Finale Ligure - the last stop of the Enduro World Series

I was adamant to fly to Finale Ligure, having driven overseas 3 times already I decided to keep it simple and fly. However last minute my plans changed and I decided to race the Specialized/Sram Enduro in Flims, Switzerland the week before so I traveled out in James Shirley’s landship. Leaving late Wednesday afternoon we trucked south, jumped on the ferry and arrived in Switzerland Thursday evening. Friday morning I awoke to an email announcing the race was cancelled due to 40cm of snow, we decided to head straight to Finale Ligure where the temptation of gelato, sun, sandy beaches and dusty trails was too good to turn down.

The first day of riding was on Saturday James and I met up with our good friends Cat and Trev from Summit Down, they have been living and guiding in Finale for the majority of the summer and showed us some of the best trails I had ridden all year, I had a great few days with them! Practice started on the Thursday before the event and I was lucky enough to be shuttled around the trails by Freeride Finale which was a massive advantage. I managed to get a good couple of runs in on each stage and was feeling ready for the race.

The Summit Down crew

Preparation went well and with the help of Cube, Fox, Sram and Schwalbe I had my bike dialed in and ready to rip. The weather conditions on Saturday were absolutely perfect around 20 degree’s, I opted only to wear my full face and not carry a half face, this made the transitions a little harder but saved carrying a secondary helmet. I was number 49 for and sandwiched between Peaty and Ratboy of the Syndicate team, this made for entertaining transfer stages. Transfer 1 had around 350m of vertical climbing I arrived with plenty of time to catch my breath and get ready for the descent. I loved this stage and rode it well, a good start to the weekend, the crowd at the bottom was amazing and they were going crazy for the riders.

Transfer up to 2 was also ok and I arrived with time to give my bike a quick bolt check have something to eat and warm up. Stage 2 had a technical top section then nasty climb in the middle section and the lower section of the trail was super technical and had fast rock sections. I rode it well and was just behind Peaty’s time so was happy to get another good stage done. It was time for a quick lunch stop before heading out to stage 3.

The transfer to 3 was long and tough but I made it in time again, I enjoyed this stage but never got into the flow of things with it in practice. Come racing though I rode it well and was happy with how it went. It was technical with some high speed sections through trees and shrubs before coming into a series of mega tight switchbacks and finished by racing through the village of San Michele. Due to an accident on stage 1, stage 4 had to be cancelled as daylight would have been short for all 600 riders to make their way through it. I finished the day in 38^th position and was happy. I headed out for a meal with the rest of the Scottish boys, tuned my bike and grabbed an early night.

Bottom of stage 3

Sunday morning we had a 2 hour transfer to stage 5 but this was plenty of time and allowed for a nice mellow ride. It was a predominantly downhill stage and I was looking forward to it, I felt like I put in a solid ride but disappointingly was a little off pace. The last transfer was easy going and I arrived at the top with 40 minutes till my start, I got the Stereo all checked over and ensured I was ready to go. Stage 6 was the same as stage 2 and since this was the last stage of the day, I went for it and came in 25^th place, my best yet stage result. At the end of the day I finished in 38^th place, my best ever Enduro World Series result. A few beers on Sunday night and now I’m headed back to Scotland.

Top of stage 5

It’s been an amazing season, I've met lots of new people, traveled to the sweetest places in Europe and had a wicked time riding new trails all summer. Massive thank you to my Mum and Dad for their support along with Cube Bikes, Mojo Suspension, Gamut USA, Renthal, Ryno Power, Robin Ruth UK and to Fishers for SRAM and Troy Lee Clothing.

Roll on 2014… 

Ischgl European Open

The European Open trial run for the 2014 European Championships took place this weekend in Ischgl, Austria. Known as the Over Mountain Challenge the event would see racers complete 2 stages in Austria before dropping over the mountain and into Switzerland then the final stage back to Ischgl. Alpine weather can never be predictable and with snow arriving midweek covering the race track, the organisers made the difficult decision to alter the race track. Switzerland was off limits so the race course was shortened by dropping one stage.

