Reaction Downhill: Moelfre.

Apr 15, 2009
by Alasdair MacLennan  
Against a background of news from the first round of the World Cup happening in South Africa, this weekend saw Borderline’s Mike Marsden put on an early season warm up race on the open Welsh hillside of Moelfre. Not normally a venue known for dry races, it was difficult not to draw parallels to the weather in South Africa, with blue skies, dust and a hot sun. Ok, the sun wasn’t hot but our standards are low over here...and there were still a fair few who managed to turn a shade of red normally resplendent on a tomato.

Words: Alasdair MacLennan Pics: Scott Cartwright
photo

Jonathan Nicholson


Moelfre needs no introduction having played host, courtesy of Farmer Jack, to a whole host of races over the past few years. Known for being wide open with barely a tree in sight, it is usually windy at the very least, rain usually being added in for good measure, for the track itself starts on the top of what is the tallest hill in the area. Yet it has been known to also host races on weekends so hot that all you wanted to do was sit quietly and gasp in the shade rather than ride your bike. One such race was the National Championships in 2006 when Steve Peat crashed out within yards from the finish after demolishing his back wheel on the bike breaking stream crossing. That weekend saw 30 degrees plus and, whilst not quite that hot this weekend, was certainly one of the nicest weekends of the year, and one on which you were only too happy to chill out after riding your bike and grab a beer.

photo

No longer so off camber...


Things hadn’t looked quite so rosy on the trip down, with torrential rain in places giving way to muddy lanes and an expected wet track on Friday afternoon. However, some late afternoon sun soon took the edge off things and by the time the last of us ventured on course late on Saturday morning and those who had been running spikes were already thinking about a switch to something a little more dry orientated.

photo

Sam Bagnall


The track starts high up on an exposed hillside, which, when the weather is decent, gives a full 360 degree vista. It can also give such a headwind that getting off the start line can prove to be the most difficult part to the course come race day! Fast and sweeping up top, the first line to hit is the quarry drop. Well, to most it’s a drop. If your name was Reading or Heath this weekend then it was a balls out huck, one with more success than the other. Expert Jack Reading was spotted trying to keep his line quiet but most were opting for the safe option anyway. Harry Heath in Junior was the only other rider to hit it and got away with coming up a little short in practice but was less lucky in his second race run on which he went down hard. Make it past there though and you swept through some fast carving turns reminiscent of a Euro World Cup track from a few years ago and into two newly crafted tight right-left berms, which dropped you neatly onto the run in to the small step down. Get that nice and it compressed you into the hip. Squash the take off and hip right (straight on took you into the gorse) and the steep landing led you into a tight berm with a kicker on the exit. Many munched dirt here over the weekend as they tried and failed to judge their speed to match the landing. The steepest side of the hill now and you’re into the switchbacks. The loose and dusty gravel surface made some of the corners here a little more drifty than some liked, especially when there were gorse bushes waiting to make a pin cushion out of you should you make a mistake. The newer switchbacks introduced a couple of years ago are faster than the originals and let you really lean the bike close to the bank at the side. This is before cutting the last corners through the chopped back bushes to drop out and onto the grass, with a straight but rough run into the road gap.

photo

Harry Molloy


The taping allowed the road gap to be missed but, if we’re being honest, it’s always more fun to hit something like that isn’t it? It’s advantages may have been minimal at most but once cleared, you were onto the off camber traverse that ran you to the finish almost in parallel to the dusty uplift road. Rocky outcrops and jinks here and there keep you on your toes, especially if you’re really on the gas, as the exits always begin to blow out by the time racing comes around. And, just as you felt the temperature increase noticeably, you were in sight of the finish at least twenty seconds before you were able to cross the line. Pop out over the wall and use the opportunity to get back onto the gas. Brake hard for the last slow corner, drop down the rock slab and launch the ski jump which formed part of Saturday night’s entertainment in the form of the Chain Reaction long jump comp. From there you hit the ditch crossing flat out with a horrible compression that feels like your bike is about to buckle underneath you and get the last few turns of the cranks in before the finish line. Sub 2:30 was a very good time; sub 2.20 was pinned.
With the band playing louder and for longer than some wanted judging by some comments passed on Sunday morning, there were some bleary eyes. Never the less, the rain that had hit just a few miles away overnight had failed to touch the course and it was another scorching day for the racing.

photo

Bert Smith


Kicking off with the young ‘uns, the Juvenile category was the first to go, sponsored by Descent-Gear. Tom Proffitt was in third, just under half a second from Descend Hamsterley’s Tristan Riley-Fox in second. However, taking the win with a clear 4 second lead was William Weston for Tollbar Warwick Volvo. Did Si Paton’s Sunday morning coaching have anything to do with that elusive first win?

photo

John Gromadzki-Owen


The Youth category is fast and make no mistake. With 42 entries, anyone hoping to get on the podium was going to have a task on their hands with just ten seconds separating the same number of places. George Belk in third was on it with a 2:28, less than three tenths off Sam Copp in second. Dave Kynaston took the win with a 2:26, less than two seconds separating him from George.

photo

Dave Kynaston


Moving onto Juniors and Sam Webster was third fastest with a 2:21. Harry Molloy looked quick all weekend and used his second run to great effect to put in a time which was less than four tenths off the win. However, full credit must go to Harry Heath for having had the full spoon of concrete in the morning for he was one of only two riders to hit the huck across the quarry up top. A 2:18 with his first run secured the win whilst a massive crash on the aforementioned quarry in his second left him a little beaten up when standing on the top step of the podium.

