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TransWales Challenge - SR
Great Britain, August 17-23, 2008
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage
Stage 7 - August 23: Strata Florida to White House Farm in Builth Wells (linking stage), 83.5km
The Final Furlong
By Matt Skinner
It's over: after seven days and 550km of riding with 15,500m of climbing the Merida Bikes TransWales 2008 Champions have at last been crowned.
Strata Florida to Builth Wells
Total distance: 84km
Climbing: 2500m
It's been a long, exhausting but exhilarating week of riding in some of the toughest conditions that the Trans UK events have ever seen. Today at last, after four flat out competitive special stages, seven long linking stages, the Merida Bikes TransWales 2008 rolled across the finish line to bring the event full circle into Builth Wells. In total, the massed field of international riders had completed 550km (344miles) of riding with 15,500m (50,840feet) of climbing off-road around the heart of Wales in just seven days. For some, the spoils of victory. For others, the consolation of a cold beer. But for all, great memories and new friendships formed to last a lifetime.
The final linking stage took riders from beautiful Strata Florida with its ancient abbey back home to Builth Wells, some 84km and 2500m of climbing away. It may be the last day of the event and the ‘glory ride' home, but it was still the longest linking stage of the entire event.
Taking the riders through Tyw Forest the route revisited sections of trail much loved by 2006 TransWales riders: the seven river crossings section where riders can carve criss-crossing lines over and through various river crossing points on the same section of trail. Just put the hammer down, carve, and enjoy. Also back on the menu was the fine and technical singletrack descent along the side of the Afon Doethie and down to the Llyn Brianne reservoir, snaking along the contours of the scenic valley and hammering full bore downwards over some of the finest flow riding on the entire Merida Bikes TransWales.
The route then climbed back into the trees towards the home of some of most colourful events anywhere in Britain, including the Real Ale Wobble and the World Bog Snorkelling Championships, Llanwrtyd Wells. The trail then turned north west following the river Irfon and into Irfon Forest, snaking upwards on fire road to eventually exit onto the black top. From that point on, the riders buzzed along the Tarmac back into Builth. But they still had to work hard as there were still steep climbs and descents to be conquered before they could finally slay and lay to rest the Merida Bikes TransWales challenge.
With the weather staying good all day, the finishing arena turned into an en-masse chill out zone. Riders rode into rapturous applause from their friends and loved ones turning out to welcome them back, from their new riding buddies, and from all the crew who had helped make their ride so memorable. Each rider claimed their finisher's jersey and made straight for some very well earned cold beer courtesy of BikeRadar.com and hard earned rest. Finally.
In the end of the 2008 Merida Bikes TransWales saw the closest racing in the event's history: in many categories, racers had been swapping the lead in the general classification all week with no one clear superpower dominating. With the final special stage yesterday again seeing fresh winners in some categories, it made for a suitably climactic finish to the event and all was finally revealed today in Builth Wells (see below).
"This was certainly the toughest Trans event I've done ever, ever, ever," said Trek 69er Collective singelspeed rider Matt Carr during the BikeRadar.com finishing party. The toughness of the event wasn't missed on the organisers, Mike Wilkens and John Lloyd, either. "I think the conditions made this an even bigger challenge than it would be anyway," said Mike. "It was certainly the toughest Trans event we've ever done but the fact that the riders are still here after a week of going through some big ups and downs really impressed me like no tomorrow. It was a challenging week but it continued the spirit of the event – of people helping each other out and mucking in together."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Jon Brooke/www.rightplacerighttime.co.uk
- Crossing the Llyn Brianne reservoir dam near Llanwrtyd Wells.”
- USE Solo Men’s category winner Frans Claes (Connection Granville) finishes in an overall time of 45:26:25.”
- Riders heading their way to the fantastic Afon Doethie descent.”
- 2500m of climbing saw wrung the last ounce of energy from many riders legs.”
- What Mountain Bike magazine’s Merida Bikes TransWales competition winners Gareth Taylor and Lewis Collins at the end of a very long but inspiring event.”
- Riders were welcomed home by loved ones and friends, a finisher jersey, ice cool beverages, and a deserved pat on the back.”
- Gore Bike Wear Male Team podium with Ifan Richards & Chris Purt (Revolution Bikes RT) in first in a time of 45:37:21; Ben Jones & Andy Jones (Clee Cycles / KCNC) in second in a time of 45:44:22; and James Cooper & Rick Fielder (Army Cycling Union) in 45:45:32.”
