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SCU MTB XC Round 4 - Glenmore,
Aviemore
If there was one vital thing to pack for Aviemore it was
midge repellent. Forgot it last year, forgot it this year.
As a result my colleagues now think I have developed a major
skin allergy and I am non-stop scratching. However what I
did remember from last year was a great racing course consisting
of sweeping, wide firetrack climbs and tight, twisty singletrack
downhills.
This is only my second year at Aviemore and all thanks go
to Bothy Bikes for a well-organised race in a well serviced
site. It's always the simple things that help, such as a hose.
OK it's a small consideration, but one that makes life easier.
Aviemore is also good for spectators as the start/finish line
offers a great perspective of the field and makes those last
minute dashes for the line even more rewarding, especially
with the burger van being near by!
In short the course was very similar to last year; an initial
climb up firetrack which progressed from big ring to middle
ring and led into a granny-gear-calling singletrack slither
to the pinnacle. A delicious section through the trees delivered
the rider back on a firetrack climb and subsequently back
into the woods. It was after this section however that the
technical riding began with a sudden swoop into a peat laden
area and some rocky off camber turns. A brief overtaking opportunity
presented itself with a very fast firetrack section that propelled
the rider into a long set of downhill sections where the mud
dug deep and the tree roots caused mayhem. As ever it was
momentum that helped the rider escape these problems. At the
bottom lay a nasty treat - a ten foot drop off which deteriorated
throughout the day into a riders lottery: pick a line and
hope. Another tough climb, (OK, I'll admit - push), and then
into more rolling, peaty singletrack stuffed full of tree
roots for the unwary. This section burst out onto the inevitable
climb that was a result of all the DH action, through a sweeping
curve onto the firetrack. The cunning bit at Aviemore is that
the start/finish line is only half way up the climb, making
the end of each lap only half way up the next hill!
There is no need to bore the reader with my own race details,
especially as I lost the pack in the first round through a
misplaced chain and subsequently took two tumbles later on.
I may not have got the placing I desired, but hey I enjoyed
myself.
What is worth mentioning is Outside Assistance. Mountain
biking is undeniably an individual pursuit, it is not a team
matter once the whistle is blown. However I am increasingly
concerned at the nature of Outside Assistance that some riders
receive. OK I too could have bottles supplied to me, that's
fair enough, (although there could probably be a debate over
the contents of these bottles), but mechanical assistance
is and should be a no-no. Such things are made clear in the
BCF rules. However I yesterday spotted a nameless individual,
not in my own class, who blatantly received mechanical assistance
from spectators at a pre-assigned spot. Other spectators could
clearly been seen climbing the hills carrying track pumps.
This aggrieves me, why should I carry all my own equipment,
as the rules demand only for others to save weight and arrange
for a little bit of emergency cover? I may not have won, nor
achieved what I set out to, but at least I sit here knowing
I got round a great course of my own ability, endurance and
skill, not that others. I shall rest my case.
Thanks to all as ever and see you at the next round!
Sam Long
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