Welsh XC Roaring again

BY: phil Morris

Published: 3rd March, 2013

Coed y Brenin round 2

Today was round 2 of the Welsh series held at Coed y Brenin. The weather was perfect, dry and even the sun mad a nice appearance. The 2 hour drive up is always a bit deceiving but we arrived an hour before my race so enough time to sign on, have a chat with a few fellow riders. After getting my board on I headed out just to have a look at a few sections, kinda wish I hadn't as I freaked out at the downhill drop off towards the end! The consequences of coming a cropper last weekend and winding myself, I didn't want that again and just wanted to actually start the race.

11 o clock soon came around and the 6 women all cats bunched together set off a minute in front of the vets! Not the best of starts for me and was last going up the fire road; however I managed to get past 2 riders on the way up it. The course was a bit confusing as there was a half lap to start bringing you back into the arena and then another 4 laps scheduled for us! In a snap shot the course was tough, not that much climbing, but some tricky tight corners, plenty of rocks and roots and of course the slabs. The first lap is always a bit of a disaster, people pushing, people breathing down your neck, shouting there coming past, then make you slow down, they take a while to come past and you lose all ya rhythm. Well that's what happens to me! After the first lap I was back to fifth place but 4^th was not too far in front of me. My aim for the race was to complete it without ant offs and to regain a little confidence. Not the best course for that, but never the less I completed my mission. Before the race started I had gauged my position, and I was right! In addition I managed the whole course with no offs, although I managed to catch sight off quite a few.

I really enjoyed the technical course, although I'm keen to go and ride it not under race conditions, as I always feel a bit on edge when someone is behind me.

I was really chuffed not to get lapped by my cat, but it did mean I had to complete 4 and a half laps!! In my head I thought I would get caught and would be doing a lap less, SO that's a step up from last year as I got lapped. However, the fourth lap I'm sure will be my slowest, as there was nobody else on the course, as the vets etc. did a lap less than us. Nobody to catch up, and so eerily quiet. On the plus side to that I managed to ride three quarters up the slabs, not been under any pressure!

Well done to all the other riders, but especially the women. Tough ride/race in the bag girls!!!

Thanks to all involved and to Mad and Jay for their hard work.

Now Phil's bit!

Next up was my race, 1330 start and the usual Welsh race faces were in attendance. Knowing that it would probably require a mechanical to give me a chance of 1^st as Jon Pugh (cycle-tec) is flying!

On the whistle I had a fairly good start and got myself into 2^nd behind Jon and followed closely by Martin Graham and Grant Leavy. On the half lap to start I went really well not losing anything to Jon and gaining a small gap to the guys behind. Then up the winding climb and Jon started to show his strength slowly getting a gap. Come the next climbing section up the pins and needles I was about 10m back on Jon and then the same back to 3^rd. I pushed on trying not to let the gap get bigger but was failing badly! I finished the first lap about 20-30 secs back. Having said that I was really pleased with how I was riding managing to ride all the tech sections without and real problems. To cut a long story short the rest of the race was fairly uneventful, Jon continued to gain on me finishing 4 minutes up which I think is fairly good going! I finished 2^nd with about 2 mins back to Grant in 3^rd.