British MTB Series Round 4

So yet another round of the British MTB Series has now passed; this time in the far away land of rainy Scotland! With its reputation for its weather conditions, wet weather gear was essential and the first thing packed before the long journey to the highlands.

BRITISH MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES R4

KIRROUGHTREE, SCOTLAND

RACE REPORT BY CARLA HAINES- ELITE FEMALE

Saturday was cloudy, miserable and raining, but despite the weather I had a fun pre ride around the course in the mud! Due to the fun race later in the afternoon the conditions for the race the next day were a whole lot different but very enjoyable.

Race Day

6.15am wakeup call and the exact same preparations were made for the morning. I was in quite a relaxed state of mind, or maybe I was just still half asleep but I didn’t feel that nervous. This is the first occasion I have felt this so it was kind of strange but quite nice in a way too.

Arriving at the event arena in good timing I could relax, gather my thoughts and focus on the race…my race! A last minute adjustment was made to my shifter as It was too far under the handlebar, which slightly interrupted my warm up slightly but it need to be done so a backup warm up was in place!!

I was gridded third which meant I was on the front line; a good position to be in and a clear run of the start. With 3 laps of the course, which sounds short but considering the conditions it was just right, I was ready to race. I felt like I was waiting to go in to a battle with armour and weapons prepared for a tough fight! The gun when and I hit the pedals as hard as I could up the fire track. My start was pretty good and I was a comfortable position. After the sharp right hand bend to climb up more fire track other riders were passing me; despite the situation I wasn’t bothered, I just kept pedalling ‘myself’ up the climb in ‘my way’.

Hitting the first bit of single track I was slowly pulling riders in. At times there were sections in the woods where we all had to run as it was just too muddy and slippery to ride. Most of us Elites were still close together and when it came to the descents I was zooming down. I gained at least 4 places whilst others were running with their bikes which made me feel so confident for the rest of the race.

Myself, Maxine Filby (Velocite UK) and Jessie Roberts (RWD Brakes Factory) were riding together..or shalI I say running!To be honest I found it quite amusing  the amount of times I was hopping on and off my bike, at one point I laughed so much I couldn’t get on my bike; I had to throw myself on it otherwise I would have ended up in the trees; not that I hadn’t already!

By the end of lap two Maxine had made a break and it was myself and Jessie battling for 4^th and 5^th position. We had a good race together- it was the last descent that got me 4^th place; a quick inside line on the A line resulted in a 10sec lead to the finish.

I was so happy with my performance; I raced comfortably, relaxed and felt like I was floating around! It sure felt good to be on the Podium at a National Round for the first time. Things are looking up now that I have finished my final year at Uni; bring on the rest of the season!

Thank you to WXC World Racing for their fantastic support as always and to all the sponsors for making it happen on the Podium.

British University's Cross Country MTB Championships 2012

At last the MTB Cross Country Championships had finally arrived. It was very touch and go whether BUCS were going to hold it, which would have been very unfortunate; but the date was set and preparations were made.

Dronfield in Sheffield was the venue; a former Midlands Round so I knew it was going to be a pretty nice course.

Arriving Saturday afternoon I was able to pre ride the course…..with a twist!!I noticed two Range Rovers hanging about; blacked out windows the lot. It seemed pretty suspicious but I carried on with my 2 laps. It was muddy and slippery in a few places but to me that’s just what I like! When I got back to the car, the two Range Rovers had gone and there was a rather nice looking helicopter in its place! According to my mum, Elton John was air lifted and then transferred in to one of the cars and taken to Chesterfield just down the road where he was playing that evening! Well I never expected that the day before a race!

Race Day

I went about my normal routine prior to the race, as its second nature to me and helps me focus. I was confident that I could win it but I didn’t want this to override my concentration because anything can happen in a race!

A good warm up on the rollers and fully hydrated I was ready to rock and roll. I was actually nervous, but not the same nerves as I get in a National or World Cup. The men went off a couple of minutes in front as it was going to be bedlam weaving in and out of the slower riders in the mud.

The gun went off and I hit the pedals pretty hard. I had an ok start, not as fast as I usually go off but just enough to get in the lead. I lead up the grass field and had already caught the guys off the bad off the mens race. There was a longish muddy slippery climb which was a nightmare getting up with so many riders everywhere; ttyres were slipping and people were coming off left right and centre it was quite a laugh! I decided to get off and leg it up as fast as I could as it was much quicker!! Then it hit single track in the woods where there were more queues and even more mud! More gaps were forming so I was weaving in and out of the guys as quick as I could to gain more places and increase the gap between 2^nd Place.

