I have just been looking at the map for last week and worked out the optimum route. Unfortunately it has taken me a week and Paul Allen worked it out on the day. I was one of the many riders who got stuck in the middle of the forest with plenty of low scoring controls positioned on nice muddy single tracks when I should have been riding round the edge of the forest.
Here are Paul’s comments so that we can learn how it should have been done.
Firstly, pretty amazed I won, I made a good route choice making only 2 minor errors and everything seemed to fall into place. On initial viewing of the map, there seemed low points in the middle of the wood, but good ones round the edge. A convenient joining point of the outside loop was the 1st control I got 13. This also allowed the road section from 26 to 17 to be fast downhill.
After 30, a lot of folk seemed to go by tarmac to get to 28, but it seemed a long way with no controls, so I went via 22,25,14 and 18 which took a little longer to get to 7 and 28, but I was 85 points the richer for it. I did actually ride all the way down the hill by 22, in partial control of where my bike was heading. Once I had bagged 28, I kept around the edge of the forest to 29 and 16. I turned off slightly too early to 20 and ended up along the wrong firebreak, but got there eventually. After 20 and 27, 21 was in same place as a control on this summers polaris. I went via 10 which was very muddy and slow, then 23. I wanted to finish with 19 and just had time to squeeze in no. 8 on the way past.
With it being so dry, I had gambled on panaracer speedblasters which were fine on the fire roads, but lethal on mud. I kept myself upright but must have dabbed a dozen times. I found the fireroads really slow. The rain had turned the top layer of dust into a slow silty paste which dragged a lot.
Andy and Stu started off exactly the same route as me, but did not go for 7 or 28. They then struggled to find enough points in the middle of the forest. If you compare splits for the 1st 8 controls we all got, they constantly and without fail took time off me on every section.
It is an amazing result and has blown the championship wide open for the top 3. We could all win it. I cannot say yet if I can make 18th Oct yet, but will try hard as it will be a good award ceremony. My aim on Saturday was to secure a 3rd place overall which I would have been very happy with after a 7th place last year.
See the latest League positions here.
Congratulations to Ian Pendle and Nigel Clarkson for planning such a good course. Broxa was enjoyable last month but this was far more of a challenge. 2 hours is obviously the best time limit for our events.
Pl Name Club Time Points Penalty Result
A Men 17-39 (38)
1 Paul Allen TCA 2:03:53 410 -4 406
2 Stu Nelson / Andy Conn TCA 2:02:30 395 -3 392
3 Conrad Ellison TCA 2:05:54 370 -7 363
4 Dave Spence Ind 2:02:57 360 -3 357
5 Chris Browell TCA 1:57:44 335 335
6 Jason Middleton TCA 2:00:58 335 -1 334
7 David Cook TCA 2:03:16 320 -4 316
8 Tim Clarke Ind 2:00:52 315 -1 314
9 Andrew Windrum / Wayne Nicholson Ind 2:02:07 315 -3 312
10 Andy Stanforth Ind 1:55:28 310 310
11 Nigel Clarkson TCA 2:11:23 335 -25 310
12 Adrian Baskerville Ind 1:59:04 290 290
13 Nick Harmer Ind 1:56:15 285 285
14 Richard Johnson Ind 2:00:18 280 -1 279
15 Steve Briggs TCA 2:03:06 280 -4 276
16 Graham Malony Ind 1:58:44 270 270
17 Mark Batters Ind 1:58:01 260 260
18 Paul Duncan Ind 2:06:11 255 -9 246
19 Mark Roe / Michael Jackson Ind 2:12:11 275 -30 245
20 Gary Thompson Ind 1:59:37 230 230
21 Steve Green Ind 2:04:49 235 -5 230
22 Craig Scott Ind 2:02:59 225 -3 222
23 Nigel Robinson / Mark Roberts Ind 2:04:42 225 -5 220
24 Nick How TCA 2:13:41 245 -35 210
25 John Neaves Ind 2:07:11 220 -11 209
26 Matthew Shields TCA 1:47:15 205 205
27 Stuart Williamson Ind 2:00:03 205 -1 204
