The British MTBO Long Championships were held just SW of Dumfries at Mabie, one of the 7 Stanes Mountain Bike trails, famous in the Scottish Borders for their tough mountain bike trails.
Driving back to Shap on Saturday night after the middle race I wondered if we were doing the right thing not camping, but once settled on a comfy sofa with a plateful of pasta and feeling decidedly rough, I knew it was the correct decision. I got a better nights sleep getting to bed early, but on Sunday morning I still felt bad. The rib didn’t really hurt that much, but I was coughing and feeling pretty grim.
I decided after making the long drive North I should at least attempt to race, but decided before I started I would bin it if I wasnt up to it. Mabie’s forest roads and one way tracks meant that there was lots of long route choice decisions to be made, ideal for a long race.
I started quite strongly up the first hill feeling OK, quickly pulling past some B course riders who had started in the minutes in front of me, and nailed the first control. Again, riding off track was allowed and I made good use of this coming down hill out of number 1. Number 2 was fine but I picked a duff route choice to number 3, losing some time, but after that things started to go wrong. I found I couldn’t concentrate, and then found I could not read the map whilst riding, it looked fuzzy. I then made a small error missing a very insignificant track, as many did, but I then took a bizarre decision to do a huge cross country ‘short cut’ over a hill to the control rather than doubling back onto my intended route. I then started making school boy riding errors, culminating in me nearly coming off on a corner when my crank arm hit the floor. The next tiny hill then seemed to zap all the strength from my legs so I decided after looking at how much I had left to throw in the towel and ride in. I even picked a rubbish route choice to get back to the finish.
Retiring from what, for me, was an A race this year and risking my selection for the British Team on one race (Foxley) was pretty hard to take but getting back to the car I knew it would have been foolish to carry on and was even struggling to pick route choices for some of the legs I didnt get to whilst “armchair riding”.
At least I started, though. Unfortunately, Mark Nixon didn’t even make it to the start line, the muppet took a huge tumble on the skills loop whilst warming up. He had some really nasty gravel rash all the way up his spine: get well soon, but I bet it will smart in the shower tonight!
After a rest and some food, I went back down to help Janine with the results and watched a close set of results come together in the Men’s race until Ben Plowman came in several minutes clear of everyone else to take the British Crown, a fantastic achievement in this his first proper year of MTBO. Em Benham, as expected, took the Women’s title. Congratulations to the British Champions!
So time to take a break, get well, make sure the bike is in good condition and look forward to the next World Cup Race in Poland, though to say I’m disappointed would be an understatement 🙁
results http://www.janineandjase.plus.com/british2010.html
With a desperate need for some new MTB shoes before the World Cup next week as all of my existing ones were in holes I have been searching high and low for a bargain.
The striking blue and white design should also match the colours of the Corratec Bow nicely 😉
This weekend will take the cream of the UK’s Mountain Bike Orienteering competitors north to compete in both a middle and a long distance race in the Scottish Borders. Organised by club FVO, the Middle race will be held at Drumlanrig, an area new to MTBO, and the Long on the Sunday will be held at Mabie, part of the Seven Staines group of forests famous for their mountain biking trails.