Category: Mountain Biking

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Race Report – British MTBO Championships 2009

After the crazy rainy weather of the week before, Britain’s MTBO elite descended on a sunny Dorset for the British Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships. Wimborne Orienteers had been leant on to host the Long race held on Wareham Forest and my thanks goes to them for putting on such a fantastic day. After the usual banter and prevarication with the others I went off on my own to warm up and stretch under a tree well away from the car park, collecting my thoughts and generally tuning in ready for what was to be one of the most important races of my MTBO career up to this point, with selection for the World Champs being the prize.
I started really well and got the fastest split by 10 secs to #1, reinforcing to me how important the mental preparation is for Orienteering. I was still ahead on 2 but missed a track on #3 and lost about 30 secs. I then had another poor split on #4 this time due to a route choice decision which found me struggling in sandy conditions whilst the other route with slightly more climb proved to be much faster, again losing me approx 30 secs. From then on I had a clean ride, attacking the climbs and flat sections and cruising the downhills trying to recover. The free order section at #16 to get over the bridleway law issues was interesting and I think I picked the optimum route around the controls. I then just gave it everything, the last few controls being fairly straightforward I got my head down and pushed really hard. The final climb up from the last control was a whole world of pain and I finished collapsed in a sticky heap of panting pinkness before struggling over to download. I was 5th, just 3 mins down, a fantastic result for me on the long which is not my strongest distance.

After a night staying with friends in Romsey (and mending a shed roof !) the action moved to the Hamptworth Estate for the middle race. Again I went off on my own, warmed up and got a fairly late start. The middle distance (along with the sprint) is my best event format, it rewarding good navigation and control flow and I was hopeful of a top 3 placing. The riding on Sunday was the complete opposite of the day before with technical trails of roots and ruts, long grass hiding track edges and close overhanging vegetation, all ready to reward a lapse of concentration with a face plant into the undergrowth. Some tiny indestinct paths and poor visibility made good navigtion a must. I started well and from the splits I have seen I was leading after the first 6 controls and going really well. My problem came at #7 where I lost approx 10 mins. There was something amiss with the map and the control placement but I found it eventually as Bryan Singleton and John Houlihan caught me having started 5 and 10 mins behind.

I then had the most fantastic head to head race with Bryan (the eventual winner) Bryan piling past on the short climbs using his awesome fitness and me pulling back into the lead in the intricate track network, keeping the control flow going not making any mistakes, I even managed a couple of standing EMIT punches (not putting your floor down at controls).
At #20 after my gears jammed he pulled ahead of me on the fast decent and subsequent climb but a mistake at #21 saw me overtake again leaving one to go.

On the way to the last control Bryan flew past out of the saddle with a call of ‘ My legs your Map !’ shame as I was just braking to turn into the track to the control 🙂 and he missed it. It felt very nice braking hard after the sprint for the finish line to have beaten him round the second part of the course.

Again a great event on a very challenging area. I was a little disappointed with my 4th place feeling I was capable of the win if I had not had the problems at #7 but everyone was in the same boat.
The weekend finished with a sunny prize giving of local apple pies, local ale and more banter before the long drive back up north.
Full results for the Long Race here  and for the Middle Race here.

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Preview: European MTBO Championships 2009 – Denmark 22-29th June

The Great Britain Team (with me in it – yeh) will be flying out to Denmark over the weekend of 21st June to compete in the 2009 European Championships.
Competitors from 24 countries are decending on the area north of Copenhagan for 5 days of intense competition.


Monday  Model / training events
Tuesday Sprint Distance Race 
Wednesday Middle Distance Race
Thursday  Long Distance Race
Friday Rest day
Saturday Relay Race ,Closing ceremony, EOC and JWOC prize-giving Banquet

The event also the Junior World Champs with Britain’s Emily Benham looking for Medal success
Also check out Team GBs Facebook page here


Im sure there will be live results and Ill be blogging away hopefully daily and reporting back for Team GB
Keep an eye on  http://www.eocmtbo2009.dk/ for more details……… 

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Winter riding clothes in June !

Urghhhh, what a weekend. After the sunshine of Thursday night I just managed to get a ride in on the Chas

Normal water level
Normal water level

e with two friends on Friday before the rain started. My ride on Saturday was just horrendous, coming back after 5 mins to get winter gloves and overshoes before venturing out for a second try. A couple of hours out intervals training in the rain left me cold and hungry and had me undressing straight into the washing machine ‘winter style’. Sunday I had promised to go out with fellow GB Squad member Helen Clayton and her brother for some technique training on the chase. We went out at 11.30 when the rain was probably at its worst. Water was flowing in streams down all the major paths and the ‘stepping stones’ were brimming with the highest water level I have ever seen, winter included, flowing ovver the stones. After 2 hours we returned completely filthy and freezing cold, I even had to put the house heating back on as we cradled hot mugs of steaming tea after a welcome shower. What a difference to last weekend where sunburn was the problem.