photo

James Hopkins


The ladies category seems to be undergoing an expansion over the last year or so with many welcome new faces. Monet Adams, riding this year for All Terrain Cycles picked up her box fresh Giant Glory without the chance to set it up and rode it to third. Harriet Latchem just edged second from Monet after a winter spent training whilst Jess Stone took the win after back to back second places behind Tracy Moseley at the first two rounds of the Maxxis cups.

photo

Jess Stone


Senior’s was huge with 110 entries all in. Jake Hancock was third with a 2:25 whilst Arran Lever took second with a 2:23. However, just edging him out of the top spot was Martin Young who made the trip down from north of the border with his freshly painted lid by TGG-Customs.

photo

Senior Podium


In Masters, Pinkbike reporter and Descent-Gear man Si Paton took third with 2:31, just three tenths off second placed Adrian Bradley. If only Si had clipped in... Richard Keates took the win for High Peak Cycles with a consistent time of 2:29 in both runs.

photo

Master Podium


The Vets were up next with Luke Elliott taking third, Lee Podmore in second and Dai Jones taking a convincing win with a time of 2:41. Also making a rare appearance on a downhill bike this weekend was British Cycling’s Roger Wilbraham.

photo

Alex Glass


And lastly we have the combined Expert/Elite category. Dave Smith took third with a 2:17 for 3Smiths-Leisure Lakes whilst Rob Smith put in a 2:14 in his first run to take second. Would hitting the quarry have allowed him to overhaul Jack Reading’s winning time of 2:12? It would have been close but Jack is a man on a mission right now and the Expert rider powered hard to the finish for a hard earned victory.

photo

Billy Cheetham


Regardless of if you were doing this race as a chilled out season opener or it was your first race, most riders had a good time. As always, you can always pick up on points that could be improved; the gaps in the timing for one and the lack of communication at the road crossing that meant many riders were stopped for tractors unnecessarily in practice. But at the end of the day, this is still only the second race that Mike of Borderline Events has organised. That means he’s still on the learning curve but he’s keen to learn, and the timing was out of his control anyway, even if we did want to leave him tied to a tree when we were still stuck up at the top of the hill come 6pm!

photo

The Music Tent


That’s it for now, both Si and I will be at the first round of the SDA this coming weekend in Pitfichie; Si selling the usual kit and bits from the Descent-Gear van and I, racing and doing the report. Entries are also still available for the first round of the NPS so if you want in, make sure your entry hits Steve Parr’s doormat by Monday 20th.

photo

Staying on...Just


http://www.descent-gear.com
http://blue-raptor.pinkbike.com/album/Molfre-11-12th-April/

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Author Info:
cloverleaf avatar

Member since May 26, 2003
178 articles

32 Comments
  • 1 0
 excellent wkend my first race and loved it and just made a new best friend to teach me his skills,, lol. good track if a little pedally at the end of my second run i thought my legs were going to fall off. jump comp was funny to how did he stay on lol
  • 4 0
 Al,

Good report fella and nice pics Scott.
"Clipped in"? The only clipping i'll be doing is your ear son..
  • 1 1
 If anybody who was racing is interested in pics, Scott @ Eggraphy who provided the pics for our race report is offering the following deal:

"Digital Files are available for £5, Prints Starting at £7.50 ranging in size from 7x5 - 30x20 (big poster size). If' you have any special requests please feel to get in touch and I will do my best to help you out.

www.eggraphy.com"
  • 1 0
 Thanks to everyone that came - Top weekend and there's more to come.... And I heard Si is a converted thrash metal lover.....
  • 1 0
 pics also at www.borderline-images.co.uk you can order on-line too. cheers mike
  • 0 0
 Quality weekend!! the weather and track was awsome! I got a video of Sam's skechy landing:
www.pinkbike.com/video/70644
  • 1 0
 thats an amazin track, loved that weekend Big Grin
  • 0 0
 what a weekend! even a broken foot didnt keep me from racing, that place was awsome!
  • 3 1
 Looks fun.Smile
  • 2 1
 for sure does
  • 3 0
 it was fun!! what a weekend Razz
  • 1 4
 you that looks sweet...i ride bmx is that easy?
  • 0 0
 its fast and sketchy Smile
  • 0 0
 that last picture there looks sooooo sketch
  • 0 0
 sweet report.. i even get a pic of me on it Big Grin ... oh and i got sunburnt.. who'da thought it would be sunny Razz
  • 2 0
 couldn't of hoped for better weather really Big Grin
  • 0 0
 Awesome pics guys, looks like a blast. Was the music tent filled with some live bands?
  • 0 0
 is that a rubber stanction guard on the bottom pic?
  • 2 0
 yeh i put it on there, so not to kill my stantions on the uplift, just a cut up innertube Smile worked well Smile
  • 0 0
 good idea sam!
  • 0 0
 i thought so:P
  • 0 0
 I THOUGHT ABOUT DOING THAT,,,THINK I WILL NOW,,, THANX
  • 0 0
 it works brilliantly Smile
  • 0 0
 i like the pic of jake lol
  • 0 0
 Good to see the short arse make podium in masters.
  • 0 1
 im hurt i didnt get a mention for doing the entire weekend on a hardtail! HAHA
  • 1 2
 Sick that's all I can say!!
  • 0 0
 nice pics
  • 0 0
 kl
  • 22 1
 your lame
  • 17 1
 volcom your a prick all you do is leave bad comments on everythin
  • 16 2
 obviously an emo or summin then







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