| NPS - Drumlanrig 2004 |
8th & 9th May 2004
Round two of the new Premier mtb series was held at Drumlanrig Castle, one of the venues used last year. The course was the same for the standard XC race used last year, but this year it was a lot more slippery. It was a hard choice for tyres.
I made a reasonable start - much better than Plymouth and was much nearer the front. I was still not right on the pace but had made a big improvement. My teammate Ian Wilkinson set a blistering pace and rode off on his own. After his win in the six hour at Enduro 6 last week he had made a remarkable recovery. I slowly lost contact with the chasers. I seemed to be going "my speed". On the last last I hit a stump.... the type that stop you dead and before you know it you are on the floor. I broke my gears in the crash. I managed to get the chain to stay in third sprocket by pulling the cable out of a stop - then I just used the front rings. I came in 13th not a great result but I was reasonable happy. Ian held off Nick Craig to win his first National Round.
We celebrated Wilko's win at evening - no one was thinking about the enduro on Sunday.
Elite Male
1 Ian Wilkinson Giant racing 02:21:37:304
2 Nick Craig Team Persil 02:22:03:604
3 Duncan Jamieson Marin UK 02:22:36:138
4 Sam Gardner Evans Cycles RT 02:23:20:172
5 William Bjergfelt Saracen 02:23:51:396
6 Adrian Lansley Pedalon.co.uk 02:25:25:999
7 Paul Oldham Giant racing 02:25:25:911
8 Jamie Newall 02:27:42:904
9 James Fraser-Moodie Pedal Power 02:28:04:906
10 James Ouchterlony Angus Bike Chain 02:28:23:958
11 Dave Collins Science in Sport.com 02:29:31:037
12 Phil Dixon Ace RT 02:30:09:370
13 Barrie Clarke Giant racing 02:30:38:101
14 Phil Spencer Trek UK 02:31:00:391
15 Geoff Beetham ER Velo/Bianchi UK 02:31:11:165
16 Stuart Bowers Hargroves/Trant/Next 02:31:55:028
17 Graham Warby Aston Hill MTBC 02:35:30:670
18 Lewis Ferguson Team Fergie 02:36:07:091
19 Gareth Montgomerie Ride-On 02:37:19:133
20 Richard Mardle Saracen 02:38:09:157
Sunday's Trek 6-4-2
Today Paul Oldham was doing the 6 hours solo, Ian was doing the 4 and I was doing the 6 hour but as a pair with Sue Thomas. Starting riding at 10 after racing the day before is not fun. The course had been extended to make a lap last almost an hour. It was hard going too, very slow, hard work riding. Many of the tracks were new, in fact never ridden on before. We were making the course. I hated the first two laps! Sue went out for two laps and the course had improved - she enjoyed it. We changed over and I had to make two laps last for 2 hours. This made for almost fun riding - a bit slower and the course had improved. We did 6 laps in 6 hours which placed us 3rd pair. Paul Oldham won the 6hour, and Ian Wilkinson was 2nd in the 4hour. All in all a good weekend for my Giant team.
(written 12/05/04)