Published: 26th May, 2013
Welsh XC
Champs.
With the
weather finally improving we decided to head down the day before for a practice
and stay in the caravan. We actually stayed at Port Talbot fire station in the
caravan which the kids thought was great, and makes for a cheap holiday!!!
The course conditions
couldn't have been more different than they were at the 1st round,
especially considering the course was pretty much unchanged.
It was a
great course with plenty of climbing and great descending and will make a great
national as long as it's fairly dry!
On the day we
awoke to a strange yellow thing in the sky and a feeling of warmth on the skin,
very strange indeed!
First up was
Hali-Rae's Race which my wife has already covered, so well done Hal your going
to make a cracking little racer!!
Next up was the Wife at 1100 again a really good result and I was impressed that she managed to ride it all. Well done dear!!!
Finally my race, with the usual suspects lining up in the masters I knew that 1st was probably going to take something short of a miracle. So the plan was to go as hard as I could and see what happens. Off the start I got away quite well and was up with the front bunch until the first little decent where my chain jumped off, I had no choice but to stop and sort it which only took 5-10 seconds but at that point in the race was costly. I got going again and managed to pick off a couple of riders but already a gap had developed to the leaders, I decided at this point to settle into my own rhythm, and hope that Jon got lost or attacked by an angry dear!!! I was now into 2nd in the masters after passing Grant at the bottom of the gully descent.
I finished the first lap in 2nd and was just behind a number of elite riders. I felt pretty good at this point but didn't want to go to hard as 7 laps was going to be tough for me due to a lack of miles. The next couple of laps I managed to extend my gap to 3rd but 1st was also going away from me slowly. At the top of the first climb I came across Grant who had a mechanical so I was safely in 2nd, but Jon was no where to be seen.
Up till the 6th
lap I was slowly gaining on the elite riders in front but on the 6th
the legs said that's enough and I had a drastic lost of speed. So all that was
left to do now was to protect my position. I managed this and finished 2nd
in the masters and I think I was 5th overall which I was pleased
with as I didn't have anymore to give on the day.
A great days
racing for the Morris family and welsh cycling.
Well done to
the organisers and fully sussed hopefully they will return next year!
Thanks to
sponsors
XCracer.com
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Fireman, dad, racer and team stalwart...
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