Welsh round 5

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BY: Donna Morris

Published: 9th September, 2014

2014 mountain bike season for me has finally finished. My last race was last weekend near Dolgellau. It was the final of the Welsh Series and it was a fantastic course but it was disappointing to see entry levels so low. I think the time of year and end of season no mojo feeling, really affected this round.

It wasn't a normal weekend of racing for us either, I'd worked a long day Saturday getting home late Saturday night. The intention was for me phil and Ryley to head up Sunday just in time for me to race, but this was soon changed when Ryley became ill. Daddy for once said he would stay at home as was unable to pre enter. I think it probably one of the first welsh races he has missed! So a little half hearted I made my way up in the morning and having taken over 2 hours to get there it didn't leave me long until I was racing.

I managed after quickly getting my number board to have a quick warm up on a bit of the course. So all I knew was that the course wasn't the same as previous years, there was a long climb right to the top then down. Or not as this case turned out! I had missed a whole section which was an advantage to have pre ridden!

The start was a way from the arena so that made it even more interesting as when we lined up we were told that actually it was practically 4 laps not 3 as I had been led to believe! One bottle in my cage, that was my quota! Lining up with a few other girls, no elite women but plenty of strong riders I had severe doubts about getting on the podium! Well I really thought I was third! Head not in it and legs still shot from the killer weekend ride I had the weekend before (Clive Powell mountain bikes off road cyclocross sportive) certainly one for your diaries next year. It involved hideous amounts of climbing and 64miles of mainly off road riding on my cross bike, Anyway back to the race!

All the women set off the same time, a nightmare start for us! Not quite sure what happened all together, but we all kinda dominoed each other, one ending up in the ditch! But she quickly got up and hurtled after us. I had not fallen but I hang around to check all was ok, then after I heard them still coming I carried on, I managed to pass a few on the climb then by the second kick of a climb Janet had caught up and she just nipped by me, but I was determined not to let her ride off. On reaching the top I gave it my all and got back past her on the fire road decent, I wanted a clear run at the rock technical section. This bit of the course was great I loved it and was even more pleased to have ridden it all at a good pace, something that I couldn't last year when I started racing. You then came out on the fire road before you kicked back up nicely on a grassy technical climb, which caught me by surprise on the first lap and having not pre ridden it I had to jump off and run! However I managed to successfully ride it the three other times.

This was followed on by another fun rocky section before the swooping singletrack and big dip descent before the last little ace section along the river,before looping back through the arena, to be greeted by encouragement/abuse off jay Horton of Fully sussed who as always provide a great timing and commentary service.

I had managed to extend my lead by about 30seconds but I knew that Janet could climb well so I just had to push on, to my surprise by the top she was in my sight but had not got passed so I was a little relived that I knew I was technically quicker on the descents, minus having any mishaps!

Never mind I did,but thankfully nothing to major and didn't take minutes to fix, a dropped chain and a near face plant, due to a wheel hugging rock causing me to be nearly bucked off! I was starting to pull away and this extended into the final lap. So I just wanted to complete the race in one piece, I lay off a bit and took it steadier, although by looking at my lap times my final lap was my quickest! This is usually the case for me as I get quicker the more familiar I am with the course! Need to be in time to do a few practise laps! Training note for 2015!

Finally after 4 brutal laps I was delighted to have crossed the line in first place! A position I certainly didn't expect today! But the thing that kept me chugging was the fact that I had traveled on my own, minus my poorly baby and support crew!

I also came away with the overall series win for the welsh series 2014.

Many thanks to all involved in the organisation Liz, fully sussed, bikes Brenin, just to name a few!

But guys make sure you support the next race in 2015, if you weren't there you missed a great one!

Over and out for mountain bike racing for mummy morris until 2015.

Now onto the cross season now to start my second year of dabbling in the malarkey!

Donna morris riding for XCracer.com/scimitar
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