By the second lap riders were much more spread out so it was easier to ride properly. I was in the lead and riding pretty well; picking each rider off bit by bit as I rode through the mens field. The descents were really fun; not to slippery but pretty fast and flowed well with speed. I made a couple of silly mistakes but nothing that cost me the race or delayed me too much. I had a bottle every lap to keep my energy levels up but as they were pretty short laps I didn’t need so much.

The final lap I was passing the slower females and encouraged them as they let me through; they were relieved to see the leader as some of them looked pretty exhausted!

It was a good fun race and was so happy with winning. As its my final year at Uni I wanted Gold; the previous years I had 2^nd and 3^rd so it was definitely in my sights for the win.

In came Ruby Miller, Cardiff University 2^nd place and 3^rd Anna Buick, Manchester University; both familiar faces on the XC scene, so it couldn’t have been a better podium J

A great way to finish my years at Uni- Thank you Marjons :D

Now its time to live the dream.....

British Mountain Bike Series Round 3 Hopton Woods, Shropshire Race Report By Carla Haines-Elite Female

The third round of the British series was already here-sun shining and not a cloud in sight; it was going to be a very hot race!

I have never raced at Hopton before but knowing that Shropshire has lots of hills, I was prepared for a tough course. Saturdays pre course inspection was good fun. The climbs weren’t as big as I anticipated and the single track descending back to the arena was awesome! I practiced a couple of starts just to get my legs working a bit more and ready for the next days race.

Staying hydrated was essential over the weekend; with little wind and hardly any clouds there was not a lot of shady places to sit. Due to the heat carb intake was slightly reduced for fuelling in the race.

Other preparations for the following day were made so I could spend the rest of the evening relaxing and focussing.

Race Day

The sun was beaming again in the morning; even at 6.30am it was very warm!! Breakfast eaten and kit on I was ready to get my groove on! My preparations I keep the same every time which helps me focus and ease my mind.

I was gridded 3^rd  so I was on the front line at the start. I was kindly allowed to wear my National skin suit for the race thanks to the commissaries; I felt privileged being able to wear it at a British round.

With 30s to go I could feel my nerves kicking in but not so much as they used to. When the gun fired I hit the pedals as hard as I could out of the saddle. I had an amazing start; in fact it was so good I lead everyone out of the arena. Until it hit the climb I slowed down a bit as Id idnt want to blow yet. A few other riders passed me, which I didn’t mind I just kept focussed on my race and how I wanted to ride it. My climbing is my weakest aspect so I really wanted to work hard and keep a good consistent pace going. 

The first 2 laps I was in 6^th , just off podium! I was feeling great and my mind so relaxed I kind of felt like I was flying. On to the 3^rd lap I did start to tire but not a great deal. The only part that let me down was my gears; constantly changing whatever I changed them to so my pacing up the climbs was very inconsistent. More riders started to pass me; which was frustrating but there wasn’t a lot I could have done so I kept riding the best I could for the final 2 laps.

Descending down to the arena every lap was so fun I sometimes forgot I was racing. Me and my bike flowed around every corner, I truly felt great! The course was so fun I even enjoyed the climbs!!

I came in 11^th, just off top 10 which was disappointing but I know in my mind what I am capable of.

Team mate Zephanie came in 5^th; podium position before she flies back to USA L Well done to her. Joanne, myself and Natasha came in 10^th, 11^th & 12^th so pretty good going there.

Final exams at Uni this week then I can ride my bike as much as I like! Next stop is Southern XC at Crow Hill, 3^rd June.

Racing the World Cups--Zephanie Blasi

Hi again :)  I can't believe it has already been a month since I posted last!!  I was able to get over my sinus infection from the last post, but now I have a cold :|  

In the past month we have had a couple weeks off racing, then two back to back World Cups.  There has been lots of travelling, lots of fun, lots of hard work, some crashes and a ton of experience.  Being able to travel with a team and race world cups is amazing. I never thought I would have had this opportunity. I'm bummed I leave in a week to fly home and miss out on the rest of the World Cups, but the experience I have gained will help me in the upcoming Pro XCT series events in the States.

The World Cups are very exciting with the enormous crowds, all the top athletes in the world around and the tough courses. I felt like I was at a football game in the States when I was at the Czech World Cup. The spectators were so loud, there was a ton of people everywhere along the course--even the climbs, there were bleachers with a massive screen to watch the race.

