Photo report by xcracer.com

Chris Andrews #273, Paul Beales #91, Ben Roff #92 - 4 Hour Solo Male - Finished 2nd, 8th and 17th respectively (did not compete in earlier rounds)

David McNae - 2 Hour Solo Male - #386 - Finished 97th (round 1:106th, round 2:94th)

The week before the race I was at Center Parcs so got out into Thetford Forests Black route for a couple of 16 mile rides and felt pretty good. Have changed my Tyres to Rocket Rons and felt like I had a lot more grip so was ready to rock, or so I thought!

Being at Center Parcs I was not able to give my bike a clean down until the night before the race, so in the fading light I start cleaning my bike, lubing the chain etc etc to find the rear disc is warped meaning I have a very annoying scrapping sound from the brakes. I do the best I can for the time and finished up what I can in the now pitch black with just a head torch for a source of light! If she isn't ready now she never will be.

Morning arrives and off I go to hopefully find my mate Adrian or Darren (Darren who I owe money too as I bought some Mud X's from thank you very much!) I can't find either of them so start checking the bike over, every thing seems in good working order so decide to head over to the Start and start to warm up. Upon arriving at the start I realise that my front wheel has a wobble! I turn the bike upside down to see some how the front hub has come loose, how I have no idea, but quickly head back to the car to get that sorted and then head back to the grid and position myself mid to front grouping.

During the Race
Buzzer sounds, or should I say Siren? Off we head for a nice long open piece of track which helps separate the field before the first part of single track. As always I get red mist and try and keep up with every one else who is plainly fitter and a better rider than I!

A few miles in and we come to the first bottleneck, the Brown bomb hole. From where I am stopped I can see that almost every one is getting off their bikes and running up the other side! Great I think to myself, remembering what happened in the first round (see my other reports!) if these guys are having to run I'm going to struggle. Its my turn and now I can see the bomb hole dips and twists before you get a sharp right and then try and climb an impossible muddy/steep hill (although I have been told a few did make it up a few times!) I unclip and start to climb which I found rather hard having never done this before under race conditions.

The track just after this Bomb hole is a slight climb so no resting of the legs just yet! Time to gobble down a gel and dig in. I come along to the next bomb hole, now this is the hole I fell at first round, but this time we enter it at a different point and go down it backwards. I pick my line and turn the corner, down to the bottom and up slightly twisting to the right then up a short but steep hill. Then the mud at the top here felt like glue really had to work hard to get going again.

A lot of this track is nice single track and then open fire roads, but the fire roads are on a slight gradient, so no chance to take a respite at all, legs always working hard through the bumpy single track and then into the higher gears to gain some distance on the fire roads! That's the plan any way!

The next tricky bit I do not think had a name, so I will call it the BOG. Again, so far I could see no one was making it through, way too muddy people were sliding off so I decided to get close and then jump off and run around it. Remember that mud that was like glue? Its here as well, riding away from the Bog was very hard work, but it then went to a nice slightly downhill section with a twisty part at the end, only to be a short sharp uphill section to wear your legs out again.

A couple more pits, the Nee Nee one I think it was called, not too difficult but adds some fun to the track none the less and then off to the home straight, a good gravel section that then darts into the woods before coming to the start finish line. While coming down the short section and grab the chance to have another gel, try and get some energy back in the legs!

Lap 1 complete - 00:45:38

Lap 2 starts and feel a bit more alive, this happens to me, I kind of hit a wall around 5- 7 miles and think "what the feck am I doing" but then I get through it and remember why I am doing this! I take on board as much fluid as I can and get out there. The route changes a little as we miss out that long fire road bit at the beginning and stay in the woods, a nice uphill bumpy section just to make you realise what we are here to do!

Again at the Brown bomb hole I don't even try to make it up, just jump off at the bottom and run up the left hand side where there is more grip, less mud!! Once at the top I grab another gel, need to boost myself along again!

End of lap 2 00:46:36

Lap 3, final one, keep going, just 8 miles to go, this is me talking to myself, trying to get myself going again! Remember my friend Adrian, well I had not passed him nor had I seen him pass me, so assumed he either got away in the rat race at the start before me or got caught behind me. This was until I was at the bottom of the Brown Bomb hole again; I look up to see him standing there. He sets off as I struggle up it. For the next mile I just can not catch him, but nor can he lose me. We stay about 50-100yards apart for time until I finally catch up to him. We have a little chat and discover we are both as tired as each other, finding this track really good but hard work! We reach one of the gravel straights, the one with a very sharp right hand into the woods at the end, almost caught me out first lap! Along here Ady is hit by cramp, I take this opportunity and bike off! Great friend hey, it's a race!

I get to the BOG and attempt to ride through it this time, but my heart wasn't in it and I gave up half way through, causing some one behind me to stop as well, sorry if your reading this! Jumping off the bike and have a quick look behind, no sign of Ady, I'm happy with that!!

I finish the line ready to puke! I had tried as hard as I could, given it my all and beaten my mate and finished 97th out of 133 so I was happy with that!

End of lap 3 00:49:21

Total time 02:21:35

After thoughts I again had trouble with my seat keep dropping down, I had to stop about 4 times to raise it back up, for some reason, no matter how hard I close the clamp it still slides down, this needs looking into! I have a rear disc warped that needs looking into and I want to get out as much as I can before the next round. I feel Ady will be coming for me full throttle!!!