Chaz Curry (words) and Felix Smith (snaps) bring us the goods from round 1 of the Woodlands Winter Series.
The first race of the season is always a buzzy little affair. Newbies and old hands line up with fresh faced enthusiasm, eager to see if their winter training regime (or lack of it) will make them the new hero of the hill.
And so it was that 80 odd adrenalin charged challengers found themselves at the start ramp of Round 1 of the Woodland Riders Winter series. Practice started at twenty to ten. Bikes and riders all adorned with shiny trinkets fresh from Santa’s bulging sack started merrily throwing themselves down the hill with gay abandon. It wasn’t long before those who had been putting their feet up (some enforced but most voluntarily) were being found out. Complaints that they were ‘not feeling it’ and ‘knackered by the first fire road’ (crossing) started to work their way up the hill, gathering pace like an out of control snowball. By the time practice came to a close at 11:45am the flow of riders to the start ramp had thinned to a trickle. An opulent Christmas and pedaly top section were taking their toll.
Lunch meant time to check in with my spies. The surprise was in the form of who wasn’t doing well rather than who was. However, Ash Mullane’s (Kustom Bikes) new training program seemed to be working for him and time spent on his ‘Crosser’ had not dulled his blade. Jay Williamson (Wideopenmag) was looking ‘on it’ despite reports from Ash himself that he was ‘sounding like he was dying of a cold’. A brief chat with Jay confirmed this, he looked pale and leaden eyed but his irrepressible enthusiasm is a powerful ally and was standing him in good stead. That was who was ‘hot’, the list of who was not was a fair bit longer.
A burger van que found the suave and slick-witted Don Howe sporting a muddied shoulder. He had been one of the many caught out by the ‘tricky’ doubles. I have long been a fan of his smooth unhurried style but my spies were telling me that he was looking out of sorts. Maybe time on a motorbike had knocked the edges off for him, or maybe it was time on the golf course…The Deakinator was another feeling the strain. A pre Christmas opp on a long term foot injury was obviously still giving him trouble and no amount of sympathy and back slapping was going to make up for it today.
By 12:30 the temperature had dropped but the battleship grey skies had as yet not produced any of the wet stuff. The first lady of Mountain Biking Sam Cann had taken her place as our starter for the afternoon and yours truly was organizing the rowdy rabble in to some sort of order. The chill air was thick with nervous banter as each racer took their place and launched in to their run. It was unmistakably the first race of the season as everyone was where they should be in good time, all eager to get going. The Outlaw Riders seemed to be taking over the world with swollen ranks of uniformed racers each as comically gifted as the next.
First runs were over in a flash and early reports were that Jay and Ash were on the same second but no one knew who was in front of who, intriguing. Ryan Tunnel had come out of the winter looking fresh and the seemingly indestructible Bow Cann was proving that riding a bike definitely has a genetic element to it. Owen Willicombe’s (Kustom Bikes) winter had treated him well even if it hadn’t made him in to Trinny OR Suzanna as his post race choice of knitwear confirmed. Andy Boyle was doing his best to win a £10 voucher for the shop he now owns (Dartmoor Cycles) and John Cobb was proving that being a distinguished gentleman of a certain age doesn’t mean you have to slow down even if you do start to look at stair lifts longingly.
Second runs were over as quickly as the first with a few notable absences. Little changed except the temperature or was it just that I was stood around doing not much except for shouting and as fun as that is it’s not well known for it’s thermal properties.
It turned out to be a day for the local boys with Harry Steer taking third place in seniors (amongst notable company) and this reporter’s ride of the day prize.
The Woodland Riders Winter races have evolved in the last few years to become some of the best run and well supported in the South West race calendar, this is largely down to the dogged efforts of Chaz Lamley and I think all those present would like to join me in thanking him and his long suffering wife Mandy for another great event.
If you are interested in entering round two (Feb 26th) visit www.woodlandriders-racing.co.uk and enter online.
Toodle Pip all.
Results
Juvenile
1st Jack Hewlett
2nd Matt Bryant
3rd Kieran Atherton
Senior men
1st Ash Mullane (Kustom Bikes)
2nd Jay Williamson (Widopenmag)
3rd Hary Steer (Woodland Riders)
Junior Men
1st Ryan Tunnel
2nd Bow Cann
3rd Charlie Ross
Hardtail
1st Sam Acland
Youth
1st Owen Willicombe
2nd James Cook
3rd Jack Bell
Ripper
1st Charlie Scutt
Master Men
1st Andy Boyle (Dartmoor Cycles)
2nd Lee Patemore
3rd Andrew Mc Robbie
Verteran Men
1st John Cobb
2nd Sam Shields
3rd Matt Oakley
