Circus of Dirt South West Series R5- Combe Sydenham, Somerset (Including South West Champs)

CIRCUS OF DIRT ROUND 5, COMBE SYDENHAM

(INCLUDING SOUTH WEST CHAMPS)

RACE REPORT BY

CARLA HAINES-ELITE FEMALE

  The Circus of Dirt series came to an end on the 3^rd & 4^th September. Some great courses over the 4 rounds but Jay & Maddie certainly did save the best until last! It was a weekend to remember; smiles and laughter and also pain and broken bones!

For me I wanted to win the South West Champions Title a second year running but I knew it was going to be a battle between myself and Jane Cummings of South Fork. From other riders opinions it seemed like a pretty good course, some hills and techy sections. I realise now that these hills were not just any old hills, they were climbs that tested riders ability not to lose traction and were completely draining after so many laps!

Race was due to start at 1pm but was delayed for another 30minutes as there was an accident on the motorway. This gave me extra time to fully warm up and get ready to beast it up the many of climbs awaiting.

The women started off at the rear after the men’s categories had gone. Myself and Jane lead out together. The first climb started of pretty well but got steeper. I was trying to sit on her wheel at the last part of the hills before we hit some single track. She had slowly pulled away but I managed to gain a bit of time on the single track.

The last steep descent prior to more long steep climbs was pretty sketchy. Managing to descend down it in one piece I took a deep breath before a long journey to the top! The final down hill section all the way to the finish was definitely worth the pain and effort to get there.

We had a total of 3 laps to complete, which in theory doesn’t seem a lot at all, but trust me it was enough! With Jane still in the lead, I was behind trying to chase more time. By the third lap I was comfortable in 2^nd place but completely drained and exhausted.

I was pleased with how it went, although I did wish I won but it couldn’t have gone to a better rider. Even though I didn’t win the race, I was the Elite Female Series winner.

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup-Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic

UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP

NOVA MESTO NA MORAVE, CZECH REPUBLIC

RACE REPORT BY CARLA HAINES U23  

All ready my final World Cup of the Year had come around so fast. It only seemed like yesterday I was competing in my first International Race at Dalby Forest, Yorkshire in May!

I had quite a lot of mixed emotions for this race. For a start I was wearing the National Jersey for the first time; not just in any race but a World Cup! It was going to be recognised by many people such as other riders, Teams and also the public who were there watching and on the TV. In a way this made me very nervous but also a feeling of achievement that I won this jersey for a reason and proud to wear it, which I was.

Flying to Prague was a good and not so good idea. Travelling to Gatwick on the train with a bike bag plus 2 other bags to carry was pretty tiring. Whoever invented the trolleys at airports for luggage THANK YOU, it saved my shoulders big time!

Thursday night I had accommodation booked so Friday myself and team managers could drive to the event, sign on and pre ride the course. It took an hour to get out of Prague. We got lost so many times I don’t actually think we really knew where we were!

Arriving safely and in good time for sign on I pre rode the course. It was fantastic, I absolutely loved it. I did 3  laps which was  just enough. First to familiar myself with the course, second to chose my lines on technical sections and third a full lap without stopping at a faster pace.

At the rider confirmation I entered myself for the Eliminator Friday evening. This is where riders sprint round a set track within the arena and battle to be the Eliminator Champion. However, after pre riding the course and feeling very tired I decided not to do it and save myself for Sundays Race. Team mate Cait Elliot, 2x Irish National Champion, was still up for doing it so I watched her to see how she got on.

Saturday I did another lap to keep my mind fresh and just to tick my legs over for a little bit. The rest of the day was spent watching the Junior Males and Females and the U23 mens race. It was such a great atmosphere; the crowds were buzzing and so encouraging I was getting more and more excited to race the next day! Myself, Cait and Team Managers met one of our sponsors who created Sportique. It was great having the chance to meet Jan; it gave me an insight of how he came to produce some really good products. Sportique is based on body and skin care merchandise, not just for cyclists but a whole range of sports pre, during and post competitions.

