Category: Mountain Biking

 
Well, after a roller coaster of emotions over the last 6 days with the ash cloud closing UK airspace, it looks now like I might actually make it to this event so here is a quick preview.

I should be flying out Thursday morning from Luton  all being well with the changes to the flying regulations. Em Benham is on her way already by train to make sure of getting to the event! The World cup consists of a Sprint on Friday, Middle race on Saturday and a mass start Long on Sunday.

With 500 people competing at the open pubic events the atmosphere should be fantastic. More details http://www.mtbo.hu/ . It’s just a big shame some of entered British riders have had their flights cancelled & won’t make it.

Sundays event organised by Harlequins Orienteering Club’s Colin Palmer was held in the private forested estate of Foxley, about 5 miles West of Hereford. The skies were blue and the sun shining brightly as I queued on the Worcester ring road with lots of people trying to get into a car boot sale.

So, a little late I arrived to find the event in full swing.

I had intended to get lots of people practicing their E punching and then competing in the Stodge Blog Sportident Punching Challenge (more about that another time) but I just had time to set it up before warming up and getting my head together ready to race.

The sun filtering through the trees and the relaxed atmosphere at the start / finish with ‘Colins’s kitchen’ complete with tablecloth was in stark contrast to the course which promised 25 km & 700 metres of climb with several areas of free order  controls (Hungarian style) – gulp !

I started strongly, riding fast to the first control, but I think it might have been better to take the road option and spend more time concentrating on planning ahead on the first free order section. Opting to ride downhill off track through the controls 42 and 43 I missed taking in 41 first, which, in hindsight, was a mistake, but there were lots of route variations available. Coming up out of the free order section there followed a tough section of uphill riding with variable surfaces and some fallen trees. Ben Plowman put in some fantastic times for these legs, showing his strength and technical riding skills. We then headed back down on some fantastically fast descents on single tracks and wide grassy rides, enjoying the private nature of the forest to really let rip (24mph recorded for me) but were then punished for our enjoyment after a few controls  by a huge climb back up to the ridge for number 57. I felt I rode this section very well and the splits show me consistently on or ahead of the pace which I am pleased with. It is again showing the concentration on strength this winter is paying off on the hills. Going into the second free order section I was leading, 20 seconds up on Ben and 5 minutes clear Andrew Windrum.

Disaster then struck for me. I had just overtaken a couple of people and managed to miss a track junction on the way to 61 losing about 1.5 minutes until I realised what I had done. Looking back, I should have stopped and had a proper look at the map. I then lost nearly another 2 minutes on the way to the next 2 controls picking daft route choices panicking trying to make up time. I started to get things back together again only to blow another minute on the way to number 50, even after double checking a track junction.  The map wasn’t great in that area but I can’t blame it, no one else cocked up quite so spectacularly on those 4 controls, some mental mistake preparation needed, me thinks, before my next race.

I then got back into the groove and set a few more fastest splits but there was more muppetry to come. Turning over the map for the final time I didn’t see the long route out and back to number 67 and promptly lost a load of climb going half way to number 68….

Luckily I rode cleanly to the end to take 3^rd place after that, but it is frustrating to know I lost so much time on those 5 controls and is just not good enough at this level.

On the plus side I was very happy with the way I was riding and particularly my strength on the hills.

Ben Plowman had his best MTBO result to date with a great ride, his experience of joining his local orienteering club, SYO, and attending club training sessions seem to be paying off.

After a warm down and a stretch in the sun, most people had left for home so I didn’t have time for the usual banter but I did go back out and pull in a few controls at a relaxed pace, enjoying the views through the forest and the wildlife before packing the car for the return journey. The area was very good for MTBO, perhaps a little too much climb for some, but Colin got the winning time right.

I think, looking back (and I know Colin and I spoke about the rideability and the various types of tracks in this working forest before the event), that the wide grass rides should be marked as open yellow rather than paths next time and perhaps he should also add some fallen tree symbols, but for a first MTBO map of a new area, planned and organised by one man, it was great. I look forward to returning to this area next year if Colin can secure permissions again, and thanks to Harlequins for taking the plunge and putting on an MTBO.

Results available here….

Stodge gets silver !

This bizarre event comprised of approximately 25 controls in a twisty 75 metre course between some bungalows on the event hotel grounds. The aim was to ride the course in the quickest time possible.

There was a qualifier, and a final held later in the evening, in the dark. Riders in the qualifiers were allowed to practice as much as they like but were only allowed to submit one time. After 3 practices, I completed what I felt would be my best, and I was gobsmacked to find I’d qualified 4th fastest.

The final was held as night fell. The 16 finalists lined up on the centre lawn with the whole MTBO camp watching. There was lots of banter and support form the various riders from their team members.

The format changed slightly, so there were head to head figure of eight races in a knock out.

First off I was drawn against a female junior, where I cruised to a victory by an embarrassing country mile – she qualified by winning the short super-sprint on Friday. However, in the quarter final I was drawn against the defending champion, Andreas Rief, from Austria. I had the reverse punching loop first and Andreas pulled out a lead of one control at the turn, but I finished very strongly on the return loop and pipped him on the line by only half a metre with the crowd going mad (for him, unfortunately).

