Xterra Brazil 2010

Xterra Brazil 2010

Angra dos Reis

1st, 2:21:12

Photo Credit to Marcio Rodrigues (www.fotocom.net)

What had been a secluded Portobello Resort for two days transformed to some festive fitness frenzy by Friday nights’ briefing and pasta indulgence. If you’ve not been into the hum that is culture here, you couldn’t imagine it. Animated and energized.

Many travelled for ages, as you would in a nation that’s the size of continental America. This was their grand Xterra for 2010, their race on the Global Circuit. More than 20 000 entrants would have raced in two tiers of the Xterra Brazil series this summer, all building to Angra, where it counts more than elsewhere.

Shonny had decided to spend the pre-race night at the Portobello resort, making it cozy like a Christmas-bed sleep over between Manzan, Shonny and I. It was a fine laugh being that close to them, each with unique quirks and subtleties to get race ready. I’d packed my muesli of course and dare say it even worked for Shonny (sharing is caring), but then it might as well have been the omelette? Somehow between the three of us we were on time and squeezed in amongst the startline.

Some music played and my goggles fogged which may have had more to do with me not understanding anything being instructed than it did with the music being the Brazilian national anthem. When that ended, another track started which I can be sure wasn’t a Lady Gaga but still, it had me revving. By the time they finally hit the green light I was like a stallion marked with a red hot iron. I was still beat to the water by at least a count of 20 even more pumped Brazilians.

Saturday was a calm swell and as beaut of a sea swim as could be hoped. I kicked on from the first buoy and led the chase behind a paddle boarder feeling smooth and balanced – seldom my race swim emotions. It stayed that way on the beach and back in for the final section.

Photo credit to Marcio Rodrigues (www.fotocom.net)

The bike course in Angra is a power one. 2 parts very fast hard pack, 2 parts bumpy and muddy, and 1 part true jungle. Shonny and I both had tires better suited to the slick single track in the forest but figured the rolling advantage on the fast stuff would outweigh the mud tire advantage, so long as it did not rain. It rained a little, but what we did not account was the other pre-riders turning it up some the day before.

It’s craziness how different terrain can feel at race effort. I’d not dodged much cow-shit before realising I was running my rear suspension too hard which was kicking me off the seat unnecessarily. Less pressure and less firmness would have been better. The 2.1 Renegades came good on the first part flat and fast. I’d tried a significant warm up, and felt rhythmic from the start.

There was a lead motorbike, more apt to say a rusty scrambler that took to honking most of the way, perhaps for the outside chance of a stray heifer crossing my path, or perhaps just to announce my arrival to all living creation. I cannot be sure. But the two of us were making good time and I got them better of him on more than one muddy section.

Photo credits to Marcio Rodrigues (www.fotocom.net)

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I am knackered and thats as far as I got on the plane… Prob still needs editing…

Xterra Planet Article

Video by 3Zone – of T2