Even underdone, Marcus Roy's still a chance

BY NATHAN BURDON

Invercargill's Marcus Roy has spent more time studying than cycling in the past few months, but don't rule him out as a contender in Saturday's Motatapu mountainbike race.

The mountainbike course offers once-a-year access through the Motatapu, Soho and Glencoe stations starting at Glendhu Bay, Lake Wanaka, and finishing at Arrowtown.

Few know their way to Butler's Green better than Roy, who won the first four editions of the race before being knocked off his perch by good friend and arch-rival Kashi Leuchs last year.

Roy, however, admits he hasn't spent much time in the saddle in recent weeks.

Eighteen months into a role at the Southland District Council, he is also studying towards his masters degree in resource planning.

"I've only done one week of training. I seriously haven't done much in December-January-February. I'm working fulltime and studying part-time – everything else sort of goes on hold."

The former New Zealand representative was still able to blast his way around the White Hill Classic near Mossburn last weekend, perhaps even suprising himself at how good his legs were feeling. "Hopefully that transfers to this weekend as well."

Roy and Leuchs rode the Alpine Epic two-man teams event at the end of February. From riding about three hours a week they stepped up to a 30-hour marathon.

Knowledge of the course will be his trump card as he races after a fifth title. "The one positive is that I know the course better than some of the other guys, especially a couple of guys coming from Christchurch who haven't done it before," Roy said.

"Because I've done well at that race it's always at the back of your head. There's always pressure on you, your friends tell you `you've won it before, why can't you win it again'.

"I'll be going hard for it but I haven't been on the bike much. I can't just kick back and enjoy it. I've got that competitive bone in my body."

MARCUS ROY'S TIPS ON RIDING MOTATAPU

Have your bike, equipment and food ready well before the race:

"Preparation is the key to everything. If you haven't got your mind on the game a couple of days out, you aren't going to have your mind on the game when you are there. The last thing you want is undue stress. You are best to have it all sorted out the night before, or a couple of days out, than at 9am at Glendhu Bay."

Think about what you are gong to eat before the race, but don't stress about it:

"Normally I find the feed two nights before is more important than the night before. I remember one occasion travelling up from Dunedin and having fish and chips at the Alexandra pie cart the night before and still doing quite well. That's when I was a student and doing more riding than I'm doing now. It's all relative – everything in moderation."

Just like your mum always said: have a good breakfast:

"I normally try and have some slow-release energy: wholegrains, porridge, a good hearty muesli. Cornflakes and rice bubbles are quite sugary and processed. They release their energy quite quickly. You are best to have a good feed two or three hours before."

And make sure you keep eating on the bike:

"You are best to get through a muesli bar every 40 to 60 minutes. Just keep chipping away at them. I normally have a pocketful of jet planes, something like that, just in case you start hitting the wall later in the day.

Water is as important as food:

"In the past I've done it on (one) bottle but it depends on the conditions. If it's warm or windy it will dehydrate you quicker. I would take probably a litre and a half (of water) and I normally try and put sports drink in it as well."

Top up when you get the opportunity:

"The aid stations are a good indiciation of how you are going. I think there's four of them, every 10km. You can stop and fill up and then mosey on to the next one. If it's (your) first time it would pay to stop at the second and third one."

Be good to yourself and the bike:

"Try and be alert, when you are doing downhills, of stones and rocks. Try and ride smoothly rather than blast down a hill. If you ride smooth you usually ride fast, and you aren't going to damage wheels or yourself if you come off."

Keep an eye on the track ahead and ride accordingly:

"I think the biggest thing is to try and maintain your momentum. Pedal down a downhill and hold your speed as much as you can on the flat and into the bottom of the next uphill. That's where the time's made, rather than just coasting down a hill, going slow across the flat and then changing into a lower gear to grind up the next climb. Try and get halfway up a hill with the momentum you've got before you start whipping down gears.

You've earned your speed, make the most of it:

"I normally try and hit the bottom of the next hill really fast and hold that speed, and then just whip down gears as I need, rather than seeing the hill coming and changing down at the bottom."

Crossing fords:

"The ones at the end on the Arrow, I run them. There's lots of silt in the Arrow river and it gets into your bearings. Two weeks later all your bearings will clog up. Most of the early (fords) I try and ride but it depends on how much rain they've had – how deep they are, what the entries and exits are like. Sometimes it's faster to run them, or walk them."

- © Fairfax NZ News