Lowan Otway Odyssey, 23rd of February, 2008

Perhaps Australia's Best 100km Mountain Bike Marathon.
Jeremy Dyson

 
To start on the Great Ocean Road in Apollo Bay was great. Hundreds of riders, bling bikes everywhere and a top 20 cyclists as good as I've seen in any Victorian MTB race. It had rained heavily the night before and it was still on and off at the start line. It wasn't cold, but there was a sense among the riders that it could be a long day out there.

Everyone enjoyed the first couple of kilometres, which was the flattest part of the entire race.  It wasn't long before the hills began and this year the riders were looking forward to the fact that the initial climb was on sealed road. Surely this year's course would be easie and for the initial half hour it probably was!
 
After a steep 10km we entered "private property" and that's where the mud bath began. There were creek crossings and steep hills, it rained a bit - but the main feature was simply mud! The ankle deep mud covered everyone.  Many back wheels simply would not spin because of amount of mud on them. Derailers were clogging up and trying to clip your shoe back into the pedals was an impossible waste of time, particularly because you'd be back off the rig off so soon. Ascents were often followed by steep descents on trails covered by ruts and leaf litter, where stopping or turning was near impossible and walking down was the only option for many.  
 

It's hard to know how long we were on and off our bikes up the mudslides. Some say three kilometre's, others say about an hour. Whatever the number it was long and by the 30 km mark every rider was covered from head to toe in mud, wanted a new bike and was asking the question "who's idea was this?" I hadn't trained extensively or specifically for the event, but if I had, I would have spent far too much training on my bike rather than pushing it up hills in the mud. Chris Jongewaard announced from the winner's podium that he too could not ride up those hills!  

As with the 2007 Odyssey, once it had broken you, it showed you what a mountain bike marathon was all about. From about forty kilometres the good stuff began. Great for most of us, though my mate Simon lost his derailer to a stick on the red carpet descent and his race was over, just as it was about to begin. One of about 200 victims for the day.
 
The new trails that had been included around Lake Victoria were awesome, lots of jumps and berms and a real addition to the course. Right at the time when your body was feeling a bit flat, the trails were there to keep you interested.
 

Getting in at 65km to the first transition was an awesome feeling. There was a sense that it was achievable now, despite the rough start to the day.
 

The Yaugher Loop, from 65km to 87km was superb! It was quite a long climb to get into the heart of the bush, but once in there, the trails were sublime! There were a few technical sections to keep the riders awake and with sweet flowing fast corners that made for a 'racers high'. Again this year, the Yaugher Forrest was the highlight of the race and a must for any weekend visitor to the area.
 
With the last transition at 87km, the end was in sight, albeit following a 7km climb. The 13km Thompson loop was also much improved on the previous year. Let's face it, 5km of solid downhill to finish is about the best way to get punters back for the following year!
 
How did I go? I managed to complete the course with a big smile on my muddy face after 7:49hours. This may seem like a long time, but 3 quarters of the competitors were still out there at that point. As for as the guy in the freedom machine kit who pipped me at the line, I'll see you next year!
 
I had thought the '07 Odyssey was tough! But in 2008, the rain replaced the scorching heat and the muddy climbs tested the endurance of competitors long before the mountain biking had even begun. I'm sure the 2009 Odyssey will hold many challenges, not the least of which will be living up to its reputation as Australia's best 100km MTB marathon.