This past weekend was the first round of the British Mountain Bike race series at Sherwood Pines, Clipstone. The course was designed by James Hampshire (XCracer.com 29er) and for the most part I thought it was a pretty cracking course! Some open fireroad sections mixed with lots of fast singletrack, much fun! The big plus was the weather, sun was out and the temp was pretty decent for early April.
These races are always tough, everyone is looking to get a good start to the season, and nobody really knows who the guy to beat is! On Sunday it was Scott Thwaites! He put 2 minutes 38 seconds into 2nd place. On a flat, fast course, you have to do a lot of work to drop people and considering the top 15 were separated by less than 5 minutes makes that sort of time gap mighty impressive.
I got a good start, which is very important on a course like Sherwood Pines. If you want to be up there you've got to be up there from the start! If you end up in the first bit of singletrack down on the group you want to be in, chances are you won't see them again.
For the first lap I was with the lead group, struggling on the more technical stuff but bringing it back on the short, sharp climbs. On the second lap I lost contact with the lead group and couldn't drag the gap back on the fireroads and climbs. I rode the remaining 3 laps more or less on my own and was satisfied to finish in 8th place.
On the fourth lap I was clipped by a racer on one of the fireroad sections and went down hard. Needless to say I wasn't best pleased about this, all that it would of taken to avoid it would of been a call "Rider, on your right".
Accidents happen and if the guy had taken the time to wait at the finish line and apologised I would of accepted and moved on.
My legs got pretty cut up and it probably cost me a place or two but for now I will hobble around, wince with pain every time I have a shower and do a solid bank holidays training before heading off to the first round of the Midlands (19th April).
Laters
nice one giles! don't beat yourself up about the crash though. 8th is a great result without the crash. You'll be well up there for the next rounds. Hope to see you at a race soon.
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