Who do you think was the best rider?
Obviously Niall is, winnig 3 times in a row. that's undisputed.
But who else rode above their level?
I was thinking about the Blast itself, and while you can be "unlucky" and crash or have a mechanical, I don't believe you can get a good result by being "lucky". You need to ride well, pace yourself, avoid crashes, pick the right lines, land softly off jumps and avoid blowing a tyre on a rock. you also have to be sharp and avoid the 209 other riders.
For me, that rider was Smithers....
I was behind him on the heather, and he was peddaling like a BMX'r. I never saw him again till the fireroad after the gully, still giving his all (and smiling like an eejit). To finish 16th in your first year of MTBing is phenominal. I know he's a damn good enduro rider, but they have engines. Many top riders finished behind him... maybe they were "unlucky". or maybe they over-did something from the list above.....
And to cap it all, he gets labelled a goober.....
Well done D.
Niall really looked so comfortable coming into the finish each time he appeared to be in a league of his own as he coasted into the finish each time.
Are you forgetting your own little fella? Nathan mixing it withe big boys was also super impressive and he also finished ahead of some good guys and gals.
Smithers is just lucky to be that good and he has had enough praise at this stage any more and they will have to widen the doorways at the bluelight.
Dont forget last years goober winning his heat quite comfortably now that was deadly.
Ahhh Thanks Stu!!! I think anything that mad you have to have lady luck on your side cause if you think about it and you probably shouldn't there are so many,many,many things that can go wrong but all the training and racing this year helped oh and coaching from Byrner and his *******o's.
My vote goes to Adam cause its probably the only thing his bloody bike and himself finished this year and finished very well indeed!!!
well my vote goes to Alan Ayling..while a lot of people are involved in the EPIC Blast and make a contribution, Alan thinks about it almost as soon as I do, which is immediately after the last one.
He prods me about the Course, making suggestions , questions every decision I make, goes up on his own fixing things I/he thinks needs fixing.
Then on race day he races his arse off , takes all the flak I give him, gives it 110% and fixes everything that needs fixing around the place and still races and throws himself in to the atmosphere completely.
Hes a great XC er and DHer but anytime he races the Blast he excels. theres a lot of riders that are riders of the Blast but definitely people like Bern from MTBrider and John Harrington who are not going to win but who do their damndest and get it.
Don is another ultimate Blaster.
I was way off the scale impressed with Jamie Thomas,Nathan Carr and Cian Mulligan..future legends
Most kind of you to say so Mr B. Especially as I logged on this morning expecting nothing but a tirade of abuse for being such a benny when it comes to jumping. :-(
I wouldn't take credit for too much, the maps maybe, and there's one other thing I'll PM you about, but thanks anyway. The Blast only happens because a lot of people put in a lot of effort and sometimes in less obvious ways than others. The result, when it all comes together, is so much more than the sum of the parts. Also a great pleasure to be part of. Show me another event where world class DHers can mix it with elite XCers and beginners and under 10s and everyone in between. Is there even such a thing?!
And yeah, fantastic stuff from Smithers, Don and the youngsters mentioned, as well as Niall, Glyn, Ger, all the other fast lads that put most of us to shame. And poor Gareth McKee, getting passed by the cheekiest manoevre of the day in the heats!
Luke says a lot of things aloud. It doesn't mean they're allowed!
Of course we'll be happy to blame Luke. And I agree, if it's not taped it's fair game. Gar felt pretty hard done by though. Likely disappointed he hadn't seen or even thought about a good sneaky line.
We've learned a few things about course marking for next year anyway.
He did indeed, its ok now though, we hugged and made up. But it was one of the only places you could pass on the track, that's probably the only little problem I had, there weren't alot of passing places compared to last years track. But all ye gotta do there is make it all wider....simples. But I don't want to start anything about what people found wrong because there were no problems with the event and no need to go all negative.
and he has had enough praise at this stage any more and they will have to widen the doorways at the bluelight.