Glad, sad and mad

To Kent Ridge, 51 km. Today is the first official race at Kent Ridge mountain bike trail, which deserves its reputation as the toughest in Singapore. I volunteer as a road marshall; as some riders pass me, they signal how tough it is; one even does a throat-slitting motion. I'm glad to of some use to them, directing mostly friendly pedestrians out of harm's way, including someone on a wheelchair and another old lady who had to be helped uphill (which makes walking single file difficult). Just standing as a road marshall was strain enough on my back. But I try the route when the race is over, just to see how my back takes it. One lap leaves me drenched in sweat but without a scratch; not even where I last fell. I'm sad I'm not in a position to race. I'm mad as I'd thought other cyclists would look out for their own kind, but the greatest alarm is caused by three non-racing bikers who weave uphill and, at one point, stop to run alongside a competitor.