I decided to mix it up a bit and enter the hardtail category, hoping to do quite well. I turned up on Sunday morning with the rain poring down and I had to drag myself out of the car to sign on. I pedalled up to the start (which some people thought wasn't right) and begun sessioning the top section and making my way down. Over the years sheepskull has grown in excessive breaking bumps which made it a lot harder of my 120mm cotic soul! The top section consisted of roots and a few small burms. This section was hard as it was basically flat and made it a lot harder to carry speed.
The second section was much easier as there was minimal braking bums and a few jumps which I am quite good at. As you dropped onto the second fire road there was a rooted section that lots of people were standing and watching and many people sliding out over the wet roots. This was a section I knew I had to do well and not slide out on as on my small hardtail would make it much harder. Surprisingly it went much better than I thought it would and made it down onto the fire road. The next section was a flat out section down to the finish line. After dropping down from the fire road you are hit with breaking bump after braking bump until you hit a small drop and a small uphill climb. The final section consisted of two small jumps and a switch back that lend onto breaking bump hell and a final jump into more breaking bumps then you have reached the finish line!
I was ready for my race run freezing cold at the start line trying to stay warm. I heard the beeps and went for it. I tried to put as many pedal stokes in as possible at the start line and went into the first section. I nailed the first section and dropped into the jumpy section. I hit the first jump well managed to cut the second corner well and made my way to the rooty section. Lots of people were spectating on this section so I didn't want to bail here! I went at it a little slow as I didn't want to wash out and that would be the end of my race run. I managed it well and dropped into breaking bump hell! I could feel my forks bottoming out as I hit every breaking bump but I stayed strong and rode through it all. I then came up to the little drop and decided to take the high line which didn't go well as it sent me off line and down the bank. I managed to ride it out but not sure how I did it though! I came into the finish straight and could feel myself ride though the line but NO my hand decided to come off of the bar and sent my OTB and landed next to the line! I picked my bike up and ran across the line! My first race run went ok but I knew I could go faster I went into second place knowing that I wanted to take the win.
I geared up for my second run ready to do much better and beat my last run at the least! I nailed all the sections up the to second fire rode where I dropped in went over the drop and realised I got a flat! The worst thing that could of happened! I took the walk of shame down the hill and joined my fellow hardtail racers!
Overall it was a great day and to top that as I was walking down and I heard 'could Ollie Hooper come here as we need to tell him to stick around for the best crash of the day!'. I managed to get on the podium twice and got given lots of freebies including some nice goggles with roll offs which I could of done with in my race run.
Thanks to everyone involved with the race and making it such a great day despite of the weather.
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