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| Matt on the top step |
After some rather sunny racing, the team took a few podiums!
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| Nick P |
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| Lee in podium action! |
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| Nick P on the gas |
Monday 19 May 2014
Weekend roundup
Sunday saw the Midlands XC Championships at Eastridge, and a good turnout of Naked Bikes / Haibike / Impsport riders eager for glory.
After some rather sunny racing, the team took a few podiums!
After some rather sunny racing, the team took a few podiums!
Tuesday 13 May 2014
Towers tackles the National Marathon Champs!
Here to explain his absence from FNSS is Nick T - we think his excuse is pretty good!
"I've always wanted to race the British MTB Marathon Championships, but being honest have never really fancied the journey there and back or it's coincided with another event. There's also the issue of driving 300miles to have my backside served back to me on platter by the UK's best vet endurance racers. However, nothing ventured................
Race entered, hotel booked, training plan tuned, press GO.
The MV40 entry list looked, well, quality. All the usual podium suspects and more. I made a mental note of those I expected to show me their heels..........hmmm! I obviously knew the only stripes I'd come away with would be brown ones, but I was a little worried I'd be rear gunner! Oh well, enjoy the race, the course and the atmosphere eh?
The forecast predicted rain on and off all week leading up to the race and my knowledge of previous ventures had me planning for some gloopy racing. Leave the Niner Jet 9 RDO at home, collects too much mud in heavy conditions, stick a 30t on the front of the Haibike Greed Team and have faith in Racing Ralph.
FFwd to the start I think. Light rain, grey sky. Myself and Bongo Marc positioned towards the back of the grid - suitable/sensible. Lead out car pulls away, I'm sure he spun the wheels as he tried to keep ahead of the front runners! I expected a brisk neutralised roll out, but even with the car holding the pack back I was brushing zone 5. Not how I wanted to begin. I had an HR plan to work to, that provided I stuck to, would see me through in good shape. It was just a matter of having faith in it and (hopefully) reeling those back in that had gone off too hard. Simple?!
The race was effectively a 3 leaf clover, 3 major climbs with some smaller lumps in between. Fortunately the climbs wear on hard pack. I'd expected fire roads but it was good to find them on either open trails or nice techy switch back trail centre climbs. Tougher, but more rewarding than an endless, featureless fire road. The descents on the other hand were a different matter. The first was an open mountain side rocky trail that took its fair share of puncture victims. I went past Ant White (24hr guru), George Budd (gentleman Elite racer and kick-ass endurance racer) and Andy Cockburn (Kielder100 winner). All grovelling around in the muck with flats. The remaining descents were a combination of evil trail centre/natural forest descents and open moorland tracks. Roots, ruts, streams, bogs and nasty drop offs. Pleased I cleaned all those without issues. I forgot add that as a bonus the rain abated and the sun made a brief appearance. Arm warmers off! Sucking diesel now (in my own little way!).
Still on HR plan everything seemed to be running sweet. SRAM XX1 really loves the filth. Not a gear crunch, bumped chain or anything. Quality kit. I caught a small few riders who'd gone off too hard - the plan was working. Better still no-one came past me. Nice. The final climb was up to Minch Moor at Innerleithen, a climb I know well. I have to say, tough though it was, I really enjoyed it. Yes it hurt, but I knew each ramp, each switchback and knew where the top was. I thought I was being caught by a rider at one stage, but I think it was the illusion of the switchback climbing. As I topped out he was a long way down. One last grunt across the last stretch of boggy moorland and up to the final cairn. I caught 2 more racers. One on gloopy the traverse, one on the rutted descent. I just touched 40mph on the rutted, greasy track. Living on the edge! It was then just a matter of keeping pace back to Selkirk. Finish line dib. Game over. The Haibike Greed Team was faultless. I have to say the flexy seat post did seem to save my derrière. That 30t chainring was a wise choice.
13th MV40. Well chuffed really. Top 10 would have been better, but I finished with plenty left. Ok I was way off the 'proper' vets, but 13th in that field stuck a smile on me! Encouraging for the season full of 6 hour+ races.
Ride On! "
"I've always wanted to race the British MTB Marathon Championships, but being honest have never really fancied the journey there and back or it's coincided with another event. There's also the issue of driving 300miles to have my backside served back to me on platter by the UK's best vet endurance racers. However, nothing ventured................
Race entered, hotel booked, training plan tuned, press GO.
