Race Round-Up March 24/25th 2018

The season got off to a cracking start for Female Riders Race Team. Peebles in Scotland hosted Vallelujah, the first enduro race of the 2018 Tweedlove calendar. Snow from the weekend before had melted away and the sun even made an appearance. Elena Melton, racing in Stirling University Cycling Club colours, fought teammate Polly Henderson in a head to head battle for the win. Elena took Stages 2 and Stage 5, with Polly second, whereas Polly was fastest in Stages 1, 3, 4 and 6 with Elena second. Elena did enough to take the win in the SSS (Scottish Student Sport) Enduro for Stirling Uni Cycling Club, University of Stirling. However, it was the youngster Polly who took the U21s win and was the overall fastest female. Team captain Roz took the win in the 36-50s category to top off a trio off podiums and duly drenched everyone with fizz. Cairn Bell used the event as her first race back from the serious injury that ended her 2017 season. It was also the downhiller’s first ever enduro race, so she was rightly pleased about taking fourth place behind EWS rider Abigail Lawton.

Golspie was the venue for Round 2 of the Highland Hardline Series. Youth team members Aimi Kenyon (12) and Anna Mackenzie (10) were in action. Anna cast a lonely figure on top on the podium as sole U12s female competitor, but she won praise for tackling the technically demanding course with control and competence. While Aimi continued her winning streak from Round 1 by topping the U14s podium and being the fast female of the race.

On the other side of the world, on dusty spectacular trails in Chile, former F-Rider Bex showed her meteoric rise hasn’t finished yet by getting her best result ever in the EWS. Tantalisingly, just a whisker away from a podium position. Cecille Ravenalle took victory and looks set to dominate the 2018 series as she did in 2017. Scot Katy Winton cemented her place as a top rider with 3rd place on the podium, while xxx came 2nd. Becky Cook sealed a spot in the top ten with a good performance on the loose trails. A couple of punctures dropped Martha Gill down to 14th place, just ahead of Katherine Sharp, but she’ll be stoked with 10th place in 4 of the 6 stages in her first season in the seniors. While, as we predicted last week, superstar Ella Connolly topped the podium in the U21s. If you haven’t already checked out the photos and video from the event then search them out because epic doesn’t do it justice. The girls will be hoping to equal or better their performances as the EWS continues a Manizales Columbia this Easter weekend.

For the F-Riders team it will be just the youth team in action at the Borders Mini DH in Innerleithen this weekend. Good luck to Aimi, Anna and Heather – go girls!