NPS Season Wrap Up (and a bit of winning philosophy)

Well well well, this was my final NPS race accompanying the original two Squadron riders selected last year for the team. A time to savor all that is good about the downhill scene in the UK and time to reflect on the year gone by before I move back to the states.

Twelve months ago some money had been found to put two talented local riders from the Racer’s Guild through the NPS - Britain’s highest level race series, and Swinnerton’s Cycles in Stoke had stepped in with a really generous offer to support the team. Elliot Machin and Greg Hampton were it.

These guys had ambitious goals for the season. Elliot was shooting for top tens, and they both wanted to advance to the Expert class. But downhill racing is a very finicky sport. A bad result is only one tiny slip or miscalculation away in this highly competitive, you-only-get-one-run series. It turned out to be a turbulent season. One team member would walk away happy, the other somewhat disappointed.

But lets get on with Rheola, the final race of the series. Three and a half minutes of fine downhill riding, starting with open rocky chaos and then diving into the trees for fast and flowing mildly technical singletrack. Below are some track pics I took (with unknown riders) to give you a feel for the place if you’ve never been.

Rheola, an old, weathered, and quite legendary track in the mining valleys of South Wales, and a perfect setting to cap off the season. From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

The weather was warm and sunny but the lush, dense forest deep in this valley held on to any moisture it could get it's tentacles around. From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

This is a small rock drop half way down. The track may not sound too difficult, but it was claiming more than its fair share of pinched tubes and fallen riders. They descended out of the woods on foot bloodied and broken. From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

Did I mention roots? The ground was tricky…a bit more clay, somewhat slippy and unpredictable despite being relatively dry. A strange middle ground. From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

The track dropped like a bag of rocks into the finish. From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

The finish and pits was tucked amongst decaying concrete monoliths from the mining era which seemed to trap the cold air into this corner of the forest. From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

Despite this track being a formidable opponent, Greg and Elliot were taking it in stride, managing their offs and largely taking command of the track in practice. But come race time, not all was perfect. Elliot was feeling a bit dehydrated and Greg was having problems with trees not getting out of the way. Greg’s seeding run found his body further downhill than his bike, with at least 20 seconds lost in the recovery. His race run was much better, but two small mistakes robbed him of the result he’d hoped for. His final time of 3:36 landed him back in 26th position (Junior class), a finish that doesn’t really represent Greg’s full speed potential.

Greg tried to keep it low for control. Sorry about the watermark, I've ordered a full size one but it's not come yet! Photo by Jacob Gibbons, duh! From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

Elliot had eaten something dodgy from the local heart attack shack and was looking a bit pasty. His seeding run went pretty well under the circumstances, and he placed a remarkable 7th with a mostly clean run. By race run time, his condition had deteriorated a bit, and he ended up going two seconds slower. Elliot has come a long way in his riding though, and despite not being razor sharp, he still managed to take 9th place with a 3:25 (Senior class), a real testament to his consistency.

Elliot, hot even when not feeling so, ummmm, hot. Photo by Dave Franciosy From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

Season Wrap Up

Although Greg would probably prefer not to dwell on this, his season was pretty rocky:

NPS 1, Ae Forest: 45th (crash)
NPS 2, Llangollen: DNF (seeding crash / injury)
NPS 3, Ft William: 25th
NPS 4, Caersws: Skipped due to injury
NPS 5, Rheola: 26th

Overall: 49th in Juniors

What a stark contrast to his fantastic 5th place podium finish in the final standings of this year's Pearce Series! How could two race series go so dramatically different? The NPS is undoubtedly more competitive and takes place on tougher tracks. The pressure is higher, and you only get one run rather than two at Pearce. So there is no margin for error. Consistency is paramount. More on that later...

Note: Remember, the Junior class is much more competitive than the Senior class because Juniors are too young for the Elite and Expert classes, meaning all the talent is retained in the Junior class. To give you an idea, the top Juniors are also competing in World Cups!