Sunday afternoon did brighten enough to have a fairly dry and pleasant road ride, but I still had to negotiate my way through several flooded lanes.
Lets hope normal June weather returns for next weekends British Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships down South. Long on Saturday, Middle Distance on Sunday

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Event Report – National Trailquest #6 – Wark, Northumberland

I was up early on Sunday morning for the drive south through the Northumbrian Hills from Edinburgh, where we had spent the evening with friends after leaving Islay. There was no traffic on the roads, the sun was out and the scenery stunning along the A68. The event was based in the tiny village of Stonehaugh which is in the middle of nowhere near Wark. Close to Hadrians wall the event map covered mainly the surrounding working forests but did take in some of the surrounding high moorland giving fantastic views.
I practically bathed in factor 40 sunscreen before venturing out into the heat with 2 litres of fluid on my back for the 4 hour event.
The area was great with very little road riding but some of the control placing and descriptions could have been a bit better causing me to lose time on a few controls. I kept it going though and left a few controls surrounding the village for mopping up at the end and got in comfortably before the 4 hour time limit.
At present results are not available and I had to shoot straight off to pick up the family from Carlisle railway station so didn’t get to stay and chat or see any preliminary results.
Edit – results now out 3rd =

Stats – 4 Hours – 75km ridden – 380 points

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Event Report – Dark & White Summer #2 – Calver

With tired legs from the weekend the thought of yet another 2 hour competition so soon made me think twice about travelling, but I know the area very well and thought it would at least loosen my legs up a little. It was good to tie up with GB teamate Killian Lomas before the start and talk about travel plans, clothing and bikes. The Weather although sunny at times was threatening all afternoon, and no sooner had I climbed the first hill the sky opened and it hosed down with rain. The already sodden ground became even worse and I soon found myself covered with muddy spray, with it getting under the plastic map cover and slowly making the map harder and harder to read.
I seemed to pick a good route and even ventured down a few muddy tracks that were new to me. I left the two controls on top of Baslow edge but managed with a huge effort at the end to get the rest. I really had to fly to get back from my last control near Baslow and got in just 1 min 50 secs over time.
Ben Plowman, a local who I managed to beat all weekend finally got his own back on his home turf and managed 12 points more, and pushed me into 3rd behind Mark McPhillips but I was really pleased to just pip Killian. I also ate a proper bar again (Eat Natural date and walnut, what else  🙂 ) and again felt much better than using the gels.
Results available here
Stats – 2 hours 1min 50 secs, 41.4 km

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Event Report – Trailquest National Champs – Helmsley

The Sunday of the National weekend was a 3 hour Trailquest. Based from Duncombe Park next to the lovely village of Helmesley and set in the spectacular North York Moors, the promised rain didn’t materialise and the scene was set for a cracking competition.
I travelled up with Helen, another SPLOT, who I stayed with in York the night before, and after apologising again to the poor chap I crashed into the day before I set off east. The map was a Jens Strain / OS 1:25,000 combo, which is much better than the standard OS showing lots more path detail, however I did find the marking of the rights of way using green corridors did obscure other useful detail.

After a little mistake on #1 pulling up a little short at a faintly marked track junction and a spectacular over the handlebars moment on a steep track on the way to #3 I got into my stride and really enjoyed the event. We were treated to lots of off road riding, and fantastic views over the moors.

I seemed to be always going in the opposite direction to Andy Conn and Charlotte Somers Cox, I was convinced they were using some form of teleport device and saw Andy at least 4 times. I decided to try and eat a solid Eat Natural bar rather than relying on gels, as I have done recently and the difference was amazing, I felt much less hungry and seemed to go better in the later stages and felt stronger on the hills.
The last few controls for me were in the Rievaulx Valley with lots of climbing in the forest that runs down to the river. I knew I was OK on time but starting to cut it a bit fine by clearing all the controls on the way in rather than leaving one. I pushed really hard up the hill back into the Duncombe estate and sprinted down the main drive thinking this is going to be a bit close on time. I punched the finish box thinking perhaps I was up to a half a minute late. Downloading later my time was 2:59:59, talk about cutting it fine.

I was very very pleased with my results for the weekend, 1st in Class (21-40) and 4th overall to some quality riders, all current or past British / Irish  Team members. Thanks to NYMBO for a cracking weekend.

