 |
Eastnor Castle Estate, Ledbury – Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 June 2006
We were treated to glorious weather for the biggest mountain biking event of the year. Despite a patter of rain in the early hours of Saturday morning, the track stayed dry and dusty, and was a shortened course from previous years, making for short, fast laps.
Kate Potter and myself were in the peak of our build training for the Transalp, and we had three big training days back-to-back in the week leading up to Mayhem. Andy (coach and partner) and I needed to be at the venue on Thursday night, so we doubled up training with travelling and I jumped out of the van at Shrewsbury and rode the remaining 60 miles to Eastnor on my Ruby road bike, arriving just in time to find the camp set up and ready. Perfect timing!
We had the luxury of a trade team setup again this year, including the pristine Fenwick’s motorhome and trailer, which was plusher than a hotel. The friendly family atmosphere is what makes Mayhem such a great event, and it was a treat to have a couple of days to chill out and explore before the start of the racing. Specialized had their museum display up, and we were all tempted to take the old Stumpjumpers out for a blast!
This was the first time in 5 years that I would not be racing solo at Mayhem, and it was a strange feeling to be sitting in the team tent during the race, and not out on the track for every lap. The Starlet team entered in the four-person mixed category, along with MBUK staff writer Matt Skinner. Matt was pleased to be back in good shape after a long rehab from a broken knee. Specialized fitted him up with a new Stumpjumper FSR for the weekend, and he was soon smiling despite falling off and dirtying his new jersey on a practice lap before the race.
 |
The odds were against our team from the start, as we were the only elite mixed team to field three women. In fact the top 5 teams in our category had just one woman in each team, and sent them out for only half their share of laps!
Kate Potter puts in another fast lap for the Starlets.
I took first lap duty, which meant fighting my way through the run. I never run in training, even when I have to run for a solo race, and it always amazes me just how inefficient I am without wheels under me. Nonetheless, I got through the first lap in good time, and the big open climbs really helped in breaking up the field and providing plenty of room to overtake. Matt went out next, followed by Kate P, then Kate George.
Everything went smoothly, although Kate P had a run in with a couple of guys who thought it would be fun to try and push her into a tree. She got her own fun blasting past them on the next climb, and clocking what we think was the fastest woman’s lap (unless anyone else beat 36:04) in the process. Andy has decided to try pushing her about before every race!
Matt had a rough lap in the night, feeling sick after a bad snack choice before the first of a double-lap stint. He soon perked up, and was back to good form after a nap in the early hours.
Our team riders all put in a great performance, riding fast, steady laps and doing 9 laps each to finish 6th in our category.
Congratulations to Jenn Hopkins, who rode 25 laps to win the womens solo, all on a singlespeed. Every time I saw her was on a climb, and she was riding past guys pushing their geared bikes. Awesome. Longtime soloist Paul Murrin won the men’s solo with 33 laps, another heroic Mayhem effort.
Well done also to Patterson Training clients George Budd and Nadine Spearing,(winners of the SheCycles Revolution Competition in the fall) both of whom rode their first 24hr solo on the weekend, and both finished third in their categories. Hats off to all the soloists.
The next race for the Starlets will be the third round of the British National Points XC in Drumlanrig in the Scottish Borders on July 8th & 9th, before we start the long drive to Germany for the Transalp on the 15th July.
Photos Courtesy Joolze Dymond, check out all her photos at
www.joolzedymond.com where you can buy your print.
 |
Share