The courses are usually muddy with roots, rocks and steep climbs.  I haven't been nervous about a course since I used to race some downhill events years ago.  Normally preriding a course consisted of learning when to go hard, when to recover, when to refuel the body and learning a couple lines.  With the world cups, it is all of that but a lot more time is spent on learning technical descents/ascents--overcoming fear, learning lines and learning new lines the day before the race because lines change after thousands of people use them.

I had a great Czech race, started in the last row and moved up with only a few mechanicals.  For the France World Cup, I had some really severe cramping issues along with a cold. The only real mechanical I had was during practice I kind of ran into a tree and snapped my RockShox lockout, which luckily SRAM travels to all the World Cups and was there to fix my lockout.

Next stop is this weekend for the 3rd British National series event in Shropshire.  Then Tuesday, back to USA.  Thanks for reading :)

Dalby Forest Round 2 National Series

By Joanne Clay

Mud glorious mud!!

Dalby Forest round 2 of the National series lived up to its name, with excitement, drama, technicality, leg burning hills and a very competitive international field of elite riders it was ready for us. It was the first time I'd ever ridden the track and it was awesome!! With it being only the 2nd time on my beautiful new Bianchi and 1st time on my brand new Novatec wheels, which were super light and felt amazing!

It took a good few laps to get the feel of everything. I was hoping for a good start but unfortunately it didn't go to plan and i slipped a gear of the start, which left me in traffic on the first lap. Before i knew it the leading pack had rode away. It then seemed that this race was not going to go to plan... my bottle along with its cage fell off on the first lap and I ended up racing the whole race with no water. Lucilky i dont drink much!

Things then started to get more complicated. The rain came down heavy and my brakes weren't happy but the geax tyres were spot on all race and that gave me lots of confidence. Unfortunately I had brake issues from the 2nd lap onwards and couldn't descend, which then led to a nasty tumble, but i was determined to carry on and finish the race so i got back on and finished. I'd lost a lot of time but still managed to finish in 13th. Not the result I was looking for but with the circumstances it was the best i could have hoped for. This just makes me even more hungry for the next race in the Czech Republic on the 12/13 May, My first ever World Cup.

News from Zephanie Blasi

Hello :)  My name is Zephanie Blasi and I am from Tucson, Arizona, USA.  I have been in the UK since April 10th. Upon arrival I was lucky enough to hang out in the UK border line at the airport for over 2 hours after my 10 hour flight. Once I was through the border patrol area I met Trevor Brown, team manager of WXC World Racing. What a wonderful man :) We then drove three hours to his house where I met his amazing wife Susan and their dog Missy.
The UK is very different from back home, a lot of old culture, beautiful views and a TON of rain. Oh and did I mention....COLD.  I have been living in Arizona for over a year now so I am used to hot desert living.  This past week in Arizona it has been around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 32.2 degrees Celsius.  The past few training days I have come back completely soaked and lost.  In America we have a lot of bike lanes and around Trevor's house, there are none.  The roads are very small here and I was told to train on the small single lanes which wind all over the place... oh and did I mention, I am NOT use to riding on the opposite side of the road either...  Had a few close calls, especially when turning onto another road.  What a fun experience this trick has and will continue to be. :)
So, two days after my arrival into the UK, still suffering from jet lag and culture shock, we drove overnight on Thursday to the second MTB World Cup in Belgium. I was able to experience the train ride through the Eurotunnel while still in the van...amazing and very convenient.  Once out of the Eurotunnel, we drove straight to the venue, picked up our race numbers and prerode the course.
The course was a lot more technical then I was used to back in the US doing the Pro XCT series events.  But it was fun and I was able to do most of the "A" lines on my new Bianchi SX2 Methanol carbon bike. Very sweet bike, which stood out during the race.  Spectators kept shouting out "Bianchi" as I rode by them and my family could easily see me while they were watching the race online by the bright yellow bike.    Here is a view of the venue...



Sunday for the World Cup race I was lined up 90 out of 93 Elite women... Yeah... fun.  The race went into a steep climb where that started my walking venture for the day.  With so many women on the course, most of the first lap was on foot.  Finally about two laps into the race, I was clear of most of the women holding me back... I could now race.  I was catching people and moving up, but then on my 4th out of 5 laps, I was pulled... so I had made it to the 76th spot.  Bummed, but live and learn.

