Gorrick XC4 MTB (20 Mar 11)

[stamourp]

First of all, the caveats. My first mountain bike race of the year having concentrated on running through the winter. Porridgepot is my least favourite Gorrick course, and on the way to the start line I realised my front rotor was squealing at such a volume, had it been a car track day I would have been banned from the circuit (although braking was not effected). Moreover having not entered any previous rounds this year, I had no grid placing and was at the back of the pack for the start.

Thankfully once the race began all the issues faded. After previous years' suicide starts with steep drops and immediate steep climbs, 90 degree bends after 50yds and other such challenges, this year the start seemed sensible with a nice open drop and climb to spread the field before the singletrack. The course was probably a little less exciting for not being quite as grip free and extreme as previous years, but on balance was better for it. Prior to the start an ambulance had gone ahead, and come the Watership Down section it was obvious why. An amazing fast downhill if you get it right, with a crest halfway down that floats you off the ground for many metres - like Colin's Crest in the Swedish rally - or a massive accident if you any bit of it wrong. An earlier rider had obviously had a lovely entry, and a sad exit as when the Masters came round the course was diverted and the body board could be seen removing a rider from the scene. Unfortunately the redirected course - like Watership Down - could have had a sad beginning for me too as a lengthy endo was only just avoided by bouncing off the perimeter fence back onto both wheels, and gratefully onto the rest of the race.

Lap two I was pleased to be feeling good, and got past a couple of people on the sections other than singletrack. The ground conditions were good and the traffic thinning. I hit a tree head on at fairly slow speed towards the end of the lap, lost two places and some rhythm, but was soon back into it and kept going once more.

Lap three was fairly uneventful, and mostly lonely. No places lost, but none gained either. Come the finish it was disappointing to finish mid-field, but given the entry point and in particular the gridding, a representative result:

http://www.timelaps.co.uk/assets/upload ... 011#Master Male

Kind regards

Peter