 

Saturday evening I got a good meal inside me and prepared bottles tools and my bike ready to race.

It was an earlyish start Sunday; timing chips had to be collected between 8.30-9.30am. Wit spectators arriving it was getting very busy.

Race start was 10:07am. The weather had been off and on rainy and sunny leading up to the event but it did dry up a lot by Sunday. I was hoping for mud and rain but this time it came to late.

Riders were called up for gridding at the start. Elite females went off first followed by us U23’s a few minutes after. I was so nervous; my heart was beating so hard it made me more nervous! On the start line I stayed as focussed as possible.

It was a very fast start which was quite hard to stick with after a while. A few riders including myself were fading away from the main group, but I still kept going whether I gained positions or not.

When entering the single track and descents I caught up other riders. This I was very strong at and was able to gain a few more positions. The climbs I struggled with and felt quite tired, but I rode as hard as I could to keep a good pace going. My goal was not to get pulled. Knowing it fast race I concentrated on riding harder on the climbs and even harder on the descents. By lap 3 I ended up getting pulled. I was a little disappointed but happy to be able to competed at this level for my first year.

The spectators were amazing throughout the whole race which really kept me going. Whatever position you were in they encouraged and cheered so much it was great. The Europeans really know how to put on a race!

My final position was 23^rd my best result this year in the World Cup Series.

Now that I have the experience of International racing I know what I need to do to develop as an athlete and to get results next year. I will still be competing in the U23 category for the next 2 years and hopefully see progression before I move up to Senior Level. 

DARE2B BRITISH NATIONAL MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011

BRITISH NATIONAL MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011

RICHMOND, YORKSHIRE

RACE REPORT BY CARLA HAINES U23 FEMALE

The National Mountain Bike Championships is probably the most important competition in the racing calendar. It is a race where the UKs best riders battle to be the Champion and win the National Jersey.

For me I wanted to win it. It was a chance to show that I am the best and how much I wanted it. I was in the U23 female category and was up against 5 other riders. The prospect of me winning was high but I didn’t want to go into the race over confident.

Sunday was race day. I had Saturday to pre ride the course and Sunday morning as well. The weather leading up to it hadn’t been great but this was a good thing for me. Racing in the rain and mud is a strength for me so I was already looking forward to it.

Saturday morning I pre rode 3 laps of the course. My first lap was just riding to become familiar with it. My 2^nd lap I picked my lines and went over sections I wasn’t sure about. My 3^rd lap was rode at a faster pace and using the lines I had chosen in my 2^nd lap. It was very wet and muddy which was great. I enjoyed every minute of it.

In the afternoon the sun came out. The course dried up a little bit but I knew more rain was due to decided I would wait until race morning to do another lap.

As expected there was rain during the early hours of race morning. Practice was only at 9am and that was it until my race. I just did the one lap at a steady pace and see if anything had changed. Due to the rain it had got more wet and muddy but was similar to when I last rode it on Saturday.

My race wasn’t until 2pm so rested up and chilled out for most of the day. I’m used to racing in the morning so it did drag. I prepared all my bottles kit and tools in good time to take over to the Team Tent where I did my warm up.

I was very focused and knew what I had to do to win the race. After a good warm up and being called for gridding I got very nervous but also excited. The Senior and U23 Males went off first. Then it was the Senior Females and finally off last it was us.

My heart was beating on the start line and could feel it thumping in my chest. With 30 seconds to go I was ready to race my socks off. The gun went and I powered through the pedals as much as I could. I had a great start- I leading out if the field and up most of the climb. My team mate Jessie was with me and she passed me on the steeper climb. I hung on as much as I could but she was very strong and gained some time. When it came to the first descent I caught up. Out of the woods and up another steep climb it was myself and Jessie together.