Next, we packed up and drove overnight on Sunday after the race and was back at Trevor's house by mid-Monday morning.  What a week.  Fun, exciting and caught a cold.  Yeah, I'm sick now :(

Next up, British National Series #2 the following weekend in Dalby Forest where they have had a World Cup the last few years.  I really wasn't able to lose my cold during the week after coming back from training rides soaked from the rain.  On Friday morning we drove the van 4 hours to the race venue where I was lucky enough to get 2 laps in on the course since I have never been there before unlike most of my competitors.  I was able to do all the "A" lines except a rocky climbing section which I was told usually bogs down with people messing up and is faster to take the "B" line.  I was really happy to have been able to make all the "A" lines.  Huge accomplishment for me and on terrain I am not used to riding on--slick mud drops, roots, etc. 
Saturday I only did one lap of the course so I could save my remaining energy that wasn't already zapped away from being sick.  The morning of the event I wanted to stay in bed. I felt terrible, but..let's race!! :)
I was lined up once again with the back of the field and yes, it had been pouring rain all morning.  The grass field we had to ride through was a mud pit.  I felt like I was on snow.  My start was so terrible. Mud was flying in my face, I was sliding everywhere. How embarrassing.  :)
So once again I am running sections of the start loop from all the bottle neck sections.  But luckily, knowing the "A" lines allowed me to get around a lot of the riders.  But every time I got to the start/finish area in the slimy mud, I felt like a beginner trying to ride on snow.  I think by the last lap, I was getting the hang of it.  I managed to work my way to 7th place.  By the end of the race my head was about to explode from all of the sinus pressure.  I really wanted the podium, but now I know of a few things I need to work on. 
Here is a pic of me after the race...



So now we have two weeks off from racing.  I am really hoping to get over this cold or whatever it is.  After the two week break we have three events (2 World Cups and one British National series event) back to back.  Then, I head back to the US where I am currently leading the Pro XCT series.  

Thanks for reading :)



British National MTB Series R1 Sherwood Pines

So here it was the first round of the British MTB series had arrived! It seemed not long ago that the season was over.

I was feeling great for the race; I had a good solid winter season under my belt and was fitter then I ever have been.

The previous 2 weeks before I came down with a cold, had a bulk load of Uni work to deal with and a teaching course….so my stress levels were through the roof!! I relaxed as much as I could prior to the weekend so I could focus on my goals for the race.

Arriving at Sherwood early afternoon I came in to contact with my new bike; Bella the Bianchi was my rocket fuel for the season. When I first seen it hanging up I was like ‘Wow, who’s is that bike?’ and when I finally realised it was mine I was stoked! I was able to get in a couple of laps and thought the bike rode great; it’s so light and reacted so quickly I rode nice and smoothly along the single track.

WXC World Racing had a Team meeting before we all headed off to prepare ourselves for the next day. It was kind of weird being back and going through the routine again I had to keep reminding myself that ‘I was actually here’ and ‘I was going to be racing tomorrow morning!’

The evening was spent filling bottles and setting out kit to whip on in the morning.

Race Day

6.30am and I was eating my porridge (half a sleep). Although it was early the sun was shining so I was happy. Arriving at the Team base in plenty of time, preparations for the race were made and I was ready to start my warm up- this time on rollers. I had always used a turbo trainer but it seemed an easier option to use the rollers and I could still have the feel of the bike.

On the start line my heart was beating pretty rapidly. I was so so nervous but excited at the same time. I had a bit of a weird start to be honest, I couldn’t clip my foot in which delayed me but then finally I was in and out of the saddle playing catch up a bit.

Hitting the first part of single track I was in 4^th position-which I was happy with. However after this the race just seemed quite a blur and I came in 12^th.

My mental side of me let me down; I didn’t fight to stay on anyone’s wheel, I just rode round whilst riders carried on passing me. By the final lap it was too late for me to try and catch up, but I knew a fellow South West Rider Jane Cummings (South Fork Racing) was gaining on me so I hit it for as hard and as long as I could which seemed to work.

I was disappointed in myself but you never know with the first race where you’re at until your racing. I could go through so many things that I thought about the race, however its done now and I can’t change anything, I just have to focus on what’s next and just keep working hard.

I was pleased that one WXC rider was on the podium, so well done to Joanne in her first season as an Elite.

Next stop is South West Summer Series in Redruth, Cornwall and then I’ll be hitting it big in Houffalize for my first World Cup of the season.

Thanks to WXC World Racing for great support and sponsors for providing us with some awesome stuff J