Torq in Your Sleep 2015

Regardless of the weather on the day, there was no getting away from the fact that in the last week we have had a colossal amount of rain. Despite the fact that the land at Minley Manor is regarded as a well-draining all weather course, a wet race last winter that the Brass Monkey’s series produced some almost un-rideable sections and there was some speculation that the course would not hold up for 12 hours in the wet.
However, there is a massive difference between summer and winter wet racing and the forest trees did their job and literally sucked the water out of the soil. The surrounding roads may have been flooding but the trails were merely moist.


12 noon was dry but humid for the start of the race - Photo courtesy of Vermont Images

The course was a classic Gorrick style track with plenty of twisty rooty single track, short steep climbs and lots of bomb holes. There was nothing too technical but it was unrelentingly peddly and definitely tough for a 12 hour race. I choose to use my winter Ground Control tyres rather than the summer Thunder Burts and I think it was a good call. The ground changed as the race went on but as the sunlight faded, a couple of short showers and the night time dew made the course greasy to say the least and I saw lots of riders struggling in the single track. What you may or may not have noticed was the fact the course was subtly adjusted as the race went on and running repairs made to ensure it kept flowing. There were also contingency routes pre-marked in the event sections became boggy but thankfully these were never needed.


The first section of single track, Olympic Ridge, was full of off camber roots to trip up the unwary - Check out more of Kevin's photos here

I raced in a ladies team of 4, The Lightweight Ladies, all XC racers after a bit of racing fun. Our main competition was the Torq Performance team who were looking seriously intimidating on the start line. Emily Benham started us off and put in a massive effort on the first lap to come in just two minutes behind the Torq team. My first lap was a serious shock to the system. After returning from a two week family holiday just a week ago I felt every chocolate croissant as I dug deep for the team. The all-inclusive concept is not particularly sympathetic to race fitness!! However I managed to take a few seconds out of 2nd lap Torq rider Carla Haines and Fay Cripps continued the theme on lap 3. Jo Munden managed to pass 4th lap rider Lydia Gould, who was not on her usual top form, to put us into first place.

I started my second lap a moment behind Torq pairs rider, Emily Iredale. Back to racing after having a baby she was absolutely flying. We stayed within a second or two of each other for the entire lap, Emily storming along the fire roads and me catching her in the single track. She had me at the end as we approached the final climb, Phesant Plucker Hill. This is more of a pimple than a hill but at the end of the 8 mile course it felt like a mountain and my legs turned to jelly.  However, we maintained our lead throughout the race. It stretched to 11 minutes at one point but by the start of the last lap was down to less than 3 minutes. Jo Munden put in an amazing effort to secure the win by a nail biting 8 minutes in the end, the closest podium result of the day
The ladies 12hour solo was almost as close with less than 9 minutes between first placed Alex Nichol and second placed Sally Hall after just shy of 13 hours racing.


Emily Iredale - flying in the 6 hour pairs with partner Chris Lillywhite

So after 12 hours of hard work it was nice to be handed a free beer from Longdog Brewery and thanks to sponsors Torq, I have replenished my energy cupboard at home. The other sponsors also handed out some fabulous prizes with Saddle skedaddle holidays, Four4th Lights, Cycle Show tickets and Big Bobble Hats being spot prizes for all those riders who stayed till the end.


Photo courtesy of Vermont Images

Photo courtesy of Vermont Images

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