SUCH A PADDY I MAY AS WELL BE IRISH

Todays riding, where to start? for me it was a mixed bag, after chilling for most of the day we went in to register for the race and pick up our plates, it went smoothly we handed our doctors notes over (which by the way if I come again ill be writing myself for all the attention she payed, £10 bloody quid that cost me the buggers at padarn), back to the cruz bus to armour up then we hit the mountain ready to ride, we got to the escalator up to the gondala (can you imagine them letting you take your bike up an escilator back home) only to find a massive cue, quite a difference from what we were used to as all week its been pretty quite on "our mountain" bloody tourists! another sobering moment seeing so many riders, it was good to see a few full on DH rigs, and tripple crowns, some uber bling v10's too.

THE FIRST PROPER TRIP TO THE TOP

The top lift opened for the first time today, shit me its high, but i get ahead of myself, we got to the middle lift via the wood park, eipc, the place was rammed with guys on super expensive super clean bikes and all the latest matching tops and what not, they all piled in to the woodpark just ahead of us, we dove in shortly after Phil first then Ant then me all in quick succession, after getting held up a little by a slow poke up ahead the way cleared and we were off, in the distance we could see "the three drops" up ahead and all the bling guys screeching to a halt just before them, Phil got his elbows out and powered down, the french boys started shouting at each other to get out of the way, Ant clipped one of them and then pretty much in formation one straight after the other all three of us launched off the middle drop to a flurry of camera flashes, cheesy I know but I shit you not that is how it went!

That was the good bit over now for more pain, considering when i got out of the tent this morning and stood up I nearly fell over because my legs have forgotten what they are supposed to do, and I cant laugh, cough, breathe deeply, bend over or sneeze without a big pain in my ribs after taking a handle bar to them, today after the woodpark was a string of offs for me, it was good to do the very top section because we haven't done it properly before but FFS how many times to I have to hit the dirt????????? now when I get close with a barrier, tree, boulder or what ever the chances are I've already landed on that bit of me and second/third time round its just not cricket, hence the paddy, I was so pissed of by the time I got to the road the helmet was off and thrown to the ground followed closely by the gloves, I had a big stomp around muttering obscenities with Ant doing his best not to laugh, quite a good job he did too, toys back in the pram we headed home.

To be fair it was a pretty epic back drop up the top, Ive been caught in a few thunder storms before but we were actually "in" this one, riding down chased by thunder oooh dramatic!! 

sorry I know Ive gone on now and your probably about to give yourself an electric shock cause your alseep and dribbling on the keyboard, but just one more thing, food intake is insane at the moment, breakfast (i never have breakfast) then power bars in town, then back for lunch (sausages and pasta or pork chops and rice or something pork based until yesterday when we ran out) to refuel before heading back out, then a sandwich when we get back from riding followed shortly by what is basically two main meals in the restaurant (usually a massive plate of macaroni cheese followed by steak and chips) and then (check this out bam ud be proud) I even have a pudding!!!!!

ok thats it you made it! whew eh

only the plates pics now

 

sorry about the long post, just had a lot to say today!