I was stronger on the muddy single track and descents and she was much stronger on the climbs so we used this to take in turns leading each other around the course.

The long fire track leading into the arena for the second lap was very muddy. We had already caught some of the Senior female riders and used them to work our way up the field.

When it came to the long grass climb Jessie lead. This time I was right on her wheel and was working hard to stay with her.

Half way round the course there was an open fire track before it lead into the long muddy single track in the woods. I planned where I was going to over take her and try and gain some time.

The plan went accordingly and stepped up the pace a bit. This time I was on my own. So many emotions were going through my mind. But I stayed so focussed and concentrated on my riding.

The last and final lap I came through the arena. Grabbed my bottle though the feed station and powered on up the climb. I did take a look back just to see how far I was ahead. It was enough for me to keep leading for the lap. Nothing was going to stop me. I was literally in a zone I had never been before and it felt great!

The final single track I gained so much that I knew I had won it. As long as I went as hard as I could on the fire track to the finish I could do  it.

In the woods which lead  into the arena I was so happy. I could feel myself beginning to cry but laugh at the same time! I had the best race ever and I was so proud!!

My very first National Title. It felt amazing. I couldn’t actually believe it! I was covered in mud but didn’t care and went straight up to my parents and gave them a big hurt and burst into tears. It was the best ever moment in my racing career!

When Jessie came into the finish picking up the silver medal I went and gave her a big hug. We had worked so well together and was very proud of her. In bronze position came Anna Buik, who also had the ride of her life. It couldn’t have been a better podium then that.

Putting on the National Champs Jersey and the Gold medal around my neck was very emotional! Something I had worked hard for which paid off.  This will be something to remember.

A huge Thank You to WXC World Racing for the amazing support through out the race and to all the sponsors of the team.

Southern XC Series R4, Perham Down.

SOUTHERN XC SERIES ROUND 4

PERHAM DOWN, HAMPSHIRE

RACE REPORT BY

CARLA HAINES- ELITE FEMALE

This was a venue I have never raced at and a lot of people were in the same boat to. The land is used by the MOD so I guessed it would be similar to previous rounds that were like this.

I was feeling pretty good about the race; last week was one of the south west rounds and performed well there so I had a positive mind set. With national champs the following weekend it was a good tune up race to do.

The weather was very hot, humid and close, so drinking plenty of fluids pre, during and post race was essential. I had a nice easy pre ride lap and thought the course was great! If they held a national champs there it would be even better!

With the likes of Sally Bingham (6^th World Marathon Champs)! racing, I had a chance of 2^nd or 3^rd podium position.

The Elites had 4 laps to complete. My aim was to keep them as consistent as possible and be able to finish strong on my final lap. My start was good-quite a bumpy and uneven surface to begin with but managed to get in a decent position. The course went into a short section of single track. Bingham was leading followed by Jo Munden, Maxine Filby, Natasha Barry and myself. Bingham came off her bike which gave us a chance to gain some time, but within minutes shed caught up and shot passed us!!

We then started climbing up a grass bumpy ascent which got steeper and then entered some more single track. Filby, Barry and I were riding in a 3 with Emma Bradley close behind, as Munden and Bingham had 

made headway.

On a tricky technical climb Filby had come off which slowed me down but manage to jump back on my bike and carry on. After this I was riding alone, trying hard to chase down Barry.

The course consisted of short sharp power climbs which I liked and some fun single track sections. A couple of challenging technical areas which were easily ride able made it enjoyable to. By lap 3 I was still in 4^th position-I could see 3^rd up ahead and was making and effort to hunt her down!

Although I didn’t manage to catch her I was still very happy with my performance. I finished feeling strong which was my aim and I had a good hard race. 4^th was good but 3^rd would have been even better.

Next weekend the Team and I will be heading up to Aske Estate, Yorkshire for the National Mountain Bike Championships, competing in the U23 category. Fingers Crossed!    

