Sam is on a roll

Last year Voodoo Lounger Greg suggested we support local gal Samara Sheppard in a fund raiser for her first decent stint overseas. Shes back in Europe again this year and doing really really well. World cup podiums and another great result last weekend. Here is some guff.

18 June 2012

Macdonald grabs mountain bike lead; Sheppard, Peters impress

Napier mountain biker Brook Macdonald has gone to the top of the rankings in the IXS European Downhill Cup after a podium finish in latest round in Scotland today.

Macdonald, who crashed on the way to a disappointing 20th in his seeding effort on Sunday (NZ time), had an excellent run in today’s race at Innerleithen in the Scottish Highlands.The MS Mondraker rider was timed at 3:05.527 down the superb course in the Traquair forest to finish 3.4 seconds behind winner Ruaridh Cunningham of Great Britain.

Macdonald was sixth in the opening round at Winterberg, third at Leogang and now second to move to the top of the rankings midway through the championship.

Meanwhile Samara Sheppard and Dirk Peters impressed in elite company in the latest round of the Swiss Cup crosscountry in Granichen.

Sheppard, the Rotorua-based Wellington rider, finished eighth in the elite women’s field and second in the under-23 division today. The 21 year old, racing for the Wheeler IXS team in Switzerland this year, was pleased with another strong showing in the race won by her teammate Ester Suss, who is the Swiss representative in next month’s London Olympics.

Sheppard was hamstrung when she snapped the front cable just before the start of the race, limiting her to riding only in her small chain ring.

“I am happy but it could have been better as I was spinning out on the downhill and flat sections so I couldn’t stick to a wheel in front. I was only 30 seconds behind the under- 23 winner Annie Last who was second in the world last year.

“But the body felt good so overall I am happy,” Sheppard said. “It was good preparation for the world cup next weekend in Canada.”

The action this weekend is across the Atlantic with the next round of the UCI World Cup for both crosscountry and downhill set for Mont Saint Anne in Canada.

Results, IXS European Cup, Innerleithen, Scotland:
Elite men: Ruaridh Cunningham (GBR) 3:02.056, 1; Brook Macdonald (NZL, MS Mondraker) 3:05.527, 2; Lewis Buchanan (BR) 3:06.051, 3.

BMC Racing Cup, Granichen, Switzerland: 
Elite women: Ester Suss (SUI, Wheeler-IXS) 1:29.25, 1; Katrin Leumann (SUI, Ghost) at 23sec, 2; Alexandra Engen (SWE, Ghost) at 1:29, 3. Also: Samara Sheppard (NZL, Wheeler IXS) at 3:46, 8.

Elite men: Nino Schurter (SUI, Scott-Swisspower) 1:40.05, 1; Manual Fumic (GER, Cannondale) at 23s, 2; Marco Fontana (ITA, Cannondale) at 1:28, 3. Also Dirk Peters (NZL) at 8:34. 27.

CAPTION: Samara Sheppard in action in today’s BMC Racing Cup in Switzerland.
The image is free for editorial use only. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Wyder
For further information contact:
IAN HEPENSTALL
Media Liaison, BikeNZ High Performance
Sports Media NZ Ltd
Tel +64 9 2327822
Mob +64 275613181
E: ian@sportsmedianz.com
Skype: kiwiheps

Voodoo Doll Earns her stripes!

We went for a ride today. First one since the Tandem trip. All was going good. Hill Road, Belmont Road, Haywards, then I got notification that I had to pick up my daughter from her work by 3pm. Kay had no cell because her phone was in for servicing : ) I left her at the top of the Haywards hill, while I sprinted home to pick up the car to collect the daughter. I asked if Kay wanted the puncture kit and c02s, tools etc. "No no, I'll be alright". As I disappeared down the hill she looked down and noticed her front wheel was actually flat.....

No tools, no phone. 1.5 hours later at 4pm she turns up, having run the 7 odd kms home with her bike, with only 1.5 hours left to get tea ready for the guests we were entertaining!

Damn nice meal it was too.
Reckon she can have a sleep in tomorrow : )

foggie

It was freezing this morning, and Upper Hutt was even colder.  It's amazing the difference that few hundred feet can make:

Team Voodoo Lounge Training Camp December 2010

Disclaimer:  I have bad memory, I take bad photos and my spelling/grammar is known to crash word processing software.

