XC Racer Blog Post

Southern XC Matterley Basin

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BY: Louise Robinson

Published: 14th April, 2013


Oh thank goodness that's over.

No, not the race, the kid's birthday party I had to go to afterwards.  Well actually the party was fine, some good friends, a glass of wine and a bit of a giggle on a sunny spring afternoon while the kids entertained themselves - what's not to like? But standing up for three hours after this morning's killer race was starting to get a bit much, especially as most of my friends don't really "get" the racing thing anyway.  At one point my little girl skidded over in the garden and ended up with mud all the way up the back of her party dress and knickers. Someone made the comment" like mother like daughter" but when I said that when I get muddy I don't wear any knickers all I got were some very funny looks! Tell the same thing to a group of mountain bikers and they just all agree. Oh well, I will just have to remain the strange (skinny) one!


 

A pre-race "sharpener" on  the new Green Trail at Swinley Forest

 

So to today's race. A first time venue, Matterley Basin, has previously only been used for motorcross. The guys and girls at Southern XC did a fabulous job of putting on a top class event with an amazingly hard course, built by UK Biking, which took in some technical single track, the odd farmer's field and some serious climbing. After biblical rain from Thursday evening till Saturday night I was expecting the course to be very wet. As it turned out, the wettest lap of the day was the practice lap with the course steadily drying as the day wore on. The start was at the bottom of a steep grassy climb - no need for a lead out lap here - and then into some tight twisty single track. A tricky off camber corner on loose wet mud was fun but the sharp left hand turn into a short climb through a mountain of treacle was less so.  Another climb followed and into a single track section with wooden steps, off camber corners and much more claggy mulchy mud. Staying on was the name of the game here with much time to be won or lost for anyone getting the wrong line and ending up in a tree or just plain losing momentum.  More fields and fire road followed until we reached the "Gravel climb!" Half a mile of fire road stretching out in front of you is more psychologically challenging than anything else but for those who were able to dig deep, another section to separate the men from the boys.  After what seemed like the flat from hell (a very gentle uphill gradient fire road, head on into the howling wind) we were back into the single track for more off camber, claggy slogging before the final climb and final single track section. Then back down hill to the bottom of the field and repeat it all again, and again, and again!

My legs were shot after the practice lap!

 

The start of the ladies race

 

The one thing that strikes me about the ladies race is how friendly it all is. We might try and rip each other's legs off in the race but before and after it is nothing but gossip and friendly banter. I lined up at 10am today with Rachel Fenton, Emily Iredale, Anna Cipullo and Sally Bigham to name but a few. From the gun Emily went off like a train, beating Sally off the line and leaving the rest of us wondering what she had had for breakfast. Sally very quickly took the lead however and disappeared off into the distance.  I took a deliberately less kamikaze approach, struggling to get any enthusiasm up for racing today, and tucked in mid field coming into the first section of single track. I quickly caught up to Emily and the leading bunch however and managed to pass all of them to move into the second spot behind a distant Sally Bigham. However, this course had decidedly too much climbing and too little single track for my liking and I could not hold Emily off for long.  I settled into a comfortable third position and pretty much stayed there. I passed Emily once when she stopped to add some air into a burped tyre but I really didn't have the legs or lungs to make the advantage stick.


 

The final section of single track with Emily Iredale


By the third lap the conditions were improving (after slipping and sliding on slightly overoptimistic Racing Ralphs for two laps) with dry (well dryish) lines appearing. But by then the damage was done and I was riding like a complete numpty. I'm not sure if it is the fatigue in the legs or the race addled brain that causes the problem but I started making some really silly mistakes. However, I managed to stay on, managed to keep Emily in sight (well if I strained my eyes) and managed to get to the end. Third place at my first Elite Southern XC, on a course that really was not my cup of tea, left me quite happy.

And what of Sally Bigham? Well, a mere four laps was not really enough for her to get into her stride so after winning the ladies expert race she set out on a fifth lap just to show the boys how to do it!


 

Ah, glad that's over!


A massive well done to all who raced today on a very tough course.  And also A big thanks to the organisers, course builders, timers, officials and general hangers on who made it a great day to be riding bikes.


Louise Robinson, Mum, Pharmacist and part time mountain biker
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Louise Robinson

Mum, Pharmacist and XCracer Team Rider

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