Josh Carlson: Cycling Tribe Blog

Hi Cycling Tribe!

 

My name is Josh Carlson, I'm 24 and from Wollongong, NSW. I race cross country mountain bikes for the GIANT Factory team in the elite division and this year I am planning my first trip to Europe to race 2 rounds of the World Cup cross country series in Switzerland and Italy in July of this year.

 

In the meantime I'll be posting up some blogs to let you guys know how the preparation and training is going, the rif raf involved in a race season and anything else I can think to write to interest you guys.

 

The season started off last weekend at Lithgow and here is my report about it. Enjoy!

 

Well the 2010 season has begun with a whole lotta fun, some fast laps, and one of the funniest tracks in Australia!

 

On Sunday 18th, I raced at the first round of the newly formed series; 'Single-track Minded NSW Enduro series' presented by chocolate foot's Joe Ward and Fiona Dick. Held at Lithgow’s, Lidsdale state forest, it was an ideal location to get the newly formed series started and definitely left everyone with massive smiles, great stories and a hunger to attend the upcoming 3 rounds of the 4 round series.

 

I raced in a male pair with my mate, Pete from Wollongong, and went to Lithgow with the attitude of enjoying such a great event, getting some good training done and having a whole lotta fun.

 

Tick, tick and massive tick! Mission accomplished!

 

With the event being held over 8 hours and on a 10km punchy, technical single-track course, a fun little 8 hour was definitely going to have its fair share of sweat and pain involved.

 

I did our first lap and got us off to a great start. Pete was up next and we would continue to do single laps for the first 2 hours, until double laps seemed to be the order to provide each other with a bit more rest in between. Lap times were approx 27min for me and 30mins for Pete. W e then went into the double laps after approx 2 hours until the 6hour mark ticked over and singles war back on the menu!

 

Man...Doubles were good idea at the time....NART!!

 

The first lap was sweet, and all good intentions of taking it easy and bringing it home on the second were all going to plan. until a little thing I like to call 'Red mist' started to descend on the course and I couldn't help but pin the D's and smash the punchy climbs!!

 

It was my first ride/race on my brand new GIANT Anthem X sl1 team bike with full shimano XTR...man what a weapon!!

 

This shiny new bad boy tipped the scales at 10.6kg and lived up to all expectations and more on the awesome Lithgow trails!

 

like I said, with the techo decants that demanded concentration and rewarded good line selection and momentum and the punchy single-track climbs and dreggy fire road hills, this bike was the ultimate bike of choice for the weekend's fun filled racing!

 

After getting threw our double laps with more than a bit of whinging from both parties, we were back to single laps and loving smashing laps again!

 

After 8 hours and 16 laps completed by my team-mate and I, we ended up finishing in 3rd overall behind the SWELL/REDSHIFT young guns and the eventual winners YETI/GU who rode super consistent all day to take the win.

 

All expectations had been met with this race and more. The sponsors that came on board for the event provided some fantastic prizes, the general vibe on the track was awesome and the attitude in the pits reflected how good of an event this turned out to be. With a great turn out of all kinds of riders, from elite to first timers, hardened (and later tired) solo riders to a couple of guys and girls having some fun, every one left the event fulfilled and excited for the next!

 

My team-mate and I were stoked with third and after some recovery egg and bacon rolls and cans of coke, stories and laps were being compared and laughs were had.

 

Its now back to training, and with a few weekends off from racing, I’ll have some time to knuckle down and get some solid training done in preparation for my trip to Switzerland and Italy in July for a couple of cross country world cups.

 

Thanks to my coach, Mark Fenner of ftptraining.com, the prep is fully underway and heading towards hopefully some great results for 2010.

 

In 2010 I’ll be riding for the GIANT Factory team on a GIANT Anthem X sl1, and a GIANT XTC Advanced sl in selected upcoming enduros, 2 world mountain bike cross  country cups and the 2010/11 Australian mountain bike series held over summer.

 

Also on board for the 2010 season are Spearman Cycles and FRS Health drinks.

 

I'm looking forward to posting up some blogs for you guys to read over the year, and with the overseas racing and my upcoming races, hopefully I’ll provide you guys with a laugh and something interesting to read.

 

Until next time, hold it on and I’ll see you at the races.

 

Love your work!

 

Josh Carlson.