Diary of a Desk Jockey: Megavalanche qualifing
Desk Jockey Paul actually beats Loic Bruni in the qualifying race but still gets caned by a guy with only one leg!
Here’s what Desk Jockey Paul says:
I went back up the following day to get a proper timed run in, but I had a pretty big asthma episode in the snow and had to call it a day half way down. I was really annoyed but there wasn’t anything I could do.
As you can see from the video, things didn’t quite go to plan….well….about 100 places away in fact! This trip is something I will never forget though: all the build up to the race, the people I met and the places I’ve ridden have been fantastic. Stopping riding for so long is one of my biggest regrets and can only say that all the stuff you find outside of riding is no where near as fun.
There have been a bunch of people that have encouraged, given me advice and helped over the past 7 months and I’d like to say thanks below:
Dom, Sam, Si and Johnny that came on the trip. You were pretty patient and motivated me by repeatedly saying I was being a pussy, pretty much every time we rode
Dave Arthur, you’re a roadie now but cheers all the same
Dave Jacquin for the tips and bits
Ed, Mike and Billy for helping me out with kit and checking in on how things were going
Chris @ Trek for selling me the Slash
Pat @ Ison for doing me some deals
All the guys at Factory who didn’t really get what I was doing but wished me luck all the same
My Mum…..you have to thank your mum
Everyone else who I’ve not named!
I’ve got the bug for racing and setting myself challenges, I’ll go back to the mega but for now will keep it in the UK! Cheers for watching.”
Gotta say fair play for getting stuck in and now you have done it you probably realise the challenge that is the mega, a lot of peopple will never go for whatever reason and they are truly missing out. Going back to the original parts of this series you will understand your expectations were waaaaay to high. Until it’s been done you just don’t know what to expect regardless of what you think or how many vids have been watched – that’s for everyone and not aimed at you. TIPS 4 all: Don’t sit in the snow, it’s slow – sit back, go fast and crash if necessary as it does NOT HURT, push much harder on the singletrack and the fast stuff as that’s the easy part and where you can gain places and your breath, forget all the energy gels nonsense – drink water and Leffe 9. Be totally aggressive at the start, you want to take places not lose them and most people will not get involved with you if you ride aggresive, RIDE the boardwalk don’t walk it. I hope you enjoyed it and have the bug like the rest of us
Yoooooooooooooo! Awesome round up of the week. That’s some pretty rad snow riding by the guy with the big bag who passes you. Shame you did not put his deep snow, face plant into the edit! Good riding with you, think we could qualify next year?
Second the dirt dodger:
RIDE THE BOARD WALK!
Damn all you people who ON RACE DAY ride half way down it and then ******* stop and look around like a lost little rabbit. EVERY YEAR!
how good is this new player? who hoo
Dirt dodger – I should’ve thanked you, you’ve commented on every episode dude! You are right, I quickly realised my ambitions were way out, and as I said you only truly learn about the race when you’ve ridden the thing. Alex – thanks for sorting my suspension too! I had ridden theboardwalk loads – but I just didn’t see the value at the time as the area was packed and I was killed by the off.
PAUL , I know what you mean, when you get there and everybody is walking bit seems pointless ut trust me those valuable 10-15 secs are well worth it man. Hey, BTW the vids don’t show just how risky it is especially @ that point – all of us know it’s one way or the other at that section and can cost, i went over the bars twice there @ speed this year and somehow lucked out….hope you do it again its been fun following your journey.
Well done for giving it a go.
Not knowing your riding background, but I don’t think setting a goal to qualify in the top 35 for the main race was setting your expectations too high.
I did similar last year, having raced DH but nothing like the Mega before & managed to qualify 26th. Did the same again this year but had a nasty crash in the week and had 3 fractured ribs, but still qualified 20th from the 4th row back.
From your video it’s amazing the sheer number of mid pack wobblers you come across stopping on everything. They are like lemmings just stood there, should have just smashed past them, on or off the bike. Where do all these people come from?!? I never saw them in the week!
What a great vid, really enjoyed watching it. Certainly whetted my appetite!
Not only did you beat Loic Bruni, you caught him for 20 minutes as he was in the heat before you!
You also beat Joe Barnes who had a mechanical!
I think I came past you when you were on the deck! I also didn’t qualify!
Good effort I reckon. I had a similar experience of the Mega – my first time riding in the Alps. I was too tentative off the start line in quali and got 107th. Its true that the only way to know what its like is to get out there and do it, its a must. I keep thinking I must do it again, we’ll see.