The MV40 entry list looked, well, quality. All the usual podium suspects and more. I made a mental note of those I expected to show me their heels..........hmmm! I obviously knew the only stripes I'd come away with would be brown ones, but I was a little worried I'd be rear gunner! Oh well, enjoy the race, the course and the atmosphere eh?
The forecast predicted rain on and off all week leading up to the race and my knowledge of previous ventures had me planning for some gloopy racing. Leave the Niner Jet 9 RDO at home, collects too much mud in heavy conditions, stick a 30t on the front of the Haibike Greed Team and have faith in Racing Ralph.
FFwd to the start I think. Light rain, grey sky. Myself and Bongo Marc positioned towards the back of the grid - suitable/sensible. Lead out car pulls away, I'm sure he spun the wheels as he tried to keep ahead of the front runners! I expected a brisk neutralised roll out, but even with the car holding the pack back I was brushing zone 5. Not how I wanted to begin. I had an HR plan to work to, that provided I stuck to, would see me through in good shape. It was just a matter of having faith in it and (hopefully) reeling those back in that had gone off too hard. Simple?!
The race was effectively a 3 leaf clover, 3 major climbs with some smaller lumps in between. Fortunately the climbs wear on hard pack. I'd expected fire roads but it was good to find them on either open trails or nice techy switch back trail centre climbs. Tougher, but more rewarding than an endless, featureless fire road. The descents on the other hand were a different matter. The first was an open mountain side rocky trail that took its fair share of puncture victims. I went past Ant White (24hr guru), George Budd (gentleman Elite racer and kick-ass endurance racer) and Andy Cockburn (Kielder100 winner). All grovelling around in the muck with flats. The remaining descents were a combination of evil trail centre/natural forest descents and open moorland tracks. Roots, ruts, streams, bogs and nasty drop offs. Pleased I cleaned all those without issues. I forgot add that as a bonus the rain abated and the sun made a brief appearance. Arm warmers off! Sucking diesel now (in my own little way!).
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| Towers sucks diesel! |
.JPG) |
| The Greed gets dirty! |
Still on HR plan everything seemed to be running sweet. SRAM XX1 really loves the filth. Not a gear crunch, bumped chain or anything. Quality kit. I caught a small few riders who'd gone off too hard - the plan was working. Better still no-one came past me. Nice. The final climb was up to Minch Moor at Innerleithen, a climb I know well. I have to say, tough though it was, I really enjoyed it. Yes it hurt, but I knew each ramp, each switchback and knew where the top was. I thought I was being caught by a rider at one stage, but I think it was the illusion of the switchback climbing. As I topped out he was a long way down. One last grunt across the last stretch of boggy moorland and up to the final cairn. I caught 2 more racers. One on gloopy the traverse, one on the rutted descent. I just touched 40mph on the rutted, greasy track. Living on the edge! It was then just a matter of keeping pace back to Selkirk. Finish line dib. Game over. The Haibike Greed Team was faultless. I have to say the flexy seat post did seem to save my derrière. That 30t chainring was a wise choice.
13th MV40. Well chuffed really. Top 10 would have been better, but I finished with plenty left. Ok I was way off the 'proper' vets, but 13th in that field stuck a smile on me! Encouraging for the season full of 6 hour+ races.
Ride On! "
Monday 12 May 2014
FNSS is back!
Well, it doesn't seem that long since Nick T was celebrating his runner-up position in last season's Friday Night Summer series, but here we are again! Round 1 of the 2014 series took place on Friday at Borough Hill.
Although Nick T was absent from the Vets race (see other post for details), the Naked Bikes / Haibike / Impsport team made up for it by throwing Nick P and Chris Rathbone into the mix
We're pleased to report that the vets result was a Rathbone - Popham '1-2'
Ross took a top ten position, coming 9th in the U23, while 'fresh from training camp' Mark Proudman took 5th in the Seniors
Top work gents!
Although Nick T was absent from the Vets race (see other post for details), the Naked Bikes / Haibike / Impsport team made up for it by throwing Nick P and Chris Rathbone into the mix
We're pleased to report that the vets result was a Rathbone - Popham '1-2'
Ross took a top ten position, coming 9th in the U23, while 'fresh from training camp' Mark Proudman took 5th in the Seniors
Top work gents!
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| Nick P |
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| Ross |
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| Nick P leading out Chris Rathbone |
Tuesday 6 May 2014
Island life
Although the UK weather has been pretty reasonable of late, it's still not as nice as in the Med, where Naked Bikes rider Mark Proudman has been training. Just to reinforce this, he's sent us a shot of himself working on his tan lines.
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