WA State XC Championships - Murray Valley

  I'd decided to enter Sport as they had 9am start time.  The other category I was eligible for, Masters, didn't kick off until almost midday and I had other commitments.
  Arriving at the venue, I had time to manage a sighting lap - pretty cool course, lots of up but all rideable.  I'd estimate 90%+ singletrack with just a few bits of joining fire trail.  Rather tacky too, none of the usual pea gravel!  I decided to put a little bit more air into the tires too.  I know I get a bit lazy when I'm tired and didn't want to pinch flat.
  Sport class was being combined with the U/17's due to there only being one punter in that category.  So I think there were about 12 punters all up.  Straight off the line there was a short and steep fire road climb and I settled in behind everybody else.  One keen customer managed to knock wheels and veered off the track before remounting and rocketing up the incline.  Turning off into the uphill singletrack I encountered a phenomenon that all cross country bike racers are familiar with... the 'get off and walk because some hubbard has stopped and not moved off the track'.  I was forced to stop and walk which sucked but at least it gave me a moment to get my breathing under control.   I was rather enjoying the rest of the rocky and rooty singletrack until I smacked my hip into a tree on one of the fast sections.  No damage but I was concerned I'd smashed my glasses that I'd put in my jersey pocket.  Shortly afterwards at the base of a steep bit of track I managed to drop my chain off the front chainring AND inside off the rear cogs.  A short bout of swearing, yanking and reefing ensued before I realised one junior rider who had stopped on the climb was watching me intently. Whoops.  Chain re-aligned, I checked my glasses - all good - and continued on.  Wasted about a minute and a half stopped.  The guy who I'd been chasing was gone.  Getting to the end of the first lap I could hear the leading sport female rider approaching and set about trying to reel in the guy I'd let get away.
  Second lap was uneventful.  Caught and passed Bruno (super Grandmaster old dude mountain biker character).
  Third lap was mostly uneventful too.  Caught a few dudes from other classes (think Veterans) and was lapped by three dudes (dunno what class they were in).  Managed a few Scott Specials (shoulder-to-tree interfaces) whilst flying about the singletrack but again, no damage.  Heard a couple of guys about 30m behind me and was getting ready to let them pass when I heard a fairly abrupt stack by one of them.  That was the last I saw of them.
  Didn't quite catch the guy I was just behind before my chain issues but he came in 6th so I reckon I must of got 7th or thereabouts.
  I enjoyed the track but I'm glad it wasn't a part of the Dwellingup 100 from the other week.  I don't think I would've appreciated the technical and steepness of it on top of the challenges of that event.
  Another great event from Tony Tucknott and the Perth MTB crew.

Course map and other boring details can be found here or here.
Results can be found here.

Start / Finish / Rego area