OUTSIDE THE TAPE

My short column to sum up the trials and tribulations of those between the tape often only centres on those between the tape. It’s as if this sport is solely made up of individuals riding bikes through the pines on a solitary adventure to fame and fortune. But this could not be further from the truth as holding up those riders between the tape is a team of people. Standing in the heat or rain on the side-lines handing out bottles, gels and encouragement, while usually getting empty bottles and sticky gel packets thrown back at them! To an outsider, individual sports may seem just that, individual sports. But as many have heard from post-race interviews, the stars usually thank the team that’s in their corner for their success. Boxers rely on their teams to plug bleeding foreheads while roadie climbing cyclists sit behind their large Belgium teamies during the windy stages. For cross-country races, with designated feed and tech zones, the support comes in the form of F1 style pit crews. Ready to hand out those bottles and gels but also change a wheel, seatpost, chain, derailleur (yes, it can be done in a race), even spare shoes! The amazing thing that comes up repeatedly in Australian races and even overseas in Europe is that these F1 pit crews are often family members and friends! The top world teams can usually hire their mechanics and soigneurs to do the dirty business but a good majority of the chaotic pit-zone is made up of family and friends. While trying to get that crisp bottle change, they are also worrying about how their son, daughter or boy/girlfriend is going in the race. Even when top teams can afford a soigneur, riders sometimes still opt for someone closer, for that personal touch. There are not many other sports where this occurs especially at a high level such as a World Cup or National Round. Opting for a personal touch is all well and good but often the unpaid ‘support’ is bred from necessity. Their close support is usually the only support that a rider can get. When it is freezing and raining and you have to stand in a call-up box for 15 minutes before a race, that unpaid support holding a jacket or towel is starting to be worth a whole lot more. The personal factor that this situation brings builds a sense of family within the wider mountain biking community. ‘Wider’ may be extreme though as the mountain bike community really isn’t that big in the grand scheme of things and this also brings the connections closer. Support networks often overlap and a few people can find themselves supporting multiple riders at a time. Supporters can find themselves feeding ‘rival’ competitors and likewise sponsors can help out a whole host of riders in the same race. Being so close knit means the ‘pick up sticks’ style connections is interwoven and reliant on the next connection to keep the base supported. Even when one stick is touched, the whole pile is affected. This is unfortunately most apparent when tragedy strikes one of us as happened at the end of 2017 with the passing of ex-mtber turned road rider, but still very much in the hearts of mountain bikers, Jason Lowndes. Like someone playing reckless with the pick-up sticks, the whole pile was affected, but just as after Burry Stander’s tragic death 5 years ago exactly, as of the day I write this, the pile will stabilise. No doubt thanks to the incredible support network that our little sport enjoys and which binds us together. The tragedies strike, hopefully as something we never get used to, and those directly affected will always be remembered but just as they would want, we still get out and ride our bikes. So, thank you, to all those who support riders and the sport in whatever capacity you do and keep the wheels rolling all across the globe. Whether you’re between the tape or outside it, go and make 2018 a full gas year!