The sixth linking stage heads to the hills for epic scenery and descents before the final special stage – the NiteRider Night Time Trial – notches the racing up a whole magnitude of scale, reports Matt Skinner in the seventh of his daily reports…

Linking Stage Six

• Moffat to Peebles
• Total distance: 62km
• Climbing: 2,100m
  

  Followed by: Special Stage Four

• NiteRider night time time-trial, Glentress Forest
• Total distance: 10km
• Climbing: 400mThe penultimate day of the Chain Reaction Cycles TransScotland (Powered by Merida Bikes) kicked off from Moffat at 9am this morning. Heading out into the big country once more, the linking stage took the riders 62km to Glentress, together with 2,000m of climbing to wring out yet more ounces of energy from their battle-worn legs. It was a day that would be both testing and rewarding as epic open country riding and trails of the highest calibre gave back for all the gravity dues paid on the four major climbs and portages. But come the end of the day, things were still not done: there was the question of the final and deciding special stage to consider. And that itself would be a truly special night time affair…

  The day’s linking stage was stuffed with idyllic back country scenery, highlighted lovingly by the sun’s rays caressing every sinew and contour of the land.

  Out of Moffat, the stage headed up and onto the Southern Upland Way and into some serious climbing and vistas. With no rest for the wicked, the riders hauled themselves up to around 300m to grab some epic big hill views before arriving to refuel with more High5 at Ettrickhill. The trails then surged upwards over Ramsay Knowe before descending and hurling the riders down its grassy flanks at speed towards the picturesque St Mary’s Loch. From there, the trail wound its way along the loch’s shore before diving headlong for the hills once more. After all the huff and puff of the monster 600m haul up Birkscairn Hill, the riders took flight on one of the all-time classic descents in the south of Scotland. 6km of open hill drove road which follows a long ridge north to the edge of Peebles: in places steep and rocky, rutted and ready for a maul, whilst in others smooth and super fast as it flits maniacally downwards, rushing headlong into the picturesque town below. A final climb out of town and into Glentress forest then gave way to the rider’s first introduction with some of the world class trails in the forest that would play host to the final special stage.

  The NiteRider night time-trial

  Under the quickly descending blanket of darkness, the first riders – Ryan Bevis and Jonathan Pugh of RAM Bikes and Scott UK – took their places for the final special stage team time trial, the NiteRider night time-trial, at 10pm. When the countdown began, they would tear down the ramp and into the encroaching darkness, to lay waste to the 10km course composed of both technical natural trail with off-camber turns, Tefon coated roots and drop-offs together with a generous selection of Glentress’ purpose built fast and flowing singletrack. But unlike the Dalbeattie special stage, their cumulative times would decide their placing. And with everything up for grabs, there was nothing left to do but flick the HID switch and put the pedal to the metal and break on through the dark.

  It took just 27 minutes for the fastest rider to blitz the course and return to the atmospheric start/finish area high in the forest absolutely buzzing. With music and plenty of fine food laid on by the folks from The Hub, owned and run by former world cup racers Emma Guy and Tracey Brunger, to welcome them back the racers were soon breaking out the beers and stories of ghostly near-misses. “It was fantastic,” BeOne rider, open male soloist and World Cup Marathon racer, Simon Loughlin told me afterwards (pictured). “It was actually the first time I’d raced with a proper light and it was my best time trial result of the event – I got fourth. There are no distractions as there’s just the pin of light and that’s all you can see. It was a real buzz as the trails were absolutely superb.”

  The night stage begins…

  In the Scottish Borders Open Female Solo category, Meggie Bichard (Extreme Endurance) continued her dominance by taking the win by almost three clear minutes. Whilst in the men’s, the closely fought competition between Ben Thompson (Nevis Cycles) and Whyte Bikes’ Andy Barlow saw Ben getting the upper hand this time around by just 11 seconds, with Mansour Youssef (Fusion Bikes) securing third 47 seconds behind.

