Welsh XC Round 2 - Coed-y-Brenin

Going to have to keep this one short(ish) as don't seem to have the time this week. Round 2 of the Welsh XC series was by far one of my most enjoyable races yet. On a course which was technical up and down with stiff Elite level competition it was a great race to be a part of. 

6hours of driving from the Southwest saw us pull into Porthmadog for our overnight stay. I struggled to sleep thanks to a combination of a long drive lack of double bed/wife and the slight onset of a race the next day didn't really work for me. But alas I did wake up so must have dozed off finally.  

Coed-Brenin's trail center was the original Welsh trail center so was great to re-visit a place which many of us have fond memories of, it was partially odd going to the old visitors center side where initially I didn't recognize the area but gradually my brain unlocked its old memories and oddly a walk to the toilets matched up with my memory and I realised the last time I was here was easily 18years ago on my first ever mountain bike holiday with my dad happy times. 

Team mate Bren's race was up first where he got a steaming start got caught in some traffic (ladies race went of first), dropped down to 5th/6th then dragged himself back into 2nd in what looked like a furious start before a totaled rear wheel forced him out the race frustrating but was clear he had the form can't wait to see him open it up in the first nationals. 

Race 2 saw myself and Expert team mate Dexter Hurlock race, a quick practice lap revealed a rather technical course with technical climbs as well as descents which was great to see frustratingly didn't get a chance to figure my proper lines on one of the a routs so told myself to take the b rout over the big rock during the race. Below is the only image I got from the weekend and that's by accident as my gopro was messing up:

Race started really well, opened my throttle pushing me into second before my legs started burning dragging me down through the group of 9 elites. As usual my legs kicked back and I slowly started moving back through the field by the end of the first half lap (starting loop + 5 laps) got into 5th, entering the start of our first full lap. I found myself in a group of 3 chasing the lead 4 riders, which throughout the first lap just stayed away from us untill the first climb on the 2nd lap where I managed to make the bridge and using my momentum jumped 2 places into 3rd, and then created a gap behind me (check me go). This stayed put for a while until from no-where Richard Jones of XC-Racer steamed past me and then past 2nd place on the first climb was frustrating but also pretty impressive riding! This saw the end of any position juggling I'd like to think I was gaining on 3rd place towards the end of the race but tbh I was more relived to finish without anyone else overtaking me! 

Team mate Dexter had quite the epic race, leading from the start as we're quite used to seeing he found himself with a puncture on the 3rd lap where he wheeled his bike into the pits fitted a new tube co2'd it back up and rode of again this misshap causing him to drop down to 6th, with nothing left to loose he dug deep set the courses fastest lap and regained the lead on his last lap Hero! 

We're all massively fired up for the first national and can't wait to get our new bikes and kit. That's all for now. My Garmin Dump.