Now with 4 all-weather stages Friday evening saw the opening party and registration, training started on Saturday morning followed by an evening prologue. After a wet and snowy week in the resort, participants awoke to a sunny morning and practise got underway. Considering the rain leading up to the event the stages rode well on the Saturday, the evening was then spent preparing for the prologue course followed by a single race run. Some World class riders attended the event, Nico Lau, Mark Weir, Gusti Wildhaber and newly crowned Enduro World Champion Jerome Clementz, thus making it a highly competitive field after the large prize purse.

The prologue started in the centre of Ischgl and with riders starting and finishing at the same point, meant some uphill. The Trail Solutions crew did a great job of creating a prologue stage, building jumps, berms and a massive wall ride. Many locals came to spectate and this created a great atmosphere with main sponsor Cannondale handing out noise batons!!! In the end it was Nico Lau of the Cube Action Team who took the win closely followed by team mate Gusti Wildhaber, surprisingly race favourite Jerome Clementz was off pace finishing in 8^th, almost 4 seconds off the lead time. I had a disappointing prologue finishing in 34^th position and 8 seconds off due to a slight technical issue.

Prologue through the town!

Sunday morning and I woke to dry conditions, a surprise since rain was forecast. Riders set off in groups with 2 minute intervals and headed up the hill. Stage 1 was a short cycle to the start and for me this was a nice awakening and got the body warm before dropping into the technical stage 1. Out the start gate and riders battled a tricky right hander before dropping into a rutted walking path littered with rocks and roots to catch the unwary rider out. Since it was a short stage, times were going to be tight, I rode it well considering the slippery conditions and was 4^th on that stage, a time on par with Gusti Wildhaber and just shy of Nico Lau, Jerome set a blistering pace 8 seconds ahead.

Stage 2 after the tough climb

The Silveretta Gondola took riders to 2300m where stage 2 started, from there riders descended down some tricky and tight single track that to ride at speed was challenging. Then came the dreaded climb of 80m vertical almost every rider struggled with it, the first half could be ridden but the remaining part had to be hiked and many took to it with their bike on their back. I rode strong but nearing the top the legs began to suffer and it felt like each step I took the top looked further away. Once at the top however riders were rewarded with a fun single track section to complete the stage. Jerome showed his dominance and fitness level on this and put some serious time in, I finished in 7^th position.

A short ride to stage 3 and riders were greeted with a purely downhill stage, tight twisty turns following one of the marked walking paths back to Ischgl village. This was the only stage affected by the rain and many riders struggled to keep the bike upright. Such a short stage, sub 1 minute 30 made tight racing and in the end it was Nico Lau who took the win despite puncturing. I finished just 4 seconds back and in 4^th position again only 2 seconds off eventual race winner Jerome. Again boarding the gondola riders were taken to the top station before having to pedal 2.5km to the start of stage 4 at 2600m.

On the tough climb in stage 2, lung buster!!

Stage 4 like 2 was very physical and started with a sprint into some long sweeping turns, it was a trail that just flowed, bermed turns and fade away jumps. The mid section featured a loose rocky section where at full speed riders were hitting around 50kmph you were then back in to the flowing trails. I looked ahead and rode the trail smart, saving a lot of time by setting up wide for corners and looking ahead. The stage finished nicely with some natural trails alongside a flowing river before spitting you out at a farm out building. This time Gusti Wildhaber took the stage win, I again finished 7^th after a pretty solid ride. Racing now over there was an amazing descent back to the village before handing back my timing chip and getting my results. I came in 6^th overall an amazing end to a great trip. This was my best result and a real confident boost, bring on the World Enduro Series Final in Italy in a month!

The event was a test run for a potential 2014 European Championships to be held here and from a riders perspective it ran smoothly, information was well communicated and all the staff were friendly and very approachable. Massive thank you to the Trail Solutions team for all their hard work and hospitality not only at this race but across the whole year!!! 

