Round four of the Pearce Series was held at the infamous Bala track and saw some good results for local riders. Despite falling off in both race runs (and cracking his right knee a good'un) Sam Maddison still managed 17th place in the Juniors with a time of 3:16.
In the Seniors Adam Halling was 13th in a field of 88 riders! His time of 3:07 was only 8 seconds of a podium finish. In the Expert Catergory, Squadron rider Elliot Machin just managed to crack the 3 minute barrier with a very rapid 2:59.
Elliot M, Andy H and myself decided to cap the season with the Descent-Gear Unclipped race at Moelfre. We were joined by a flock of folks from Racer's Guild for what will be a very memorable weekend! Check out the Racer's Guild site to see how the rest did.
We had a few mechanical issues on Saturday, as despite not being too rocky, Moelfre is an abusive track. It's very high speed and the suspension does a lot of work handling the high speed stuff as well as a few massive bottom outs. The rear end on Andy's bike decided enough was enough and went bang. Eight blown spokes was the obvious problem, but when Andy took off the wheel and the freehub fell on the floor - well that was another problem - in the shape of a snapped axle. I, of course, was on the case, and put together a master plan which would end up wasting most of Andy's morning Sunday morning. I'd found a guy who might be able to get the part, and if not, he'd loan him a spare wheel. We ended up with the spare wheel, a lovely DT Swiss number which didn't like Maxxis tires one bit. It took two guys to stretch the beads into submission, and they pinched two tubes in the process! When the rotor and cassette were finally on, Andy slipped it into the swingarm only to realize, much to his dismay, that it was a 150 mm hub, not 135 mm as we had all assumed. So that was the morning wasted, as well as a paragraph of words, so let's get on with the racing!
I was enjoying the weekend and feeling confident having had loads of clean practice runs, but such cleanliness would elude me for both race runs. Still, among the slower Masters I managed 8th place with a 2:41. The important thing is that I beat Richie! (Barely.) Photo by Jeron Holy. From Squadron Moelfre 2009
Another shot of Elliot during practice. Photo by Jeron Holy. From Squadron Moelfre 2009
Andy decided to race on his broken axle and pulled a very solid 2:29 out of the bag. I was well impressed and didn't know if Elliot could beat it. Andy is a strong pedaller, and I know he was on it the whole way down the hill. But a season of racing the NPS has turned Elliot into a truly formidable racer. Elliot would take 8 seconds out of Andy with a staggering 2:21, which would land him 3rd in Seniors and faster than all the Experts!
Andy's run put him in 12th place in Seniors, but it was certainly not slow - he would have been 3rd in Expert. It just so happens that Seniors is ultra competitive with guys about to move into the Expert category in 2010 - including our Elliot - an awesome achievement!
I got lucky with the camera and managed to click this beauty of Elliot gapping into one of the last drops on the course. There was only maybe two other guys jumping this line, everyone else was going around. It was one of those lines that I didn't even see, let along contemplate attempting! Elliot hits it super clean and throws in some style along the way as he aims to land on the rocky face of the drop…massive! From Squadron Moelfre 2009
Is that George W Bush? Nope, it's Elliot Machin, 3rd place in the Seniors class. From Squadron Moelfre 2009
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 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!
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.
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!)
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.
Andy bags 3rd at English Champs / Caersws Cup Rnd 3
Just got off the phone with Andy and am totally stoked that he's finally taken a podium in the Senior class. Andy is amazingly fast to watch, but his results weren't really showing it this year due to perhaps a bit of over-zealous riding and a bit of bad luck. But this Caersws track with some new sections suited his strong pedalling style well, and he made some tricky tyre choices on race day to gain a bit more time.
It sounded like practice was a bit rough, both for Andy and Elliot Jr, who banged his bad knee and had to call it a weekend - healing vibes mate! Then there was biblical rain Saturday night, which didn't do the track any favours. But Andy managed to nail both race runs. Well, he said he'd had one slip up overcooking it into a treed section in his first run, but he still was 5th, so that's pretty much nailed in my book. His second run must have been really sweet to bust him into 3rd...only 0.2 from 2nd. Way to go Andy, we are pumped for you!
