The first DH race of the 2008 season and climate change was fully on display. Crisp fresh April air, sunshine, snow, bright sunshine, dust, sunshine again, sleet - this race had it all!

Cwmcarn is one of only three locations (that I know of) in the UK that has a permanent and dedicated DH uplift service and this allows locals to get lots of rides in and learn the track. I actually fall into this category and could probably do the Cwmcarn track in my sleep now, or with my blast shield down using the force (You might not get that reference if you don't like Star Wars!).

Thankfully, the track is pretty much all weather at Cwmcarn, so the variable conditions didn't really have a major bearing on things. For those that aren't familiar with this track, its a mixture of high speed sections, technical sections, jumps, berms and off camber singletrack - it has a bit of everything, and thankfully doesn't get too affected by the weather. The track was designed and built by Elite Rider Rowan Sorrell, who not surprisingly took the overall title at this race.

Having dialled myself in on this course earlier in the week (taking a sneaky day off work), I actually forfeited Saturday's open practise and seeding session to go trail riding at Afan (a decision I was later to regret). Come Sunday, and aching limbs after 5 hours in the saddle on Saturday, I dragged myself out of bed and headed down the motorway - something Gummy and Aidan allegedly couldn't do because of snow blocked roads around Reading - actually I think they just wanted a lie in together reading the Sunday paper and exchanging sweet pillow talk to each other. Team boss Bromley was also absent from this race having separated and dislocated his shoulder (Grade 3), and some other injuries, which I can't quite recall, probably all AIDS related? So, it was left to me to carry the can....I mean flag!

Arriving late at a packed car park (300 riders), I ran around to get myself signed in and on the uplift - just in time to squeeze one practise run in. No course changes thankfully, but I did manage to stack twice on my practise run - doofus!

Then onto my race run. Having forgone the seeding run on Saturday I found myself mixed in with the 'also-rans' of masters - something which I now regret! Stupidly I didn't give the rider in front of me a discretionary 1 minute gap...and so I set off. Relaxed and feeling surprisingly fresh I concentrated on minimising my braking and letting the bike roll down the course letting gravity do its thing. Through the technical wooded section my Socom (and great bike handling skills, of course!!!) came into their own and I nailed this section like never before. Then disaster! I caught up the rider before me coming off the road crossing. I actually got on his back wheel by the off camber cattlegrid. I must have shouted rider 20 times, and every time I tried to pass he closed the door and took my line. Coming off the hip jump and bridge in the lower section I almost landed my front wheel on his back! And still he wouldn't let me pass. I actually crossed the finish line with my fist in the air shaking at the goon in front who alleged he 'didn't hear me'. This hold-up must have cost me 5 seconds at least, but amazingly I went into the lead by 3 seconds, posting 3:17! Very annoyed though! Amazingly, Jason actually granted my request for a re-run, but I think my relaxed xen like riding state had been destroyed and I posted 3:17 again, this time without hold-ups (how does that happen!?). After the first set of runs I was 4th. Then on the second race run, tired, I posted...3:17 again - enough for 5th.

So, all in all a pretty decent result for me and the Rapidracers without our 'big guns' in attendance, but very much a case of what could have been. A certain podium place lost, but a lesson learnt - give slow riders a bigger gap and pack weapons if they can't hear you shouting in their ear!!

Category : Master Male
1 Joe Bishop 00:03:08:199 00:03:25:005 00:03:08:199
2 Stephen Russell Bad Ass Bikes 458679 00:03:11:668 00:03:09:987 00:03:09:987 + 00:00:01:788
3 Adrian Paul 00:03:19:300 00:03:15:733 00:03:15:733 + 00:00:07:534
4 Andy Fowkes Tony Fowkes Automobile 00:03:16:060 00:03:16:501 00:03:16:060 + 00:00:07:861
5 Paul Mackie RapidRacers.com 00:03:17:392 00:03:17:702 00:03:17:392 + 00:00:09:193
6 Shaun Bevan Extreme Culture 00:03:22:317 00:03:17:610 00:03:17:610 + 00:00:09:411
7 Mark Weightman Leisure Lakes 00:03:17:715 00:03:20:594 00:03:17:715 + 00:00:09:516
8 Dean Williams Extreme Culture 00:03:17:971 00:03:18:669 00:03:17:971 + 00:00:09:772
9 Ben Greenland Bad Ass Bikes 00:03:21:462 00:03:18:516 00:03:18:516 + 00:00:10:317
10 Colin Jacoby 00:03:18:888 00:03:25:291 00:03:18:888 + 00:00:10:689