BDS Round Three: Innerleithen - Full Results

Innerleithen is the historic home of downhill mountain biking here in the UK with almost 20 years of downhill racing stored away in the archives. Its location, less than an hour away from Edinburgh, in the heart of the Tweed Valley and part of the 7Stanes Forestry Commissions Scotland network, meant the BDS circus rolling into town would be a packed house.


Disaster struck last week with the landowner pulling the plug on the organiser for the finish arena and camping fields due to the continued bad weather we have been having here in the UK. The call went out to the riders and spectators and with some sardine tin style packing, riders squeezed into the pits and surrounding roads with those camping and caravaning, pitching up at the local campsite some 5 minutes away. Not an ideal situation but at the least the race would go ahead. This meant the planned uplift from the pits was cancelled and the riders had to ride 1.2miles along the road each time to get the uplift which was painfully slow on the Saturday.


The BDS pit crew taped the track out on Thursday as directed by Pete Williams a local rider who designed the track top to bottom giving the riders 3 minutes of fast flowing track that dived in and out of a thousand trees. The first highlight of which was through the quarry and across the famous road gap jump (whip it for the crowd) before you enter the long and dark tunnel at Mach 3 and then peel quickly left and duck and dive between the tress and float over as many of the exposed roots as your bike and body allows. A newly built step down drop across the trail was the big pro line. Stevie Smith and Sam Hill popped it like they were skipping down the street whilst the rest of the riders took a calmer and more relaxed approach into the slippery, loose, tree stumped lined chute before crossing the road at marshal point 10. The riders then launched the bomb hole, hit the berms and straight lined it down through the gateway hopping a natural step down. This again was a pro line, really tough to hit it straight, those off line by a few degrees could not make the corner, meaning an impromptu hot date date with the padded fence. Biggest crash of the weekend went down right there with Billy Matthews eating the dirt hard, he's on the mend so we wish him a speedy recovery and healing vibes.

JUVENILE - Sponsored by Pro-Tec
The young guns were on fire this weekend, this is where Danny Hart started so remember where you saw these names first.
TENNYSON Jack MTB Guisborough 3:02.501
WALKER Matt Rockguardz.com 3:05.855
EDWARDS Kade Torico Morzine 3:16.673
BATE Conor Stenaline.co.uk 3:18.035
MACKAY Ewan Peebles CC 3:20.369

YOUTH - Sponsored by SixSixOne
Some big eyes were on Greenland this weekend, the clever scouts out there are looking at the Youths to see who is going to be ripe pickings for a Junior rider on a World Cup team. No better place than at a BDS to prove yourself on track and well presented on the podium.
GREENLAND Laurie Wideopen Mag 2:39.162
MCCUBBING Frazer Lapierre Cadets 2:45.675
SWINBANK Brad Steve Peat Syndicate 2:47.665
HAVARD Kyle Team Skene 2:57.763
HATTON Charlie Flyupdowhill 2:58.710

GRAND VETERAN
Sorry no sponsor as yet, the deal with Stannah Stairlifts fell through. Felstead upsetting the party here, he is almost as old as the hill itself hes been coming here that long. Stuttard settles for 3rd while the Irish are always happy with 3rd place even at a football match according to Joe Ward.
FELSTEAD Steven Ticket2RideBC.com 3:23.495
STUTTARD Howard Ride On/Slik/Muc Off 3:26.655
SHERIDAN Thomas Nukeproof 2:59.833

VETERAN - Sponsored by Madison Clothing
Little after winning rd1 was still injured for rd2 and making a comeback here. Maclenan will never be beaten at the Fort his home track, leaving Howarth and Weightman to battle it out for the top spot. This will be a nail biting finish for the fight for series overall.
HOWARTH Darren Grizedale Mountain Bikes 2:58.099
WEIGHTMAN Mark 3:00.137
MACLENNAN Alastair 3:01.792
LITTLE Peter Pedalabikeaway/Flyupdownhill 3:08.425
WILSON Neil MTB Ride Guide 3:10.189

MASTER - Sponsored by Madison Clothing
This is almost a whose who from the MTB hall of fame. Wardells long flowing locks may have gone but his race pace definitely has not, pulling Longdens pants down by almost eight seconds with Rowan coming up his rear..
WARDELL Dave GT Bikes 2:37.753
SORRELL Rowan Orange Bikes/Mojo Suspension 2:45.244
LONGDEN Will Madison Saracen Downhill Team 2:45.383
HAINES Daniel Foes 2:50.620
TITLEY Andrew Ghost 661 2:52.530

