Race review last Sunday

Wet and muddy conditions greeted the racers for the last Sunday's race. The rain over the previous couple of days left some surface water on course which effected parts of the track. Ian and Nathan did a quick inspection to make sure it was safe. The track in was pretty muddy so we made a change to the start-finish line and ended up with 6.8 km course. Since we haven't had rain up here for ages nearly all bikes were set up with tyres more suited to dry dusty conditions so the challenge was definitely on maintaining traction in the soft mud. The other thing was trying to reduce the amount of mud sticking to the bike.
Luckily the rain stayed away and in cool overcast weather the race started at a cautious pace, as riders tried to come to grips with the slippery conditions and course layout. Steve Kelly from Broken Hill decided to err on the side of caution and shadow Ian Beruldsen who led the field in the first lap. Nathan Floramo lead out the Sport class from Grant Brooks, Leon and Ross Pedersen and Anthony Connell. In the Juniors, the improving Sam Barnden set up a handy lead from recent good performer Alex Drysdale and Angus Barnden.
By mid-race, positions in the field were set and parts of the track were barely rideable. At the rear of the course the recently built "3rd tee climb and jump" was like riding on ice and the general consensus was to "hike-a-bike". Luckily the rain held off but the a combination of sticky conditions and the flu resulted in a few riders calling it a day early. Well done to gesture Alex Drysdale who let Len Pedersen use his bike to finish the race due to Leon flatting on the third lap. With the amount of mud stuck to tyres and rims a change of tube was out of the question.
Ian's good start put a couple of minutes on Steve Kelly and he took out the Expert class. Nathan and Grant crossed the line in a tie for first and Ross Pedersen second with Len in third in Sport class. Sam Barnden had the Juniors all to himself when Angus and Alex fell victim to the Murray mud.
Despite the tough conditions all racers enjoyed the hit out and the experience of wet weather racing. Club President Ian Beruldsen said "It's great to test your skills in different riding conditions and we certainly haven't raced in conditions like these for quite a while. The area needs the rain and the Coomie course can do with a drink leading up to the Coomie Club Enduro in September." http://coomieclub3hourenduro.blogspot.com/
The June long weekend sees a contingent of Coomie-Mildura riders and supporters heading north to take on the Broken Hill Mountain Bike Club's annual "Poker Race". Hopefully we can put in a good showing. Good luck to all! Next club race 15 Jun 08. Stay tuned!