Results
Final general classification USE Solo Category - open female 1 Fiona Spotswood (Ironhorse Extreme) 45.56.55 2 Katrina Brown (Deeside Total Endurance) 2.13 3 Amy Baron-Hall (trio25.blogspot.com) 39.34 4 Anne Robinson (Pachy Dream Stalker) 1.18.21 5 Julie Neuhoff (The Newlease) 1.24.24 6 Lynne Fraser 1.33.00 USE Solo Category - open male 1 Frans Claes (Connections Granville) 45.26.25 2 Ewan Thorburn (Fat Tread Bikes) 0.23 3 Ryan Bevies (RAM Bikes) 0.43 4 Andy Barlow (White Racing UK) 2.32 5 Ian Mills (10Fifty) 4.39 6 Ben Lowe (18 Bikes) 7.08 7 Daniel Lewis (Royal Air Force Cycling) 7.59 8 Jean-Claude Van der Veken (Cyclestore.co.uk) 8.31 9 Marcel Esser (Univega) 9.35 10 Josh Ibbett (Extreme Endurance) 10.14 11 Mike Tomlinson (South Fork Racing) 10.29 12 Charlie Eustace (Ellsworth/Freeborn/Torq) 12.09 13 Paul Whittaker (Shredtopia) 12.42 14 Andrew Boyd (WKd) 14.07 15 Richard Samuel (Guarana) 18.27 16 Matthew Zalewski (The Z Machine) 18.36 17 Joel Shotton 19.32 18 Jim Shaw 19.45 20 Luke Morris (Mynyod Men) 20.53 21 Roel Wouters (Connections Granville) 22.06 22 Graham McConaghy (Army Cycling Union) 22.59 23 Neil Atkinson (Ride On / Buff) 24.48 24 Arnis Cirulis (KTM Latvia) 25.38 25 Lee Irvine (VC Godalming + Haslemere) 26.09 26 Donnacha O'Brien 26.32 27 Matthew Atkinson 30.06 28 Andrew Hull (Hull Express) 30.16 29 Nikalas Cook (220 Triathlon) 32.40 30 Johan Frooninckx (Connections Granville) 33.33 31 Rhys Ellis-Davies (Cymro yng Nghernyw) 34.07 32 Patrick Meldrum 34.12 33 Jimmy Grade (Connections Granville) 36.10 34 Davy Vandeput (Connections Granville) 36.57 35 Samuel Bennett (Royal Air Force) 37.22 36 Christian Male (Santas Lone Cruzer) 37.23 37 Ian Bather 39.37 38 Gavin Brown (Royal Air Force Cycling) 39.49 39 Patrick Hoekstra (Bike Zone) 41.11 40 Ryan Morawski (Team Eagle) 41.17 41 Marc Meyer 43.00 42 Ben Rees 43.08 43 Richard Foster 44 Andrew Stewart 45.02 45 Tim Wolfe-Murray 45.17 46 Andrew Pettifer 45.47 47 Anthony Jordan (Cloud 9 Trails) 46.39 48 Michael Flanagan 49.02 49 Nigel Thomas 49.08 50 Richard Querelle (Tempus Fugit) 49.12 51 Tillman Lambert 49.35 52 Matt Kitchin 50.52 53 dave Penny (Choc-Chip) 51.33 54 Paul Kelsall 52.32 55 Simon Loretz (Oxford University CC) 54.59 56 James Moyle 55.24 57 Mark Blair 56.25 58 Robin Calverley (Royal Air Force) 58.41 59 Simon Holme (Pachy Dream Stalker) 1.00.27 60 Simon Ashwell (My name isn't Earl) 1.01.13 61 Joseph O'Flynn 1.03.02 62 Dennis Hoogenboom (Hoogenboom Hrs) 1.05.21 63 Huw George (One to One) 1.05.28 64 Wilfred Hoogenboom 1.07.00 65 Philip Richmond 1.10.33 66 Kevin Leary 1.11.49 67 David Fancy 1.14.01 68 Tony Berlin 1.14.04 69 Steve Miller (Steve Miller) 1.19.19 70 Steven Bone (Solo / Johns Bike) 1.22.02 71 Jason Hughes 1.25.44 72 Joris Vandebon (Connections Granville) 1.26.21 73 Oliver Castle 1.29.29 74 Marcel Van Leeuwen (Marcel goes U.K.) 1.33.15 75 Dylan Stephens 1.38.00 76 Ioan Tudur Jones (Igglepiggle) 1.38.06 77 Matt Wood 1.39.25 78 Craig O'Donnell (Mango) 1.39.44 79 Oliver