Dave Stedman

I take it you did not ride of Sunday - you'd be fuming! I guess you have a limited number of options: - get to the front and win - get to the front and blow up ... and let the following riders curse you - don't ride races with lots of technical sections or single track (your choice) - take the issue up with organisers ... and this is the area where we riders are probably at fault ... or should the governing body (MTBSA?) be circulating a number of recommendations to course designers? Years ago, when involved in road running and XC running, I drew up a document with a number of DOs and DON'Ts for race organisers. After the race, the association used to mark us according to a scoresheet and give us a report of where we needed to do improvements. If those were not implimented the next year, we lost our position on the race calendar the year after. Later they used to inspect the course a couple of weeks PRIOR to the event. Can we not encourage this sport to do something similar and POLL the cyclists after the race?

Never mind about a timing letdown, what about RESULTS letdown? When I went to look for the 35 km results, there is only the result to 2008-07-15. Anybody else found them? Dave

A view from a complete novice - I'm an old f..t (ex road runner) that took up mountain biking just after my 57th birthday this year - so pls be patient, as I don't know the jargon. Sorry you 65 km speed pigs. I'm one of the 35 km guys that held you up. I tried to get out of your way as many times as possible, but sometimes didn't even hear you come up. Not the point though. I do not want to be responsible for holding up any faster rider - being in my race or some other. I was very embarrased that just after the 65 km joined the 35 km, there was a section of single track followed by a section where every 35 km rider I saw, portaged! Of course we are going to hold up ANY (65/35) speedier biker. I also disagree totally with having a long stretch of single track followed by a technical section in which more than half the field are going to carry their bikes. So how do we get the designers of courses NOT to join two races especially in the closing stages on a single track? Again in the last ~5 km there was a single track section where slow riders held up faster ones. Not acceptible. Are there any other 35km riders out there that was disgusted about the prize issue? I am totally disgusted that there were no prizes for the 35 km (not a contender doing over 3 hours). However other than a mention there was no reward for the 35 kms. Grizzly grouch wheeler