Jan 23 -2005 Thetford Winter Enduro Rd 2
Bigger boys came!
Now most events here you can pretty much work out who your fighting with, but all credit to the organisers, they have turned this place around as a top race venue and the crowds came, over 400 entrants and they even ran out of entry forms!
Two long 15 mile laps on a cold frozen bright day meant only one thing though, fast as a very fast thing racing, or as we know him....Geoff Beetham (gives me an excuse to use this picture again). He ripped off from the gun for the 2 lap win towing some roadie type behind him for the full distance, this caused round 1 winner Woody to blow up trying to keep pace, and he eventually faded to allow Thetford specialist Paul Ashby to nip by for third. Sets up the last round nicely for the series title.
I got a steady good safe start, Adi blasted off into the distance as usual, but who was that giving chase, BigRing on a mission and absolutely flying on a course made for him. Then Nige came past and I resisted the urge to follow.
I had a plan, the fist lap being firm I figured would be easy, so chill out and let them go. As it thaws and gets churned up I was hoping to save loads for the 2nd lap.
Its real hard though watching riders sweep buy and biting your lip. As Vets Andy Pegg, Geoff Sharp and Gary Houghton wizzed by perhaps I should have gone with them, it felt so slow but the heart rate said otherwise so I hung back.
Team Endurance-Racings new boy James Leavesley did similar and I kept him and Nige in view at least for half a lap.
Back to the front and its Adi though in 1hr02, this is fast that's just over 15 mph in the winter, maybe too fast for Peckerlegs as he dropped 7mins over lap 2 to finish 12th. BigRing was chasing him hard, and having put some good miles in this winter was cruising when Bang!....the Thetford flints struck again, and again with punctures.
I was out the saddle comfortably pushing the biggest gear I had on all the straights and passing people at speed, my goal of the second lap faster than the first was on surely. The biggest smile was reserved for zooming past the OTH pair, one being Jeff Sharpe, I hit max and really spat gravel as I flew past, made my race. James Leavesley soon followed but he had some fight left in him.
Getting to the line at any other Thetford race I'd have sworn a podium place was on, but no 7th in the olduns at 2hr17, and even though it felt way faster I'd actually gone 2 mins slower. Just shows how your mental state can influence how well you feel you are riding.
Ed had a solid race (race speak for I never saw him all day) and finally completed with Nige for 32nd and 33rd place in 2hrs22.
BigRing finally slumped home in 40th, Ian Whatling 55th in 2hr35 (when he should have done the junior race) and Craig having a spin in 92nd at 2hr55.
" I'd have had Adi easily - my computer registered 2hrs13 rolling time and I gave up for the last half lap"
BigRingCome on down new Plumz member Say hello to Tom Wright who snapped a chain going for a 2 lapper and had a long walk out of that maze of a forest.
Checking the lap times out most riders (apart from the megapros) were losing anything from 7-14 mins on their 2nd lap, so getting within 2 I'll claim some success to my plan. Its your choice, fall over the line nearly puking or sprint with a smile, I know what I'll be doing again.
Full Results are up on Timelaps but here's some times of interest.
| Lap 1 | Lap 2 | Total | ||||
| 5. | Gavin Rumbles | 1:00:40 | 1:04:18 | 02:04:58 | ||
| 11. | Rob Lee | 1:04:59 | 1:04:13 | 02:09:12 | ||
| 12. | Adi Scott | 1:02:20 | 1:07:07 | 02:09:27 | ||
| 14. | William Smyth | 1:01:20 | 1:10:35 | 02:11:55 | ||
| 7th Vet | Jack Peterson | 1:07:47 | 1:09:14 | 02:17:01 | ||
| 32. | Ed Mair | 1:09:08 | 1:13:19 | 02:22:27 | ||
| 33. | Nigel Scott | 1:07:36 | 1:14:52 | 02:22:28 | ||
| 40. | Lloyd Bettles | 1:03:33 | 1:21:19 | 02:24:52 | ||
| 55. | Ian Whatling | 1:09:27 | 1:26:09 | 02:35:36 | ||
| 92. | Craig Simpson | 1:21:03 | 1:34:31 | 02:55:34 |
Jack Peterson
2005
The 1 lap race for the Slackers........
Stu Knubley on the back of his 5th place first round result was going for a series position, so Smiffy took great delight in entering this race to give him less chance, and yes some more "Bigger Boys did the same" and it looked like a NPS masters race on the grid. Here's Smiffys take on the race;
Got away with the leaders nicely, I'd looked for Stu (Knubley) on the start line and couldn't see him, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw him ahead of me into the first corner, I didn't acknowledge him as I brushed past down the first straight (sorry Stu).
Was about 6th into the first singletrack, soon Ian Newby was making a break and leaving the scene, leaving Mike Jackson in 2nd and a group of us a little way back. Mike wasn't going particularly well by himself so as I moved into 3rd, I ate up the gap and soon he and I were working together to get away. This plainly wasn't working 'coz Damian Baker was right with me, and no matter what I/we did he was always there, shadowing but making no attempt to take up the slack and help with the pace.
Several times Mike and I swapped the lead of this little group, but always Baker tagged along. Without looking back I imagined this battle for second place was just between the three of us, how wrong I was. I made a small mistake on a '90 left' letting Jackson and Baker through, who were immediately ahead of Martyn Chapman and Ian Grist (and possibly Anthony Rowland as well). Bugger!
This made it a six way scrap for 2nd place. Jackson allowed Baker to actually do some work for a change and I was left in no mans land, trying desperately to bridge the gap back to them without falling in with Chapman and Grist.
Soon we had buffered up together but by now we really were a group of six, I kept telling myself, "4th isn't good enough," and this spurred me on to take up the pace again and once more try to break the group up. We moved onto the last 3rd of the 'cloverleaf' course, as the organisers had described it, it was myself , Jackson, Baker,Chapman, Grist, Rowland.
Jackson and Chapman got past into 3rd and 2nd respectively, and just eked out a small gap as we hurtled down that fantastic piece of singletrack before the finish, (great that way isn't it, we usually climb it...Jack) they were a little better than myself technically in this section, but I had no trouble holding Baker off for 4th. We got onto the last climb to the finish, and I closed the gap again on the two ahead, Baker blew up and we were finally a pack of three for the last two podium places.
I had used too much 'juice' to get back to them, and had nothing left for a final push in the last few yards, so that's how we finished, Newby, Chapman, Jackson, with myself a little disappointed to be just out of the prizes. Next time chaps... Smiffy.
- IAN NEWBY Diss & District CC - 1:00:49
- MARTYN CHAPMAN
- MIKE JACKSON Luton CC
- JOHN SMITH Numplumz - 2 secs of the podium....Doh!
33rd in 01:18:48 STEVE GILES Our Tuesday ride partner from Kettering Harriers running club.
41st in 01:20:32 LEE ATTWOOD TREADS MTB
55th in 01:26:05 MARK DAVIES TREADS MTB
I got a GPS trace of where the race course went if anyone wants a copy mail me, yes I know its not spot on and we never crossed the road, but you try finding that superb course again without it, left at the tree, right at the tree....ummmmmm!
Cloverleaf my Arse Smiffy.