The Megavalanche – Alp d’Huez

The Mega is one of those races that every mountain biker has to do. I arrived there on the Monday evening after Les Deux Alpes EWS round 3, having taken Monday off to scope the area and check out what was happening, as I was still sore from the crash the day before. Having prepped the Cube Stereo for practise that week, Tuesday came around and I went up and did a couple of runs on the qualifying track. All was going well, the track was good; it was rough and rocky and with almost 'hero' dirt it was so tacky, due to all the snow melt. That afternoon however a big storm came in and this meant that the lift was closed. So instead of having a rest afternoon, Chris Hutchens, Jack Richards and I decided to go on a bit of a mission. We rode down the bottom section of the Mega main track then detoured to the bottom of the 21 bends, riding up the famous Tour de France climb of around 1000m vertical climbing. The whole ride took around 3 and a half hours. It was refreshing to do some actual riding rather than just riding the chairlifts.

Bottom of 21 bends with the Stereo!

Wednesday was a better day - we went up to the top of Pic Blanc and rode the full Mega track down to Allemont which had an impressive 2500m drop. There was a lot of snow at the top which at times made it quite tough and the only way was to push through it but this would change for Sunday morning as it would be nicely piste bashed and really fast. Another storm came in and riding was over for that day. Thursday was a nice day and the weather was to be good from here onwards. I did two runs of the qualifying track and was feeling great on the bike as it felt like I had set it up perfectly and it was really working well. I got to terms with the track and was feeling good for my qualifying run the following day.

Qualifying came around and I felt good - the bike was dialled and I was ready. I was on the front row with last pick being number 25. I managed to get a good start around the top 8 and by the time I reached the snow I was in with the top 4. I was feeling good!!! Two riders went for the rut to the left of me and I followed the other rider in front on the right side. He caught a pedal and flipped over the bars. Unfortunately neither of us could get out the rut so the other two gained a small lead on us. I passed him on the next rock island. My aim was to now catch the other two ahead who had pulled a good gap. Despite my best efforts I decided it was probably for the best if I just rode smooth and maintained my position rather than crash and throw away a good placing. I came into the lower section and caught some traffic from the previous heat but maintained my 3^rd place and had a time that would have put me 27^th overall, giving me a good gate pick for the Sunday.

The start of the mega, an epic view for an epic race!

Saturday was a rest day and a good chance to get the Cube primed and ready for racing. I also went up and watched the old boy race, he came 170^th which is pretty awesome. An early night and I was set for the 5am alarm clock, I woke up feeling fresh and ready for the day ahead. At 6am I was on the chairlift packed with breakfast in hand and raring to get up there. It was a beautiful morning and the skies were clear making the view exceptional at the top. Now to the main, I lined up and got a great start around the top 30 looking at the photos and videos. Unfortunately myself and another rider collided I went down pretty hard in the snow. As I tried to get back up I was hit by another rider this time loosing my bike. I clambered back up the trying to avoid riders and get back on when I did, my bars, levers and shifters were bent from impact. Despite this I jumped back on and rode the remainder of the race. After the year before disaster of not finishing I decided that no matter what I wanted to finish and I rode down, despite in serious pain from snow burn and my back. Overall I really enjoyed the week and feel as though I’m getting on well with the Cube. This week I’ve decided to rest and let the wounds heal up a bit before the Super Enduro in Sauze.

A tasty ice burn!

Enduro World Series - Round 3 - Les Deux Alpes

The past weekend was round 3 of the Enduro World Series and having arrived there on the Monday after a relaxing rest day near Nice I was fired up and eager to get the Cube Stereo all set up and ready to go.  I had a few days riding the bike park trails as the actual event trails remained secret until the event itself and the bike was feeling great with the big wheels rolling well over the rough terrain. Sign on was on the Friday evening and I was thankfully now a seeded rider looking forward to putting passing troubles behind me. Saturday was a full day of practice and I managed to squeeze in almost a full 2 laps of the course. All the stages were different but I felt great on them and was enjoying riding the new bike.

Stage 1 challenged me in every aspect, it was technical and very physical. The stage had a good sized climb in the midpoint, which was well talked about, and proved to be a vital section to be won or lost on.. I put in a good effort and by the top I was feeling it, making the bottom section of descent hard to commit fully. I finished 71^st and felt this could be my worst stage of the weekend.

