Updated
29 August 2015
Mountain Bike
and Off-Road
2001-2 |
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MTB champs took place on the 10th November 2002 at Crowthorne Wood, Bracknell Road, Crowthorne,
Berkshire
Northern Area Mountain Bike
Championships 2002 Hamsterley Forest, Co Durham - 20 October 2002
The Grand Raid Cristalp
- 131kms Of Heaven And Hell
The Kona 100 MTB
Endurance Race Builth wells, Mid-Wales 7/07/02
Red Bull 24 hour MTB
22/23 June 2002
Results of National Points
Series XC3 , Checkendon, Reading, 9/06/02
Results of National Points
Series XC2 - 12/05/02, Catton Hall, Leicestershire & others
Results of National Points
Series XC1 - Thetford 7/04/02
The 2nd Annual Schwinn 100, Builth Wells, Mid-Wales race
report
Open London C-C Championship 18th Nov
2001
Race report on the Red
Bull 24 Hour MTB - 23/24 June 2001
MTB champs took place on the 10th November 2002 at
Crowthorne Wood, Bracknell Road, Crowthorne, Berkshire.
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The podium:
James L 1st (5th Overall),
Ross 2nd (13th Overall),
James P 3rd (18th Overall) |
James L
bathing in glory,
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James P classic excuse 'Where was the tarmac?' |
We have at
least one De Laune fan |
Northern Area Mountain Bike
Championships 2002 Hamsterley Forest, Co Durham 6-11-02
Although there was no Northern Area Series (equivalent to
the SAMS or ERMA down South) this year, an Area Championships was arranged on
the 20th October as a stand-alone race. I'd never been to Hamsterley Forest
before although it has been used as an NPS venue in the past. The 5-mile course
was a mix of fire road climbs and beautiful flowing single-track descents
threading through the pine forests. It reminded me quite strongly of Thetford
Forest and also of the Surrey Hills course at Bagshot. There was about 800ft of
climbing per lap, split into 3 main climbs on fire road and a little bit of
single-track climbing. The circuit was reasonably hard-packed probably because
of the sub-zero temperatures at night putting a frost on everything.
The turnout for the Expert race was reasonable, about a
dozen people braving the bitter temperatures. At the gun, one rider shot off the
front never to be seen again as the course climbed half a mile up some fire road
before turning a sharp left into some twisty single-track through the bracken. I
worked with another rider, the two of us swapping between 2nd and 3rd place as
we tried to close down the leader. It soon became apparent that we didn't stand
a chance of catching up with him and the two of us worked together for half the
race. On the third lap, my competitor had obviously assessed my weak points and
he attacked on a rooty descent through the trees, leaving me trailing in his
wake and bouncing over the 8-inch high roots. I was alone for a while although I
caught glimpses of people through the trees, usually Sport category riders
(who'd started a minute ahead of us). At the start of the last lap, the 4th
placed Expert rider caught up with me and attacked almost immediately. The cold
was starting to affect me by this point and I held him for as long as possible
before giving up to the inevitable and letting him ride off in front. I rode the
final technical descent, splashed through the cold river at the bottom and then
there was just one brief climb and descent to the finish. I crossed the line in
5th place after 1hr50 of racing.
Next year there are plans for a full series of races,
which I will be concentrating on.
James Lyon
The MTB National Points Series Overview 28-08-02
The last race in the MTB National Points Series took place
at Trentham Gardens in Staffordshire on 11th August and James Lyon and myself
made the journey to take part. To get an overall series position you have to
start all four races in the series with your best three results to count. The
course was fairly difficult due to the previous week or so of heavy rain but
after a quick change of tyres I was ready for the off. I had a relatively good
start and raced a cautious race until the last lap when I attacked to finish
19th on the day. This was enough to give me an overall position of 12th in the
Masters category for the season which is encouraging for my first full season
racing in the National Points Series and the aim next year has to be for a top
ten position overall. James Lyon suffered a mid-race loss in form and retired
but with three results in the bag all ready he ended up with a solid series
position of 24th in the Expert category.
Ross Fryer
Nick Sutcliffe...playing in the woods |
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Ross, Beastway 2001 |
Nick Kinsey 3rd in the National Vets Cyclo-Cross. |
James and Ross battle it out at Beastway |
