WGES Autumn Series Mash Up: Round Two - Cwmcarn

The Welsh Gravity Enduro Autumn Mash Up Series returns to Cwmcarn in South Wales for round two of the Autumn series. When we were last here in the spring, the trees were bare and the first shoots of spring were starting to show their heads. Now as we head into October the leaves are starting to turn, blackberries are abundant providing a welcome trailside snack and the Birch leaves are fluttering like snow onto the trails adding another facet to what will prove to be some of the most challenging stages yet!

Cwmcarn Forest, looking over to Cafall.

Sporadic rain showers kept the riders on their toes!

The Stages:

Ben Llewellyn digging in.

Stage One: Airstream 1 sponsored by Bird Cycleworks

"The one I've never ridden" was all I heard, the shortest of the three stages that looks easy at first but being super tight and twisty with blind apexes and tightening turns it was one of the hardest to get right, but a very short 6-minute transition ensured multiple runs under the Mash Up format.

Flat out to the finish!

Stage Two: Clear Fell - sponsored by The Mountain Bike Chalet

The one that was the most "Enduro". Starting on the forest road the riders dropped into the dark woods of stage two that was built specifically for this event. A multitude of stumps, roots and off camber greeted the riders, getting this section right was imperative because the riders then headed across a clear fell section and into the legendary 'Twrch' climb (but just for this event it was backwards!) which wasn't quite as down as you would expect... especially with a head wind. The final section was super fast and flat out before finishing just before the Forest drive.

Stage 2 finish. Many riders congregated here to recover and fix punctures and think about what they needed to do on their next run to improve.

Lewis Bradley (Tredz) on his way to his first senior win and a set of Hope wheels

Stage Three: EndorianTwrch - sponsored by Stages Power

Starting at the tunnel of 'Y Mynydd' the riders dropped into 'Endor' a super fast and twisty established DH trail that you had to ride three corners ahead to get right! A very sharp left onto the forest road into a flat out 200-meter sprint and 180' turn in to the 'Twrch' final descent... This is one of the all time greats of the trail centre world, super fast, flowy and rewarding when done right, you must ride this trail. Finishing right in the car park 20 feet form the live timing screen from Action Sports Timing

After five hours of live timing and multiple timed runs the results. Fastest times of the day went to:

Simon Wakely (Masters) beating everyone with a time of 7m:56:23 with Will Soffe of Bike Park Wales in 2nd with 7m:58:70 (Elite)

In third overall making a very welcome return to Gravity Enduro racing after a two-year break, Rob "Box" Cooksley of Bad Ass Bikes with a time of 7m:59:83 (vets) who also won stage one!

In the ladies, it was Katie Wakely who narrowly took the win in 9m:31:31

Faye Jordan 2nd (Brink / RAF CA-CSR) with a time of 9m:32:40. Close racing again in all categories.

Full results on Roots and Rain are HERE
Photos are HERE

A massive thank you to all the marshals on the day, without you there'd be no events!

Natural Resources Wales Bob Campbell for letting us build a new stage and the use of Cwmcarn, Action Sports timing for the ever reliable and accurate timing, PS Cycles for their hospitality.
And all you lovely riders! thank you for coming.

See you all on the 30th October at Afan for another 3 stages at the series final, previews up soon.
If you've not entered do so soon... Online entry is HERE

Happy trails...

Video:Felix Smith
Photo: Adam Sherratt Photography

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MENTIONS: @WelshGravityEnduro

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