After last week’s efforts at the first national XC race of the season, this weekend saw many of the team racing some local XC events, with Ben Thomas taking to the line at round 1 of the Southern XC and myself, Matt Hart and the O’Boyle brothers racing at round 3 of the Welsh XC series.
The Welsh XC was held at Coed Y Brenin, a classic race venue in the depths of Snowdonia national park and a course renowned for it technical rocky trails. The course certainly didn’t disappoint, with a long fire road climb followed by a fast and technical decent back down to the arena. The frequent rain showers on the day and the toughness of the terrain saw many riders suffering with mechanical problems including Matt Hart who suffered a puncture on one of the technical sections of the course and Sion O’Boyle who snapped his rear mech half way through his last lap. Anthony raced a strong first 3 laps, giving him a sizable lead over the field, but due to an ongoing back injury was forced to retire. I myself was still suffering from the pervious week’s efforts, but managed to take the win in the expert category and finish a credible 4th overall.
Further south In Checkendon, near Reading, Ben Thomas raced at the first round of Southern XC, a venue bathed in glorious sunshine. After not starting in a particularly great position on the grid, the gun sounded and he quickly made his way up to the rapidly disappearing leaders. On lap 2, the gears on his borrowed bike started to slip, which meant the bike was almost unrideable. Despite stopping to try and fix this and dropping down to 6th place, he fought back strong to finish a very impressive 2nd place in a strong elite field.
Next weekend will see both the Performance Mountain Bike and Triathlon teams meeting at TORQ HQ in Shropshire for the team photo shoot. Many of the MTB riders will finish the weekend off with the Chain Reaction Cycles Marathon Series at Builth Wells or down South at the Gorrick on the Sunday aboard there new race machines.
Once again we are extremely grateful to our team sponsors:
www.konaworld.com – Frames
www.shimano.com – Drivetrain & Brakes
www.limarhelmets.com – Helmets
www.ritcheylogic.com – Handlebars, Stems, Saddles, Seatposts & Grips
www.max-mediagroup.co.uk – Team PR
www.schwalbe.com – Tyres
www.champ-sys.com – Performance Cycle Clothing
www.mojo.co.uk – Fox Suspension Forks
www.exposurelights.com – Advanced Lighting
www.juicelubes.co.uk – Lubrication
www.lakecycling.com – Shoes
www.jagwireusa.com – Cables & Housing
www.crankbrothers.com – Pedals, Multi tools & pumps
www.rapidracerproducts.com – Neoguards.
www.cleecycles.com – KCNC Chains, Skewers & Bottom Brackets
www.superstarcomponents.com – Hubs, Seat Clamps & Headsets
www.sapim.be – Spokes
www.handcraftedwheels.co.uk – Hand Built Wheels
www.fibrax.com – Brake Hardware
www.joolzedymond.com – Photography
www.cycleops.com – Power Measurement, Turbo Training & Bike Racks
www.notubes.com – Tyre Sealant & Rims.
www.nomad-direct.co.uk – Nomad Cordless Pressure Washing
www.finelytunedride.co.uk – Bike Maintenance & Servicing
Follow the TORQ Performance MTB team’s progress on their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TORQ-Performance-Mountain-Bike-Team/110217305676815
