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Timelaps website mate.
[url= http://www.timelaps.co.uk/assets/uploads/EVENTREPORT.aspx?eventid=310WindmillHill04/01/2015 ]Results[/url]
Cheers - now the wait for the series.
I found it very hard today - a week in bed and bronchitis but wanted to try and hold my position in the series.
My first (and last I suppose) Brass Monkey of the year. It's always a bit of a trek to get down to the Gorrick events - about 2.5 hours from Ipswich, so we have to leave at 6 to make the 9:30 start comfortably 😮
It went pretty well though, despite crashing 3 times. The first on a corner right near the start where I tangled with one of the Merida boys and landed in a f*cking great puddle. Managed to get back up near the front though and caught the leading junior just as he pulled out (Ollie Stean). Managed to stay with Kim Little for the most part of three laps, although he kept getting a gap on the climbs (the 29lb lump of steel I was riding is my excuse), which I had to drag back on the flat bits. He got the better of me by the end, especially after my third crash where my bike got stuck underneath a chain link fence, and it took the combined strength of me and the backmarker I'd collided with to get the b*astard thing out!
Still, managed to get a whole lap over the rest of the juniors, and would have finished 3rd in the 2hr male cat had I been a year older.
Echoing Gee on the congratulations to the Gorrick crew - brilliant course that stood up really well to the onslaught of many tyres.
Can't disagree with the comments on the course - the Gorrick crew really know what they were doing and I thought this one flowed really nicely. Which makes it even more annoying that I only managed 1 lap 🙁
I was really enjoying the course and feeling pretty good ... then managed a freak crash in the last singletrack section before the end of the lap and some how managed to snap the front skewer which led to ripping the wheel out and bending my fork. Possibly my most expensive race lap ever 🙁
Hey ho, presumably that means there is some really good luck just around the corner!
Bit of challenging race in more ways than one.
Only just made the start line due to a long queue at the toilets. Once I got going I settled into a good pace and was really enjoying the course. Then 4 miles in my chain broke. Some trailside maintenance and 10 minutes later I was on my way again.
1 mile later and my temporary repair popped again. I briefly contemplated the meaning of life before a sulky walk back to the car.
Having travelled from Milton Keynes for the race I decided it was too far to have come for a 5 mile ride. So a more permanent fix was carried out back at tyhe car and I set off to at least complete a lap. I'm glad I did as the 6.5 miles was well worth the effort despite finishing with a flat rear. Great work by the Brass Monkeys team.
To round it off I then got a flat tyre on the car driving home.
Didn't make this one as I've got the lurgy. Must agree with the praise for gorrick though. I've been doing their races for over 20 years now, including brass monkeys, xc races, gorrick 100 and Torq in your sleep. Throughout this time they've constantly put on excellent events that can be enjoyed from novice to elite, which is why they continue to get good numbers despite xc racing being so untrendy supposedly. We're lucky to have them.
Yep course was great, I was sliding all over the place on the first lap but it dried out well. I took it very easy on the turns & descents the whole race though as I saw a lot of crashes. I really like how the organisers adjust the course mid race if certain sections are getting too sketchy - like that rutted descent.
I wasn't feeling great so didn't give it any beans from the gate, quite demoralising watching everyone pile past you - but for once I got the pacing right and completed 5 laps with no cramps. Was through the gate comfortably before the cut off, but just didn't fancy a 6th so called it a day and went home to finish some DIY off for bonus points with the wife.
I've done one or two races before but not a whole series - will be interested to see where I came overall when the points are tallied up.
yeah I have to agree I thought it was a great course. And the Gorrick crew made it rideable for the whole event. I found it fairly hard work and started to cramp up around the 3 hr point. Not sure if was due to the continual up and down nature of the course or from trying to keep up with George at the start...
Found myself in the middle of nowhere for most of the second half as I lost sight of Scott and couldn't see anyone behind, so was hoping to cruise home and finish my 6th lap on the 4hr mark. However halfway through the 6th lap I could see 4th place catching me in the distance so had to pick up the pace to make a small gap. I crossed the line with a minute or so to go and was hopping that my pursuer would come in too late to do another lap... unfortunately he crossed the line about 20 seconds before the 4hrs were up and went for another lap...
So a 7th lap it was to be. Fortunately I seemed to have ridden off the cramp and feeling better, managed to maintain a reasonable pace for the last lap to hold on to the last podium position.
was pleased to make the podium at all 3 rounds this year and secured 2nd overall in the series. Woohoo!