28 Andy Tuck TCA 1:58:48 195 195
29 P Clarke Ind 1:48:58 190 190
30 Don White Ind 1:46:49 180 180
31 Phil Harrison Ind 1:55:40 170 170
32 David Atkinson Ind 2:03:16 140 -4 136
33 J Wilkinson Ind 1:51:21 125 125
34 A Johnston / Ian Sadler Ind 1:51:55 125 125
35 Danny Chan Ind 2:03:54 120 -4 116
36 Richard Ginn Ind 2:03:56 120 -4 116
37 Mark Philo Ind 2:03:57 120 -4 116
38 Bill Gash Ind 1:44:57 80 80
B Women 17-39 (3)
1 Mandy Faint TCA 2:02:34 320 -3 317
2 Ruth Greenwood Ind 1:58:48 270 270
3 Catherine Windrum Ind 2:01:28 105 -2 103
C Vet Men 40-49 (30)
1 John Galway TCA 1:59:37 380 380
2 John Rawdon TCA 1:58:24 360 360
3 Paul Thornton TCA 2:01:57 335 -2 333
4 Martin Jagger TCA 2:00:37 330 -1 329
5 Chris Wright Ind 2:03:00 310 -3 307
6 Neil Harvatt Ind 2:05:25 310 -7 303
7 Richard Martin TCA 2:00:46 285 -1 284
8 Tony Harker Ind 2:06:30 290 -9 281
9 Steve Langron Ind 2:00:21 280 -1 279
10 Steve Kendal TCA 1:58:13 275 275
11 Dave Smith / Graeme Jackson TCA 2:02:55 270 -3 267
12 Tony Dallimore TCA 1:58:21 255 255
13 Gary Midgley Ind 2:04:21 260 -5 255
14 Colin Prestwich / Hugh Ellis TCA 1:59:25 245 245
15 Jens Strain TCA 1:55:46 240 240
16 Nick Jones TCA 2:14:43 280 -40 240
17 Chris Hardy TCA 2:00:33 225 -1 224
18 Chris Higgins TCA 2:02:07 220 -3 217
19 Mick Clarke Ind 2:02:14 215 -3 212
20 Julian Coulthard Ind 1:58:48 200 200
21 Keith Foster TCA 2:00:48 200 -1 199
22 Adrian Shaw Ind 2:01:04 190 -2 188
23 John Lavalle Ind 1:46:51 180 180
24 Phil Underwood / Bill Jackson Ind 1:59:30 175 175
25 Mark Darowski Ind 1:45:32 160 160
26 Dave Petty TCA 1:57:45 155 155
27 Brian Huitson Ind 1:48:31 135 135
28 Phil Williams Ind 2:17:42 200 -70 130
29 Rod Yeoman TCA 2:00:12 130 -1 129
30 Michael Brough Ind 2:07:26 95 -11 84
D Vet Women 40-49 (3
1 Jill Furphy / Carol Johnson TCA 1:57:35 250 250
2 Tina Waterall Ind 1:59:54 215 215
3 Ceri Williams TCA 1:53:15 115 115
E Super Vet Men 50+
1 Dave G Evans TCA 2:06:58 390 -9 381
2 David Rose TCA 2:03:18 355 -4 351
3 Steve Willis TCA 2:05:24 340 -7 333
4 Dave Fisher TCA 1:59:08 315 315
5 Geoff Moorhouse / Steve Foster TCA 1:57:50 305 305
6 Dave P Evans TCA 2:03:09 300 -4 296
7 Mike Browell TCA 1:58:15 285 285
8 Brian Kelleher Ind 2:02:09 280 -3 277
9 John Dixon TCA 2:01:32 275 -2 273
10 Steve Roberts TCA 1:56:44 250 250
11 Malcolm Cowdry / Barry Adamski TCA 2:02:05 245 -3 242
12 Dave Lloyd TCA 2:16:17 265 -60 205
13 Henk Van Rossum Ind 2:03:27 200 -4 196
14 Brian Crossley Ind 2:02:38 185 -3 182
15 Dave Harrison Ind 1:55:40 170 170
16 Joe Dobbs TCA 2:10:26 190 -20 170
17 Colin Edwards Ind 2:00:04 170 -1 169
18 Frank Appleton TCA 1:51:22 150 150
19 Ian Jones Ind 1:59:22 150 150
20 Mike Casey Ind 1:59:54 150 150
F Super Vet Women 50+
1 Mary Carrick TCA 2:05:37 215 -7 208
2 Karen Blackburn TCA 2:05:01 180 -7 173
3 Anne Dobbs Ind 1:55:01 40 40
G Generation Team
1 Chris Walker / Luke Pentith Ind 2:03:55 235 -4 231
2 John Adams / Jack Adams Ind 2:03:36 185 -4 181
3 Ian Coe / Sam Coe Ind 2:05:02 160 -7 153
4 Jenn Stocks / Georgi Stocks Ind 1:52:56 145 145
5 Mike Pickwell / Beth Pickwell TCA 1:50:50 105 105
6 David Paley / Isaac Paley TCA 1:54:45 65 65
7 Hazel Stanforth / Gemma Stanforth Ind 2:17:35 100 -70 30
X Mixed (1M/1W 34-79)
1 Simon Trickett / Carolyn Binns TCA 1:59:56 295 295
2 Mike Nayler / Carol Donnelly Ind 2:06:53 295 -9 286
3 Jon Meeks / Amanda Bates TCA 2:02:31 275 -3 272
4 Sarah Hind / Andy Hind Ind 1:55:00 190 190
5 Chris Russell / Ruth Maddocks Ind 2:04:36 180 -5 175
6 Mike Garstin / Heather Barnes Ind 2:01:20 170 -2 168
7 Jonathan Hodd / Ruth Hodd Ind 1:45:57 85 85
8 Claire Wood / Phil Wood Ind 2:02:50 55 -3 52
Y Youth 12-16 (4)
1 Tom Pickwell TCA 1:57:36 310 310
2 James Gash Ind 1:58:58 140 140
3 Will Wright / Matt Pearson Ind 1:54:26 85 85
4 Chris Wright Ind 1:52:38 65 65
NC Non Comp (any Age )
1 John Currey Ind 58:31 40 40
2 Jillian Currey Ind 1:11:09 25 25