18 January 2015: Gorrick Spring Series Round 1, Saddleback Hill, Surrey
Rider Report by Oisin Murphy, U13 Boys Category
Round 1 done and dusted!
I found out on Friday that I didn’t have a football game on Sunday and my dad suggested we try the mountain bike race which we saw listed in the club newsletter. We got up really early, but not early enough to have breakfast, put the bike on the car, me in the car, and some time later we arrived in the woods. The road was really muddy and had huge puddles – I thought this is going to be muddy.
We found registration, fixed a number to the bike and had a small warm up around the start line. There was hardly anyone around until 5 minutes before the start; then riders and bikes seemed to flood in from every direction. I thought the rider next to me was wearing some strange deodorant – but it could have been pine!
I started with the under 13 riders a few minutes after the older groups. Some of the course is really narrow and twisty with torn corners but I managed to pass three riders on the first hill and two on the next. I followed tyre marks, hoping I was still on the course. I did not see the winner of the race on the way around, he must have got away from the beginning.
I passed the finish line without knowing and accidentally followed the older kids on a much longer second lap! That second lap was really hard – not many turns, but longer hills and I eventually got back to the finish line where my dad stopped me before I got away on a third lap!
Everyone should give it a try, and I would do it again – but you should have breakfast and look out for the finish line!
Oisin came 2nd in his age category – well done!
Full set of round 1 results here