Mountain Ash
Just got back from Mtn Ash and had a nice warm shower.
Inspected the course saturday, and watched the Athertons whip everybody's arses again (Even Pageys!). Gee got the fastest times on both days, beating Dan again.
Heard Nick Hawker had a nasty crash resulting in internal bleeding, with a bruised kidney.
Talking of crashes, Rachel Atherton, after flying saturday had a huge crash in practise on sunday going sideways into a tree. She was removed slowly from the course and rushed off to hospital with 2 suspected broken legs or maybe a dislocated hip. It appears she got away with heavy bruising to both her legs and hips though, as she reappeared after racing had ended with her two brothers, and sat in the car as they got yet more trophies.
The course was real long, being at over 4mins for mere mortals. It started with a small drop off just outside the starthut. Straight away down a steepish dual lane track, round 2 fast loose right handers on the flat and over 5 fairly large bustops to the right. The first had a nasty kerbstone at the top, that caused many punctures and crashes if not tackled fast enough.
After the bus stops, a quick jump through a tight S bend led you over some small drops and across the first fireroad into the forest. Some big roots and a steep slab later it was a hard left and time to pedal you guts out along a wide dark path/road and over a small left bus stop without braking. More pedaling the other side and round a sketchy loose right which was in the sun. Back into the dark, pedal more down the road and brake for a 3foot drop into a loose, tight forest section.
Exiting the trees across the main fireroad and turning left over some small jumps and a long, flowing up and down, narrow section. This bit was all about keeping your speed on the narrow, fast corners, and choosing the right gears and moments to pedal. Went on for quite a while, with a couple of real tricky bits.
Then there was a quick chicane into a hard right down a steep bank, off a drop and onto a stream crossing. (This is what caught out Rachel and Nick) Sketch over that and drop into the woods. Real narrow here, with lots of nasty slippy roots. Pedal where you could. Towards the end of this were two small drop/jumps about 15feet apart. You landed on the upside of the second one hard, so i'm sure you could have cleared them both in one if you had a mind for it.
A Short fireroad before diving left round some sketchy left/right combination corners. Across a ditch, round a right hand natural berm, back across the ditch, over a small double then grassy table and into some ruts and over a small drop. Then came the biggest drop on the course.. only maybe about 4ft but quite sketchy nonetheless. As with all the big stuff, there was a chickenrun, but it was much, much slower.
After the drop it was into some tree's. Line choice was important here, to set yourself up for all the corners. A few narrow gaps caught people out. Then out onto a tarmac path for a sprint to the finish over a drainage ditch thing. Closely followed by collapsing to the gravel in an unceromonious heap until you could feel your forearms again!
I was racing in the hardtail cat. as my DH-8 is poorly at the moment. Managed a 4.31 on my first run, and was determined to go faster on the second. Launched into it, going too fast at the start and made some silly mistakes.. Didn't loose much time. Every time I hit a fireroad, I yelled to myself to stand up and f**king pedal. Seemed to help, I also carried more speed through the uppy downy bit and through the woods.
Got a 4.16 on my second run, which gained me 3rd in the Hardtail cat. Mark Weightman won with 3.59. He's crazy!
The course was superb, i've never put so much effort into a run in my life as i did that second one, and am feeling pleased with myself.
Roll on the next big course!!!!