English
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After a pleasing performance at last weeks Welsh Champs, it was time for the British Round of the World Cup Series in Dalby Forrest, where I felt confident that I’d produce my first breakthrough ride of getting into the points (top 60). We headed up on the Thursday afternoon for a halfway trip (same as we done for the bmbs a few weeks back) where we spent the night in the travel lodge before traveling the last half of the journey on the Friday.
On the Friday we didn’t have to check out until 12pm, so we (me and the old man) decided to make the most of the later check out and went for a 3hr road ride around the Sherwood Pines area as this just seemed the best way to fit in a decent ride for the day. After signing on and picking up my ‘101’ number board (1 place higher than South Africa) we made our way to Scarborough to check into our next lodge and for some good food down the sea front. With a full schedule of racing on the Saturday, World Cup course practice was between 8-10am in the morning meaning an early start to day. I wasn’t to concerned about getting to know the course, as we only raced there a couple of weeks ago so I knew all my lines, it was just a case of course conditions, tyres and pressures to think about.
After a couple of laps of the course and riding strong I might add, it revealed a few changes to some sections, but on the grand scheme of things it was pretty much the same and the technical sections were exactly the same. After course practice and happy with everything, we spent most of the Saturday watching some of other races going on, met up with Team Wiggle mechanic Ben Jeffery who would be supporting me for the weekend and all generally enjoyed the atmosphere of the event for the remainder of the day. We headed back to our hotel early afternoon where I chilled out for the remainder of the evening.
Race Day. After a good sleep and some breakfast we headed up to the event village just in time to catch the start of the women’s elite race, where I was in good spirit and feeling really good about the job at hand. For most of the morning I sat in our van relaxing for the race, but all to quickly I seemed to be putting on my kit and getting ready for the warm up. Ipod on, a bit of my current favorite album (Jessie J) playing, and it only confirmed my excitement to get this race underway…I was buzzing!
Bang! We were away! I forced my way round the rider who lined up directly in front of me, but as quick as I was overtaking riders, riders starting overtaking me back when I got caught up in a scuffle in front of me. Half way round the start loop we hit the single track and this is where the World Cup fun always begins…at the single track! Off the bike and elbows out is always the scene at the back end of the field and today showed no different.
The plan was to wait until the course opened out a bit where I could start to push on the pedals and move up like I did in SA, however, soon as the course opened and we were able to get up to speed I was suffering…really suffering! I couldn’t seem to get up to speed and normally the start of the race is one of my strongest, but I was pushing hard to even stay in the position I was in, well over 100th place at this point! I crashed on an uphill section of the single track…yes you did hear correct…uphill, colliding with a wooden stake that marked out the course, which didn’t exactly help with my efforts to try and move up through the field, but I was more concern about lack of power than crashing. I carried on with my full out effort slowly improving my position as the race progressed but clearly not having a good day or passing not nearly enough riders to get me in the points…not even close! By the end of the race I got myself in the 90’s but crossing the line extremely disappointed and baffled that the race went the way it did.
Report, Results & Pic’s
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/mtb/article/mtb20110522-Reports-Dalby-World-Cup-Day-3-0