Greg by Dave Franciosy From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

Elliot's season had three top ten finishes, with a spectacular overall result:

NPS 1, Ae Forest: 12th
NPS 2, Llangollen: 17th
NPS 3, Ft William: 10th
NPS 4, Caersws: 7th
NPS 5, Rheola: 9th

Overall: 7th in Seniors

All I can say is congratulations and great job Elliot!

Elliot in his new practice kit. Got to make you wonder if his rods and cones are all messed up or something. From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

Analysis

Now anyone who has seen Greg and Elliot duke it out at a RG event might not have predicted these results. The occasionally intense and competitive Mr. Precision (Greg) vs. the reserved and laid back Mr. Sketch (Elliot). Despite what the casual observer might think to Mr. Sketch's drifty and loose riding style, he has shown this season that he can consistently stick his race runs when the start light goes green. And while speed may win races, you need consistency to do well in the overall series. The series results show that pretty clearly.

You need to look no further than World Cup pros to see how important consistency is to the overall title. Peaty, Minnaar, and Hill all had a crash or mechanical that, had it not happened, would have secured them the World Cup overall this year. One tiny mistake, one rock rolling the wrong way, one slip, one misjudgement, one pinch flat and that’s it. Lucky for them, fate would visit each of the top three in kind this year, keeping them all on a level playing field.

The World Cup Overall podium. From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

So how do you develop the kind of consistency that can lead to success in a World Cup, NPS, or even a regional race? We had a think about it. It’s a combined effect, and it doesn’t all happen on the bike.

Certainly practice is #1. Getting out on your bike regularly is definitely key. I asked Greg after the racing was done how many times he’d been out on the his DH bike in the past month. His reply? Only at the races. Maybe not enough.

And training? Essential. It separates the Elites and Experts from the rest of the field. Good physical condition, good diet, getting to the gym, being mentally sharp and focused, all necessary at this level.

But there’s more, and it encompasses life in a broader sense.

Elliot has not always had consistent results. But this year his life had settled down a bit - he’s got a steady job, income, and he’s able to focus on his goal of top tens at the races. Greg on the other hand has gone through exams, results, university choices, moving out of home, starting university. And he’s had multiple injuries throughout the season to overcome, two of which kept him out of the NPS races. But certainly, if your life is calm, you’ll be calm and more able to focus on your racing and get that valuable training and practice in.

Did you notice who had stand out seasons in the World Cup? Mik Hannah and Steve Peat come to mind. Mik took the prior season out, got some rest and relaxation, worked in the garden and got married. Peaty had a second kid and has become a real family man. He has chilled out and is noticeably more relaxed at races.

It took two kids, the last one delivered in the back of the family Volvo, to get Peaty to relax enough about his racing to finally win a World Championship. From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

On the other hand you’ve got Gee, whose life is closely intertwined with his brother and sister, both of whom have had injury ridden seasons, with Rachel having serious shoulder surgery and sitting the whole season out. Gee’s not been able to convert this season like he expected to – it’s just not come together for him. It’s starting to make sense isn’t it? Life off the track could be just as important as skill on the track.

Now I'm gonna get a wee bit philosophical...

So there is something to be said for getting your life together – perhaps not to go fast, but to achieve consistency and achieve your goals. Of course, life isn't always in our control. Chance sometimes deals us a bad hand. I'd say when times are hard, don’t expect your racing to turn things around for you because it may not happen. Just enjoy riding your bike and hanging with friends. Riding has always been an escape for me. If this season wasn't your best performance, make the best life decisions you can, live right, think of others first and hopefully things will come around next season. (By the way Greg, this wasn’t directed at you! Or anyone in particular. In fact, I don't even know why I typed it!)

Elliot by Dave Franciosy From Squadron NPS 5 Rheola

A Final Word

It has been a priveledge and one heck of a good time to join these guys over the course of the year. That includes Andy H and Elliot G as well. Their riding has been inspirational and their friendship amazing. And behind these guys are some very good Dads. Mark, Paul, and Peter have all been instrumental in the success of their sons and making the team work. It's been fun - no doubt I will miss this a lot when I'm 6000 miles away. Thanks guys.

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