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SCU MTB XC Round 2 - Sidlaws,
Dundee
 Sunday
morning started the way it was going to continue - bright
and very warm. The racers were already on the track as we
arrived, we could tell from the legs and bikes that the track
was very dry and very dusty.
We got the equipment out the car (Iain Nimmo's bike, the
deckchairs, blankets and food) and went and walked some of
the course.
The riders all seemed to be in bouyant moods - none of the
conditions from Irvine were present today, in fact the complete
opposite - the first serious climb up from the bottom sections
of the course increased the heat due to the lack of any wind,
the ground was getting dustier the more tyres that rode over
it and more people were still arriving.
A lot of the faces from Irvine were present here, which was
a positive sight - not only were people prepared to go through
a very wet slog, they were also prepared to go through a very
dry slog - all in the name of victory and club honour!
Stirling Bike Club had riders riding in almost every category,
the team clothing was very prominent and we were able to pick
out our riders almost anywhere on the course.
The Masters proved to be quite a race - Kenny Kentley and
Craig Harvey lead the race from the very beginning, both taking
turns to be first (almost like a social ride for them), as
the competition didn't seem to be quite up there with them
on the day. For the entire race they were out on their own
until the final lap when it became a 3-man race. Kenny managed
to beat Craig in the end, but Craig seemed very happy with
his second place (he had been suffering from some bug for
the past 2 weeks and was pleased that he was able to finish
a race!).
The Super Vets proved to be a more openly spaced race, Pete
Cartwright seemed to start very well but started to tail off
through the middle of the race. After the first 2 laps, the
race pace seemed to slow down slightly - the heat on the track
was really starting to take it's toll, Pete managed to pull
back a lot of places at the back of the race course - it involved
a lot of running due to the steepness of the climb and Pete
started to turn this into an advantage. At the end of the
day, Pete finished in 4th place and remarked that it was all
'tickety-boo', but wished there wasn't as much cycling involved
in these cycle events!
The Juniors seemed to be tunring the heat on themselves -
not content with the conditions, they decided to turn the
race into a real fight. From the outset, the pace was fast,
David Brennan didn't have such a good first lap but managed
to start clawing back positions as he settled into a steady
rythme.
In the end the pace was perhaps just a bit too fast for many
of the Juniors who by the end of the race started to show
signs of over-exersion - too much sweat and slower legs.
David Brennan managed to finish 7th which he was quite happy
about as he said that his start wasn't as good as it could
have been.
The Pro Elite riders decided that to show everyone on the
course, how a race should be run - from the very start the
pace was blistering...after the first 300 yards the pack finally
started to string out, but it was a very closely fought fight
for the top 3 places.
After the first lap, James Fraser Moodie (Diamond Back), started
to really open up a lead that was to last the race, every
lap the gap got bigger.
Iain Nimmo (Rock Lobster) was sitting comfortably in third
until he punctured - he lost a lot of places while fixing
the flat but managed to pull the places back again. Luck wasn't
with Iain however as he had been suffering from a gastric
virus and just couldn't get back in the race...although he
managed to complete the race, he wasn't happy with his result
or performance.
Craig Hardie and Jonathon McBain both managed to steal some
Pringles from spectators while racing - Craig Hardie appeared
to be very cool on the race, a consistant pace and smooth
performance allowed to remain in the top 4 for the race.
The biggest action of the whole day seemed to have been in
the Sprogs race - the older riders had 2 laps of the course
to complete (which used the first part of the actual course
- tough climb for the younger ones, but they all seemed to
descend like they were possessed!) and the younger riders
had to do 1 lap.
The start was very fierce, the kids were determined to do
well and the parents were prepared to do anything to help
their kids win (there was talk of parents sticking fingers
in passing wheels, but that was deemed to childish!).
As the camera man positioned himself near the end of the downhill
straight it was with much surprise to him to see Katie Sharp
and Calum Sharp both piling on the power to get a first place
and second place respectively.
Katie Sharp was a consistent finisher last year and this year
she seems to be really getting into the swing of the racing.
All-in-all a very good day for the club (as well as the racers!),
the club took away a 1st and 2nd in the sprogs, a 2nd in Masters,
2nd in Super Vets and 7th in the Juniors and about 40 minutes
video footage to be added to the 'video'...also worth a note
was Janet Innes' race tactics - sunbathing in a bikini top
on the side of the course - as the racers progressed they
became delirious and started to faulter as they got closer...nice
trick, the club riders were warned by Iain that anyone caught
looking would be brought to justice - club blinkers are now
on order!!!
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