at one with the ground…in other words it makes me realise that I can fall off the bike without hurting myself.
I caught up to Amy again and together we took it in turns to lead before making our way to the start of the third and final lap. I can’t remember very much of this final lap. I knew I had a chance to finish in the top two, if not take the win, but I also knew that I needed a faultless ride, as I had no idea how far the competition were behind. The fatigue had completely disappeared, and the end was in sight. I had a small gap over Amy, but knew I needed to increase the lead if I was going to keep away on the descent. Then I felt the tyre soften a little more with only a couple of kilometres until the finish line. A huge knot developed in my throat and I knew this could mean race over. I stopped to check the tyre and it was now noticeably soft. I only had a small amount of climbing left, before the down hill section to the finish line so I plodded on. Amy left me standing still and I was now riding on the rim. I tried to fix it, hoping I had enough lead to at least remain in the top 5, but then I discovered a leaked air canister, a fault on my part for not checking it before the start of the race.
For those first few seconds when I knew my race was over, I was absolutely gutted, and kicked myself for not checking the seat pack before the race. I couldn’t finish the final lap. I was sent off course, so as not to be in the way of other racers. I had a long walk back to the arena, and time to reassess the last hour and a half of racing. I was naturally very upset with myself, but it soon dawned on me how strong I actually felt today. The adrenaline from racing brought me out of my slumber of fatigue and I was buzzing from the experience. I still had the national marathon championships the following day, and felt fired up to race hard….and hopefully not puncture.
I was unable to walk fast enough to make it back in time for the podium presentation, but congratulation to all the girls out there who finished today. It has been a pleasure knowing and racing you all, and I look forward to future battles in the UK or perhaps if I can tempt you, I might see you at some races out here in France in 2008.
MARATHON REPORT TO BE POSTED SHORTLY….so stay tuned :)
Friday, July 20, 2007
Bontrager 24/12 :: A Cotic Mixed Team
Less than three weeks ago I completed 24hrs solo at Mountain Mayhem, and knew from past experiences that my legs would be feeling blobby and not worthy of racing my trusty Soda. I didn't want to miss being involved at Bontrager 24/12, and had origianlly been asked to ride a couple of laps as part of a fun team alongside Keith Bontrager and friends. However an annoying tiny thought started creeping into my Potter brain that kept teasing me to race 24hrs. I couldn't shake this thought, and mentioned my idea casually to my coach Matt, husband Ian, Cy, Andy, and all the lads who joined us out here in Luchon. All of them said NO, that it was time to recover. Ian kept reminding me that I haven't had a break for three seasons and it was time to chill before the heavy training load begins all over again.
Then Cy had this wonderful idea! Why don't we enter the mixed team category and race for 12hrs. Numerous phone calls later and our team still consisted of just Cy and moi. Apparently all our Cotic and AQR crew were really busy that weekend, especially after checking out the weather forecast. So I had no choice but to book a ticket back to the UK for Mr Potter only four days before the event. It would be a surprise, an early birthday present.
Ian looked at me in disbelief when I announced his birthday present, 'a ticket back to the UK, woopy....doo'. There is no pleasing that man sometimes. I thought he would be chuffed to bits to spend time racing alongside his beloved (that would be me, Cy), and enjoying the Cotswolds single track. I gathered he was going to miss me for those five days if I left him here in Luchon all on his lonesome, with nothing better to do than ride down hill runs off the Luchon lift each day with Russ.
The Cotic mixed team was truly mixed, but truly Cotic. Firstly there was Mr Cy Turner, Cotic guru, and the least likely of all three team members to be wearing lycra. Cy's bike of choice for this weekend would be the Cotic Hemlock. Next up was the grumpy guru himself, my darling Mr Potter, who wouldn't stop moaning about the weather or the fact that he hadn't raced for over 15 years. Ian had no choice but to use the Cotic Soul with brakes the wrong way round to what he normally uses. Then finally there was moi. I had nominated myself as team mechanic for the weekend, as well as racer. After all the events I go to where Ian and Cy work tirelessly to support me, I thought it were only fair to give something back to the boys by helping them with their own bikes. Cy even presented me with my very own Cotic mechanic apron, and bright yellow rain coat that Matt said made me look like Captain Pugwall (whoever that might be) [Pugwash Katie dear. No culture, these Aussies - Cy], so as you can imagine I felt very important. My bike of choice for the weekend would be my loovely Cotic Soda.
