News
Master WOC Middle Distance Results
Posted: 18/06/11
Charlie Somers-Cocks reports:
A day of very heavy showers and so most people got caught at some point. I was first off in our class and it started dry. A slight muddle at the start, the officials had me in the box a minute late so I only had about 30 seconds to sort out my map. Starting steadily, I made sure I got a clean run to the first control. There were plenty of tyre tracks out in the forest left by the earlier elite riders. Early on I made a slightly slower route choice but I felt in control on what was a tricky area. There was a huge network of tracks that had no pattern to them, the complexity mirror the contours. Many of the tracks were sandy often with a lot of exposed tree roots and the occasional boulder. This type of riding suited me and my full suspension but for some, more used to "groomed trails" this seemingly slowed them down.
Half way round it started raining. At this point I had a fairly straight forward leg and could still just about read the map. The rain quite quickly got a lot worse and with bifocal glasses I could no longer see through them. Taking them off and stuffing them quickly in a back pocket I continued a bit slower but I struggled to read the detail. I finished well and was the first competitor of the Masters competition back in the arena. I was happy with my race and while others got close I held on to the lead.
Killian reports
It was wet and muddy!! I was one of the last starters and riding to the start in a really heavy downpour left me cold and wet before I even started, but a towel was on offer at -2 mins to dry your map board and I carefully put in my paper map!!!!
I settled in quickly and felt comfortable, although I made the wrong route choice 6-7. Overall a pleasing ride but not clean with some silly errors. When I finished I was lying 3rd so pretty chuffed but a few fastest riders pipped me and I slipped down to 5/6th.
Map: www.witness.co.uk/bmbo/MWOCmiddleMAP.jpg