Squadron Team Blog: Round Up

It's been a busy few months for RGsquadron riders since Mount St Ash!

Elliot Machin (Elite) has had some good results and a few instances of plain old bad luck, but his 5th at the Welsh Champs is a podium to be proud of! Getting out to Pila for the IXS cup was a real highlight for Elliot and is the first of a proper international career for Elliot. Elliot picked a fight with a tree at the final of the Halo BDS and dropped from 12th in seeding to 22nd, still a strong showing, considering.

09 Oct 2011	2011 Halo BDS #5	Caersws	Elite	Racers Guild / Readytoride	22nd	28	22%	2:15.09
28 Aug 2011	2011 North Wales Series #3 & Welsh Champs	Caersws	Elite	RG Squadron/Readytoride	5th	9	50%	2:13.39
14 Aug 2011	2011 IXS European Cup #5	Pila	Elite	RG Squadron/Readytoride	55th	187	71%	4:37.31
31 Jul 2011	2011 Pearce Cycles #4	Bala	Elite	Racers Guild / Readytoride	12th	15	21%	2:58.44
24 Jul 2011	BDS - UK National Champs '11	Llangollen	Senior (champs)	RG Squadron/Readytoride	34th	134	75%	2:30.05

Andy Hughes (Senior) is consistently brilliant, and consistently improving, some tough luck at the National Champs aside, Andy's getting ever closer to a national podium and will almost certainly be moving up to Expert next year.

09 Oct 2011	2011 Halo BDS #5	Caersws	Senior	Racers Guild	11th	37	72%	2:22.40
28 Aug 2011	2011 North Wales Series #3 & Welsh Champs	Caersws	Senior	Racers Guild	13th	57	79%	2:26.05
24 Jul 2011	BDS - UK National Champs '11	Llangollen	Senior (champs)	Racers Guild	55th	134	59%	2:36.21

Adam Halling (Senior, www.thebikeschool.net) had a tough weekend at the national championships and didn't bond with the track, despite his awesome result the at the previous round of the BDS, and that affected his result. Adam bounced back with a 13th at Bala, but DNF'd at Pila in his first international. Caersws produced a strong 25th. Adam will almost certainly be in Expert next year.

09 Oct 2011	2011 Halo BDS #5	Caersws	Senior	Racers Guild	25th	37	33%	2:32.75
14 Aug 2011	2011 IXS European Cup #5	Pila	Elite	Racers Guild / thebikeschool.net	-	187	0%
31 Jul 2011	2011 Pearce Cycles #4	Bala	Senior	n/a	13th	94	87%	3:14.13
24 Jul 2011	BDS - UK National Champs '11	Llangollen	Senior (champs)	Racers Guild	82nd	134	39%	2:47.95

Mick Whyte's (Veteran) final race of the year was at Bala for the 4th round of the Pearce series. A fantastic race pace placed him 5th. Mick's jet-set lifestyle saw him miss the last round of the Pearce series in exchange for a trip to Whistler (Who wouldn't?!) where, by all acounts, he pinned it like a legend for two solid weeks until an unfortunate tumble snapped his collarbone. Missing the last race dropped Mick back slightly and meant he placed 6th overall in the Pearce Series, an awesome showing for his first year of racing. A winter's recovery should see Mick back on the bike and back to kicking ass in the Veterans catagory for RGsquadron next year!

31 Jul 2011

2011 Pearce Cycles #4

Bala

Veteran

Racers Guild

5th

79%

3:32.85

Jim Lycett (Junior) had a tough old time at Bala with his bike letting him down on the start line, but despite being chainless, he pinned it down the hill, pumping like a lunatic to a safe 33rd, a few weeks later at Bucknell, he returned to form with a good showing, 29th place, but only 14% off the fastest time in category. Jim did enough to earn himself 19th overall at the Pearce series. An excellent result for his first year of racing, and realistically only his second year on a downhill bike.