Big event, Big win

[huw williams]

Seven days off-road enduro in Wales, 487km and 14,795m climbing with individual time trial, hillclimb, DH and Night-time stages.
And it was raining a lot!

Winners of the mixed couple's category Claire and Simon Neuhoff who are far too modest to post here but respect is due - you wouldn't believe some of the training they've done over the past 9 months and this is just reward.

4th 12 months ago - 1st this year - Awesome result and congratulations to them both.

[Toks]

Nice one, can we have a report please

[huw williams]

[quote="Toks"]Nice one, can we have a report please

[Andrew G]

Great result. I love these type of events and reading reports on them is always good, real tales of daring-do.

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Andrew G"]Great result. I love these type of events and reading reports on them is always good, real tales of daring-do.

[spike]

Thanks for the post Huw. I will try to get a write up done soon - still trying to catch up on life! Thanks again for your help!

[spike]

Race report as promised. It is a bit long but then again it was a week long race!

The TransWales is a unique, 7 day mountain bike stage race. What distinguishes it from the rest is the format – rather than being a normal week long race it is divided into linking stages and “special stages”. The long linking stages are timed but have a relatively generous cut-off time in which you need to complete them. The real racing comes during the special stages, in effect short off-road time trials. They are usually held on purpose-built trails so tend to be fairly technical. This year the organisers had added a new twist, each stage would be geared towards different skills with a hill climb stage and a downhill stage in addition to the usual standard trail stages and the night stage. What’s more the final time trial would be held on the final day after all the riding had been done.

For Claire and I this would be our fourth Tans event in a row. Last year we finished fourth, squeaking in ahead of some good friends of ours and this year we were hoping to crack a podium finish. To this end we had enlisted the aid of a certain Mr Huw Williams who had us working very hard indeed and training in a much more focussed and targeted manner than we had before. Now it remained to be seen if all the hard work would pay off.

Day 1 58k,

Day 1 was fairly short at 58k, route organiser John Lloyd breaking us in gently. This was a bit deceptive though as there were three stiff climbs to be done with the hill climb special stage roughly halfway up the second climb. This was short at only 500 metres but I found it surprisingly tough despite what looked like a fairly easy gradient and never got into a decent rhythm. Instead of powering my way up the climb I found myself having to spin a low-ish gear and felt a bit let down by my performance. Claire had a similarly off day. We then spun our way to the day’s end in Knighton and sat in the sun with a beer, chatting to a Dutch couple who had set up their tent next door. They were clearly very competitive but were already expressing concerns about the next special stage – the famous Climachx trail. After dinner was the presentation and we were surprised to be called up to take the third rung on the podium, just 4s behind 2nd but 24 seconds behind our new Dutch friends in first position.

Day 2, 68k

With no special stage today it was just a case of enjoying the riding and preserving the legs for the rest of the week. There were a few big climbs and some great views across the moors.

Day 3 82K

Today was likely to be a very important one – taking in the second special stage – the downhill stage at the CLimachx trail. 6 kilometers long, it incorporates a long flat pedalling traverse with a few roller coaster swooping bits then enters the trees where there is a long nightmarish section of sharp, off camber slate rocks tilted up on edge – its like riding onto a set of knives at high speed with the edges up! From there it starts to drop, ever steeper with a number of rock drop-offs followed by some sharp corners and then finally a set of tight blindingly fast berms which spit you out onto the fire road. First though we had to survive the linking stage which in itself was no mean feat!

After a long open moor section we hit the first technical challenge of the day, a narrow single track skirting a steep ravine with a long drop into a rocky river bed. Virtually everyone walked this section. Then we headed further across the moors onto the next challenge. This time it was a long rocky chute with slippery slabs of off camber rock neatly interspersed with sharp edged and awkwardly angled step ups that you had to pop the front wheel over. It was raining steadily now and conditions were nearly lethally slippery. I managed to ride it in a barely controlled slide with the bike continually threatening to slip out. A sharp left then puts you suddenly into a steep ditch which has to be attacked with determination as it chucks you up and out onto another off camber slab which I just managed to avoid falling on. From there a slippery grassy descent took me to the gate where I stopped to wait for Claire. As the wait wore on I realised things had gone awry and a passing competitor told me she’d had an “off” on the big slab near the top. I started walking up and met her halfway, pushing the bike and in a lot of pain having landed very heavily on her right elbow and ankle. She was very shaken having fallen at a very exposed and dangerous bit and was lucky that the injuries weren’t a lot worse. After a bit she managed to get going again and we made our way to the Climachx trail.

We knew we had to have a good run here if we were to challenge the Dutch and I set off hard, pedalling as much as I could through the initial section. Rather than risk the initial rocky bit I took to my feet and ran through before remounting and charging along. Although i got held up by some “traffic” overall I had a good run. Claire managed to put in a respectable time too in spite of having had a big knock to her confidence.

