After the venue had to be shifted from Holywell Estate at short notice, the Southern XC crew worked all the hours given at Matterley Basin to create a new course worthy of a National round. Unfortunately the weather was not on side and eleven hours of rain on the Saturday followed by sun on the Sunday meant constantly changing course conditions. All kudos to the organising team battling to adapt and maintain the course so racing could happen, and the dedication from the commissaires trying to ensure racing was fair for all. The riders faced steep fire road climbs, negotiating tight woodland singletrack, slippy roots and, of course, lots of mud.
The sport and open categories got the short straw racing on Saturday with the harsh weather conditions
The course started with a steep fire road climb, you definitely didn’t want to be too close to your fellow competitors with all the spray
Gently does it round the wet corners
Major track changes were required overnight due to the heavy rain
Raincoats were a necessity in the open race
Friends and family braved the weather to help in the pits
The Sunday morning started similar to Saturday with harsh weather conditions, keeping the veteran fields on their toes
It was tough battling through the rain at times
Mud became so thick that it started to cause wheelsl to stop rolling.
Which led to a lot of riders having to carry their bikes through sections
However some riders just loved the mud
One of the closest fought battles in British mountain biking can be found between Adrian Lansley and Paul Oldham. These two guys give it their all every time they go toe to toe, but this time around in the mud it was Adrian who came out on top
It doesn’t matter what age you are, it’s always fun riding your bike in the mud
Douglas Cameron had an impressive race taking the win in the Grand-Vets by over 6 minutes
With no jet washes allowed in the pits, a water bottle was the next best thing
As the weather dried out and the mud began clag it was quicker to run
Xander Graham battled hard for a third-place finish in the 13-14 group
Rose Lewis had a good weekend in the mud finishing fifth in the 13-14 category
Riders wound their way through the trees
Despite the mud the 15-16 race was as close-fought as ever, with just 8 seconds separating the three podium places
Other people just needed to rest
Some people enjoyed the post race gossip
Madeline Moorhouse Smith took the win by a massive 1 minute 31 seconds in the 15-16 class
Leon Atkins took the win again this weekend. Can he make it a hat trick at the next round?
Sometimes it was best to unclip and have your foot out to go flat on the slippy grass turns
Faye Williams battled through the mud for a mid-pack finish
You never want to get passed by your teammate so it’s always good to keep an eye on them
It’s hard to distinguish whether riders were covered in mud because they had had a fall or if it was just from the mud spray
With all the mud spray it’s sometimes not best to tuck in behind the wheel of the rider in front
This weather definitely benefitted the riders that had been riding cyclocross all winter
Ioan Johnson picking his line through the mud
On days like this where the weather really has pounded the track in the days before, the commissaries really have their work cut out
The girls were primed and ready to race
There’s always some people who try to pinch an inch on the start line
Grace Inglis was definitely in the mood to race this weekend
Phoebe Roche on the gas on one of the descents through the woodland
The farm track climbs saved the riders from the worst of the mud
Isla Short in her first appearance of the year, took home a second place in the elite race. It really is great to see these World Cup riders out supporting British National series’
Despite the rain on Saturday, the sun came out on race day and the stunning Matterley Estate re-emerged
Big shout out as always to the marshals and volunteers helping these events happen
The rain had really taken it’s toll on the track this weekend with continual track changes having to be made and in places it forced the classic tripod action
Not for all riders, some riders seemed to be at home in the mud
Ella Maclean-Howell took a resounding win in the elite field with a 2 minute lead
Sloppy dog kisses to help you recover post race
Some how some riders managed to stay clean this weekend
Once the grassy turns had dried out, they became alot easier to handle
The Southern XC Team worked their magic this weekend making the course as rideable as possible given the tough weather conditions, especially after a last-minute change of venue
High fives on the finishing line
Who doesn’t need a hug post race?
It’s always tense on the start line, with riders wanting to get off the line first
It was a packed Men’s field to round off the weekend
Charlie Aldridge returned to British National XC for the first time this year, sporting his new Cannondale kit
No time to mess up through this section, with the rest of the pack hot on your heels
As the mud began to dry the sniper roots began to appear
The track began to rut up with the main line smoothing out, but if you ventured off that line the slick mud was still waiting for you
Max Greensill is an XC machine, setting off 2 minutes after the elite field and coming fourth overall
Despite the fast-paced race riders still had time to say hi
It was a close battle in the men’s elite field with riders keeping wheel to wheel throughout the 8 lap race
The benefit of the claggy mud was the formation of impromptu berms
Joe Barker undertaking the winners duties of finish line interviews having taken the win in the Men’s expert field
Celebrations all round for James Dilks taking his first ever National podium in the Men’s expert field
Charlie Aldridge took home a solid first place in the elite men’s field
Riders who had finished their race came to cheer on their fellow competitors
Sometimes it’s just nice to soak in the sun
Always time for a bit of flare with Max Greensill crossing the line a full 3 minutes and 50 seconds ahead of his next competitor in the junior field
The National XC Series continues with Round 4 on 27-28th May at Woody’s Bike Park.
Full Results and Images
Fonte: https://www.pinkbike.com