Cait Elliot will also be competing in the Irish National Champs, Kilruddery, Bray. Good Luck to her! 

  

WXC Video episode 2 - Offenburg World Cup & Yorkshire training

Finally put together episode 2 of WXC World Racing's 2011 world cup adventures:

click HERE

Circus of Dirt South West Series R3-Abbeyford Woods, Okehampton

CIRCUS OF DIRT SOUTH WEST SERIES R3

ABEEYFORD WOODS, OKEHAMPTON 3^rd July

RACE REPORT BY

CARLA HAINES-ELITE FEMALE

At 10am this morning the sun was beating down on Abbeyford woods. I volunteered to marshall for the enduro race as they were short. Luckily I had a place in the shade as the sun was quite hot even at that time. There were few competitors for this race but still enough for it to go ahead. I was positioned at the bottom of a small descent and make sure riders got down it safely.

After the enduro had finished, I managed to get a quick lap around the course. It was the same as last year so a lot of it was very familiar.

I decided to go off with the Elite/Expert and Sport men’s category as I didn’t want the hassle of trying to pass riders that were slightly slower. I had a pretty good start. It lead out from a wide tarmac road into single track so made sure I had a good position to pass people.

I crashed into a tree on my first lap-my foot got stuck in my pedal so took a bit of time trying to get it out. Luckily there were only a couple of riders behind me so I didn’t cause a cue!

Due to the fact that I was the only competitor in my category I used the male riders as much as possible to gain time-whether it was on single track or on the climbs.

My legs felt pretty good whilst riding-still on quite a high form last weeks performance too! I felt a lot stronger on the climbs compared to last year when I raced there. As it was hot it was essential to keep hydrated. I used the normal Accelerade for the first 3 laps and for my final lap I tried flat coke. This was new to me so I wasn’t sure how my body would take having the coke, but it was much better than anticipated. I did get a little bloated but I felt a difference in my performance on my final lap.

My main goal for the race was too maintain consistent lap times-previous races this year I have been unable to manage this but today’s race was better.

My third win of the season so was pretty chuffed with that. Next week I will be off to Perham Down for Round 4 of the Southern XC Series.              

British Mountain Bike Series Round 4-Margam Park, Wales

BRITISH MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES ROUND 4

MARGAM PARK, WALES 26^th May

RACE REPORT BY

CARLA HAINES- ELITE FEMALE

I arrived Saturday afternoon on a miserable, gloomy day in South Wales! The weather leading up to race wasn’t great so I had packed my spare wheels with mud tyres on just in case.

It was very misty and murky but also humid as I pre rode the course. On the first lap my front tyre was Kenda Nevegal and my rear was Small Block Eight. It was muddy and slippery but really fun! I love it when courses are boggy, wet conditions, its what mountain bike races are all about!

I changed my rear tyre to a Nevegal as well- I had no grip whatsoever on some of the ascents. Good decision; my second lap I could ride every part of the course no problem.

Raced preparation in the evening after tea was the norm for me-bottles filled, tools out, and kit ready to put on in the morning.

Last year at Margam my mountain bike was stolen. Luckily this year mine was untouched, but still 4 other bikes were taken.

An early morning wake up call for breakfast was at 7am-enough time for my food to digest before the race.

I had a really good warm up on the turbo and was feeling very confident.

On the start line my heart was racing and I was getting a rush of adrenaline through my body. I had the best start ever-easily in the top 5. The course started to slowly climb and my legs felt great. It was like I was floating up the hills!

When it came to the muddy, wet, slippery sections of the course that’s where the fun began! Quite a few riders were all over the place, but I felt strong and was able stay on my bike.

There was a descent that was literally a mud slide. There was no line to choose it was just the case of see who could get down it with out falling off. My first lap I ended in the bushes which was quite amusing but for the 3 laps after I rode down well.

I have always struggled on climbs, but today was a different story. My legs didn’t feel fatigued for once and I was able keep a good cadence all the way up. It was an amazing feeling and my mind was fully focussed.

