BUCS Downhill Caersws 2014
BUCS downhill is an event that nearly every rider at University looks forward to, with riders coming from around the country to compete against each other. This year the venue was Caersws in Wales. Usually Welsh weather can be pretty temperamental as most UK riders know, luckily we were blessed with hot, dusty conditions, similar to Australia. It doesn't matter if you're an elite racer, or just a sunday cruiser, BUCS is always a good time as it allows for people to see mates from different Universities, as well as ride bikes.
Most people turned up on Thursday evening and set up camp eagerly awaiting practice in the morning. Waking up to almost blue skies and sun is always nice having spent what felt like an eternity opening the curtains to grey and drizzly weather. The track walk got under way after an athletes breakfast from the burger van. Unfortunately a last minute change in track due to the original being destroyed by a very wet race 2 weeks previous, among other factors, meant that the track chosen was very 'enduro'. The top consisted of a flat pedal through some swooping turns, followed by a line of jumps that sent you straight into a long and sketchy traverse along the hillside, finished off with a nice three field length sprint. Many people objected to the track, but once they got going realised that at the end of the day, they were still able to have fun with their mates, with some amazing weather to accompany them.
![BUCS 2014]()
Joel Chidley by Turnip Towers.
After practice on Friday everyone returned to their pits where BBQs and beers were enjoyed, alongside a longest skid contest. Saturday morning saw a few practice runs followed by seeding. With 189 competitors in the mens category, and only 100 of those going through to finals, as well as 5 in the womens category, qualifying began. Monet Adams took a pretty convincing lead in qualifying in the womens, with George Belk claiming first in the mens.
![BUCS 2014]()
Banana train by Turnip Towers.
The hot weather meant that the track quickly deteriorated over the first day of practice, especially along the traverse, and so left spectators with a pretty incredible show of big crashes and wild saves. This meant that when it came around to finals on Saturday afternoon, everyone who did not qualify was up on the steepest part of the traverse, apparently named 'Hecklers Root', where they witnessed some of the wildest action of the weekend.
![BUCS 2014]()
Unknown by Turnip Towers.
Monet Adams smashed finals again with the same time as her qualifying run and earned a big win, followed by Llinos Brown and Samantha Dugon. The mens saw Allan Findlay of the University of Dundee taking first place followed by Joel Chidley and George Belk. Overall, even though the track wasn't the best, everyone still had a good time, and know for sure that they can't wait for next year!
Mens
Allan Findlay- 2:03.563
Joel Chidley- 2:04.852
George Belk- 2:05.194
Womens
Monet Adams- 2:28.597
Llion Brown- 2:41.493
Samantha Dugon- 3:10.782
Full results can be found here.
Words and Video by Josh John.
Photos by Iain McConnell at Turnip Towers.
Most people turned up on Thursday evening and set up camp eagerly awaiting practice in the morning. Waking up to almost blue skies and sun is always nice having spent what felt like an eternity opening the curtains to grey and drizzly weather. The track walk got under way after an athletes breakfast from the burger van. Unfortunately a last minute change in track due to the original being destroyed by a very wet race 2 weeks previous, among other factors, meant that the track chosen was very 'enduro'. The top consisted of a flat pedal through some swooping turns, followed by a line of jumps that sent you straight into a long and sketchy traverse along the hillside, finished off with a nice three field length sprint. Many people objected to the track, but once they got going realised that at the end of the day, they were still able to have fun with their mates, with some amazing weather to accompany them.
After practice on Friday everyone returned to their pits where BBQs and beers were enjoyed, alongside a longest skid contest. Saturday morning saw a few practice runs followed by seeding. With 189 competitors in the mens category, and only 100 of those going through to finals, as well as 5 in the womens category, qualifying began. Monet Adams took a pretty convincing lead in qualifying in the womens, with George Belk claiming first in the mens.
The hot weather meant that the track quickly deteriorated over the first day of practice, especially along the traverse, and so left spectators with a pretty incredible show of big crashes and wild saves. This meant that when it came around to finals on Saturday afternoon, everyone who did not qualify was up on the steepest part of the traverse, apparently named 'Hecklers Root', where they witnessed some of the wildest action of the weekend.
Monet Adams smashed finals again with the same time as her qualifying run and earned a big win, followed by Llinos Brown and Samantha Dugon. The mens saw Allan Findlay of the University of Dundee taking first place followed by Joel Chidley and George Belk. Overall, even though the track wasn't the best, everyone still had a good time, and know for sure that they can't wait for next year!
Mens
Allan Findlay- 2:03.563
Joel Chidley- 2:04.852
George Belk- 2:05.194
Womens
Monet Adams- 2:28.597
Llion Brown- 2:41.493
Samantha Dugon- 3:10.782
Full results can be found here.
Words and Video by Josh John.
Photos by Iain McConnell at Turnip Towers.
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