Townsend (Cloud 9 Trails) 1.39.53 80 Lee Bacco 1.47.20 81 Geert Celen (Connections Granville) 1.49.18 82 Michel Anton 1.50.12 83 Paul Hamnett 1.51.17 84 Richard Edge 1.51.36 85 Michael Jones (Thetford MTB Racing) 1.53.17 86 Chris Lamb (Mammoth Lifestyle) 1.53.53 87 Peter Atkin (Tunnel Hill Trolls) 1.53.56 88 George Harris (Harris 07) 1.55.08 89 Chris Smith 1.55.24 90 Lawrence Walton (Oxford University CC) 1.57.05 91 Damien Stafford (Team Staffx) 1.57.56 92 Tom White (Pit Bikes) 1.58.31 93 Paul Sumption (Thetford MTB Racing) 2.03.16 94 Kit Carruthers (To Be Confirmed) 2.04.32 95 Patrick Hertveld (Pacer) 2.04.41 96 Lex Cumber (Heckler @ the back) 2.07.47 97 Marien Van Os (Marvos.com) 98 Christopher Aiken (Dewhurst Dynamos) 2.09.33 99 Lee Warner 2.09.47 100 Mark Smith (Sytwer Cardiff) 2.13.47 101 Ian Gill (Team Plugga) 2.15.47 USE Solo Category - vets female 1 Mary-Rose Cross 46.39.54 2 Anne Dickins (Cloud 9 Trails) 2.20 3 Ros Fish (Dorset Rough Riders) 20.23 4 Kim Williams 30.50 5 Sally Mawson 52.28 6 Alison Wright 56.28 USE Solo Category - vets male 1 Steve Heading (White Racing UK) 45.34.58 2 Kerry Graham (BAD.CC) 4.51 3 Jonathan Edwards (Carpe Diem) 10.27 4 Richard Wilson 10.53 5 Bryan Singleton (Ride On / Buff) 12.06 7 Antony Gray (Team Milo) 17.26 8 Daryl Cavill 19.42 9 Jim Dickson (SMA) 21.46 6 Robert Koppenhol (WKd) 23.06 10 Gary Bridgeman (Factory Farth) 27.09 11 Steve Gordon (Dorset Rough Riders) 30.51 12 Gary Hull (Chicken Leg's) 34.37 13 Shaun Pallister (Mammoth Lifestyle) 38.50 14 Russell Rout 42.34 15 Steve Whitehouse 43.10 16 Graham Bull (Family Ties) 44.25 17 Paul Facer (Skid Marks / SMRC) 46.50 18 Russell Miller (Boys from the Fort Stuff / St. Ives CC) 47.21 19 Doug Corrie (Swords CC) 49.00 20 Neil Birch (The Big Adventure) 53.29 21 Ray Morriss (Mintcake MTB) 56.08 22 Dave Nichols (Riding for Wayne) 57.55 23 Brian Trill 58.33 24 Rafael Ruiz Fuente 1.01.05 25 Eric Goris (Connections Granville) 1.04.31 26 Jon Goodman 1.05.15 27 Geraint Davies 1.06.00 28 Mark Flynn 1.08.25 29 Martin Zepler (Fellowship of the Granny Ring) 1.10.32 30 Angus Robinson (Team AARM) 1.14.02 31 Sean Dukes 1.16.44 32 Jack Peterson (Numplumz) 1.24.49 33 Graham Hughes (Manx Mountain Bike Club) 1.32.12 34 Arthur Rijk (Bikeshop Amersfoort) 1.37.06 35 Alan Parkinson (South Western Road Club) 1.41.44 36 Gordon Sim 1.42.29 37 Mark Essex 1.49.22 38 Dave Bellamy 1.59.14 39 Howard Thomas 1.59.30 40 Stuart Clarke (Stuart Clarke) 2.09.14 NINER Single Speed Category 1 Lansdo Henry Richard (Bike Shed Wales) 45.40.24 2 Carr Matt Carr (69er Collective) 3.56 Overall Timing - Merida Bikes TransWales '08 - Team Categories High5 Sports Nutrition - Mixed Category 1 David Evans / Lily Mathews 45.43.16 2 Meggie Bichard / Ed Kerly (Team Chance) 0.37 3 Paul Hoogenboom / Alieke Griffioen (Peptiplus-Bikezone) 19.19 4 Shane Dickenson / Rickie Justine Cotter (Cytek) 30.42 5 Richard Morgan / Joy Bringer (Whitehousecampsite.co.uk) 35.15 6 Larissa Trussell / David Carr (Team Tracey) 36.56 