The guys got on me for falling behind on the race reports, so I won't be letting that happen again! Make sure you check back tomorrow for Squadron Crapcam video with interviews. Special thanks to our sponsors Swinnerton Cycles in Stoke (www.swinnertoncycles.co.uk) for taking care of the team bikes after a total thrashing this weekend.
Summer is road-trippin season. On our way! Loch Lomond just north of Glasgow was a sheet of glass. Anticipation was high, Greg wanted a solid result since his last two NPSs didn't go so well, and Elliot has been shooting for a top ten all season. I tried to keep the pressure off because Ft. William is a massive course, certainly polar poles apart from Stile Cop!
An omenous cloud hangs over the summit of Anoch Mor, which is a couple hours hike from Ben Nevis, the tallest peak in the UK. This is the finish area you've probably all seen if you've followed any World Cup action in the past decade. The white glowing rectangle between the cloud and the treeline is the gondola top station, and you can see a thin ribbon of track from the top. The course is 5-6 minutes long depending on how you hit it, but it will be the hardest 5-6 minutes you will ever experience. I could not get down it without stopping at least twice to recover strength in my arms and hands. The top section gets very rocky and sucks the energy out of you, making it difficult to even pull the brakes! I was glad I wasn't racing...it is such a punisher!
We had the shonkiest pits by far! We'd lost a corner junction thingy for our expensive £15 professional gazebo, so we stuck a Berlingo in its place. Shade was necessary, the weather was tropical.
No soggy, midge infested campsites for the Squadron, only top class luxury accomodation! At least for half of us...Elliot and co stayed in a shack with an overgrown garden run by a grumpy old man and his bed-ridden housewife who was laid face down in bed in the same position all weekend. She may have even been dead, we're not sure. Ours was a pure delight though, witness my purple room in which everything was purple except the gold guilded mirror and red leather chair. Simply sumptuous, especially if you're a drag queen. (Hmm, I wonder if this had anything to do with how I minced down the track?)
Enough about beds. Greg coming over the rise right before the big compression on the motorway. Gives you some sense of the scale. You hit this flat out. (By the way, it's not actually Greg, but I figured you can't tell.)
Elliot tried to chat up these chicks. Elliot: "Hey girls, want to see me with my shirt off?" Paul: "Oh no, not again." Mark: "You can't be serious." Second girl from left: ...well just look at her face.
Greg clearing the final triple - barely! These jumps are so difficult with zero strength. Greg took the strategy of cruising his qualifying run to save energy, although 5:50 is still faster than I could ever go. He then shaved 13 seconds off for his race run for a 5:37, placing him around 25th in Juniors. That's a very solid result in perhaps the most competitive class. The top 15 in his class will move into Expert next year...maybe even Elite at the speeds they're going.
You reckon those girls were still watching from the fence? Both Elliot and Greg cleared this triple and sprinted to the finish, which I can't figure how it's humanly possible - even got a comment from race announcer Si Paton! Elliot took a different strategy and went pretty hard on his qualifier to learn the track at race speed and see where he placed. His 5:39 qualifier put him in 12th - awesome! He reckoned he couldn't go much faster than that, but then Greg came down with his 5:37. A bit of rivalry never hurts in racing. In his race run, Elliot laid off the brakes and carried more speed where his brain and body were saying NOOOOO! He shaved 8 seconds off his time for a 5:31 and first top ten finish! We were all stoked, occassionally acting decidedly unbritish, pats on the back, etc. I sprayed some stranger opening a can of Corona in champagne bottle style to celebrate. Check the video tomorrow for more!
It was an awesome weekend, loaded with great memories. Racing doesn't get any better than this! Slideshow of some pics from Andy Dunwoody, who was shooting the race for British Cycling...
And finally, here is the first ever Squadron Crapcam video from Fort William. Prepare for shaky camera work, shoddy editting, a wee bit of action from the track side, and obviously unrehearsed interviews. On the positive side, the soundtrack is IMMENSE.
Please note that I am usually the last to propose excess alcohol consumption, but it seemed warranted under the circumstances.
The first round of the Caersws Cup was quite a spectacle, with weather even the Welsh were calling un-Croeso. With the rain and wind out came the waterproofs, and soon everyone was united in their uniforms of dripping brown sludge. Even the typically top class organizers were struggling, with the timing system being affected by ice to the point that the Junior class was pretty much a timing toss up and the Seniors took days to sort out.
