Fox Racing Shox National Championship

Rheola Forest 14/15th July 2007

This weekend was the National Championships race at Rheola Forest near Swansea in South Wales. As the weekend weather was set to be wet, the trousers and waterproofs were packed in the van. As the weather was bad, the camping was called off so after walking the track on Friday afternoon, a B & B was the only option.

Saturday morning and Ben set out to practice the track. From the start the track goes round a long sweeping corner with smooth ground to build up speed. To the left the track goes over two hip jumps going opposite ways which leads you into a rocky and unstable corner keeping to the top line and on the inside. To the right the track goes over a long steep straight with rocky ruts so keeping the bike on the right line is essential.

Out of the long straight and you hit a boggy corner with potholes hidden by mud and water. Round to the left and the track goes down another long straight, this time with much more loose rocks on the ground so you have to be careful which line you take.

Round a corner to the right and you then go left over a set of tree roots and back onto more loose rocks. Off this section and a jump into a banked corner sends you back to the right and then to the left off a drop onto boggy ground. Here it’s on the pedals and over another jump into two large switchbacks. Out of the second berm and being careful not to slide down the bank you go down a shoot into two tabletop type jumps and down to the fire road crossing. Here you have to cross the fire road by pedalling along it for about 50 metres.

This gives you enough speed to clear the next double jump and the next hip jump which lands to the left into a steep right hand berm. Out of the berm and you fly down a steep and long right hand corner. Up to the right and another shoot with more rocks. This one leads you onto a third and final shoot which is full of rocks and roots. Out of this section and you have to jump over another set of roots to get the straightest and more importantly fastest line. This leads onto a drop over a path.

Dropping over the path, you go down into a very long straight with ruts and roots littered everywhere. This section is fast although half way down, you go up to the right around a bus stop with a sharp corner. Dropping off the bus stop and down the fast section you go over a couple of jumps before hitting another bus stop. Round this bus stop which is tight and boggy leads you into the beginning of the rutted section. Keeping to the right all the time is the fastest line, being careful to keep your wheels in the rut. One slip and the bike will slide out from under your feet. Round a tight tree and you go over some more ruts filled in with blocks to maintain the surface. This is where it gets tricky.

Here comes the Star Wars section. A muddy slope covered in roots and slick mud with tight lines through trees. Even the elites were getting caught out here. Through the middle line making sure you get through without crashing. Out of Star Wars and you drop over a wooden platform and turn left over more muddy terrain. Another drop over a wooden platform leads you out onto the second fire road. A short pedal over the road and you turn right, dropping back into the woods and down a set of ruts going left to right.

This leads you into a jump over a path and into a muddy and flat corner with roots ready to catch you out. Through the inside line and you hit a rutted corner with boggy mud at the exit. After the corner you go up onto a long wooden platform which runs round to the left and has a jump off the end into a muddy landing. Over another small jump and you hit a left hand berm into a right hand corner again littered with roots.

Out of the muddy corners and its down to the final leg of the track. Over a small drop and an off camber jump and you pedal down the long straight to the drop. Here you fly off a drop into a sweeping right hand corner and over a jump into the final corner. Round the top of the corner and staying out of the ruts you drop down into a small drop and then straight over the final jump where its on the pedals over the finish line.

The race runs in the same format as the NPS events so there is a seeding run on Saturday afternoon and then one race run on Sunday afternoon. In the seeding run Ben had a crash after the Star Wars section so he finished at the bottom end of the results. On Sunday as there was only one run, it was all or nothing. Ben set out to the uplift and put in a good run time of 4:01.??? And got 18th place in the youth category.