Well the start of the weekend was a chilly one, and I worked very hard pumping tyres and pumping more tyres and then changing tyres as the rain continued, and then changing tyres again when Ian decided he wanted a faster tyre on the back....between you and me I think Ian was starting to become a little bit of a race diva or he was just keeping me busy pumping tyres as he prefers to be seen as the mechanic in our relationship. I even caught him trying to hide my mechanic's apron would you believe.
The race started on Saturday at 12pm and I nominated myself to start the first lap. I hadn't ridden a bike for over 24hrs and I was itching to start. Meanwhile Ian wasn't even in his racing lycra and Cy who was suffering from a cold on Friday, was now suffering from the brandy flavoured medicine the TREK boys had encouraged him to consume the night before....although it truly did wonders for clearing his sinuses.
I decided to use the first lap as a little warm up, and just enjoy myself on the single track. There were some muddy sections that made the course exciting in places, and I really enjoyed the final section of woops, until I found myself, along with two other riders, totally lost some how. It was probably my fault as I was really enjoying that section and didn't want it to end. I finished my first lap buzzing and couldn't wait to have another 'ride' around the course. However something very strange happened to my husband. When Ian came through and handed the batton over his first words were '10 minutes quicker!', mind you he looked like he was going to pass out. But it was like he was saying to me, the current elite racer in OUR relationship, 'beat that!'. Where was the love I ask you? I thought we were just having a bit of fun, but oh no Ian had to try and take me on, even though we were meant to be on the same team!
From that moment onwards the Potters were at war. Poor Cy had to put up with Ian and I trying to out do each other for the next few hours. Every lap we were checking each others times, winding each other up, and doing our best to beat the other Potter. I cheekily mentioned at one point that my last lap was 41 minutes so 'beat that', only 8 minutes off the truth, but he needn't know that. I was determined to rip his legs off, as he was mine.
With 7hrs to go Cy was forced to quit as his cold had taken it's toll. The Cotic mixed team was down to the two Potters and I could feel my post 24hr solo legs wanting to go no faster. So I had to think tactically, what would really wind my husband up. As he came through to pass over the baton I smiled at him sweetly and informed him that we would now be riding alternate laps. I figured this would really tire the man out and he may slow down to ensure he would make it to the end, but then I realised that I actually prefer riding double laps. After some lengthy debate, where I basically did all the talking and Ian just tried to catch his breath and shoo me off, I decided a double lap it would be.
By this point the course was super, especially as light faded and off camber roots became slippery. There were some difficult sections that really tested your skill, but made the course more exciting. When I had finished my double lap I returned to Cy and suddenly felt this huge wave of hunger. I realised that I had forgotten to eat enough carbs on the double lap and I quickly overdosed on some TORQ bars. As I set off for my final lap I was shaking from cold. I had many layers on, but I knew I was feeling weak and that my final lap would be a tough one. Half way round I was feeling dizzy and knew I had made a huge mistake on the last lap by not consuming enough carbs. It seemed like forever and a day before I returned to Ian who had a storming final lap. In the end the Cotic Mixed Team finished 5th place, and after only 6 laps I was shattered....you can't tell me racing as a team is any easier than solo.
Once our racing lycra had been packed away, and the poor 24hr riders were past the half way point, it was time for the Potters to chill. Deep down I was surprised, but very proud of Ian who really ripped my legs off this time round. While I had to drag Ian away from his beloved Pyrenees to take part in the Cotic Mixed Team at Bontrager 24/12, it won't be the last time. Ian actually admitted later on that he would love to ride 'against' me again, together as a mixed pair....what have I created?
It really was a top weekend and many thanks to Martyn Salt, Keith Bontrager, Rob Lee and all the team for organising such a great event....Look forward to the next one.