In the evening the Dutch were looking a little glum with Wendy in particular having struggled on the downhill bit. They managed only a fourth place with us finishing second behind Liz and James who had both recorded brilliant times despite, in James’ case, having punctured near the bottom and having to ride on the rim down the fire road they were both faster than me. This lifted us into second place overall behind James and Liz with the Dutch in third.

Day 4 71k

Another fairly long day with the third special stage being held at Nant-yr-Arian. The linking stage included a river crossing that was fairly tame in comparison to 2008 when a number of riders got washed off their feet.

The Nant-yr_Arian stage was 8.5k long. This special stage started with a short but unpleasant climb. Claire got off to a flyer – much to comentator Matt Carr’s delight. Cries of “She’s catching him!” over the PA and a few choice words from Claire made me put on a spurt to get over the climb. From there a short, fast loose rocky descent with two drop-offs led to the single track through the forest. A few switchbacks later we were on the infamous “leg burner” climb – 4.5 k of fire road back up to the start. Knowing the Dutch would be flying up here made me dig that little bit deeper and I got past 10 – 15 riders over this climb, finally arriving at the singletrack section which was short but steep, a real leg killer after the climb. Here I had to get past the big Danish rider – an enormous Viking type, the biggest cyclist I’ve ever seen. Call’s of “rider to your left” went ignored and finally I had to skirt past him on the rough before taking a last kick up and over the finish line. Claire came flying in a few minutes later having put in a big effort on the climb. After a brief recovery period we spun off to finish the linking stage.

That evening we were delighted to find ourselves in second position for the stage, having lost a mere 34 seconds to our Dutch rivals and having taken lots of time out of James and Elizabeth who had started in first position. That meant we were now overall leaders in our category, a mere 5 seconds ahead of the Dutch and with only 19 seconds between us and third position. Three special stages had seen three different leaders as a result.

Day 5, 73k

In riding terms this was the day I’d been looking forward to for months. Although the weather decided to take a turn for the worst it didn’t disappoint. After a big climb up onto the moors we followed an old Roman road through the remote Welsh moors with simply stunning views despite the rain. The riding was amazing too, fairly high speed flowing stuff but with lots of rocky steps and drops to keep you focussed – and plenty of puddles to play in too! We made good time across this and flew down a beautiful valley descent and on to “The Splashes” a rocky road that crossed a river fourteen times in quick succession, with lots of other water features in between. After several of these you get bolder and bolder and start to hit them with blind confidence which proved to be my undoing as I came to a sharp stop in one big puddle and took an unceremonious dismount full length into the muddy water. Another forest road climb took us to the final highlight of the linking stage – the Doithe valley singletrack. This is over 10k of snaking narrow single track down an amazing valley. At times it is very slippery with off camber bits and a few rocky step ups but most is ride-able. On the initial rocky descent we passed the Dutch fixing a pinch flat. Two thirds through the valley though disaster struck – Claire took a heavy fall on the single track landing on her left side. As she hit she felt a “pop” in her ribs though at the time she was much more worried about her head which also took a nasty blow. By the end of the ride though her chest was hurting with every breath – a big worry with the night stage ahead.

After a hurried meal we stretched out to relax and focus before hitting the night stage. Run as it is after the day’s linking stage riders are set off time order, fastest rider first. With our narrow lead over the Dutch it meant they would be on the starting ramp immediately behind us and would have us in view all the way up the fire-road climb. With their superior climbing this was a worry – we simply had to stay ahead of them up to the start of the singletrack climb as overtaking then would be nigh on impossible. A heavy rain meant trail conditions would be very slippery – would this work to our advantage as we were the better technical riders or would it negate our speed on the descent?

All too soon it seemed I found myself on the starting ramp, conscious of the Dutch lined up behind us. I set off at a good pace and tried to focus on a fast but sustainable pace. A quick glance at the HR monitor showed a heart rate of 173, too high really for a 2.5k climb but I was steadily closing on the riders ahead and very aware of the challenge behind. All too soon though a rider appeared on my left and my heart sank. It was the Flying Dutchman and he was going like a rocket. I gritted my teeth and latched on to his wheel. Incredibly I found myself hanging on – just. With the singlettrack coming up he tried a series of attacks to try to shake me but each time I was able to close the gap. Finally even he slowed and I went around him. The rain was very heavy now and visibility very poor as I strained my eyes to find the start of the single-track climb. Finally it appeared in front of me and I swung onto it. The gradient kicks up viciously here and I dropped onto the granny ring rather than stall. To my horror the chain instantly unshipped itself and Luc swept past in an instant. I screamed in frustration and leapt of the bike to get the chain back on before setting off in hot pursuit. Surprisingly I managed to catch him before the end of the climb and we started the descent together, with me close on his heels and desperate to find a gap to pass as we swept into the first set of berms and jumps. With the backscatter off the rain visibility was reduced to a few meters and each jump was taken in faith, literally a leap into the dark hoping to find a trail under your wheels when you touch down. Luc was clearly rattled by this and on the first big tabletop took a needlessly wide line and I pounced. With a shout of “to your right” I dived down the inside. He cut back fast to close the hole and our shoulders met but then I was gone, flying down the descent, nearly blinded by the rain but trying to stretch the gap as far as I could. Left and right turns came and went with a few jumps and drops. All the time I was trying to find the line between flat-out-perfect and too-fast-to-control, finally overcooking it on the penultimate corner and sliding off the trail. I was back on the bike in a flash and over the line nearly two minutes clear.

