British Cycling’s National Downhill Mountain Bike Series Round 6 presented by Shimano is on this weekend, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th of September. It’s the final round of the six stop BDS series at Llangollen in Denbighshire in Wales. The series has already stopped off at Ae Forest, Fort William, Rhyd-Y-Felin, Moelfre and Revolution Bike Park. The riders that are contending for the series overall are measured on their best five results, with seeding counting for up to 50 points and race runs up to 200 points for the win.
The newly revised Squirrel Track will be used with a new re-vamped start straight with several new BMX track style jumps into two new berms. Plans are already in place for next year to amend the long straight near the bottom that runs parallel to the fence to add a number of large jumps to the course. The course itself is steep and technical as it winds itself down the famous Llangollen hillside with a spectator route cut top to bottom meaning nobody has to cross the course.
Course Stats
Length – 1.6km.
Start altitude – 365 m.
Finish altitude – 115 m.
Vertical descent – 250 m.
Fastest time – 2mins, 05 secs.
The Categories & Competitors
Here’s a quick run down from the organisers of the top three riders in each category and their current points standings:
Schwalbe Elite Men
Matt Simmonds goes into the series final with a comfortable lead in front of Phil Atwill by 144 points. Llangollen may not be Matt’s favourite track with his best result here being a 4th place back in 2011. Atwill, however took a BDS win here in 2012 as a junior on a dry run. The Elites followed in the rain and Atwill’s strong performance gifted him the fastest time of the day, the UCI points and prize money, much to the unhappiness of the Elite riders. Phil believes he has a point to prove after the controversy of round 5 results after Phil was sitting in the top spot before Marc Beaumont was granted a re-run. Brayton sits back in third place having won three BDS races back in 2012 at Gelncoe and Caersws and then in 2013 at Innerleithen on a Banshee. After his most successful season yet at World Cup level, he will no doubt be looking for that top spot.
Matt SIMMONDS Madison Saracen Factory Team 835
Philip ATWILL Bliss / Dirt Magazine / Funn / Propain / X-Fusion / Zelvy 691
Adam BRAYTON Hope Factory Racing 633
Schwalbe Elite Women
With recent news that Manon Caperenter is out with a broken collar bone this leaves the door wide open for Tahnee Seagrave to make her mark at the final round after missing a couple of rounds due to injury. The BDS organisers would like to point out that she did marshal at Moelfre when out injured! Lucy Drees has been consistent all year and sits in second place ahead of former UCI 4x World Champion Katy Curd.
Manon CARPENTER Madison Saracen Factory Team 950
Lucy DREES Grips Bikes 690
Katy CURD Rose Vaujany 570
X-Fusion Expert Men
McGee’s best results were two second places at Ae Forest and Revolution Bike Park which have catapulted him into the top slot ahead of the final. BMX styler Forte is a whisker behind McGee on 621 points, only 26 points adrift so all to play for. A confident Boyce who started racing the BDS since in 2010 as a juvenile took his first ever BDS win at the last round, Revolution Bike Park.
Calum MCGEE Decade Europe / DecadeEurope 647
Kye FORTE Wideopen Nukeproof 621
Lewis BOYCE Wheelies.co.uk 594
DMR Juvenile Men
Barrett is your current National Champion and will be wearing the shirt with pride this weekend come race day. Elliott is the smallest of the trio, what he lacks in height he provides a smooth skill set that could pay off on this tight and technical course. Cummings comes across from Ireland as a seasoned traveller this year with countless events across Europe means he will be well versed with a number of the fast steep technical sections Llangollen has to offer.
Harry BARRETT BARR3TT Racing / Burgtec / J-Tech / Sarah Barrett / Sarah Barrett Photography 1,005
James ELLIOTT Descend Hamsterley [938
Chris CUMMING Nukeproof Development Team 880
Super Alloy Springs Youth Men
Kerr has three BDS wins under his belt this year and has been noted as one of the riders to watch for future stardom along with the next two riders. Edmondson’s BDS season is growing from strength to strength with a win at round 3 and a second place at the last round means the door is wide open come Sunday night for the race win but maybe not for the overall. Kade Edwards would be the series leader if you were to go by practice sessions. Kade always looks super fast, if a little out of control to the man on the street. Once he puts it together and stops crashing he can take the win at the final round but is out for the overall.
Henry KERR Sick Skills / Sick Skills MTB Coaching 1,062
Jamie EDMONDSON Transition Factory Racing 829
Kade EDWARDS Atherton Academy 685
Spank Junior Men
Hatton is fresh back from the Worlds and a 6th place finish. With a win at Ae Forest and Rhyd-Y-Felin he sits at the top on 1,035 points with a huge 203 point lead. Seagrave who has been on the podium all year is desperate for a win this season. Purvis took a win a Moelfre so knows that winning feeling. With new team mates showing him the craft he could hang loose here for a win at Llangollen but he will have his work cut out to progress up the series rankings.