WOMEN - Sponsored by Shimano
Lauren Jenkins was on media duty this weekend for the ladies, updating Facebook and Twitter as the BDS is looking to encourage more women trackside.
Charlotte went 3:49 in seeding making her the last girl down, was it the pressure that made her slip 10 seconds and opened the door Kennedy to stay in that hot seat and pick up the No1 spot some 12 seconds in front of the rest.
KENNEDY Rebecca Lauderdale Renewables 3:47.396
MALLIN MARTIN Charlotte 3:59.009
BARNES Beverley Muddybumbikes.com 4:02.129
TAYLOR Alice Diva Descent 4:12.278
MATTHEWS Annie Pearce Cycles RT 4:14.011

ELITE WOMEN - Sponsored by Schwalbe
Atherton is on fire, the top five in seeding was the blueprint for how they eventually finished. Atherton went 1 second quicker whilst Carpenter took 4 seconds of her own seeding time but it just was not enough.
ATHERTON Rachel GT Factory Racing 2:50.430
CARPENTER Manon Madison Saracen Downhill Team 2:52.112
PUGIN Floriane Gstaad Scott 2:59.011
BROWN Casey Dirt Norco Race Team 3:09.307
GRIFFITHS Fionn Team GR 3:09.410

JUNIOR - Sponsored by Fox
Gannicott crashed in his race run resulting in a red flag for Atwill who was last man down and a re-run, never ideal. Re-slotted in Atwill put the hammer down and won by 7 seconds giving him a time that would have been 9th fastest in Elite. Good job he never managed higher as it all kicks off podium time when if a junior gets a faster time than the elites come UCi prize money and points (top 8 riders overall).
ATWILL Philip Madison Saracen Downhill Team 2:31.376
JONES Michael FMD Racing/Intense 2:38.714
GRAHAM Innes MS Mondraber 2:40.078
WALLACE Mark Devinci Global Racing 2:41.306
FARRINGTON Bill Devinci/Haven/AdventureX 2:45.428

SENIOR - Sponsored by Kore
Ingley dominated seeding, splits and race runs, Experts category now beckons which is the stepping stone up to Elite.
INGLEY Mitchell Racer's Guild Cannock Chase 2:46.942
READ Jack Steve Peat Syndicate 2:50.449
EVANS Darren Aston Hill MTB Club 2:51.562
HAKES Matthew 2:52.383
HERD Willem Perth City Cycles 2:02.848

EXPERT - Sponsored by Shimano
Geoghan will keep the series sponsors happy after a back to back win at Fort William and now here. Even Party Parr (Mr. Gravity Enduro) will be having a beer with James Flinders making third.
GEOGHEGAN Jack Madison Saracen Downhill Team 2:39.647
RAMSAY James Steve Peat Syndicate 2:43.277
FLINDERS James MDE Bikes 2:44.322
GARDENER Perry 2:44.747
DAVIES Sean Nema/Spank/J-Tech 2:45.082

ELITE - Sponsored by Schwalbe
Mr. Gas to Flat took the big win in front of an adopted home crowd. He was here some 2 weeks ago and after crashing on the bomb hole jump after going into orbit, landing on his head, knocking himself out and then going blind for 30 minutes, many thought he would not be on the pipe this weekend, how wrong they were. Seeding saw Lewis Buchanan on a 650b Intense M9 taking the top spot meaning he was last man down for the local young gun done good. Both Atherton and Beaumont from GT were faster up top than Hopes Brayton but they let it slip down the last third of the course, Brayton sensed he was onto a good one and look so much faster through than anyone else into the last few corners and across the line like he was onboard a CRF450...

Elite Men's Results
BRAYTON Adam Team Hope Factory Racing 2:29.558
ATHERTON Gee GT Factory Racing 2:29.976
BUCHANAN Lewis Suspension Center/Intense 2:30.391
MACDONALD Brook Trek World Racing 2:30.455
PEAT Steve Santa Cruz Syndicate 2:30.496
BRUNI Loic Lapierre International 2:30.581
BEAUMONT Marc GT Factory Racing 2:30.830
SMITH Steve Devinci Global Racing 2:31.023
BRYCELAND Josh Santa Cruz Syndicate 2:31.787
SIMMONDS Matthew Chain Reaction Cycles/Nukeproof 2:32.130
READING Jack Jack Reading Racing 2:32.144
BEER Nick Devinci Global Racing 2:32.769
WILLIAMSON Greg Trek World Racing 2:32.948
HEATH Harry Cyclestore.co.uk/Renthal/FiveTen 2:33.730
SMITH Joseph Chain Reaction Cycles/Nukeproof 2:33.828
HILL Samuel Chain Reaction Cycles/Nukeproof 2:34.083
MULALLY Neko Trek World Racing 2:34.542
BLENKINSOP Samuel Lapierre International 2:35.358
THOMAS Richard Wideopen Magazine 2:35.466 5.908
REID Ben Dirt Norco Race Team/O'Neal 2:35.995

Full results right here for all categories.



Next round of the Saracen BDS is at Llangollen on June 29/30th. Parking/camping is £5.00 per vehicle and spectating is free.

Stay Unclipped.

Si Paton..