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Event Report – MTBO Long Race – Gilling Woods

28km and a winning time of 90 mins, well perhaps in a flat Austrian hunting forest but I thought from the final details that this was perhaps a little optimistic, given the hilly nature of the North York Moors. I had spent the last week pouring over an old  Gilling MTBO map, even attaching a copy to the handlebars of my road bike and analysing it on a 1.5 hour recovery ride, so knew it was going to be steep.
The area surrounding Gilling is stunning, pretty villages nestling in steep sided valleys, with the moors looming above. There was a good atmosphere at registration and lots of familiar faces milling around with the usual psychology about picking a start time.
I started out hard but picking an ultra safe route to the first control, giving me time to plan ahead. My route choice from #2 to #3 probably wasn’t the quickest but I think many others also played safe avoiding the ‘difficult to ride track’ and riding back through #1. I then made my only mistake of the race, missing the tiny path the control was sited on, but soon realised and doubled back, only losing a minute or so, where some competitors lost lots of time. Not seeing the even smaller path down from this control on the map I again played safe by going fast and hard on a roundabout route to #4, also giving me a good look at the lie of the land for the rest of the race. On the course went control after control criss-crossing the steep valleys that make up Gilling Woods. Many of the paths were very slippery, some particularly so with many riders choosing to run down, rather than risking a tumble.
At the map exchange at  #15 I was still going well, but receiving the second map I knew straight away we were all in for a long race. Up we went again to a control near #1 but this time I climbed straight up, bike on shoulder, with the splits not yet available I’m not sure which was faster. A treacherous descent back down and a the course then wound its way around the valleys again, perhaps becoming a little tedious as the planner struggled to get 28km into such a small forest. At 2 hours I started to tire and found myself in lower gears on hills I had climbed earlier in the race. Then as Brian Singleton started to catch me I made a huge mistake on a fast corner, the front wheel washing out. Standing the bike back up I realised I was heading straight for an older rider coming the other way and unfortunately I hit him quite hard. We both seemed vaguely OK so after making sure he really was not about to keel over I sprinted off after Brian. The last quarter of an hour was really hard with one more climb back up to the top of the area and then a sprint for home from the last control.
So had I done enough for selection. I won the M21 -40 category and was 5th overall. A result I am very very happy with given the long and steep course. GPS showed 46km travelled and nearly 1000m of climbing.
So recovery drink inside me I set off for an enforced warm down, as I had offered to collect some controls, and had to climb that hill once more.
Great event if a little over planned – results available at http://www.nymbo.org.uk/events.htm

Mark Stodgell – Stodge
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NPS #2 – Dalby Forest

Round 2 of the British Mountain Bike Race Serieswas held in the huge Dalby Forset area of North Yorkshire this weekend. This event was run on the brand new World Cup 2010 bid course, built specifically for this test event and attracted a huge turnout of quality riders.
I had to go up on Sunday morning as Holly had a Greese show on Saturday. The race formed part of my speed training in the build up for the National Trailquest Champs and MTBO selection races on the 16th May.

When I got there I was warned by several people it would be a very good idea not to try and ride the course blind, in fact Mammoth Rider Darrell Upton indicated it would be dangerous. So baggy trousered, looking completely out of place, I set off between races for a quick look see at a couple of the more ‘interesting’ parts of the course. It immediately became apparent that this was a good move, it being the most technical course I have ever ridden, which I suppose it should be being a ‘World Cup’ Course. Right trouser leg tucked into my sock I ended up finding the best lines and practicing some of the drop offs getting more nervous about the race to come. With the thought of doing serious damage to myself the week before a selection race I made the decision there and then to get off and use my running legs on the two bonkers descents- the drop off into Worry Gill and Medusa’s Drop. Although both fairly rideable (although I’m still not sure I’d have the bottle to do the Worry Gill drop off – see You Tube videos below) in race conditions with other riders all around and particularly when tired later in the course, I’m not in the business of risking my neck to save a few seconds.

  

   
Videos from British Cycling website and You Tube

So starting well towards the back of the grid I had to queue quite a bit at the entrance to the first single track but the race thinned out quite quickly and I got stuck in. I had a huge moment on one drop off where I just recovered by throwing my weight back, and decided on the next lap to run that section as well.  With the heart pumping near max, the whole course was really exciting and other than having to pull over to let the leading Vets train pass on the second lap it was just non stop action.
Fellow British MTBO team mate Andy Conn was riding in the vets and I was interested to see how I would perform against him. Starting a couple minutes behind me he caught me on the climb after Medusas drop on the second lap, but it was good too see him wimping out on it and running down as well. I stayed with him up the big climb but he soon pulled away as I started to tire.

My last lap saw a few more mistakes as I grew tired, and was happy to be lapped just before the final section round the 4 cross track, meaning I didn’t have to go out for the 4th lap. My legs wern’t too bad but I was worried about making a technical mistake when tired and hurting myself properly, as I had witnessed some huge crashes during the event. The loopy 4 cross section  just before the end of the lap was great and I managed a strong finish to come in 50th in 90 mins about 8 mins down on Andy.

Full report and results available at the British Cycling website, here.