Yeah it’s a mass start, whippets and those who think they are get to the front, but thankfully the big climb at the start sorts that out.

If it’s windy, by god it’s windy.

Don’t be tempted to ride across the concrete bridge looking thing on top of the moor as it’s got a **** off big gap in the middle

Cheers all, really looking forward to it. We’ve been racing xc for a good few years and will have to temper the initial rush to singletrack urge 🙂
Kryton57, starting further back means more fun ie overtaking rather than been overtaken..

No racing for me till Wasing. Off to find some gap jumps to practise on 😆

Marginally OT, but figured may as well stick this here – is anyone using thunder burts? I am optimistically convinced its going to be a dry summer (seeing as I used beaver for half the summer races last year). Are they that much faster than racing ralphs? might get one for the rear and put the ralphI normally put on the rear for the summer on the front to replace the rons f&r I’ve got on at the moment.

Ferrals, i think the gap jump has gone at Wasing. Wasn’t in for SXC Rnd 1. Better off practicing your drop offs for the big A line..
Hope its drier than SXC.

Anyone raced with SWXC as their series is starting soon in Devon.
First race at East Budleigh. Anyone know what this location is like ??

Burt on the front was great for battle on the beach

That’s great going again mate.

I’ve got southern xc planned next Sunday, but a lot depends on Rockingham the day before.

Scott Marathon at Builth Wells, That was hard, not helped by the 20 degree heat, Ive got -red- tan lines. Not being a climber I struggled a lot, especially on the second section over the moorland that together with the wind coming across went on and on and on and on. And once that had you dog tired after about an hour, you then plummeted down the whole lot hard bouncy drop-edge single track trying to keep focus in about 10 minutes.

Very tired now, 62k and 1500m claimed in 4h dead. But, brilliant. I think it’d be wise to take the Anthem rather than carbon HT to future marathons!

Hanchurch for me today too. Cracking course, really enjoyed it although the heat was a bit of a shock to the system, as was the race duration! Proper flowing course where the tech bits were a place to make time if you were capable but without being dangerous for the sake of it.
Managed to get on to the podium in the V40s off the back of few weeks’ base training so more than happy.

rollindoughnut – 3hrs10 is a great ride – were you riding with Nick Craig?

rsvktm – I guess we probably crossed paths a few times given your time – what were you riding?

Next time I’d carry two bottles and only stop at one feed stop. And make sure that the mech I fitted the night before was working properly under load, and not just in the stand… 🙄

Ianpv, riding a black fs trek with a red top on, you? Chatted to a few people out there, was a good day out. Been used to a dropper and grippier tyres so was a bit clueless in the woods and edgier sections with seat right up, but the fast tyres came in everywhere else. Official time 3:27 just need to lose a bit of winter chub for the next one.

I rode most of it with a guy called Lewellyn, who was wearing Poc shorts.
Funnily enough came across Nick Craig just before the finish line as 3 of us were sprinting for the finish. Not that it’s a race;)

Its the way it should be, not everyone should be elite / expert!

I guess they try and arrange it so only the very best are elite: 1/6th elite 2/6ths expert 3/6ths sport or so would be about right i think.

They move the top x up every year towards elite but there are also people in elite/expert becoming vets so should be able to maintain a steady number of elites.

If you get moved up to expert but constantly come last do you get moved back down to sport?

I do get your point though, sometimes in the welsh series, it looks there is only 1-2 elites racing

raced rd.2 of the Midlands yesterday. great course and what a nice day for it. gridded out back but didn’t put in a performance any how. lack of racing and skillz. seem to have lost over 10 places since the midland races early last year. all good though.

well that was just massive fun. I was gridded a fair way back as I’ve not raced with them so its just a free for all. I went a reasonable pace off the start but not crazy and was soon in an 8 way battle, down the side of the field I put 2 riders behind me and knew there was a lot of woods coming up.
Very little in the way of overtaking through them, then into another field edge, I lost a place but that guy cleared off and took 5 of us in seconds.
The race kind of blurred into woods, sprints, power and a cool log jump I kept launching on the Whyte just for fun. I picked up another 5 riders over the next hour and a bit, having fun battles throughout and some chatting in the single track while trying to breathe!
A big tall fella passed me on lap 4 in the fields and I jumped on his wheel, he was quick in the long bits so we caught another guy and put him behind us.
I came round the start finish absolutely finished and saw the clock had 8 mins showing which meant another lap! Oh for the love of all things holy, I was knackered. Happily, anyone else behind me was the same. I lost about 10s to the guy in front I was following but was happy the gap behind wouldn’t be closed down. So I clawed my way to the line, almost crashing twice on the final lap as I was dying! I have no idea what my result was.
I do know this, it was the best and most fun xc course I’ve ridden, just constant twists, turns, etc brilliant.

My boy was then out in the U9s race. He got a bad start as he was gridded near last and struggled at times to make up ground. Partly because he seemed to be in the wrong gear. I suspected he’d dropped into the granny as he was spinning like a loony! I was right.
He did however pick up some places and 2 in the last sprint for the line, for what I think was 7th! Respect for that!

Awesome day out.

Now, pub for massive burgers and beer while watching Liverpool game.

I didn’t make round 1 mate as my lad ended up at a Philharmonic concert instead and Mrs Weeksy and MIL Weeksy like him to do that, so we skipped round 1. This round was ideal as its only 15 min from home.