10 October 2005

The Mont 24 Hour Race

| joeyjo
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“The Mont” is THE annual 24 hour mountain bike race which took place in Kowen forest, Canberra this weekend. It attracts around 2,400 competitors who compete either as intense, non-stop solo riders or in relay teams. The race began at midday on Saturday and ran (or should that be cycled?) continuously until midday on Sunday. Competitors began the race by running 800 meters or so to their bikes, to kick start the next 24 hours of cycling.

Rainy weather late this week meant the track was pretty muddy. Great efforts by the organisers and volunteers meant the worst areas were covered by road base gravel. The riders endured cold and windy conditions overnight, particularly difficult for those who travelled here from more temperate climates.

Highlights for spectators included a rather narrow, slippery bridge at the bottom of a section of steep track (not so great for many riders who found themselves a bit wetter and muddier than originally planned). Lots of riders get into the spirit of the race with one whole team decked out in pink tutus. Also fun to watch was a team whose bicycle repertoire included a tandem cycle.

Each lap was 19 kilometers and generally took something close to an hour to complete.

http://www.corc.asn.au/24hr/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55604209@N00/tags/mont2005/

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Sorry, I hit ‘Say It!’ prematurely!

I also wanted to give my congratulations to *everyone* who made it to the end of the event. To be riding at 12pm on Sunday after who-knows-how-many night laps is a tremendous effort!

I believe that the Mont, unfortunately, has become a victim of its own success. There are so many riders these days that I feel the atmosphere and ‘community’ feeling has been lost.

For example, a fellow rider had his bike stolen during the morning. Used to be that one could set up camp and go for a wander around the place and not have to worry about one’s kit being flogged, because everyone was there for a good time.

Additionally, while the on-track manners were pretty good, the number of rude, aggressive, and downright dangerous riders seemed to be up this year.

It’s still a great event, with heroic stories of commitment and determination, but I doubt that I’ll be back next year.

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