My semi was against an Italian, and I managed a really clean ride and beat him by a control, now with the Austrians joining Em supporting me . So, to the final against local Danish boy and crowd favourite, Andreas Proschowsky. After a crowd chanting countdown I started well and at the figure 8 crossing we were neck and neck, but I then fluffed two controls in a row, the nerves getting the better of me, and despite a really strong finish where I was pulling him back in, it was just not enough and he beat me by about a second.

So, second place in this highly prized international event ;-). Ill go to bed with a smile on my face tonight…..

   

Another journey south took us to the venue for a middle/long race this morning. The start was on a pretty foot bridge over a stream, next to an historic museum village with old houses, workshops and barns. There was bright sunshine, but a cold wind blowing.

There was more direction changing, route choice and fine navigation required in today’s race, but also much, much more climb. The course required careful route choice to avoid unnecessary ascents and descents and caught many out.

In hindsight my route to number 1 was not the quickest, but I essentially played it safe, not wanting any more mistakes on a first control. However, my route choice to number 2 using the road was very slow at the end, losing me too much climb and forcing me to get off and push up to the control site. After that I got into the flow and rode the rest of the race fairly cleanly, pleased that I seemed to pick the better route choices, staying away from the tricky, slow-to-ride tracks.

The event was marred for me, though, when I realised on the way into number 14 that I’d lost my Garmin! I promptly rode straight past the control and had to turn and go back up the hill.

I finished strongly and am happy with 34th place, but the steep hills played to the strength of the Danes and Russians, pulling them 20 minutes ahead.

I went back out for another 45 minutes retracing my “steps” & looking for my lost GPS, but to no avail…….

A very tired Stodge got back to the patiently waiting lift back to the hotel, but not before the suggestion of a tasty hot dog from the local cafe.

The area was quite similar to Cannock Chase in some ways and I enjoyed the changes in pace the hills provided, and some exciting fast and technical descents to the river. The course looping in the area near the finish was very difficult to read, though, and at one point I found myself on a beeline for the wrong control only to end up looking down on the control site I needed on a parallel track just 50 metres away. I was a good boy, though, and retraced my route rather than cutting through the forest.

Another great MTBO area, another well-planned course.

Update: My GPS was found by Lasse Brun’s Mum. Many thanks to her for making my evening.

 

 

The Crying Mile – 17 controls, 1.4 km, 1:1500 map – and, yes, it made me cry. Well, scream, shout and bang the handlebars….

I started and immediately made a mistake, getting confused and thinking the map was a smaller scale than it was while traversing the first valley, and before I knew it, I was misplaced. Misplaced then became completely lost as I now know I rode off the map. Not just a little ride off the map but a huge one. Eventually admitting defeat I just turned North and headed on a safety bearing to try and find a road and perhaps get back to the car park.

From the car park I had another go at number one and bounced around the map until I eventually got my eye in and I was then away picking off the controls in grand style. My time for the first split: 16 minutes, my time for the rest of the course: 14 minutes – what a Muppet….

The Crying Mile was fantastic training, but the tracks were very indistinct and everything came up so fast that people were all over the place….

One to put down to experience I think, and I won’t be the only one – I didn’t have the slowest split to number 1, and I wasn’t last!

The forest was amazing and chatting to Per and Maria who live locally they have training packs for clubs to come and use, one for Chasers to consider for a club trip, me thinks.

Results here – just look down almost at the bottom for the Muppet.

http://www.mtbocamp.dk/2010/results3.htm

 The Long Race was held 30km south of the event centre on an army tank training area, next to the Baltic Sea. There was a fantastic atmosphere as the 150+ riders all assembled for a mass start, peleton style. Camp organiser, Johan, rode at the front with a flag which he waved to signal the start. The route to the first control was uphill on a fire road and the fastest riders showed their class pulling away up the incline. I got stuck in and gave it everything. Soon I seemed to find my position in the field and then started to ride my own race, keeping an eye on those coming out the the controls though, which helped several times. The rules allowed us to ride off track on all solid yellow (open) areas and this was used to advantage, but was slower than the gravelly tracks and roads. So of the controls were on proper orienteering features in the middle of these open areas. I then caught a small group of riders, including the Danish Coach whose saddle had broken (which looked very uncomfortable), and then played cat and mouse for the next few controls until I finally pulled away on the last 3 before the race to the finish.
I finished feeling very pleased with only one small 15 second mistake on the whole course and felt there was not much else I could have given in terms of speed. The results show me 27th which at 11 minutes down on World Champion, Lasse Brun Pedersen, and approximately 5 minutes down on many big names. This is probably my best result in MBO to date, and shows the winter training is starting to pay off.

Looking at the results there were groups of riders finishing in close proximity and I noticed many riders drafting to gain a rest on the course, particularly when riding into the wind. This is something I will try and do out in Hungary when I have my next mass start long race. I recorded the whole race on my helmet cam and there is some great foortage of the mass start. Ill edit something together when I get back to the UK

Results available at http://www.mtbocamp.dk/2010/results2.htm

Well I’ve made it and am now waiting in Copenhagen Airport for my lift over to Sweden after a very early flight out of Stansted. The Pre Season European Training Camp with 150 of the best MTBO riders in the world kicks off tonight with a sprint in the dark which should be interesting, but not as interesting as another race than jumped out of the schedule, a supersprint : 1.7km with 15 controls, sounds great. Assuming I get a wifi connection I will try to blog everyday whilst at the camp, and perhaps post a few photos and map extracts.
Full details of the camp are available at www.mtbocamp.dk