Angela from Ajax, who is just starting out racing XC, was also racing so we headed up together and some company on the drive into mid Wales was good. Less good was the rain that started falling a few minutes before we got out of the car and continued non-stop until we pulled back out of the car park several hours later. Combined with a fairly strong wind this guaranteed a 'challenging' day. First challenge - unpack bikes and change into riding kit without getting cold and soaked. After sign on and a bit of lingering in the warm of the cafe there was just time for 30 minutes of warm up and a quick change into dry gloves (to prolong the inevitable) and deliberate over what to race in. With the rain showing no sign of letting up I kept my warmest base layer on under a jersey and stuck a lightweight rain jacket on top of that. Time to head to the line.
Having been here only a few weeks ago I had some idea what to expect, and so unlike last time hadn't ventured far in practice/warm up. Indeed the sprint up the first mile-long fireroad climb was all too familiar, albeit with a fairly strong headwind, leading to the slightly bizarre sight of the first dozen of us lined out in single file, fighting for wheels and shelter from the wind as if this was a road race. This peloton gradually fell apart and I crested the climb in fifth, with a bit of a gap behind. This evaporated completely in the next kilometre through a very grassy boggy section. Not my forte at the best of times, and it was critical to choose the right line. I didn't, and lost all of the advantage I'd eked out to a group behind, and then some.
The rest of the lap was spent dipping out in and out of stuff I knew from last time, in between sections I didn't. A couple of the downhills were new: one was twisty, fast and fun, the second was more technical and seemed to be surfaced with some magic combination of mud and pine needles that offered no grip at all.
By a lap and a half things had settled down and I found myself alone - nobody in front of me to chase, no visible threat from behind, so now my biggest rival was the weather. It still poured with rain, and this combined with a strong wind on some of the more exposed sections. One switchback descent begun by pedalling into a strong headwind downhill, rain stinging the eyes, before turning through near 180 degrees halfway down and suddenly accelerating effortlessly to 30mph as the headwind became a tailwind.
I crossed the line pretty much soaked to the skin and immediately headed off to get warm and dry. Sitting in the cafe by its very welcoming stove the results were announced and I was pleasantly surprised to find I'd managed third overall in sport. Sixth overall again, same as the last round. So a couple of XC races under my belt before spring has sprung, and hopefully conditions can only get better for the next six months!
The rest of the lap was spent dipping out in and out of stuff I knew from last time, in between sections I didn't. A couple of the downhills were new: one was twisty, fast and fun, the second was more technical and seemed to be surfaced with some magic combination of mud and pine needles that offered no grip at all.
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| Throwing shapes or getting out of shape....? Photo by CAC Photography |
By a lap and a half things had settled down and I found myself alone - nobody in front of me to chase, no visible threat from behind, so now my biggest rival was the weather. It still poured with rain, and this combined with a strong wind on some of the more exposed sections. One switchback descent begun by pedalling into a strong headwind downhill, rain stinging the eyes, before turning through near 180 degrees halfway down and suddenly accelerating effortlessly to 30mph as the headwind became a tailwind.
I crossed the line pretty much soaked to the skin and immediately headed off to get warm and dry. Sitting in the cafe by its very welcoming stove the results were announced and I was pleasantly surprised to find I'd managed third overall in sport. Sixth overall again, same as the last round. So a couple of XC races under my belt before spring has sprung, and hopefully conditions can only get better for the next six months!
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