Southern XC Round 4 Crow Hill - Race Report

Sunday the 3rd of June saw the 4th round of the Southern XC series at Crow Hill in Ringwood (New Forest). My Junior race set off at 12.30 with a downhill rider setting the pace until the first slight incline then a small group of around 5 riders with Sam stean leading as a rider crashed. I settled in behind jack finch until the 1st fireroad where my legs were feeling good and i decided to accellerate and catch the leader Sam stean. I continued to ride with sam until i realised i had a problem with my left pedal which was coming loose and as my teamate martin turton rode past he lent me his multitool with the allen key i needed. I tried to tighten my pedal but the crank had no thread left at all so i couldnt continue which was a real shame as i felt rather good. I went back to the Arena where my dad was waiting near the feed zone to pass me my bottle after the 1st lap. I explained what happend and he suggested that i borrow a crank and race the Expert race in the afternoon. I got talking to matt wigley a rider i used to race in open and he said he would lend me his left hand crank so i could race the expert race but i ended up buying his whole xt crankset as he had a spare set at home which he would then put on his bike. I lined up for the expert race at 2.01, i got a decent start riding with Michael guilford of VC Meudon who i stayed with for most of the 1st lap then decided i needed to get a gap on the chasing riders as i knew Matt Macdonald of Stevens UK would be strong in the Later part of the race. And i was so right after leading the race for 2.5 laps Matt caught me and we rode together for a short time before he put in a small attack and pulled a gap out on me so now i was fighting for 2nd Place. I continued to push on hard but i could see Henry Sleight of RWD brakes factory racing on the switchbacks turns over the back of the course. I did my best to hold onto 2nd position but 1/2 way through the last lap Henry had caught me and i couldnt hold him off and i settled for 3rd place on the podium at least. I was very pleased with my performance because looking at my lap times i would have come 2nd in my Junior category which would have been my best ever result at a Southern XC in an age related category. The last round of the Southern XC Series is at Frith hill on the 1st of July.

Results avaliable via the Link = http://timelaps.co.uk/assets/uploads/EVENTREPORT.aspx?eventid=208NewForest03/06/2012#Expert Male
Next race for me now is the 1st round of the 1st Gear Cycles rampage at Checkendon woods on this Sunday the 24th of June.