December 2010, yes, that’s how long ago Team Voodoo Lounge had their inaugural training camp.  I not sure we were Team Voodoo Lounge at the time.  We knew we were part of team, more of a franchise really, as we  train, race or just ride more as individuals rather than a group, heck some of us still don’t know about other members, but I don’t think we all agreed on a name at that stage.  It was just  great to belong, even if ride alone, and its a great excuse for a jersey.  but that’s another story.  
Neil and I decided it was time for training camp, but once push came to shove, only the two of us were left.  everyone else had an excuse….  perhaps the lack of trainers, masseuses and sponsors had something to do with it

first point of call establishing base came at the voodoo lounge substitute, the Wimbledon lodge:
        
and then the bar (we cyclists have our priorities)


we woke up the next morning to howling gale and pouring rain.  so we decided to drive around for a while and look for better weather.  We ended up in Masterton for lunch.  the rain stopped by the time we got back to we dared  a short ride to Herberville. Did I mention it was windy?





The pub was closed



On the was back to camp base, I broke a spoke.  I should have taken a spare wheel, as I was getting too strong (read heavy) for my Neuvation rear wheel with its lightweight spokes as I already had spokes snapped on two previous occasions.   The next morning the wind was still blowing a gale so we decided to relocate.  We drove back to Masterton, got my wheel fixed, and cycled north to Alfredton. Neil just had to ring that school bell ever since he couldn’t participate in the mystery ride few months back that culminated there.



we then drove around the Wairarapa looking for a place to stay the night.  Martinbourough was full, and we eventually found a motel in Greytown that had some vacancies.    we did get some funny looks from the motel proprietors when we enquired about a room.  single room? – two beds? – no, a double bed is not OK, really! – we could see that Tui look in their eyes….. – but we Voodoo Lounge team cyclists are very secure in our tights, leggings and shaved legs (for some)
Next day, Neil suggested we climb Admiral Hill.  Why not I said, we are on a training camp after all.

 

once we got to the top he said, lets carry on and see what it’s like on the other side…..   hmmm, OK.  we started decending and hit gravel after 50 meters from the top.  did we stop and go back? – Nop, we are Team Voodoo Lounge after all, and beside, by the time we got to our senses, we were too far down the hill (or so we thought).  So we carried on, on the gravel, on rocks the size of rats, two guys on carbon road bike, skinny and smooth 23mm wheels and not a worry in the world (or so we thought).  we even stopped to admire the view

  

It was pretty,the view I mean:






35 kilometres of gravel later, after we got lost and rode couple of extra hills for sake of, well getting lost, we arrived at Hinakura



Hmm..  where to from here Neil?



to the bar, of course, but alas, it was closed



and then I broke another spoke.  I was used to it:  Wrap it around another spoke, open the brakes wide and carry on – nothing to see here! -
Now we had to climb again.  we were already knackered from 35 km of bone jarring, tooth filling extracting gravel road riding, and now had to climb the blooming Tararuas (or whatever these mountains are) again!  by the time we descended down the valley and turned right into Longbush road going north, there was nothing left in us.  we were licking the inside of empty gel packets, picking up crumbs of energy bars from the corners of our jerseys pockets and generally feeling sorry for ourselves.  But it was sunny, warm, and we were  riding our bikes!  -  so we couldn't complain too much. – and besides, there was no one around to hear us anyway.
A friendly farmer kindly filled our bottles with water.  The best filtered rain water in the neighbourhood he claimed.  it tasted funny, but it was water, and it was magic.  Well, when I say Magic, I mean rust, cobweb, bird poo filtered magic, but it all that we needed to carry us the last 20 km back to the Gladstone Bar car park where we left the car. That Bar was OPEN.
we returned home that day, exalted, excited  and exhausted.  The Team Voodoo Lounge training camp of 2010 was a remarkable success.  Pity it was just the two of us.  Maybe next time more people can join us and help me beat Neil up next time he mixes ‘Training Camp’ with ‘Orienteering’, and road cycling with mountain biking. – just kidding, I will follow Neil anywhere.

New (old) edition to the lounge

Officially branded, another bike is now an official and intergral part of Team Voodoo Lounge, ready to mark its teritory with sweat dropplets, snot bombs and (well, I'll let your imagination take over now)

 

Tour divide starts today

A couple of Kiwi Breveteers are doing it this time, Ollie Whalley and Nathan Mawkes:
http://trackleaders.com/tourdividei.php?name=Nathan_Mawkes
http://trackleaders.com/tourdividei.php?name=Ollie_Whalley

May their bottoms be strong !

Biwl

Biwl. Thats Bill in a Kiwi accent. Lost amongst the hoopla of the Queens birthday honours was Bill's acceptance into Team Voodoo Lounge. As one of Oklahoma's proudest exports his only response was: " I am not interested in being a member of any club what would want me as a member".

More background on the celebrity seismologist here.