Jeep 24 HR (in 2 minutes)

I am now "that guy"..

Yep, there is usually one in every race, "that guy' is the one that hits the bollard at 45 km/hr+ and smashes his body/bike senseless.

I would take a guess that I was around 3 minutes into a 24 hour race, in-fact I wasn't even on the course for the race, just the prologue lap. I had a great start, sitting very comfortable in 4th wheel and feeling great. We were flying around the course, and we flicked right onto a walking path, that was straight for around 400 meters.

All I can remember is I was sitting in 5th place, in a very strong paceline and moving very quick. All of a sudden the front guys dove left and right, there was a very slight hesitation from the rider in front of me, and before I knew it I was staring straight at a 60cm high thick wooden bollard in the middle of the track.

I remember NOTHING, and vaguely remember staring at the marshalls that SHOULD have been making said bollard aware that it was in-fact there. No marking, no caution.....just a bloody bollard in the middle of a race course.

My bike is a mess, with its rear wheel axle now ripped through the hub body. Carbon bars need to be replaced. Cranks might need to be replaced. Rear derailer is smashed up as well.

My body is even worse. Knees now bandaged. Hands smashed. Left foot bruised/smashed. Shoulder is a swollen heap, and I can't really move my left arm. Skin missing from my left shoulder down to my left bottom. All with a lovely bump on my head. Best of all, it hurts to breathe.

My helmet is split, and I can never thank it enough. In-fact I think I will mount it on a shrine.

The only good thing regarding me hitting this bollard at full whack, is it meant that I saved someone else from hitting it, as I was just the very first rider (#5) to come through. I have no doubt that a rider would have gone down. The marshalls that were just watching my crash unfold quickly realised there error and manned the bollard straight away, but I think my body/bike covering the path in a small part helped slow the traffic down so no-one else hit it.

Whats worse and annoys me the most, is these marshalls had only moments before my crash said to one another they should be marshaling it. Sure, I should have seen it, but have you ever raced flat out in a paceline. I admit the guys in front didn't really slow and point "bollard' out, but the truth is only the very first guy knew it was there, the rest of us were riding blind.

I now have the fantastic pleasure of having the best form of my year spent on the couch for a couple of weeks. Sorry for the whinge, but I am struggling to remain positive after this crash.


LESSON LEARNT. I guess.

Over n Out....for a long while.

Rhino