I held my 7^th position for the whole race and remained untouched by the riders behind. Coming into the finish I was exhausted by so pleased with my result! I ended up in 6^th position as one rider had pulled out and I was over the moon!! This is one of my best results of the season and my very first top 10 in the national series this year. From this result, I have more UCI points so I can race in the final two rounds of the World Cup series!

Thank you to WXC and sponsers for the support and encouragement through out the race and well done to my fellow team mates Cait Elliot who was 2^nd and Jessie Roberts who was 7^th (Elite).

Next weekend I will be competing in Round 3 of the South West Series in Okehampton.

  

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup-Offenburg, Germany

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Round 3

Offenburg, Germany 27^th-29^th May

Race Report By Carla Haines

U23 Female

Watching the sun rise in the beautiful French valleys was so picturesque. Even with a lack of sleep my eyes were kept open by miles and miles of rolling hills. It took over 6 hours to drive from Calais port to Western Germany. The sun was out which made everything seem so perfect as we arrived at our Hotel in Strousberg.

 I had stayed in York with Cait after Dalby World Cup as it would have been difficult for me to get to Dover Port. We then got a train, which was delayed, where our Team manager picked us up to drive down to dover. It was such a long journey I felt exhausted and slightly jet lagged in a way when we arrived at the hotel.

Cait and I went for a spin around the divine City; riding along the Canal and passed the towering cathedral. We had an early night as the next day would be busy for us.

Sign on was at 9am and again a 2 hour wait was not good. I was still tired from the travelling I couldn’t help but yawn alot! It was amazing to get to stand behind some of the professional teams and their managers. Once we had finally signed on, we headed to the arena to park and pre ride. I was stunned. The atmosphere was awesome and I had this huge rush of excitement!

From reading the manual about Offenburg’s course description I couldn’t wait to get on my bike and ride! There were 5 main technical descents on the course; Dual Descent, North Shore, World Class Drop, Wolfs Drop and The Snake Pitt. I had never seen or ridden anything like it!!It was a whole different level that made Dalby so tame! The first lap we rode easily to ‘get to know’ the course. Everything was ride able after a long mental battle with nerves. On all the descents I got this surge of adrenaline and couldn’t believe I was here riding this stuff. In a way I was honoured.      

                                                         

Saturday was another pre ride day. One quick lap with no stopping. The rest of the day we relaxed in the sunshine and watched the Junior and U23 Men’s Race.

Returning to the hotel, race preparation began. An early night was definitely needed from all the travelling and riding done.

Another early morning for us we had breakfast at 7am then made our way to the arena. Again I was in the U23 category and Cait was in Elite. Like last time, U23’s set off a couple minutes after the Elites. The start was very tough; it was much more aggressive than Dalby and started with a steep climb! My legs didn’t feel too great but hung in there as long as I could.

Racing on the course was amazing; I absolutely loved it and had a great time. There was not one part of the course with no one on it!! The crowds were out of this world and so encouraging it gave me a huge rush of determination and excitement.

I did slow down a lot towards the race but just to be able to get the chance to ride one of the best courses was just incredible! I will never forget it.

My position was 35^th- I was ok with that but had a think of what exactly I need to work on- HILLS and CONSITENCY!

I had an amazing time in Germany and very much looking forward to returning there next year!

A huge thank you to WXC World Racing for supporting us at the World Cups and also thank you to Orange Monkey-Cannondale for letting us borrow their turbo trainers.

The next world cups are held in Canada and USA. The team will not be competing in these two but you will find us taking on the world for the final two rounds in Czech Republic (13^th/1th Aug) and Italy (20^th/21^st Aug). 

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup-Dalby Forest, Yorkshire

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Round 2

Dalby Forest, Yorkshire 21st-22^nd May

Race Report By Carla Haines

U23 Female

My very first World Cup ever!!!I had such a mixture of feelings; excitement yet nervous but full of adrenaline and ready to take on the worlds best riders for the first time! This was the beginning of an adventure and a step up to a whole new kind of racing! 

