Le race 2011
Le Race in Christchurch is the hilliest race in New Zealand going from Christchurch to Akaroa.the race has 2000m of climbing over 100km and with 50km of the race dead flat! It’s a race where big New Zealand names turn up (e.g.) subway, pure black, trek livestrong and radioshak… The race got off to a very cold start, sitting on the start line at 7.45am that freezing cold morning knowing that in a few kilometers we hit Dyers Pass a 6km climb that starts off at 14% for the first 2km then levels out to round 7%.
After listening to Bob Parker doing the race briefing all 800 rides took off doing 50kph right from the gun I had to jump on the foot path and sprint along there to get up to the front of the bunch because it was meant to be neutralized start for the first 2km but turns out it wasn’t. So I got near the front after a lot of hard work getting to the front so I didn’t miss the break on Dyers. It was just an all out sprint up the first steep bit and then 2km up the climb I started sliding to the back of the bunch which only had about 45 riders in it by this time. Then I was off the back with a few subway guys we worked together and just got on to the back of the leading bunch at the top of the climb.
Down the other side was a 6km descent, very wet, slippery and most of all cold! It had about 3 cattle stops on a few corners and I was not going to risk crashing down that descent so I eased up and ended up where I was before off the back but it wasn’t to bad because I had the race favorite with me Joe Copper and his team mates. We then got to the bottom of the treacherous descent about 1minute off the bunch of 20 up the road… with 50km of flat we had to chase hard. We waited for subway so we could regroup and chase the bunch ahead. Joe Copper and a couple others bridged the gap but I just couldn’t go with them I was stuffed. We lapped it out till we got to the next climb which was pretty much a 40km climb. I got into a rhythm and just went at my own pace and suffered my way though the endless climb with parts of the climb reaching 20% in gradient… Finally the descent into Akaroa appeared, the temperature going from 1 degree to 5 degrees at the bottom then through the French town ship and across the line 42nd with a time of 2 hours and 57 minutes, 18minutes behind winner Josh Atkins.
I also got 3rd under 17 which I was pretty pleased about. The race was probably the hardest race I have ever done. When I got to the car in Akaroa I couldn’t walk or talk I had to have a half hour break before I could do anything. That race is the equivalent of a 200km flat race. But overall it was a great experience.
Ben Johnstone
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