English
With a personally good result at my last race I though I would the give the Southern XC round 1 a go. Arriving at the Wasing estate I had been mislead by the previous days warm weather and had left my windproof at home with only my race jersey and shorts it was a very chilly breeze blowing across the car park. To help warm up I went out for my sighting lap as this was a private estate the course was freshly cut in to the ground making it loose in places and surprising muddy in others. ¾ way around this lap I had quite a big off at one of the stream crossings leaving me wet and muddy which didn’t help me keep warm.
The start of the race was a fast sprint up the fire road leading up to the first single-track climb where the usual bottle neck ensued taking a leaf out the Cyclocross racing hand book I shoulder the Focus Raven Pro and ran which helped me gain quite a few places. As I settled down in to a steady pace the fist lap went by without to many problems. Unfortunately a rider had come to grief quite badly where I had my off during my sighting lap but the ambulance guys where on the scene helping him out and the marshals where already on the case sorting a diversionary route around the area.
The second lap was going OK expect for a crash in a off camber rooty section. I was catching riders through the tight but fast flowing single-track sections but I was struggling to keep pace with them on the open fire road parts, I will have to look to get this sorted for future races.
Going across the start line for the last time I heard across the PA system that I was in 13 place which proved a little unlucky for me as I crashed again to let a rider through and I lost another place on one of the fast fire road sections much to my announce but I pressed on finally regaining 14 place at the finish.
With this amazing result for me I was all ready looking forward to giving the next Gorrick round my best shot.