It was great that my first international race was in England but to get up there was very tiring. Accommodation was booked for 3 nights so we had plenty of time to chill out and mentally prepare ourselves for the race. We had the likes on Womens Elite Multi World Champion Gunn Rita Dahle (Merida Mulitvan), Current Mens Elite World Mountain Bike Champion Jose Hermida Romas (Merida Multivan) and a successful U23 rider Emily Batty (Subaru-Trek) all on our doorstep!! To be honest I was speechless when I turned up at the cottages knowing that these athletes were here to. I even got the chance to have my photo taken with Jose Hermida! J

Thursday was quite a chilled day after travelling, although we did pre ride a couple laps of the course to freshen our legs up.

Friday was sign on day. Standing in a queue for over an hour was not good for the legs I must say! But we were at a world cup event and there were LOTS riders.

Arriving at the arena where all the Teams had set up it was just out of this world. All the team mechanics were busying themselves setting up their rider’s bikes while the athletes sat and relaxed it was just great.

In some ways it did feel like one of the British mountain bike events but with triple the amount of trade stands. As I had raced there all ready I knew what the course was like and was confident on my riding ability. It was a technical course which suited me; I just wasn’t sure what my climbing was going to be like.

We headed into Pickering Town Centre where the Pro Sprint Eliminator was held. This is where the Elite athletes sprint around the town against each other. The atmosphere was great-people cheering and shouting the riders as they sprinter past, it was great!

The days that we were there the weather was ok. A little cold and windy but sunny, cloudy also. Team mate Jessie arrived in the evening as she had finals at Uni to do.

Saturday Cait, Jess and I were able to watch the juniors and U23 male races. It was good experience watching them to see how aggressive they all were at the start!! After the races were over we headed back to the cottages to prepare for our race.

Sunday morning was a chilly start. Jessie and I were in the U23 category and Cait was in Elite. We set off a couple minutes after the senior ladies as they had to complete a start loop before they headed out on to the main course.

 

 I didn’t have a very good start at all. A rider in front of me unclipped her pedal and slowed right down so I had to chase down the other competitors. It was very aggressive and different what I raced like but it was a good experience for me.

Technically my riding was superb but climbing my legs felt slow and heavy. I thoroughly enjoyed the race. There were so many people around the course encouraging you it was great.

I ended up 25^th position which I was very happy with for my first international race. I had learnt so much from the race and I now know what it is like to race against the world’s best riders. I have a long way to go but from this experience I am determined to work hard and be the very best I can be.

Next weekend Cait and I will be heading to Offenburg in Germany for Round 3 of the World Cup series!

Thank you to the sponsors of WXC World Racing for supporting us throughout the whole weekend.

British Mountain Bike Series, Margam Park - by Cait Elliott

The week leading up to the 4^th round of the British series race in Margam was very wet and Saturday’s pre-ride was grey and miserable with rain, half of the course covered in clouds and extremely slidey, muddy trails. Unbelievably by Sunday morning the sun had come out and with temperatures hitting 31˚C I had my dream race conditions of heat and mud.

We set off straight into a long climb finishing on a tough, off-camber slippery singletrack before hitting a fast muddy descent. By the top cyclocross pro Nikki Harris (Scott Contessa) had already pulled a gap and I’d got up to 3^rd following Mel Spath (Cycleways), with Lee Craigie (Torq performance) just behind me. The course was ‘proper’ mountain biking with several huge long climbs, some short technical climbs, and lots of great singletrack descents with spectacular views out to the coast. The combination of long climbs and technical muddy trails meant riders were very quickly strung out and big gaps developed as the race went on.