Then Cy had this wonderful idea! Why don't we enter the mixed team category and race for 12hrs. Numerous phone calls later and our team still consisted of just Cy and moi. Apparently all our Cotic and AQR crew were really busy that weekend, especially after checking out the weather forecast. So I had no choice but to book a ticket back to the UK for Mr Potter only four days before the event. It would be a surprise, an early birthday present.
Ian looked at me in disbelief when I announced his birthday present, 'a ticket back to the UK, woopy....doo'. There is no pleasing that man sometimes. I thought he would be chuffed to bits to spend time racing alongside his beloved (that would be me, Cy), and enjoying the Cotswolds single track. I gathered he was going to miss me for those five days if I left him here in Luchon all on his lonesome, with nothing better to do than ride down hill runs off the Luchon lift each day with Russ.
The Cotic mixed team was truly mixed, but truly Cotic. Firstly there was Mr Cy Turner, Cotic guru, and the least likely of all three team members to be wearing lycra. Cy's bike of choice for this weekend would be the Cotic Hemlock. Next up was the grumpy guru himself, my darling Mr Potter, who wouldn't stop moaning about the weather or the fact that he hadn't raced for over 15 years. Ian had no choice but to use the Cotic Soul with brakes the wrong way round to what he normally uses. Then finally there was moi. I had nominated myself as team mechanic for the weekend, as well as racer. After all the events I go to where Ian and Cy work tirelessly to support me, I thought it were only fair to give something back to the boys by helping them with their own bikes. Cy even presented me with my very own Cotic mechanic apron, and bright yellow rain coat that Matt said made me look like Captain Pugwall (whoever that might be) [Pugwash Katie dear. No culture, these Aussies - Cy], so as you can imagine I felt very important. My bike of choice for the weekend would be my loovely Cotic Soda.
Well the start of the weekend was a chilly one, and I worked very hard pumping tyres and pumping more tyres and then changing tyres as the rain continued, and then changing tyres again when Ian decided he wanted a faster tyre on the back....between you and me I think Ian was starting to become a little bit of a race diva or he was just keeping me busy pumping tyres as he prefers to be seen as the mechanic in our relationship. I even caught him trying to hide my mechanic's apron would you believe.
The race started on Saturday at 12pm and I nominated myself to start the first lap. I hadn't ridden a bike for over 24hrs and I was itching to start. Meanwhile Ian wasn't even in his racing lycra and Cy who was suffering from a cold on Friday, was now suffering from the brandy flavoured medicine the TREK boys had encouraged him to consume the night before....although it truly did wonders for clearing his sinuses.
I decided to use the first lap as a little warm up, and just enjoy myself on the single track. There were some muddy sections that made the course exciting in places, and I really enjoyed the final section of woops, until I found myself, along with two other riders, totally lost some how. It was probably my fault as I was really enjoying that section and didn't want it to end. I finished my first lap buzzing and couldn't wait to have another 'ride' around the course. However something very strange happened to my husband. When Ian came through and handed the batton over his first words were '10 minutes quicker!', mind you he looked like he was going to pass out. But it was like he was saying to me, the current elite racer in OUR relationship, 'beat that!'. Where was the love I ask you? I thought we were just having a bit of fun, but oh no Ian had to try and take me on, even though we were meant to be on the same team!
From that moment onwards the Potters were at war. Poor Cy had to put up with Ian and I trying to out do each other for the next few hours. Every lap we were checking each others times, winding each other up, and doing our best to beat the other Potter. I cheekily mentioned at one point that my last lap was 41 minutes so 'beat that', only 8 minutes off the truth, but he needn't know that. I was determined to rip his legs off, as he was mine.
With 7hrs to go Cy was forced to quit as his cold had taken it's toll. The Cotic mixed team was down to the two Potters and I could feel my post 24hr solo legs wanting to go no faster. So I had to think tactically, what would really wind my husband up. As he came through to pass over the baton I smiled at him sweetly and informed him that we would now be riding alternate laps. I figured this would really tire the man out and he may slow down to ensure he would make it to the end, but then I realised that I actually prefer riding double laps. After some lengthy debate, where I basically did all the talking and Ian just tried to catch his breath and shoo me off, I decided a double lap it would be.