  The Scottish Borders Veteran Women Solo category saw Julie Dinsdale consolidate her new-found lead following Mabie’s time trial, by taking the win by around three and a half minutes up on second place Tatjana Troll. Elsewhere, Rob Waller (ERC One Week Younger) stormed the course in 31:24, a few seconds up on second placed Antony Green (G A Cylces/gonebikinmad) in the Scottish Borders Veteran Men’s Solo Category.

  Maddie and Jay Horton (XC Racer.com/Trek) continued to reign supreme in the High5 Mixed Category with another white-wash of the competition. They dominated by a five minute winning margin on the technical course against their closest placed competitors, Alice Crook and Neil Hamblin (Cakemonsters), with Joy Bringer and Richard Morgan (Whitehousecampsite.co.uk) rounding out the top three some 10 minutes behind.

  Similarly strong were Gore Veteran Category Bryan Singleton and Peter Strong (Global/Torq/Buff) who took the win ahead of doggedly determined Robert Barker and Mark Langdon (Sportstest.co.uk). In the Buff Women’s Category, Julie Cartner and Renell Brennan (7Stanes) again put in a very strong performance by finishing nine minutes up on second placed Sally Lee and Kate Chappell (Extreme Endurance).

  Finally, in the BeOne Male Category, OC leaders Ryan Bevis and Jonathan Pugh (RAM Bikes/Scott UK) proved just too strong for local pairing Andrew Wardman and Steven Halsall (7Stanes) by blasting the course into a thousand smithereens with a time of 27:09, two minutes and eight seconds up on the 7Stanes boys.

  With the tensions released and aching bodies dulled by overactive adrenal glands, riders could contemplate that there was just one more day to go, and that the end was very much in sight. But for now, there was beer to be drunk and the rush of night racing on world class singletrack to savour. For tomorrow is another day, and with it will come the very final linking stage from Glentress to Selkirk to bring the Chain Reaction Cycles TransScotland (Powered by Merida Bikes) finally full-circle…

  Special Stage Three Results

  Scottish Tourism Women’s Solo Open Category

• 1 – Meggie Bichard (Extreme Endurance): 35:57
• 2 – Christie Boucher: 38:49
• 3 – Helen Lambert: 42:57
  

  Scottish Tourism Men’s Solo Open Category

• 1 – Ben Thompson (Nevis Cycles): 27:43
• 2 – Andy Barlow (Whyte Bikes): 27:54
• 3 – Mansour Youssef (Fusion Bikes): 28:39
  

  Scottish Tourism Veteran Women’s Solo Category

• 1 – Julie Dinsdale: 43:41
• 2 – Tatjana Troll: 47:17
• 3 – Hilary Bloor (Team Planetfear): 54:32
  

  Scottish Tourism Veteran Men’s Solo Category

• 1 – Rob Waller (ERC One Week Younger): 31:24
• 2 – Antony Green (G A Cylces/gonebikinmad): 31:45
• 3 – Matt Scrase (MTB Marathon.co.uk): 33:23
  

  High5 Mixed Category

• 1 – Maddie Horton & Jay Horton (XC Racer.com/Trek): 34:25
• 2 – Alice Crook & Neil Hamblin (Cakemonsters): 39:27
• 3 – Joy Bringer & Richard Morgan (Whitehousecampsite.co.uk): 44:40
  

  Gore Veteran’s Category

• 1 – Bryan Singleton & Peter Strong (Global/Torq/Buff): 33:16
• 2 – Robert Barker & Mark Langdon (Sportstest.co.uk): 34:26
• 3 – Mario Brunello & Fulvio Damian (Police Team Italia): 39:07
  

  Buff Female Category

• 1 – Julie Cartner & Renel Brennan (7Stanes): 37:25
• 2 – Sally Lee & Kate Chappell (Extreme Endurance): 46:40
  

  BeOne Male Category

• 1 – Ryan Bevis & Jonathan Pugh (RAM Bikes/Scott UK): 27:09
• 2 – Andrew Wardman & Steven Halsall (7Stanes): 29:17
• 3 – David Preston & Chris Herraghty (Hoop Troop): 29:38