WEMBO, the gruelling 24 hour world championship MTB race, finished on Sunday. You can read the full results here. Jason English finished first, managing a whopping 26 laps, and our very own English Jason (Miles) came seventh. If that sounds confusing, it’s simple: Jason English is from Australia, English Jason is Jason Miles, from Lancashire in England, and he rides for Team JMC (in case you’re wondering, the JM in JMC does not stand for Jason Miles). We caught up with Jason Miles and asked him a few questions, below, and at the bottom of this story is a video by Jason English of the entire first lap.
What was the course like?
It was dry, dusty and fast. What more could a boy from northern England want? Actually, it didn’t suit me really. I can descend ok, but there are faster descenders out there so when I realised that the course was one 3 mile climb followed by a seven mile descent, mostly singltetrack, I knew I was up against it. One overtaking manoeuvre in particular took me 3 laps to complete…
How does it compare to Strathpuffer? Do you prefer racing in Scottish ice and mud, or Californian heat?
I was dying a thousand deaths in that heat. I like nice weather, but my body doesn’t perform too well in hot conditions. Once the sun went down I felt like I had gained new legs! I’ll appreciate the Strathpuffer (and winter in general) a little bit more now. You can keep the mud though.
Was there anything you weren’t prepared for?
I don’t think I was quite prepared for the incredible welcome everyone received from the people of Weaverville. From the race marshals and organisers, to the Weaverville-based riders all the way through to the people working in shops and cafes, all were 100% behind the event and genuinely could not have been more welcoming. I’ve raced all over this country and to a lesser degree, abroad and I’ve never experienced anything like that. The term ‘community feel’ has been well and truly redefined.
Did anything go wrong for you during the race?
Yep. I tore through the sidewall of my rear tyre 2 miles into lap one. Put a tube in and couldn’t get the damn tyre back on the rim – that lost me 20 or so minutes and that was more than enough time to allow the entire elite field to ride away into the distance. I spent the rest of the race catching up…I guess climbing back from 20-something place to finish 7th wasn’t too bad.
Does jet lag make much of a difference to a race this long? Did you take any days beforehand to adjust?
It would have made a difference, but luckily I can sleep whenever I want for as long as I want. I slept for most of the 11 hour flight to San Francisco then slept for most of the five hour car journey from there to Weaverville. Once we arrived with our host family it was past midnight so I went to bed and slept some more. By 8am the next morning I was as bright as a button!
What was the atmosphere with the other competitors like? Was there cameraderie, or was it a silent, hyper-competitive sufferfest?
I wouldn’t be involved in this sport if it wasn’t friendly. Of course it’s competitive – it has to be to be even considered ‘racing’, but everyone helps each other out and gets along. The airline lost my bikes at Heathrow so the day before the race they hadn’t arrived and I didn’t know for certain that they would do. I was sharing pits with fellow Santa Cruz racer Josh Tostado and when I told him what had happened he immediately began dividing out his kit for me to use. I’d only met him 10 minutes earlier. Would that happen in all sports?
What did you think of Weaverville?
Debbie and I are taking the kids to Weaverville for a proper holiday. It’s a brilliant town full of brilliant people, surrounded by breath taking countryside and incredible walking and biking trails There’s also gold in them thar hills, maybe…
Here’s a course video of the first lap by Jason English. Skip to 19:16 for a slightly bewildering course decoration. Thank you, Jasons!
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What a bonkers part of our sport. Good effort!
Well done Jase! Love to have been there.