By this point the course was super, especially as light faded and off camber roots became slippery. There were some difficult sections that really tested your skill, but made the course more exciting. When I had finished my double lap I returned to Cy and suddenly felt this huge wave of hunger. I realised that I had forgotten to eat enough carbs on the double lap and I quickly overdosed on some TORQ bars. As I set off for my final lap I was shaking from cold. I had many layers on, but I knew I was feeling weak and that my final lap would be a tough one. Half way round I was feeling dizzy and knew I had made a huge mistake on the last lap by not consuming enough carbs. It seemed like forever and a day before I returned to Ian who had a storming final lap. In the end the Cotic Mixed Team finished 5th place, and after only 6 laps I was shattered....you can't tell me racing as a team is any easier than solo.
Once our racing lycra had been packed away, and the poor 24hr riders were past the half way point, it was time for the Potters to chill. Deep down I was surprised, but very proud of Ian who really ripped my legs off this time round. While I had to drag Ian away from his beloved Pyrenees to take part in the Cotic Mixed Team at Bontrager 24/12, it won't be the last time. Ian actually admitted later on that he would love to ride 'against' me again, together as a mixed pair....what have I created?
It really was a top weekend and many thanks to Martyn Salt, Keith Bontrager, Rob Lee and all the team for organising such a great event....Look forward to the next one.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
British NPS round 3 :: Back on the Soda
FREERANGE SPORTS OPTICS BRITISH XC & TREK MARATHON SERIES
Margam Park
June 2-3, 2007
Round 3 of the British Mountain Bike Series was held at Margam Park in Wales. I have always counted Margam Park as one of my favourite venues, especially as every year I have raced here the sun has been shining bright. I also love the mountains, and although not being the Pyrenees, the climbs are long and in places quite steep to really challenge your lungs, and test your skill level; There’s also the added bonus of the fast and flowing single track and fire road descents that always leaves racers buzzing. However, the weather forecast didn’t look too promising as a large black cloud appeared to be heading towards Wales. With the taste of Sherwood Pines mud from round 2 still ingrained in my mind, and two weeks off from training due to a persistent cold, I wasn’t expecting it to be one of my best races. Nevertheless, I was really looking forward to taking part, but more importantly getting back on the bike.
The cross-country race began at midday, and after a good start, I was leading the group down the tarmac straight and into the first section of single track. I tried not to over cook it early on, as I reminded myself that my legs had 4 laps of climbing to get through and with little speed in the legs I was relying on my endurance to get me through the race. By the end of the first lap Amy Hunt and Jenny Copnall had a 20 second lead over Liz Scalia, Jenn O’Connor and myself. I soon lost touch with Scalia who was too strong on the climbs, but managed to break away from O’Connor and for the rest of the race maintained my fourth position. I really enjoyed the race and thanked the sunshine gods for being kind to me today.
One race down, and the 100km marathon to go. I awoke feeling perky and bright, but didn’t know what to expect from my legs today. After a good start, I tried to keep up with as many of the elite men as possible, but I suddenly suffered an intense stabbing pain in my stomach. As I hit the top of the first fire road descent I tried to breathe through the pain hoping it would subside, before the long steep rocky climb that I remembered from previous years….but it didn’t. Loads of people started passing me who were very sweet as they cheered me on and asked if I were alright. Thank you for your support as I thought I wouldn’t be able to keep going at that point in time.
By the end of the first lap I had lost touch with Jenn O’Connor who was looking very strong, but I had maintained second place. I knew it would be impossible to catch Jenn up, as I just didn’t have the strength to race hard, so I road a steady race as part of my training for riding solo at the 24 hour Mountain Mayhem in a few weeks time. I really enjoyed the rest of the race as the course had brilliant descents and challenging climbs. I ended up riding with a few different people and together we encouraged each other to keep smiling and spin those legs.
I crossed the line in second place after 5.38 hours on the bike and was pleased as punch that I got through it.
