Are You Tough Enough? Race Review

The hottest day of the year so far made for a hard days racing for this year's 'Are You Tough Enough?'

 Words by Lou Robinson (xcracer.com)

 Photos by Si Panter

Visiting Frith Hill for the first time in its 6 year history, the Army Cycling Union race Are You Tough Enough likes to test its competitors to the limit, and this year was no exception.  In temperatures of nearly 30 degrees even the spectating was hard work.

Ollie Taylor managed 4 fast laps for Weldtite Racing before retiring early from the 4 hour race 

The course was a 10KM loop of all the best trails that Frimley Green could muster. Using some classic Gorrick XC trails with new sections of single track cut especially for today's race, the course was a relentless mix of short sharp climbs and twisty single track.  The trails ran fast and furious with plenty of technical sections and racing tyres were the name of the game. The shady canopy of woodland kept the vast majority of the race course out of the sun and provided some much needed relief from the heat. The general atmosphere on the course was one of friendly camaraderie with plenty of easy overtaking areas to prevent tempers fraying despite the heat.



Pete Williams riding singlespeed in the 6 hour open race 

The six hour open set off at 10am. Richard Penning quickly took the lead and set a blistering first lap of 35minutes with Chris Noble on his heels. Further down the field, local lad Dave Brothers pushed hard on a demo Scott Scale, lent to him by local bike shop Mountain Trax, but suffered in the heat and was passed by a slightly stronger David Winter who took the eventual third position.

The start of the four hour race went off hard and fast with much jostling for position. Paul Brennan was the eventual winner, proving he had pace and staying power.



In the ladies field, Lou Robinson (xcracer.com) lead from the start with Fay Cripps, current ladies Masters XC champion hot on her heals. In the end, the heat plus Fays gargantuan efforts last weekend at the Thetford Summer Enuduro were too much for her and she pulled out after 2 laps (only to restart with the two hour ladies and confuse the hell out of Time Laps). Lou held off all the competition to the end of the race and was welcomed over the line by cries of "well done mummy".



In the men's 4hr single speed category, pre-race favourite Al Fairbairn suffered an unusual mechanical when he managed to snap his carbon bars in half though brute strength.  His chance of an early bath was dashed however as Del from Four4th Lights quickly provided him with a spare set from his display stand. However, by this time Al was left with too much to do and not enough to do it with and he retired after 5 laps. This left the way clear for a well-deserved victory for Julian Grundy who proved that he really was tough enough.

 Al Fairbairn and what was left of his carbon bars

The two hour race saw a one-two for Southdowns bikes in the ladies field with Julia Hammond and Olive O'Leary.  In the men's field Simon Ernest and Peter Moore battled it out to the end with just over 3 minutes separating them by the finish.

Well done to all the racers today who survived another brutal Are You Tough Enough. Let's hope the sun continues to shine in this corner of the country and makes Torq 12:12 an equally dry and dusty affair (although if anyone is listening, slightly cooler would probably be better).

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