Llandegla is a stones throw away from my home on the Wirral, 45 minutes tops! So you can imagine how much time I spend there on the mountain bike, blasting around the trails and drinking Cappuccino at the cafe. You can also imagine that I know the place pretty well.
Obviously not well enough...
Today was the first round of the Dragon XC and probably more significant from my point of view, my first race of the season.
Let's face it, we all go flying head first into seasons not really knowing how good or bad our conditions truly is. We hope for the best but the truth is until you're cranking through the gears off the start of that first race, you ain't got a clue!
I was surprised how much of the course was familiar to me. The One Planet guys had used large chunks of the trails I know and ride so often. Which makes today's result pretty embarrassing. At the end of the first lap, on a tiny descent, I punctured! So everyone who has ridden at Llandegla can have some reference, when your finishing red or black routes you come out of the trees and can see the cafe, over the little bridge, down and round a burm. That's where my race ended.
I tried to fix that flat, at this stage I didn't really care about my position, I was more concerned about race conditioning. With luck obviously not being on my side today my air canister failed to inflate my rear tyre and I began the walk of shame back to the pits.
As stupid as it sounds, I'm not really that bummed about it. Sure, my race legs could of done with 3 more laps of lung burning suffering, don't get me wrong! I'm usually a terrible starter to seasons, come mid season I've got my race legs and I'm ready to fly! Funny thing is, today I felt good! I'm not saying I felt great, let's be realistic these things hurt the best of us, but good enough for this time of the season.
Ryan Bevis set a fast pace up the first climb and by the top of it was just Ryan, Sion O`Boyle and myself. The three of us stay pretty much together for most of the first lap, I was distanced a couple of times on some of technical stuff but it was all coming back together into a mini peloton for the start of the second lap. Of course, my race was over after 9 of the 9.6km course but the fact I was in the company of good riders and feeling strong does wonders for the mental side of my preparation for the NPS at Sherwood Pines next weekend.
After 3 laps as I watched from the feed zone Ryan & Sion were still pretty close. In the end the fourth lap proved too much for Ryan as Sion took over a minute and a half out of Ryan on the final lap to win by nearly 2 minutes.
I look at today as getting some of the bad luck out of the way, or me being a bit of a idiot. Either way I'm happy to report I've got some good form going into the season.
Oh well, that's all for now. Hopefully I'll bring better news this time next week.
Later
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