Stage 2 was great with a really technical top leading into fast piste turns then into a goat trail with really flowy turns and a lot of line options. Still feeling fatigued from Stage 1 I put what I felt a solid effort but was a little bit slow on the top section. I finished in 89^th and a tad disappointed.

Stage 3 was my favourite and I had spent a little more time learning where some of turns. I left the start feeling strong and was going really well in the top section. I came into a open grassy section and clipped a grass clump sending me off balance and into the long tufts of grass, eventually coming to a stop after being sent over the bars and landing on my head. Feeling a bit dazed I got up and let the rider behind past before continuing. I rode the rest of the stage but struggled.

I decided to continue racing and try to get some series points, and still feeling off I raced Stage 4 but didn’t feel like I was completely there. The trail was so fast and included parts of the Air DH course, I pushed as hard as I could but only managed to place 102^nd.

Despite a tough day I managed to salvage 80^th in class which should just give me some points towards the overall series. The race was the toughest Enduro I had competed in and I loved it, the trails were awesome and had some stunning back drops. I am enjoying riding the new Cube Stereo - it’s such a fast bike and super lightweight with a 160mm of travel and 650b wheels you really can take it anywhere!

 

Moving forward, this weekend I am preparing for the Mega. So far there is a lot of snow so it should be an interesting race!!!

Enduro World Series - Round 2 - Val d'Allos

Having freshly graduated with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering after a hard 5 years of work, I headed out to Europe with my girlfriend Niamh as head mechanic and chef; destination Val d’Allos for the second round of the Enduro World Series. Arriving late Thursday evening after a long drive we came across the Col d’Allos which deserved the hype it got, with steep drops each side and tight switchbacks it made for quite the adventure at 11pm.

The week before I left had been quite hectic - securing a deal with Cube bikes. The 650b Stereo arrived the Thursday before I left. I had to build, tune and get it set up in just a matter of days but on the first ride I felt great on it and loved the feel of it. The big wheels rolled fast and smoothed out the bumps, and the suspension was buttery smooth, pedalling like a dream. The full build pictured weighed in at only 12.7kg. After a hectic week of building, riding and travelling, Friday was purely a rest day and a chance to walk the lower sections of the track since no practice was allowed.

I awoke early on the Saturday morning eager to get up and do a run. The format of this round was 1 practice run with an immediate race run afterwards. I was positive this was a good scenario as no one had the option of additional practise. Stage 1 was great fun, really fast and flowy. My race run was okay with no crashes or mechanicals but due to their being no prior seeding I caught and passed around 15 other competitors with some allowing me to pass, although others were more hesitant. I finished a disappointing 102^nd.

I headed up to stage 2 and had a practice run, the track was also good, fast and flowy with a good climb in the middle. Again a similar problem occurred but this time a rider was unwilling to let me pass. I eventually passed and put in a solid lower section finishing 115^th which was rather frustrating. Time for stage 3, this was totally different to the rest, with the loose loam and massive Alpine pistes creating some serious speed. In preparation for the race run, I had a quick word with rider x who had been resistant to let me pass, explaining my situation. In this race run I was held up by catching other riders again but put in a consistent effort and finished 104^th position. After a long day and feeling that my results didn’t justify my riding I finished 100^th overall. I headed to the bed looking forward a new seeding on the Sunday.

Sunday morning came around and it was another beautiful day, the day consisted of racing stage 4 twice. It was one awesome stage, very long and had just about everything an enduro stage should have; tough climbs, fast descents and loamy turns. I was seeded  100^th which was more promising and I headed up in the chairlift in the hope of not catching too many people, although with 10 second intervals it was still likely. 

Stage 4 was my best stage with a result of 61^st, even with passing 10 competitors. Stage 5 went ok until I had a massive mid section crash where I went over the bars twisting my bars, brake levers and shifter. I got going as fast as I could and finished 82^nd. Stage 6 was more bike park based and was really good fun, by this time it was around 26 degrees and I was beginning to struggle with the heat. I rode the top section really stiff until the climb where I loosened off and attacked. I finished 88^th in that stage.

