PNP MTB Series - Round 5

What an awesome race!

Today was the final round of the PNP MTB Series and my first season of racing it in Senior Women (there's no pro-elite women's category in the series so the pro-elite racers generally enter Senior Women). There's been a fairly decent-sized women's field in the series, which has been great to see. It's also given me a chance to race against some very, very fast local riders! I was coming into this race with three 5th places (Rounds 1, 3, and 4) and a 7th place (Round 2), so I had no real expectations of a podium finish.

The race was held up Makara Peak MTB Park, which are my local tracks. And by local I mean I just have to ride around the corner from home and I'm in the Park! I do a fair chunk of my training up there so had quite a good knowledge of most of the tracks that were in the race.

Most of the usual riders were out there on the start line, with the addition of fellow R&R Sport rider Rose who had come down from Palmy for the race. The race began with a 4 minute uphill road ride before hitting the singletrack. Heading up the road I was surprised to see that I was in third, although the other girls weren't too far behind me.


Into the singletrack (Rimu) we went and I had Rose on my tail on the way down. Rose passed me on the 4wd at the bottom of Rimu before we headed into Big Tom's Wheelie and down SWIGG/Starfish, a really fun, fast, flowy descent to the carpark. We caught Karina at that stage and were in single file up the singletrack climb on Koru. Rose passed Karina, and I sat behind Karina all the way up to the summit (via Koru, Sally Alley, Missing Link, and Aratihi). At the top of Aratihi I decided to pass Karina down the short 4wd descent (where I went a bit wide on a few gravelly corners! ooops..) and down into Upper Leaping Lizard and Nikau with Karina right behind me. There we met a few riders ahead of us who were in a different category. With a bit of passing here and there, I managed to get a bit of a gap away from Karina. Phew.. I could breathe a bit better then! :)

Back up Missing Link and Aratihi to the summit. I didn't dare look behind me because I didn't want to know how close Karina was. But I just kept pedalling away and tried to not drop the pace or fall into my usual trap of taking it easy up Aratihi. I passed a couple of people and let a few people pass me in return. A quick glimpse back when I neared the top of the climb and I couldn't see Karina anywhere behind me. Sweet.

And then the fun began! My favourite descent in the Park - down Ridgeline, Ridgeline Extension, SWIGG, and Starfish. I had to keep telling myself to concentrate as I was trying so hard to retain my third(!) place in my category. And I did have a few lapses in concentration (at one point I said outloud to myself "Concentrate Celia!"). I'd gone this far and I really didn't want to lose my placing due to a crash! Got a bit of encouragement from my husband Scotty towards the bottom and Lisa Morgan my coach as I reached the carpark at the bottom. Then it was on the road to the finish. Lockout on front and rear and just pedalled the biggest gear I could. I wasn't going to take my chances with being passed just before the finish line!!

Finally, I reached the finish and was totally stoked! Third(!) behind Nicole and Rose. It had been my aim the past couple of races to be as close to Michelle and Ashley who have been consistently ahead of me throughout the series, so it was great to finally achieve that!


So yeah. My first medal in Senior Women at the PNP Series! Awesome! As one rider pointed out to me afterwards, that's pretty cool since I was riding the Recreation grade last year and have stepped up to Senior Women this year. A couple of weeks off racing now with the next event being the Makara Peak Rally on December 7th - Yay another race on my local tracks! Can't wait :)