Thetford Winter Series Rd 3

Written by Paddy Atkinson, XCRacer.com/Scimitar

So far this year, despite being a bit chilly, all of the previous rounds (a grand total of 2) had been quite agreeable in terms of weather, with fast rolling and grippy ground. Looking at the weather forecast the night before this race, it was obvious that this would not happen a third time. It wouldn’t be a Winter race series without some challenging weather anyway!

Come race day, arriving and getting ready in the morning went smoothly as usual (or not, it’s quite rare that there’s nothing forgotten or lost), despite a some reluctance to leave the warm depths of my furry hoodie.

I always try to warm up for any race, even endurance events, I just find it really helps get the legs going and ready to hit it hard. Today was no different, so a decent time was spent on the rollers, hiding from the cold wind.

The usual chat and banter ensued on the start line, with some impressed looks at the bravery of Ross (Marriot), who had chosen to run a full carbon saddle! Ouch.  Us juniors were due to start off just after the 4 hour categories, which does mean there’s some traffic to go through, but the organisers always make a good job of the course, with plenty of passing places to get past the 4hr madmen (and women).

Unlike the other categories we were going off without a neutralised zone behind the quad, meaning that a sprint off the line was the order of the day! Surprisingly I got off the start line quite well, and settled into second for the first few corners.

After a short time hiding from the wind behind Ross, I decided it was time to make a move, and attacked, going down a hill of all places. Once we hit the singletrack I managed to pull a bit of a gap by pumping through the woods rather than getting battered in the saddle. 

Once I’d pulled a bit of a gap I could settle down into my own pace and enjoy the course, which was similar to the one used at the Summer Enduro (although a lot muddier). It was holding up quite well to the barrage of rain and hundreds of tyres, and was mostly fast flowing singletrack, with only a few muddy sections, including the bog alongside the road, exactly the same as last year!

What with our small field being sandwiched in between the 4hr and 2hr cats, most of these races tend to be solo efforts for me, but not this time!  The leading adult 2hr racers had battled their way through the back markers and 4 hr guys to come and join me. As Callum (Riley) pushed the pace I struggled on to stay on the back of the 4 man group, just behind a GT rider who had lost the whole of the top of his saddle, and was riding on the rails! I just about managed to hang onto these guys until about halfway through the last lap, where my legs gave up and I was left to crawl round on my own. By this time the course had deteriorated quite a bit, and was now very muddy. Still good fun though! 

Coming through the finish gantry I just about managed to summon up enough energy to raise my arm into a vague celebration, which I’m sure looked about as rubbish as it felt!

After congratulating the winners and other racers, it was off in search of some warm food, then trying my hardest to get most of the mud off my face before retiring to the pub!

Congratulations to anyone who came out to play in the mud, no matter where you finished, it’s still a great achievement!

As always, thanks to my Mum and Dad for being pit monkeys, soigneurs, nutritionists and drivers, and the best supporters around. 

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