The event was great fun and the stages were unbelievable! This weekend I’m headed to Les Deux Alpes for the 3^rd round of the Enduro World Series, where hopefully I’ll be seeded better!  

British University Mountain bike champs (BUCs)

Rheola – 24^th March 2012

Controversy to what a lot of people may think, I actually attend University and a normal week is 6 days, starting in the library from 9 till 6 at night, not leaving much time for bikes or training. The weeks in the run up to BUCs had been stressful, deadlines and presentations were loaming and there was no easing off... I couldn’t wait to get out the library and go race Mountain bikes with a clear head and have a weekend away.

I set off Thursday morning early with Chris Henderson for the 7 hour drive; we took a stop off in Stoke for a quite lunch with Burgtecs DC before trucking on to Rheola. A quick track walk and we headed off to our hostel to be reunited with the rest of the “H-Dub shred club.” We were greeted by the owner who kindly told us “don’t leave food around as we have mice,” what an introduction. Tired after a long day we grabbed an early night.

No9 did well at the weekend for me...

 We awoke to bright sunshine on Friday morning and the whole club (12 of us) headed up for a run, as first riders to the top, we all did a train. After that I took practise more serious and got the Santa Cruz set up pretty well and found some nice lines to keep her running fast. I’d forgotten how fast the top section was and it took a few runs to get up to speed but after that; I loved it. 4 solid runs and some sectioning done we headed back to the hostel for some food and a good old rest.

Saturday morning; race day, I headed up early to get a couple of runs. Everything was going well until I came into the bottom section pretty fast... as I dropped the step down my tyre rolled off the rim and tangled up in the forks ejecting me from the bike. Luckily my Leatt brace and POC helmet saved the old noggin, but was slightly concussed and feeling pretty bruised and beat up. Big thanks to Joel Chidley and the marshall for their help off the track, I got back to the van and was debating whether to race or not...

A little power nap and I decided to head up for qualifying, I took it steady and treated it as a practise run; surprisingly I went into 4^th not too far off a podium position.

Rejuvenated after qualifying I headed up for my race run, wanting to have a lot of fun... That’s exactly what I had; I’ve never enjoyed a race run more. The crowd were awesome and the atmosphere the whole way down just urged you to let off the brakes. I dropped into the finish and went into the “hot seat” with 3 riders remaining. Jack and Emyr put in storming runs so I was stoked to finish behind them and finally grab a bronze medal at BUCs for Heriot Watt!!! You WATT you WATT.....

Finally a podium at BUCs

Well to sum it up; it really brought back the love for racing. I can’t wait for the next... This week I’ve been back in the library and things should be quietening down after this week, can’t wait to get out on my bike this weekend. Stoked!!!

Alpine Bikes Day/Night Enduro - Innerleithen - 2nd place

For as long as I’ve ridden there’s been winter series at Innerleithen, I raced my first there back in 2004 on a Diamondback hard tail and that’s where it all began. Now 8 years on and it’s no different, I’m at Innerleithen again but on the most versatile bike on the market; Santa Cruz’s Blur LTc frameset equipped with kashima Fox suspension. 

Now this was no downhill event, it was a Day and Night Enduro and a tough one at that, Steve Deas iCycles owner and local has built some truly amazing “secret” tracks in the forest.

Stage one’s top section was super technical and pretty demanding, add in a minute sprint up a steep fire road before dropping back into the trees for some whoops and rooty turns, it was a gem of track. Stage 2 differed in that it was flat out and used some of the old DH trails which were in great condition and had great flow to them.

The event differed in that you had to do a complete lap during the day and head up and do it all again. I really struggled in the night and my times substantially differed, guess more carrots should be added in to my diet. Recently Ryno Power supplements have helped me out with some of their products and I couldn’t recommend them enough whether it’s their protein or motivation tablets they make a difference, go check them out! I finished the event 2^nd behind Gary Forrest and ahead of Paul Aston, but our works cut out to beat the old dog Crawfy... Maybe at a different location it’ll be different.

The seasons preparations are going well whilst juggling it with a busy University schedule, looking forward to the coming races. Talk y’all soon.