Round 1 Innerleithen 14th/15th April 2007

The 2007 downhill race season gets underway at the Scottish Downhill Association round 1, and old friends re-appear all looking forward to the challenges ahead over the next 6 months.

As usual, practice gets underway on Saturday on a track designed to test all the riders skills. Out of the start gate it was straight into the woods and over some off camber roots on a reasonably wide but rutted track twisting from right to left and back again down to the first road crossing. Once over the road the track takes you down a steep section getting narrower all the time, attempting to throw you off while you try to maintain as much speed as possible. Now the track opens out more onto a fast open straight and a bus stop to the right which requires no braking. Jumping down over the path and onto the sweeping corner before hitting the woods again. Pedalling all the time over the stumps and then down onto the second road crossing carrying all your speed.

Suddenly you drop down a steep bank which turns to the right and then over a hip jump with a rocky landing. Here the track goes through a very tight set of trees with a rutted floor underneath and then carries on down a steep and loose shoot with loose shale type rocks all over the track. Then left and you have to keep to the high line over the off camber to have the best run out of this section. Keeping left all the way and then out onto the fastest section onto the track, trying not to go too far over and into a steep bank where you would lose valuable time.

Now you have to really pedal and then carry all your speed through the three big ‘Red Bull Jumps’. Back into the more open woods at the bottom section of the track and suddenly, after negotiating down a fast but very rough shoot, you turn sharp right, watching out for the tree on the left. Now you come to a dusty section with loads of uncovered roots and rocks to buck you off at any moment. Round the tight trees and you drop into the end of a berm from another track, being careful not to get stuck in the grass on the right. Keeping the bike on the ground over a small jump and round one of the final berms where the rocks are polished and are waiting for their next victim. Over the final jump, pedalling all the way, and into the final corner which is full of loose rocks. Then on the gas and down over the road into a flat straight before finally passing through, into the finish arena.

Anyone would have thought it was the middle of summer with beautiful sunshine on both days, great for both racing and spectating.

Race run 1 and Ben put in a time of 3:57.852. Run 2 came with a big crash close to the bottom of the course which meant Ben could not improve his time and he finished in 12th place in the youth category.

Round 2 Dunkeld 19/20th May 2007

Ben arrived on Friday even at the race venue and after setting up camp went up the hill to walk the track and familiarise himself with the terrain and layout. Saturday morning practice was underway on time with the usual uplifts in the back of cattle trucks, bikes in one and riders in another.

From the top you pedal hard through the young trees for a short distance before arriving at the open air rock section, the first drop is tricky and finding the right line in and out of it is crucial. From here you keep to the right on the grass to avoid the slow rocks and to get a straight line into the next section. Here you drop down a set of three off camber drops, watching you don't fall to the left and down the banking. Into a loose left hand corner and then two corners, right then left, over very rough terrain. Suddenly you hit the steepest section of the track. It is a set of two drops which can only be ridden properly with full commitment as they run straight into a sharp right hand corner. From here the track weaves down the side of the hill from left to right with lots of fast straights consisting of dangerous and technical rocks to negotiate. The last straight takes you down to the first road crossing with a lot of speed.

Over the road and you immediately face another rock drop into a muddy bog which tries to slow you down. Here you bare left and there are three lines. The one to avoid is the single rock slab, coated with a layer of mud. The fastest line was to the left of the tree keeping on the inside all the time.

Then it’s a few pedal strokes before hitting another corner into a steep shoot with a tight berm waiting at the bottom. On the inside line you go off a series of small rock drops, being careful to keep the bike on the right line, and then through two tight trees onto the fast open corner. At the end of the corner, much caution is taken to make sure that the right line is taken into the next section or you’ll end up stuck behind a large rock face with nothing to do but stop and get back on track. Here you hit a section with a few possible lines, but the obvious fastest line is the straightest one, so a drop over a maze of roots is the next task. Down over a few roots and round a large rock and you come to the second road crossing.

Here you come into the most technical part of the whole track. There is a mass gathering of awkward rocks which have slidy surfaces and roots with polished tops ready to catch out even some of the elite riders at the event. Inevitably the best line is the one which goes over all the roots so line choice is crucial again. After conquering that section you go round a few more corners down a rock slab and across some off-camber rocks before pedalling out of the corners and into the first of three long straights.

The first containing a fast shoot down onto a banking and over some roots before hitting one of the hardest corners. Round the corner to the left and the back to the right and you pedal hard off a small drop and into the big sweeping berm at the end of the straight, being careful to keep off the log behind it which is covered in mud and water. Out of the corner and you have to pedal hard all the way along the track from end to end. Then you hit a bus stop with a drop to the right, over a tree root and then round the stump, before pedalling through the finish line.

Race run 1 and Ben put in a good time of 2:51.112 which put him in a good 9th place. Race run two came and Ben was well on his way to improving his first run time when a crash just after the second road crossing ruined his chances of improving his time. A couple of the riders improved on first run times and Ben came home with a respectable 13th place for team Moonglu/Zeal Optics.