CROSS COUNTRY Top 5 podium
1. Amy Hunt (TrekVW)
2. Jenny Copnall (Subaru Gary Fisher)
3. Liz Scalia (Team Bikes Ragusa)
4. Kate Potter (Cotic Bontrager)
5. Jenn O’Connor (Patterson Training)
MARATHON Top 3 podium
1. Jenn O'Connor (Patterson Training)
2. Kate Potter (Cotic Bontrager)
3. Jenn Hopkins (Minx Kona)
A Special thankyou to AQR's Paul Dexter and partner Jane for giving up your birthday weekend to help me out at the race, and even helping me take off my grubby shoes, cleaning my bike after each race and as always all your support and friendship.
Also a special thankyou to Joolze Dymond and Dave for your hospitality and showing me all the back roads of Bristol :) Thankyou for getting me to the race, and always making me laugh.
Margam Park
June 2-3, 2007
Round 3 of the British Mountain Bike Series was held at Margam Park in Wales. I have always counted Margam Park as one of my favourite venues, especially as every year I have raced here the sun has been shining bright. I also love the mountains, and although not being the Pyrenees, the climbs are long and in places quite steep to really challenge your lungs, and test your skill level; There’s also the added bonus of the fast and flowing single track and fire road descents that always leaves racers buzzing. However, the weather forecast didn’t look too promising as a large black cloud appeared to be heading towards Wales. With the taste of Sherwood Pines mud from round 2 still ingrained in my mind, and two weeks off from training due to a persistent cold, I wasn’t expecting it to be one of my best races. Nevertheless, I was really looking forward to taking part, but more importantly getting back on the bike.
The cross-country race began at midday, and after a good start, I was leading the group down the tarmac straight and into the first section of single track. I tried not to over cook it early on, as I reminded myself that my legs had 4 laps of climbing to get through and with little speed in the legs I was relying on my endurance to get me through the race. By the end of the first lap Amy Hunt and Jenny Copnall had a 20 second lead over Liz Scalia, Jenn O’Connor and myself. I soon lost touch with Scalia who was too strong on the climbs, but managed to break away from O’Connor and for the rest of the race maintained my fourth position. I really enjoyed the race and thanked the sunshine gods for being kind to me today.
One race down, and the 100km marathon to go. I awoke feeling perky and bright, but didn’t know what to expect from my legs today. After a good start, I tried to keep up with as many of the elite men as possible, but I suddenly suffered an intense stabbing pain in my stomach. As I hit the top of the first fire road descent I tried to breathe through the pain hoping it would subside, before the long steep rocky climb that I remembered from previous years….but it didn’t. Loads of people started passing me who were very sweet as they cheered me on and asked if I were alright. Thank you for your support as I thought I wouldn’t be able to keep going at that point in time.
By the end of the first lap I had lost touch with Jenn O’Connor who was looking very strong, but I had maintained second place. I knew it would be impossible to catch Jenn up, as I just didn’t have the strength to race hard, so I road a steady race as part of my training for riding solo at the 24 hour Mountain Mayhem in a few weeks time. I really enjoyed the rest of the race as the course had brilliant descents and challenging climbs. I ended up riding with a few different people and together we encouraged each other to keep smiling and spin those legs.
I crossed the line in second place after 5.38 hours on the bike and was pleased as punch that I got through it.
CROSS COUNTRY Top 5 podium
1. Amy Hunt (TrekVW)
2. Jenny Copnall (Subaru Gary Fisher)
3. Liz Scalia (Team Bikes Ragusa)
4. Kate Potter (Cotic Bontrager)
5. Jenn O’Connor (Patterson Training)
MARATHON Top 3 podium
1. Jenn O'Connor (Patterson Training)
2. Kate Potter (Cotic Bontrager)
3. Jenn Hopkins (Minx Kona)
A Special thankyou to AQR's Paul Dexter and partner Jane for giving up your birthday weekend to help me out at the race, and even helping me take off my grubby shoes, cleaning my bike after each race and as always all your support and friendship.
Also a special thankyou to Joolze Dymond and Dave for your hospitality and showing me all the back roads of Bristol :) Thankyou for getting me to the race, and always making me laugh.
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