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Have a fun time guys, couldnt make this in the end.

Good luck fellas - looking forward to the report

Cheers chaps, no camera for me so you'll have to rely on Javi staying upright!!

Well Javi and I did a whole practice lap, which as it turns out was a big problem, Javi was late to thge start and i had to run around getting his water sorted and Beardie had already headed to the start!
So I was waiting for Beardie and Javi to come across the line to take pictures and pass water etc. and by the ten minute warning the leaders were only just coming through.
At the start i soon met up with Javi completing his first lap, he joined me in all the bottlenecks but off we trundled and when we got to the Big bombhole and i let Javi go first, i followed close after and as i got to the bottom my front tyre Burped and although making it to the top (not everyone was) i had to reseal the tyre and start again
carried plodding around and enjoying the mentally good course.
on the last decent before the "big" climb i could hear a odd noise coming from the bike, fearing the worst looked at the bike, turns out my rear calliper had come loose and one bolt was almost fully out and the other just in the hole!
so tightend it up and off i walked up the big hill, started again and called it a day at 2 laps in just under 2 hours.

So i wasnt going to do anymore, but if the courses are as good as this one it is tempting!

57 out of 97 in 4 hour male cat. Pretty bad and it's solely my fault!

Did a practice lap with Ian but we were running late and finished it 6 or 7 minutes before the start. All my stuff was in Chris's car and he was somewhere in the middle of the pack ready to start. I then asked Ian to buy energy bars and water for me (he started 1 hour later) and then off I went 1 minute late.

There was a massive bottle neck and wasted loads of time. After 1 mile I stopped to fix a problem with the helmet and took me some more time. Then, after 2 miles (or so) another massive queue in a huge bombhole. After 3-4 miles met Chris on course and passed me car keys. Finished first lap and Ian told me the stuff he bought was by 4 poste after finish line but couldn't find it (left or ritght? Wasn't 100%100 sure of what I saw there. Went to the car, grabbed everything I needed and by the time I rejoined course, 2 hour race had just started so I got stuck again!! Rode with Ian for a while until he fell off at the top of a bombhole

3rd lap was the one I really enjoyed. It was 7.4 miles long FANTASTIC course There was good grip, no mud at all, bombholes, roaller coaster sections, plenty of single track , downhill (the ones next to the fence for instance) , short sharp climbs and' the nightmare'. That was a long climb, with not much grip at the top, starting soft, gradually getting steeper, going soft again and then picking up more and more gradient until you almost do a 360 loop. You could see plenty of riders pushing the bikes. There was a trick that worked for me very well. Before the climb, there was a long and enjoyable singletrack and normally you could get some breath riding behind someone else. So almost everyone accelerated after that in the fire road to overtake, just when the climb started soft. I stuck to a slow pace. Then riders kept pushing when things got steeper. I put the granny and took it easy. Before the hard stuff riders started to feel the pain in their knees, changed to granny and some of them had to push bikes. It was then when I kept going same pace with granny up up up overtaking loads of riders :p. Yes, it was my time for glory

So yes, 3rd lap going very aggressive, cornering fast, front wheel always following the line chosen and rear one following, sliding under predictable control...Can't describe it better. But it was hard to overtake unless you do a big effort (and for a 4 hour race is not a big deal). 4rd lap suffered cramps! Unusual for me but this time...dunno what happened. Maybe I didn't drink much at the start. I was scared doing the big climb cause I wanted to clear it at any prize and both legs were about to die. I also had a mech problem. When I shifted to biggest cog, chain run off the jockey wheel and had to stop several times to put it back. 5th lap sorted with the cramps and finished absolutely knackered. My legs destroyed. Big smile, 57 out of 97. Next time I'll do it better, for sure!
Sorry no footage. Head cam didn't work for some unknown reason ouch!! I could've recorded really good stuff but when shit happens
My lap times: (1) 00:54:46, (2) 00:59:26, (3) 00:47:40, (4) 00:54:40, (5) 00:53:59 = 04:30:31
Winner (1) 00:34:26, (2) 00:35:03, (3) 00:37:31, (4) 00:37:36, (5) 00:37:37
(6) 00:38:02, (7) 00:38:34

Overall, great course I really enjoyed but too crowded. Hope I have learnt this lesson with the practice lap.
Next one, Tunnel Hill. Let's go for it!

Sounds good fella's well done....

99th out of 119 in my catagory

You could've done another lap and jumped to 77th or better!

Your right i could of done but my legs couldnt LOL

Ian, you have to do hill training and then you'll feel the difference. I can show you the course at Pole Hill.

My problem is timings mate, working 12hrs a day and 2 kids a wife and a dog all demandint attention i dont get the time to train as much as i would like. hopefully i'll get some more chances in the near future?

Well done all how Beardee get on?

I think he enjoyed it but he didnt make the full 4hrs (mad to do that in the first place) when i left he was still smiling and thats whats important?

Photo's
http://joolzedymond.com/photocart/index ... llery=1269