Scottish Mountain Bike Champs- One Year On, Two Podium Steps Closer

[MoragL]

Well after a good start to the mountain biking season, including 3 podiums at British rounds and a win at the first Scottish round, I again faced the tough choice of choosing between the Scottish Mountain Bike Champs or a major road even as this year the Champs clashed with The Youth Tour Of The North West.

As I had been having a good MTBing season I decided to go to the Champs at Aberfoyle because as a second year juvenile I had a higher chance of winning this year, after a disappointing 4th in the 2011 Champs because of a crash at the top of the descent.

The Aberfoyle course was pretty much straight up and then down. With a steep, steep single track climb, nicknamed 'heart attack hill' and then a lot of technical decent, including a new tight section in the trees.

The start was a little hectic as the women all start together and they had not gridded the youths and juveniles and it was a quite a narrow start, but it was all ok in the end as there was quite a bit of fireroad up to the bottom of heart attack hill. I was sitting in a good position going into the slightly wider than single track bottom section of the climb. I managed to ride all the way to the top of this section before I had to run as i got blocked by a runner. I then ran from there to a slightly flatter section and got back on for another attempt at the single track top section. I got to about two thirds of the way up this section before having to run. Once I got out of the single track it was still up but this time on fireroad. I had been leading my category all the way from the start and my rival had gotten on my wheel at the bottom of the fireroad but I started to slowly open up a gap on the last climb.

It was then into a newly cut descent through what was a forest but had been recently destroyed, up a narrow bit a rocky road and into a narrow, tight, twisty path, well almost a path, I don’t think it had been ridden much before the practice day. Well after narrowly avoiding lots of trees, slowly edging round some very sharp corners and wishing i was a bit shorter, i got out of that section and back onto last years course. It was then down two fast dry sections of decent, one being very off camber. Coming out of this section I looked behind me and saw the Rhona Callender of Wallace Warriers in second place just behind me so i changed into my big ring and smashed it along the last fireroad section to try and open up a gap which i did, a bit. Into the last decent I had a good feeling and put quite a bit of speed down and just over cooked it slightly on the last corner. It was a little shoot onto the fireroad and then you have to turn right straight away and i was going just a little to fast and went straight over the road and had to slam on the brakes before i disappeared down into the forest, Rhona was right behind me and i had to sprint to stay in front. We then turned off the fireroad and into a big open field, i just held her on my shoulder till the track narrowed so i was still in front, it was then a little section of single track then a wider piece of grass to the finish. There was a women in the middle of the path and i had to overtake as i was sprinting and she wasn’t, and i decided to go to the right of her, but she moved over to the right slightly and the path narrowed so i was blocked and couldn't get passed. This gave Rhona her chance and she sprinted passed and took the win.

I definitely enjoyed the race, but next year i think i might choose the road event.


Emma Borthwick