The final climb of the lap was a monster, 7-8 minutes with several false summits, a headwind and sweltering heat and on lap 2 Lee jumped in front of me towards the top. I had to dig deep to hold on but eventually into the next lap she pulled away. Although the hills were tough, mud meant there wasn’t much pedalling to be done on the singletrack so there was plenty of time to recover before the next batch of pain. The descents were awesome, mostly narrow rutted trails covered in a thick layer of mud making for lots of fast, fun sliding around. One steep chute through the rhododendron bushes was particularly fun – 20cm deep mud meant brake free ‘bike-surfing’ sideways at high speed was the only option to get down it!

Coming into the last lap I was starting to feel destroyed, I had given up on catching Lee again and could only hope I had enough left to get around without being caught from behind since I knew I didn’t have much energy left for a fight. Then at the bottom of the first decent I passed Lee who had punctured. I gritted my teeth and sprinted to get around the corner out of sight and then somehow found some extra reserves to ride hard for the rest of the lap, not daring to look back, convinced she was seconds behind me. It was only the thought of a medal that dragged me up the last climb and from there it was a long fun descent and a never ending flat grassy field to the finish where I crossed the line in 3rd, delighted with the result. Margam is fantastic course that really separates the ‘mountain bikers’ from the ‘xc racers’.

A great weekend for the team with Carla stylishly breaking into the top 10 for the first time to finish 6th and Jess following closely behind in 7th. Next goal is the National Champs! 

Cait

BMBS Wasing Estate - by Cait Elliott

British MBS at Wasing Estate in Reading, a course I hadn't raced before and having heard it was fairly flat and uninteresting I wasn't expecting to like it. However after a practice lap I was pleasantly surprised, not much climbing but some great singletrack through pretty woodland. Until Thursday I wasn't looking forward to racing, still having problems with super sore calves I knew I would be there making up numbers again which is no fun at all. Then I had 1.5 hours of deep tissue massage on my legs and the effects were miraculous, I still wasn't 100% but only felt slight tightness rather than pain so went into the race with a bit of confidence for the first time in weeks.

On race day my prayers for rain were answered and although it wasn't quite muddy enough to slow the race down as I'd hoped, the singletrack had become nice and slidey making for some fun racing. I got an unusually great start and was soon into 3rd place sitting on Maddie Horton's wheel. WOW, this is racing! I hadn't had that feeling for so long, pain free legs and feeling strong, brilliant! For a couple of laps I was back and forth between 2nd and 3rd place with some great battling on a close course and several other riders hot on our heels. The twisty trails flowed really well with rain making wet roots and corners all the more interesting.

By the end of lap 2 Mel Alexander and Mel Spath had caught me and we rode together for a while. By this stage my calves were beginning to tighten again and I felt like they were reeling me in from then onwards. The two Mels got a gap on me when a junior crashed in front of me and I got stuck behind another one - one your were into a singletrack section it was very difficult to pass and then hard to close a gap. I could see them ahead for the rest of the race but couldn't do enough to get back up there, instead enjoying the increasingly slippery trails and keeping an eye out for other riders close behind.

Under normal circumstances I'd be annoyed for throwing away a couple of positions but 5th is a big step in the right direction and most importantly I got the race buzz back and feel like I can go at some proper training now and get back on track. What a relief.

Good luck to Jessie for her finals and get well soon to Carla, the World Racing team will be back to full strength at Margam in 2 weeks...

Cait

Behind the scenes at the Dalby World Cup

BMBS R2, Dalby Forest Race Report By Carla Haines

BRITISH MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES ROUND 2

DALBY FOREST, PICKERING

RACE REPORT BY CARLA HAINES

ELITE FEMALE

The second round of the national series had come around so quickly. I was looking forward to it; I liked the course and felt confident about the race.

The journey up there was very long, splitting it up Friday evening and Saturday morning seemed a good option to do.