In the end, nobody's sure who did what. But we do know that Elliot was sitting on the very top of the podium by 4 seconds after the first runs. What happened on the second runs is anyone's guess...it's probably better that Andy flatted and missed his start! Andy was 18th after the first run and new he had more to give...he ended up 19th in the end out of a competitive field of 70 Seniors.
Elliot went much faster in his 2nd run, for what we all thought would be a sure winner, but his time...posted 2 days later...was only a fraction faster, and one of his competitors had pipped him for 1st place. Elliot would settle of 2nd...imagine that, settling for 2nd! That's two in a row for Mr. Sketch as the Squadron continues to thrive despite the worst nature and faulty electronics can dish out.
March 1st saw the Squadron pulling on their team jerseys for the first time for the season opener at Wentwood in South Wales. The sun was blazing, the bikes were shined up and ready to go thanks to team sponsor Swinnertons Cycles in Stoke, and the boys would not disappoint!
This was Simon Ward's first race after the disbanding of the Dragons, and it was great to see this fine track in action again. The track, all 2 plus minutes of it, might well have been as dry as it will ever get. The basic layout is fast and fun up top, dropping into some fantastic chutes before blasting into the open where the crowd pleasing road gap was situated, and finally dropping into the slightly slidy, tight and technical clay final third, with two tough bus stops thrown in along the way to keep the locals on their toes.
Greg Hampton was racing in the Junior category and had a tidy first run of 2:17. Always good to have one in the bag! The plan was to pull it out for the 2nd run, but it just didn't click. Greg's first run was certainly no sloucher thogh, even if he hadn't put it all together, and it was good enough for a stunning 6th place finish. To top it off, Greg is on a new bike this year and recovering from injuries in both arms!
Greg over the gap. Photo: Teejay05
On to the Seniors class, with team riders Elliot Machin and Andy Hughes. Andy made a mistake in his first run and came to a complete stop, but still managed a quick 2:17. The pressure would be on for run two. Elliot rode sideways the entire way down, fully living up to his nickname Mr. Sketch. It was deeply satisfying to watch the bewilderment when other's heard his time - an amazing 2:08, which would leave him 2nd overall for a while...
Andy's got wings. Photo: Teejay05
In their second runs, both Andy and Elliot improved. Andy had a great run and knocked 3 seconds off his time for a 2:14 to place him 12th place in Seniors, which is a great accomplishment considering he is relatively new on the race scene.
Elliot on his way to the podium. Photo: Teejay05
Elliot took another second off and defended his 2nd place position for the Squadron's first podium of the season! He was only 8 seconds of Rowan Sorrell's time...meaning he is 8 seconds away from racing at a World Cup level!
Elliot on the podium! Photo: Greg
There was a great presence of Racer's Guild riders there, which made things all the better. Aaron Tolley had a particularly good day with particularly fast times - you couldn't wipe the grin off his face! I was pleased to be sitting 5th in the masters class with a 2:22 after the first run, but some creative line choices in the seond run left me taking more soil samples and I ended up 9th. But I'm not comlaining! We can all only hope that every race will be this much fun...
Andy and Elliot will be racing in the first Caersws Cup next weekend before the team loads up for the first Pearce and NPS races of the year in April. By that time we should have our '09 Fox kit from Fox Europe! Stay tuned...
Big thanks goes out to Swinnerton Cycles for the great service and parts to keep the team running in the pre-season. We're finding that the Squadron is not particuarly kind of equipment, but Craig is always there to help us out. Cheers!
About The team was formed to allow some of the best talent from Racer's Guild to have the opportunity to progress, and get recognized at the next level.
To support them and allow them to focus on racing and achieving their maximum potential, to learn from each other and to have a load of fun. Contact Team Manager: Alex Thompson Team@racersguild.co.uk
No soggy, midge infested campsites for the Squadron, only top class luxury accomodation! At least for half of us...Elliot and co stayed in a shack with an overgrown garden run by a grumpy old man and his bed-ridden housewife who was laid face down in bed in the same position all weekend. She may have even been dead, we're not sure. Ours was a pure delight though, witness my purple room in which everything was purple except the gold guilded mirror and red leather chair. Simply sumptuous, especially if you're a drag queen. (Hmm, I wonder if this had anything to do with how I minced down the track?)
