This year was probably the least prepared I’ve ever been heading into the race. Between work, a pretty nasty divorce and everything else life decided to throw at me, it was chaos. In fact, I hadn’t even ridden a bike since winning the Don River Dash last year until eight days before Finke!
Normally that would be a concern for most poeple but I knew my fitness was there. What I lacked was seat time, so we spent the week before the race getting comfortable on the bike and working closely with the boys at Tune Tech to dial in the suspension. We re-valved it a few times until we had the bike sitting exactly where I wanted it. Once that was sorted, I knew I could trust it.
Even getting to Alice Springs wasn’t straightforward. On the drive down I hit a bull and completely wrote my car off. I was lucky to walk away with only cuts to the back of my head and a heap of glass to pull out, but it certainly wasn’t the ideal start to race week.
Prologue didn’t go my way either. I ended up 37th, which wasn’t where I wanted to be, but it also lit a bit of a fire in the belly. I stopped worrying about results and just focused on doing my own race. I know that track inside out after thousands of kilometres over the years, and sometimes experience counts for more than outright speed.
The race itself was one of the most enjoyable Finkes I’ve ridden. Some people thought it was brutal, but compared to years gone by I actually thought it flowed really well. There weren’t as many savage square edges and, while the whoops were still there, they weren’t endless like they used to be. I found myself really enjoying riding through them rather than just surviving them.
The biggest challenge was the dust. Starting further back meant the first 30 or 40 kilometres were almost a complete whiteout in places. I wasn’t backing off though. I was using landmarks and trees alongside the track to judge where I was, counting the seconds between corners and trusting my memory more than my eyesight. A few riders later told me I was crazy for passing people in those conditions, but sometimes you’ve just got to commit.
The atmosphere around the 50th anniversary was something special too. I’ve never seen so many spectators or caravans lining the track. While the exclusion zones have changed the feel compared to the old days, it was still incredible to be part of such a milestone event.
Now the focus shifts north to the Don River Dash. Carrying the number one plate is something I don’t take for granted, especially as you get older. Those opportunities don’t come around very often. More than anything, I’m looking forward to another great weekend of racing, catching up with mates around the campfire and hopefully putting on a good show for everyone who comes out to watch.