Behind the girls were having their own battle. Despite her sore ribs Claire held Wendy at bay very nearly to the top of the climb, Wendy just slipping ahead before the singletrack. Claire was far the better descender but struggled to get past, sitting on her wheel all the way down till 2/3 of the descent had passed. Eventually Wendy let her and the train of riders behind through and Claire took advantage, managing to turn the 20 second deficit on the climb into a four second advantage by the end.

After a shower we headed into the barn and wolfed down a bacon butty whilst reliving the moment with our friends. Wendy and Luc were disappointed but philosophical and joined us for a bit.

Day 6, 75k

After our big efforts from the night before and too little sleep this was always going to be a tough linking stage. A series of short sharp climbs meant that it was hard to conserve what little energy we had left. Weather conditions were fairly foul too with a constant rain throughout the stage. The riding was dull by TransWales standards, livened up by only short open moor sections and we were glad to be done and hitting the showers at the end of it all.

Day 7, 52k

The shortest linking stage should have been easy enough but, as is usual for a John Lloyd event, there were a few stings in this tail. First up was a long tough off road climb that lead us up onto the moors overlooking Builth Wells with great views of the Welsh valleys around. Then, just as we hit the outkisrts of town there was another short sharp climb up the quarry which led to a nice descent through the forest and onto the final road stretch to the finish line. Even after crossing the finish line though we weren’t done – the final 2k special stage lay ahead.

I started off ahead of Claire and instantly knew I was in trouble. The legs were burning badly up the muddy and rutted climb and despite vocal support from the spectators I was not getting enough speed out of them. Near the top the mud became impassible and I started a mad, sliding-slogging run next to the bike. Then it was back onto the bike through the twisty, rooty,muddy singletrack which should be meat-and-bread to a Surrey rider but I was riding ragged, slipping out on the roots and losing precious seconds. Finally I lost the front end completely and jack-knifed over the bars. It was with relief that I burst out through the trees and onto the final descent – a long steep greasy grassy bank with the course laid out in yellow tape. A final tight left put me on the home straight and I sprinted through the line, scattering the photographer and the commentator as I went. I crossed the line far too hot and couldn’t make the stop before the barbed wire fence shortly afterwards, having to ditch the bike and slide to a halt. As I rolled to my feet I found a cold Carlsberg had mysteriously appeared in my hand and I took a quick gulp as I anxiously awaited Claire. A shout from the crowd on the final corner announced her arrival. She’d come flying down the bank and lost it on the final turn. The crowd were screaming for her to GET UP AND RIDE and she did just that – crossing the line in a decent time.

That evening we found we’d lost 18 seconds on the final special stage, a lot over a short stage which reflected how much effort the night stage- and the week as a whole – had taken out of us. We’d done enough though to secure the overall win with only 47 seconds separating us and our newfound Dutch friends after 7 days of hard riding. Time for a few celebratory drinks!

Big thanks to Huw for his efforts in getting us prepared for the event and his encoruagement throughout the year. The hard work over the previous 9 months has paid off enormously. We found that we were able to cruise the linking stages fairly comfortably and save our legs for the race stages and were also able to get much more speed out of them when the chips were down. Although the competition this year in the mixed category wasn’t as tough as it had been in previous years comparing ourselves to others in the solo categories showed how far we’d come. Claire would have finished third overall in the open female categories – with the first two females set to represent GB at the World Champs in November – and I would have crept inside the top 10 solo males. Our combined time would have been good enough for 7th overall in the open male teams contest so we were very pleased with our efforts.

[Toks]

What a brilliantly written race report. I was absolutely riveted and halfway through actually forgot that you guys had won the thing. All the crashes, mishaps, "leaps of faith in to the dark". Epic stuff, well done Spike and well done Claire. He must be quite a good coach, that Huw fella

[Sylv]

Wow, well done both of you, that is a lot of kms!

[img]http://www.bikemagic.com/uploads/images/Original/23629.jpg[/img]
Happy!

[Andrew G]

Great report and an epic sounding race, loved it. Tough cookie Claire.