Andy Blair doing what he does best at a UCI XC World Cup round
Andy Blair has been one of Australia’s most consistent performers on the UCI cross-country World Cup circuit in recent years but as a junior it was dreams of racing the legendary French mountain-bike stage race L’Hexagonal – like Miguel Martinez and Cadel Evans – that motivated him to compete and achieve. Blair has recently arrived back in Australia after an off-season singing karaoke in Hong Kong, so we caught up with him to find out what he’s got planned for next season and ask him what relevance marathons and stage races have for today’s elite cross-country racers.
Blair recently brought to an end a spell off the bike when he joined his Swell-Redshift teammates in the teams competition at the recent Scott 24-hour event in Canberra, Australia. The team finished fourth and were racing more for the joy of going fast than for the win but Blair said either way, a 24-hour after a break is still “a world of hurt.”
“I’ve been back home for three weeks, but I’ve had five weeks off the bike recovering. Racing something like the Scott after that is hard. You still have the speed, but it’s the recovery between laps that is difficult,” he said.
When not racing abroad Andy is based in Queanbeyan, New South Wales and is looking forward to racing in next month’s Highland Fling. As a 112 kilometre marathon event, he said that its timing and course “makes for great base kilometers for the season. I have four weeks of prep left to go, so it will still be tough. But it’s fun, and a great way to get quality k’s in. I won’t be up the front but it will still be a good hit out.”
After the Highland Fling Blair will continue his preparations for the 2011 cross-country season but is yet to decide whether he will spend his third year in a row following all of the World Cup cross-country series. “It depends on how the domestic season goes. I have raced the whole XC World Cup circuit for the past two years, and that’s a huge commitment. I may just do a shorter trip and get to some of the rounds that are close together.”
The power of points
The UCI are still under pressure to reduce the size of the field in elite men’s World Cup races. With around 200 racers toeing the line at most events, start positions are key. The more UCI points a rider holds the better their position on the starting grid. With UCI points now available at a number of mountain-bike stage races they have become a good opportunity to secure points outside of the crowded cross-country rounds.
“Points always help, they are pretty important. You just have to have them for a better World Cup start position, and they help your country too – when you have more points you can earn an extra rider spot at the Olympics,” he said.
But Blair is adamant that he doesn’t only choose events based on their UCI standing. “Most of the races that I want to do are known to be great races. That attracts a good field and so they usually have UCI points on offer too.”
Andy Blair (left) in Europe during the 2010 season
But are all stage races equal? Looking at result sheets, it is clear that top cross-country racers prefer certain time and course lengths. “I certainly prefer short stage races, about four days. That way you can have good, hard racing. You’re swapping off and racing hard. The racing is fun, and it is way more relevant for XC,” Blair explained.
With a number week-long stage races on offer in the international calendar, he is cautious about the effect they would have on his overall season. “Racing Trans Alp in 2008 was fun and a great experience, but it never felt like proper racing. I’m not convinced that a week-long race is good preparation for XC. It takes a good two weeks to recover properly and I reckon it flattens your form anyway. The Cape Epic may be good as a base, but in season there just isn’t the time for the recovery required.”
However the 2011 calendar of mountain-bike marathons and stage races still holds some allure for Blair. “The Alpentour Trophy has potential; that’s good hard racing for four days. And the short marathons are just full on. You may be racing with Udo Bolts or Bart Brentjens, and finishing with average speeds well over 30km/h. Australians need to get the notion out of their head that a marathon has to be 100 kilometres. You can have a great, if not better race over shorter distances. The speed is higher and you can actually race tactically.”