7 Claire De Jongh / Simon Neuhoff (The Clantons) 42.44 8 Anne Waddington / Jay Foad (Lemmings) 58.18 9 David Steel / Abigail Armstrong (London Phoenix Mixed) 1.02.50 10 Nickolas Ringwood / Hilary Catchpole (Team Hayland) 1.03.54 11 Gaye Taylor / John Taylor (WVCC MTB) 1.04.29 12 Darryl Rice / Fay Cripps (Cripps) 1.04.41 13 Chris Cooper / Vikki White (The Pocket Rockets) 1.15.47 14 Tom van Tellingen / Claudia van Tellingen (Bushbikers) 1.18.51 15 Bob Hallmark / Camilla Edlin (High5-Online.com) 3.26.08 BUFF Headward - Female Open Category 1 Irene Lachner / Alice Lund (Wateam) 48.43.23 Gore Bike Wear - Male Open Category 1 Ifan Richards / Christopher Purt (Revolution -Bikes RT) 45.37.21 2 Ben Jones / Andy Jones (Clee Cycles / KCNC) 7.01 3 James Cooper / Rick Fielder (Army) 8.11 4 Bruce Philip / James Holness (Beyond 925) 10.35 5 Martin Fisher / Andy Hughes (The Serial Fanniers) 13.33 6 Richard Connor / Steve Torley (Team MK) 18.28 7 Brendan Kay / Karl Povey (Army Cycling) 8 Kieron Selley / Mark Dix (Team Ubique) 25.43 9 Paul Crowley / Mairtin Savage (Lakeside Wheelers) 26.13 10 Peter Rimmer / Charlie Sheridan (Rimram / Tirconaill Abu) 27.06 11 Robert Graveley / Jeremy Baker (Fubar) 27.40 12 Thomas Ward / Richard Eldson (Team Cheese String World Endurance Racing Ltd) 29.11 13 Knut Harald Smette / Jeremy Giddens (Team Oslo Sportslager) 2.31.41 14 Ricky Dickenson / Huw Davies (Cytek) 32.02 15 Steven Franzoni / Craig Sterrett (Outdoor Escape) 2.33.05 16 Andy Guerin / Julian Jordan (Berks on Bikes / Purple Bike Shed) 41.34 17 William Milne / Paul Smith (The B Team) 49.27 18 Rudolf Coetzee / Eric Marshall (Stofstreep) 49.32 19 Andrew Green / Martin Shepherd (Stumpjumpers) 50.01 20 Gregory May / Richard Wagstaff (Greg and Wag's most excellent advanture) 51.19 21 Neil Walters / Andy Lillicrap (TSTWKT) 51.49 22 Nick Scott / Ben Dean (Not Mobile / High Peak Cycles) 53.12 23 Keith Flory / Andrew Gillott (G of the Bang ) 54.09 24 Johan Nell / Sarel Hiemstra (Pofadder) 54.17 25 Matthew Cummins / Mark Wright (The Blackdogs) 56.10 26 Andy Prince / Jonathan Eggett (Team Al Fresco) 57.39 27 Andrew Smith / Geoff Styles (Team Peanut Head) 58.32 28 Andrew Blackmore / Jason Curle (Bat Fastards) 3.04.10 30 Kevin Hallahan / Jack McGeown (Soggy Bottom Boys) 3.12.49 31 Alan Stafford / Matt McDonald (IROZ) 1.13.25 33 Paul Clark / Paul Latchem (Phasenineclothing.co.uk ) 3.17.52 34 Lewis Collins / Gareth Taylor (What Mountain Bike) 3.21.54 35 Stu Brew / Chris Watson (Old Goats) 1.23.18 36 Hugo Abreu / Tiago Fonseca (Tugas) 1.26.52 38 Matthew Corke / Rhrodri Hornung (Man and Boy) 1.28.03 ERGON - Vets Category 1 Carl Hutchings / Stuart Lockyear (London Phoenix Vets) 45.52.43 2 Simon Jepheart / Gary Cousins (phasenineclothing.co.uk) 2.07.16 3 David Wood / Tom Jones (Team Dysynni) 19.41 4 Enrico Pizzorni / Marco Zanetta (Ruotequadre Italy) 26.32 5 Richard James / Paul Shackleford (Snetterton Frog Riders) 37.21 6 Paul William Brown / Troy Rollason (Numplumz/Superlight) 2.58.24