Arriving Saturday afternoon, I pre rode the course a couple of times. The first lap was checking the drops and finding the quickest line to take. The second lap was at a faster pace without stopping. Being a UCI Class 1 Race I knew that this course was technical. I wasn’t worried about it but I had to be aware that it’s very easy to make mistakes. This was a good warm up for the British round of The World cup series nearer the end of May.  It was another strong field including International French Rider Julie Bresset.

Come race day everything was prepared the evening before, so I had no last minute rushes or panics. On the start line I was focussed; slightly nervous but mainly adrenaline pumping through me!

I had one of the best starts I’ve ever done; around the field and into the single track I was easily in the top 10. This was good for me but was quite difficult holding it when coming back up the field again. A few riders passed me but still kept it my own throughout the whole race.

I slowly started picking riders off bit by bit. My aim was top 10 but Top 15 I still would have been happy with.

Myself and Jo Munden were switching places a lot on the last couple of laps; I lead more on the single track and descents and she would pace it up the climbs. On the last lap Munden gained a lot of time on the climbs and slowly dropped me. 

I was lapped by the leading riders Bresset and Last who were absolutely flying!!UCI rules are if anyone is lapped they will be pulled out on the lap they finish on. I managed to do 4 which I was quite happy with as I was gradually tiring.

I ended up 13^th position. I would have like to be in the top 10 but I know exactly what I need to work on to get there.

Team Mate Jessie Roberts unfortunately dropped out and Cait Elliot came 11^th.  Well done to the WXC MTB Team UK riders as well.

Next big race will be the UCI World Cup..again at Dalby 22^nd May.

Thanks to sponsers of WXC World racing for supporting us at the Event.

By Carla Haines

BUCS XC Champs 2011

BUCS Cross Country Mountain Bike Championships 2011

Moelfre, Wales

12-13^th March

My first proper race of the season was a good test to see how my form was-which I thought was pretty good.

The journey up to Moelfre was straight forward and not too long. Arriving Saturday early afternoon, I was able to watch Plymouth Uni guys in the downhill championship. From previously racing here a few years ago, I knew what to expect. It was amazing to watch how fast some of the boys descended down the side of a hill whilst keeping control at the same time!!

It was perfect weather for them all and even pre riding the XC course it was nice not to get dirty kit.

It was a climbers course for definite which in a way made me slightly nervous. I wouldn’t say I’m the greatest climber but I have been working on my hills in training and I know I have improved so I was looking forward to it a lot. I wasn’t worried about the descent as I know I’m a pretty controlled rider on technical courses.

I did 2 practice laps-the first was to check out which lines I would take on the descent and the second was a slightly faster pace but concentrating on my skills descending.

Saturday evening I had a good meal and went to bed early. Having a cold didn’t help but It didn’t stop me from wanting a podium position.

My race was at 1305 Sunday afternoon. It had drizzled/rained throughout the night which dampened the course but the sun dried it out by the time my race was due. I made sure I had a good warm up and drinks all prepared for each lap.

On the start line my heart was beating pretty fast- it was a mixture of nerves and adrenaline! Off went the horn...I had a really good start lead the way for at least 100m or so. 2 riders past me (Roberts and Miller) so I hung on to their wheels as long as possible. Roberts slowly got away-she is an awesome climber, and it was left to me and Miller to work together up the climb. We kept switching positions every lap, Miller lead up the climb and I descended off in front of her.

Lap 3 on top lap 4 Miller was no longer with me..I had gained so much on the descent she was unable to catch me on the climb. As I said I wasn’t a strong climber but todays performance showed that I have improved so much.

Lap 5 I was again on my own and went as hard as I could to the finish. I came 2^nd and was so happy with it!!Last year I was 3^rd so I’ve stepped the game up a lot! Maybe next year a BUCS champ??Who knows!

Not only did I come 2^nd but Jenny Middlehurst, also representing Plymouth Uni, came 7^th which meant we came 1^st University Overall!

Well done to Plymouth University for their performances over the weekend!! And to my fellow team mate Jessie Roberts who is 2x BUCS Champ J