Mynydd Du
13-14/05/01
Fastest time on Saturday was Gee Atherton with 03:36.95 winning by a
clear 15 seconds and again by Gee on the Sunday with 03:56:35. Our times
on the Saturday were from 05:27 by myself and 06:07 was our fastest on
the Sunday by Dom the mud queen.
Admin
We arrived at 8 on Friday night to find the campsite fairly full. We
spent about an hour sorting the tents, bikes, van etc ready for an early
start, then after a few beers and a bag of chips, a 1 hour round trip,
it was time to get our heads down. Then time to get up for a piss, why
does camping make you want to get up every 10 minutes for a piss?
It was a misty damp morning and every one was on a go slow due to the
dull conditions. We booked in, checked the location of the burger van
and got to the transport for 8, then hung around for half an hour, as
the driver wouldn’t leave till the truck was full and most people were
still in bed, or something.
Transport for the weekend was provided by big gravel trucks, you
needed a ladder to get in. It was a 4 mile trip taking about 20 mins to
get to the start. We managed to get 3 practice runs in, which was about
all I could manage with the conditions being the way they were.
The Course
Some of the corners were like WW1 trenches, sucked you in and stopped
you dead. This probably wasn’t a problem to some as they could carry the
speed through. On the whole though the course was ace, well challenging.
Both Stace and myself were struggling.
The number of people binning it surprised me, packing up and going
home after the first run, if you pay your money you takes your chance,
you might as well make the most of it. We ‘re racing in Wales it rains
sometimes! anyway if it wasn’t so wet it would have been one of the best
courses I’ve ridden all year.
After the second run, which was slower than my first as usual, it was
off to the river to wash and scrub up. Saturday night was the same as
Friday involving beer and lots of grub. Dom, Craig and Stu turned up at
about 8 and joined in.
The Second Day
It rained a little that night, which changed the course quite a lot.
It was now running a bit quicker, having been thinned out but was
slipperier than a $10 whores knickers, making it slower! I cashed out at
least twice on each of my 3 practice runs, as did most others I think.
It got worse as practice went on, I had to wash my bike between runs.
The racing was fast for those that could and a fight to get down the
hill for the rest. I was so knackerd on my second run that I was having
problems holding on to my mud covered grips. The spectators loved it,
with the usual abuse being dished out to those struggling. (why if your
so good weren’t you racing big mouth?)
After packing up (and “taking our rubbish” and some other lazy
bastards shit with us, you tossers. If you bought it with you then take
it home) it was all over and time for my drive back to North Yorkshire,
I love driving when I’m battered and bruised. Looking forward to the
next race, I need physiotherapy first.
Sal Rowe
The Course in detail
This was a corker of a course. It was seriously
muddy with steep sections and nice drops and sweeping corners. It
started off on a main fire road straight into the woods down a well dug
out track with some mud traps to catch you out. Then a section
which contoured slightly off camber around the hill well strewn with
lots of polished roots and stumps.
Another mud trap and some big S bends which got easier as the day
went on, as there was some grip on the underlying clay. More roots and
hidden stumps onto the first track crossing (this had a 8 foot jump
across the track which to my knowledge was not used by anyone on the
Sunday), or a smaller 2 foot drop onto the track and down the other side
into a more open section. With a supply of roots stumps and mud holes and bridges over the
streams. This then dropped onto another track for a short scoot down
into the next section which got steeper with the addition of rocks two 2
foot drop offs an extremely muddy, rocky, rooty chute and a couple of
smaller log drops.
This section claimed the most injuries and definitely the spectators
favourite, as there were a fair few encounters with trees. It then came
out onto the last track with a quick sprint with a nice steep drop in
into a slightly burmed right-hander and a long sweeping left-hander to
the finish. If the course had been drier then it would have to be one of the best
courses I have ridden, as it was with all the mud it was definitely the
most knackering.
In the final analysis
Worst crash of the day by a team member, this would have to be a hard
one as there were so many. We all came off any number of times due to
the slipperiness of the course or the fact that other team members took
you out (Craig).
Unfortunately I didn’t witness either of the two main ones for the
running which was Craig and Sal but they both came off on the same log
and flew a long way, Sal managed the most spectacular although Craig did
came off worse. Stace was not to be left out of the running as he did finish his last
run with a very blooded knee. Admin nightmare, the British weather
maybe! Repairs, considering the conditions we all came off quite lightly
as there was nothing more than a broken brake lever from Stace and a few
bent chain devices from Stace and Sal.
Words by Dom
Pics by Hanna
04/10/01
