Or locking his keys in the car 😉

Hmmm.Glad I put the beaver on the back…..

Ay carumba. That was memorable.

Top organisation once again QECP fellas, thanks!

Crikey, I normally stay in bed with weather like that. Brutal. Surprised the medic’s weren’t more busy.
I have mud in places I didnt know existed.

Good on all the riders – especially those that we saw off on all five stages.

Blowing a gale now, drying off the jacket & bivi tarp in the garden

In that weather i was expecting to hate every turn of pedals but really enjoyed it. My finishing place doesnt look promising but bags of fun none the less!!

The bike can wait till tomorrow for a wash! Well done to organisers, top job. Hope the person on s5 was ok after treatment from medics.

First time riding those stages, they look like they’d be super fun in the dry! Reckon today was worst conidtions I’ve ever ridden it. Good fun sliding about in the soup! 😯 Well done to the organisers, very well run event, marshalls all had big smiles despite having to stand around in the rain all day, everyone very friendly. Definitely be back again for the next one. 🙂

One question, did anyone else think the transition times were very generous?

Mud hosed off really easily as it was so wet s101,I’d do it now. You lazy get!

Edit to say smileys don’t appear to work from my phone,soz

I am broken, hardest Enduro race I have ever done! So much climbing and so much foot out sideways action.Was still good and still enjoyed it though, the trails stood up really well all things considered.

Highest quality heckling I have ever experienced on stage 2&3 as well……

Was a great event. Truly horrendous conditions, like riding through chocolate sauce but not as tasty.
Superb work by all the marshals, standing around all day in that weather but staying so cheery right to the very end, hats off to you.
As for the transition times I think in the dry they would have been very generous but by stage 4 me and lots around me were just about rolling in either in time or minutes late for stage starts. Fair play if you had time to waste at the top…

As one of the organisers/marshals/starters/beer drinkers, I have to say everyone who rode today was brilliant. You guys could have easily said sod it but you all stuck in there and made it a great day. I think it may be my favourite one so far. When I was at the end of stage 4 everyone on the transition had a smile on their face and even those who had offs were good humoured.

Thanks everyone for making it a great day.

I think the guy on S5 is ok; will find out more tomorrow as he works for one of our main sponsors.

Davo, you have shamed me into giving the bike a hose down.

The wife will be pleased now the course is all over the garden and not on the bike! 🙂

Just finished hosting off the bike, shorts, pads, shoes, insides of shoes, pack, gloves….

Another great day out, well done QECP collective and ask the marshals.

I am done in though. The last two stages were pedaling to stand still by the time I went down there. And what about that cheeky climb out at the end of stage 3?

hosed down all my bike and kit and finally on the sofa showered amd smelling lovely

great day, big thanks to all the marshalls, timing peeps, burger sellers, race village guys, medics, diggers and organisers, really appreciate you standing in the wet and cold while we had all the fun

i was fairly shagged by stages 4 and 5 but still loving it
(also messsed up the last climb at the bottom of 3)

i believe it was something like 143 finished out of 165 signed on, absolutely amazing given the conditions i only expected about half to finish! and of that quite a few were mechanicals so maybe only 10-15 people gave up! my first event properly marshaling, was fun 🙂 i was at end of THAT bit on S3 (but i don’t take credit for design of that hehe, i did more work on S5 this year hope you liked that?).

we actually moved the finish back on S3 after discussion last night. and swapped the starts oops! even we were confused by the numbering.

cheers all!

P.S. who
1) dragged the start ramp 1/2mile down the hill to fill in a double (not anyone from today!)
2) stole some start signs :p

anyone there next week please pick up any litter/wrappers/cans anywhere you see please, we ARE being watched..

Well what can I say! That was pretty insane!
By far the most challenging race I have ever organised but strangely the most successful in term of going smoothly.

The weather was bad from the start but we are lucky It started raining again. I say this all the time QECP is best in the dry or the rain.
After it rains it rubbish because you end up on the mud not cutting through to the hard stuff underneath.

Some question answer/Points:

One question, did anyone else think the transition times were very generous?

Yep, we want to keep it fun and friendly for all. Don’t want to knacker people out on the transitions. Save you energy for the stages etc… With the timing system we can be flexible with the start and stage 3,4 & 5 all ran ahead of schedule to get people to the finish as quick as possible to cut down the waiting at the top.

Surprised the medic’s weren’t more busy.

Dry condition tends to be worse for the medics, much higher speeds and harder ground. Chatting to the medic post event they where very happy with how the event was run and said the are keen to work together again.

And what about that cheeky climb out at the end of stage 3?

Original plan was to end that stage at the fire road. I am pleased we decided to shorten it a bit but may could have shortened it a little more 😉

Stage 4 end, we made the decision to take out mini steep after practice, It was clear that it was to hard for 50% in practice, even for the people can weren’t struggling on it I would not of been safe to past people walking/sliding down it.

i did more work on S5 this year hope you liked that?).

That confused the hell out of me when QECP team rider Karl was talking to me about the bus stops on s5, I was like “What bus stops?” 😯
BTW Smiff cheers for all your help with taping and detaping.

Big thanks to all the helped and to everyone that races in the rain!

One of the biggest shout outs must go to Mattbee wife who persevered to finish the race! Clearly struggling in places but at the same time always having a smile on her face.

Thanks for all the positive feedback too, it make it worth while. Next stops, sort out the Southern enduro series for next year 🙂

Turned up in the morning and had a pretty forlorn feeling, first transition and a bad stage 1 didn’t help and then the rain came.

What a difference it made, It was brilliant, hardest race I’ve ever entered.

Will certainly be the most memorable and is up there with the most fun.

All the marshals were super enthusiastic and a credit to yourselves. Riders all seemed happy.

Well done qecp collective. Another top event

thanks. some of the images coming through from this (via our FB page) are incredible.

“like a WW2 movie” someone said, bang on.

almost worth getting hypothermia in July for 😉

https://www.facebook.com/qecptrailbuilding

spent another 2 hours detaping last night, as long as no one got lost i don’t care worth it :p

drying out this week i’m looking forward to riding the course soon..