HSBC XC National RD1 – Woodys Bike Park

Welcome back internet people, thank you for visiting and taking time to read my blog.

It’s a little late but I have been busy the past couple of weeks.

A couple of weeks back now myself and dad travelled down early Saturday morning to Fowey on the South West Coast, this was going to be my first ever mtb XC national. The weather was typical British, it rained, and making the hilly course slippy in places, this added to the difficulty as the place was like a world cup venue, amazing downs with gruelling ups, we headed out to walk the course and this made me excited for practice.

I headed out for practice and I was extremely nervous, not about the course but about the event in general, in the midlands I’m confident about my ability but at national level it was a total unknown and this really played on my mind. The course was fantastic, practice was hectic to say the least, riders all over the place, riders crashing in the slippy conditions but after all that it was fun course with some awesome A lines, and for once the A lines actually rewarded you. I completed a full steady lap and head back to my van for clean up and get ready for the race.

I made my way up to gridding and rode around to warm up, the rain started again! We got called up in by our race number so lucky for me I managed to get onto the front row. I waited anxiously, when the whistle blew I had a great jump and then bang nothing, appeared I was riding in glue meaning I had possibly the worse ever start (nervous maybe), I rounded the first turn in next to last place. I fought hard but as the course from this point was mainly single track it was dificut to make passes. The lead 4 had gone, I got my head down and ticked off riders one by one when the course would allow, I pushed hard on the downs and the ups, at the end of the race I crossed the line in a very respectable 7th (maybe 6th, not really sure as there appears to be different results published), given my awful start and the quality of the competition I’m happy with my result, it not where I see myself and its shy of my goal but I’m happy and I know what to expect in the future.

I would like to say a thank you to the venue and organisers, it was a really enjoyable experience for my first National, and I’m looking forward to RD2 already.

Woodys XC National Round 1, Mtb Race Highlights

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Thanks for reading.

Mazie Moo Moo

Photo credit davepricephoto, westlarjfotos & sharperfoto