Charlie HATTON WideopenMag.co.uk 1,035
Kaos SEAGRAVE Transition Factory Racing 832
James PURVIS Dirt Magazine / Propain / Propain Dirt Zelvy / Zelvy 765
PRO Tharsis Senior Men
Davies missed round 1 but has made it count ever since with three wins and a second place, is he unstoppable to take the series win? Auger is 249 points behind first spot and is capable of a win as he took top honors at a wet, windy and very muddy Ae Forest back in April this year for the series opener. Coles won seeding at Ae Forest and scored second place at a dry Fort William and sits back on 507 points, 94 points off second place.
Kieran DAVIES Decade / Mudhugger / Plush Hill Cycles / Plushhillcycles.co.uk 950
Thomas AUGER AJ Eng 701
Tom COLES DH Farm / Highland Bikes Racing Team 507
NS Bikes Master Men
Smith has the series in the bag with after taking a win, three seconds and a fourth, he is unstoppable. Shill’s season started well with a fourth and then two second places. Slipping slightly with the last two races bagging him 7th place each time this will be his last chance to redeem himself. Taylor sitting in third place has had three BDS podiums this year with his best result coming in at Ae Forest. He knows this track well and could be in the running for a race win.
Adam SMITH 1,015
Jason SHILL Keswick Bikes 731
Craig TAYLOR Devinci / Freeborn 657
Dainese Veteran Men
Longden has three wins and a second place under his belt from the former Elite rider who does limited practice runs between managing the Madison Saracen race team. Weightman, who has made the podium at every round, loves the steep and technical tracks and is only 20 points behind Longden but has raced five rounds. (Will has only done 4 so far). Titley scored a win at Ae Forest in Will Longden’s absence, Andy then missed out Fort William and came back to take three second places on the trot. Andy is 55 points behind Will Longden so still all to play for at the final round of the series.
Will LONGDEN Madison Saracen Factory Team 915
Mark WEIGHTMAN Leisure Lakes 895
Andrew TITLEY Bad Ass Bikes / Intense 860
Kore Components Grand Veteran Men
Binn’s season is on a roll. Starting with two third places he has progressed to one second place and then two first places which see’s him sitting pretty on 1,070 points after competing at all five rounds so far. Felstead has only competed in four events yet still took a win at round 3 in front of Binns. Waud is on a charge with a second place at the last round on a tricky course at Revolution Bike Park. With Llangollen being such a short and technical track, expect to see some close times between the ‘Coffin Dodgers’…
Richard BINNS Revolution Bikepark 1,070
Steve FELSTEAD Global Bikes / Nukeproof 810
Mick WAUD TRG Racing 635
Uber Bike Women
The experienced Hanley has proven her top spot this season with consistent results all year long putting her 128 points into the lead. Dewdney lost out to Hanley big time by not scoring any seeding points at round 5. The BMX racer will like the new start at Llangollen and the relatively short course, watch out Hanley! Whyte scored top marks in both seeding and race runs at rounds 3 and 4. Note she never competed in rounds 2 and 5 so an appearance at round 6 could really upset the apple cart.
Lindsay HANLEY Charge Clothing / Charge Clothing / NX2 / NX2MTB – Charge Clothing 885
Ellie DEWDNEY Derby BMX Club 757
Meg WHYTE Creation Cycles 690
Rachel Atherton Junior Women
Ding Dong Round 6! The fight is on between Bell and Tutt with only 11 points separating them. Both have two race wins under their belt this year. Bell’s total race time over the 5 rounds in 22 minutes and 10 seconds. Tutt’s total race time is 22 minutes and 32 seconds so on paper Bell is the favourite going into the final. Atkinson has a 93 point commanding leading over the fourth place rider so another podium finish will secure that place for her.
Cairn BELL F-riders inc / RUTS 978
Aston TUTT Pedalabikeaway 967
Maya ATKINSON Hammoon Cycles 623
Event Information
The BDS team is planning a big send off for the series finale and the weather gods are looking to be playing ball as well. Saturday is practice all day from 09:30 to 18:00 with live timing in place for all riders. Sunday is practice in the morning followed be seeding runs and then one race run, again with live timing throughout. Race support will be on hand for all the BDS racers from Shimano, Hope Technology, E-13 Chain Devices, Ride.io ‘The Silverline Tools Box’ and Crankbrothers as well as a free Bike wash by Kingud.
On Sunday between the intervals for seeding and race runs, the Strider Downhill Race is packed with 40 stars of the future that will tackle a course that starts next to the famous Llangollen step downs. They will then fire into the long finish arena and across the finish line and into the hot seat. The Strider riders will be in age categories and complete downhill timed runs.
A Shoretrax wooden Pump track will be open all weekend and you are encouraged to bring your bike and helmet to ride this exciting (free of charge to use) feature that will be located in the event village. Two bouncy castles will be in place for the young guns as well as a kids ball pit, all free of charge.
A MTB Car Boot is also on offer on Sunday morning. Sellers are advised to turn up on the day from 09:00 onwards, pay the £20 entrance fee and set up. No advanced booking is required.
Camping is priced at £5.00 per pitch for the weekend with toilets (including women’s only) and running water available onsite. Spectators cost is £5.00 per adult with (children 15 and under entrance is free).
The Llangollen Venue:
One Giant Leap Llangollen.
Tan Y Graig Farm
Llangollen
Denbighshire
North Wales
LL208AR.
For further information on the event, please visit: http://www.britishdownhillseries.co.uk/bds-round-6-llangollen/
