Season Finale - Southern XC Series

Wipers on maximum speed, I peered through the windscreen into the torrential rain. Lycra clad forms huddled for shelter under car boots, the burnt brown grass the only remaining memory of the recent Indian summer. Glancing at the temperature gauge it read just 11 degrees! Three races had been cancelled during July and August and I am was still carrying the scars from the National XC at Hadley! So after months of warm and dry weather, but no racing, it was back to slippery roots and muddy faces. To be fair the sun did come out between the showers and the trails remained pretty dry under the trees despite the deluge.

I had arrived at the brand new Avon Tyrrell venue in the New Forrest. Just down the road from Crow Hill (a Southern XC regular), the course was based upon the permanent activity centre trails around the perimeter of the 65 acre estate. The maintained paths featured bridged boardwalks to avoid boggy areas. These were linked together with loamy singletrack, tightly squeezed beneath the trees. The course was fast with several short inclines towards the end of the lap.
 

As it was the final round, series positions were at stake. After a slow start to the season I couldn’t match last year,  but I knew who my main targets were. If I could put a rider between them and myself by the finish I was still looking at a top 15 place in the overall standings. Ignoring the usual frenetic start I kept my marked men in sight as we swept into the gloomy wood. Working my way past a few riders and up to the wheel of my main competitor I was pushing on, but feeling comfortable. Faster trails do tend to suit me better than slower twisty tracks. We then reached a fork in the trail, where the race route dived down onto a section of boardwalk, but instead of turning into the slope I mistakenly followed the rider ahead onto the ‘B’ line. Still cursing my stupidity we emerged back onto the main path and I found we had actually gained two places! Now in 10^th place I passed my lucky guide and was hauling in the two riders ahead.
 

Towards the end of the lap the course joined a BMX tack. I wasn’t going to be clearing the 'table top' jumps or landing a 'double', instead opting for the leg and arm pumping ‘up and over’ technique. Much to the general amusement and derision of the local youth who were in attendance down the side of the track. As I turned into the final berm the steering felt odd and I began to sense I might be losing front tyre pressure. Up the next climb it was hard to tell but as we clattered over the roots down the other side the tyre was definitely squidgy and then I heard the dreaded ‘psst, psst ,psst’ as the remaining air drained away.
 

My frustration was surprisingly short lived. With so little racing I was determined to finish, so started the jog back to the start arena. With a little assistance from a few friends a new tube was fitted and I was back underway. Over 10 minutes behind the race, I was now dead last, but you never know what is going to happen! To my amazement I soon spied my main rival in the series up ahead. He too must have had a problem and we were reunited 10 minutes behind the field! Our race within a race ended a lap later when his fault (it looked like a drivechain issue) reoccurred and he pulled to the side of the course. I now knew that I just had to finish. Which I did! Pulling myself back up to 15th on the day and 15^th overall in the Southern Series.