MDCC - Haldon Evening Race Series Round 2
Now I hate to say it but I couldn't race this one. I wasn't going to make it from work in time for the kick off of the open class race, and I'm really not good enough to do the XC race...well not yet anyway. One day but not yet.
Still I shot out from work on the button, stopped at home and grabbed the video camera, and the dog on the way past. Hey if I wasn't riding, I may as well take the dog and let him enjoy a long walk too.
Luckily for me, although it was possibly someone else's logistical nightmare, something delayed the start of the open class race. So even though we were really late, when me and Digger finally got to the start line I was a secretly chuffed that the open race hadn't kicked off yet.
The races started along what is probably the longest straight in the whole of Haldon. The direction they started in meant that the initial take off was slightly uphill which would sort out the men from the boys. I know as we rode it in the opposite direction last time and it was a flat out downhill. It's not that steep and nasty, but it is long enough to make a difference and get those legs working as soon as everyone got started. If you'd had had a bad day at work this was where it was going to come flooding back and bite you in your lycra bum.
From here once it met the T junction where the the start finish line was and where we started in race one. Rather then turning left this time and going up the hill, those MDCC chaps picked a stab of a climb. One one hand I'd have been thankful I was going up THE climb, but where they sent the riders here was just nasty. I know as I've tried to ride up it before, and when you're out on your own there is only personal shame in admitting defeat and pushing up here. This time round as it was right where all the spectators are, it was a case of having to suck it up and ride it. Its not nice, it even has a couple of lumpy bits that three laps in are going to hurt the legs, but the saviour was it was short, nothing technical just a good honest climb.
At the top it took a right and looped round under the Go-ape toys to brings you right back to the bottom of the climb again. If you were going from A to B it would have been a pointless diversion, but we weren't going from A to B and the purpose of this bus stop was probably to split the climbers out from the rest of the pack. It defo mixed it up a bit. Anyway back on the fireroad the course took a left to run down it before ducking back off into the woods and eventually following the blue route.
Climbing out of this part of Haldon can go one of a few ways, and luckily this time it took the nice singletrack option with the fireroad semi slog that is part of the butterfly trail I think.
Now without going a bit soft this is one of the nicest parts of Haldon to ride. I get the feeling I'm going to use this word quite a bit on this review. You spend all that time waiting for an “undulate” to come along and then a load all turn up at once. However that really is the best word to use to describe this part of Haldon, as that is exactly what it does, it undulates. Swooping between the trees, dipping in and out of the features of the land as it slowly picks its way through, picking its way through each contour like someone playing a scale on a harp, gently plucking one string at a time.
I...walked the other way round, back along the straight and picked up the action at the top of the blue route fireroad climb. It would have been hard to have walked along the course without getting in the way on the track. So I plumped for joining it where it headed off into the singletrack section that climbs right the way back up to the top. Again as climbs go this is nice, its interesting it undulates a bit and you don't really know you are climbing, although your legs will have the odd grumble, particularly after the long fireroad climb, which in a race will have people sprinting past you, forcing you to boy it up a bit and push it. However from experience I've found that if I just sit it down and bimble up the first part at my own pace, once I get round the right hairpin I can usually make up the lost time and catch their back wheel before the singletrack pops out into the open. So its not a bad climb really.
Anyway keeping on along the blur run delivered everyone at the fun finale to the lap. A swift right turn had the racers dropping down a steep descent back to the start finish line. I've looked at this dropping down this loads of times, but the problem is, its actually part of a path so your not really allowed to. So I was gutted I'd missed out on having a crack at this. Also if your not used to descents like this it's a bit steep. There were a couple of b lines on it as at the top there was a step down which either gave you something to negotiate round as you stare the descent down, or there was the opportunity to pin it DH style and get some air time. I love these, I REALLY LOVE these, as, as the ground drops away, it gives the feeling that your floating forever, albeit only a few inches off the ground, but inch mile its still loads of fun. Once landed though it's a flat out run, swooping left on the loose stuff, to blast across the start finish line, before doing it all again. It was a pity I had to shoot off early as the sprint finishes for the XC race would have been awesome if it was a closely run finish.
It was a nice lap I think I'd seen it was about 2.5 miles and about 15 minutes to ride. Although I expect I'd have been doing it in 21's. It wasn't the hard climbing lap that round one was, although the descent on round one made it all worth the effort. This time round, apart from the final drop to the line, everything about this lap was more gradual. Hand on heart I think the MDCC organisers really make proportional laps, with climbs and descents in equal measures, rather then a whole lap of one and a short steep bit of the other. Which makes a series like this a brilliant way to test the water and see just how you get on. There was a great turn out and the car park was rammed when I turned up.
So next event is up there, on Wednesday the 13Th of July. More details on it can be found here http://www.mdcc.org.uk/haldon-evening-mtb-series and entry can be done via the xcracer website here: http://www.xcracer.com/raceentry/index.php?series_id=21
Should I chance my luck in the XC races or not hmmmmmmmm.....could do...
Finally a guy called martin has been in touch and he was out taking pics at the event. Truth is, his pics are miles better than what I can come up with so to give credit where its due, this link will take you to his flicker account where you can have a look through and see if you can see yourself or someone you know. Martins Pics ’
