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TransScotland Challenge - NE
Great Britain, May 27-June 2, 2007
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Race 6 - June 1: (Day 6) Moffat to Peebles & Glentress, 62km/10km
Day Six: The Night Train
Special Stage 4 and linking stage 6
By Matt Skinner
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The penultimate day of the TransScotland kicked off from Moffat and took riders out into the big country once more. The 62km linking stage to Glentress, together with 2,000m of climbing, wrung out yet more energy from racers' battle-worn legs. It was a day that would be both testing and rewarding as epic open country riding and trails of the highest calibre gave back for all the gravity dues paid on the four major climbs and portages. But come the end of the day, the final, deciding night time trial was set for Glentress Forest.
The day's linking stage was stuffed with idyllic back country scenery, highlighted lovingly by the sun's rays caressing every sinew and contour of the land. Out of Moffat, the stage headed up and onto the Southern Upland Way and into some serious climbing and vistas. With no rest for the wicked, the riders hauled themselves up to about 300m to grab some epic big hill views before arriving to refuel at Ettrickhill. The trails then surged upwards over Ramsay Knowe before descending and hurling the riders down its grassy flanks at speed towards the picturesque St Mary's Loch. From there, the trail wound its way along the loch's shore before diving headlong for the hills once more. After all the huff and puff of the monster 600m haul up Birkscairn Hill, the riders took flight on one of the all-time classic descents in the south of Scotland. Six kilometers of open hill drove road which follows a long ridge north to the edge of Peebles: in places steep and rocky, rutted and ready for a maul, whilst in others smooth and super fast as it flits maniacally downwards, rushing headlong into the picturesque town below. A final climb out of town and into Glentress forest then gave way to the rider's first introduction with some of the world class trails in the forest that would play host to the final special stage.
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Under the quickly descending blanket of darkness, the first riders - Ryan Bevis and Jonathan Pugh of RAM Bikes and Scott UK - took their places for the final special stage team time trial, the night time-trial, at 10pm. When the countdown began, they would tear down the ramp and into the encroaching darkness, to lay waste to the 10km course composed of both technical natural trail with off-camber turns, Tefon coated roots and drop-offs together with a generous selection of Glentress' purpose built fast and flowing singletrack. But unlike the Dalbeattie special stage, their cumulative times would decide their placing. And with everything up for grabs, there was nothing left to do but flick the HID switch and put the pedal to the metal and break on through the dark.
It took just 27 minutes for the fastest rider to blitz the course and return to the atmospheric start/finish area high in the forest absolutely buzzing. With music and plenty of fine food laid on by the folks from The Hub, owned and run by former world cup racers Emma Guy and Tracey Brunger, to welcome them back the racers were soon breaking out the beers and stories of ghostly near-misses.
"It was fantastic," BeOne rider, open male soloist and world cup marathon racer, Simon Loughlin said afterward. "It was actually the first time I'd raced with a proper light and it was my best time trial result of the event - I got fourth. There are no distractions as there's just the pin of light and that's all you can see. It was a real buzz as the trails were absolutely superb."
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In the open female solo category, Meggie Bichard (Extreme Endurance) continued her dominance by taking the win by almost three clear minutes. Whilst in the men's, the closely fought competition between Ben Thompson (Nevis Cycles) and Whyte Bikes' Andy Barlow saw Ben getting the upper hand this time around by just 11 seconds, with Mansour Youssef (Fusion Bikes) securing third 47 seconds behind.
The veteran women solo category saw Julie Dinsdale consolidate her new-found lead following Mabie's time trial, by taking the win by around three and a half minutes up on second place Tatjana Troll. Elsewhere, Rob Waller (ERC One Week Younger) stormed the course in 31:24, a few seconds up on second placed Antony Green (G A Cylces/gonebikinmad) in the veteran men's solo category.
Maddie and Jay Horton (XC Racer.com/Trek) continued to reign supreme in the mixed category with another white-wash of the competition. They dominated by a five minute winning margin on the technical course against their closest placed competitors, Alice Crook and Neil Hamblin (Cakemonsters), with Joy Bringer and Richard Morgan (Whitehousecampsite.co.uk) rounding out the top three some 10 minutes behind.
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Similarly strong were Gore Veteran Category Bryan Singleton and Peter Strong (Global/Torq/Buff) who took the win ahead of doggedly determined Robert Barker and Mark Langdon (Sportstest.co.uk). In the women's category, Julie Cartner and Renell Brennan (7Stanes) again put in a very strong performance by finishing nine minutes up on second placed Sally Lee and Kate Chappell (Extreme Endurance).
Finally, in the men's category, overall classification leaders Ryan Bevis and Jonathan Pugh (RAM Bikes/Scott UK) proved too strong for local pairing Andrew Wardman and Steven Halsall (7Stanes) by blasting the course into a thousand smithereens with a time of 27:09, two minutes and eight seconds up on the 7Stanes boys.
With the tensions released and aching bodies dulled by overactive adrenal glands, riders could contemplate that there was just one more day to go, and that the end was very much in sight. But in the meantime, there was beer to be drunk and the rush of night racing on world class singletrack to savour.
For tomorrow is another day, and with it will come the very final linking stage from Glentress to Selkirk to bring the TransScotland to a close.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by TransScotland
- One of many scenic descents racers have enjoyed in the TransScotland.
- No problem with sightlines on this corner.
- Guided by a single point of light through the final special stage's time trial
- Matt Carr starts the night time trial.
- The leaders descend an open, doubletrack on Day 6.
- Keith Bontrager descends on Day 6.
- Simon Loughlin starts the night time trial.
- Plenty of views to distract oneself on this climb.
- Shaggy by the Loch
Results
Special Stage 4 Women's Solo Open 1 Meggie Bichard (Extreme Endurance) 35.57 2 Christie Boucher 2.52 3 Helen Lambert 7.00 Men's Solo Open 1 Ben Thompson (Nevis Cycles) 27.43 2 Andy Barlow (Whyte Bikes) 0.11 3 Mansour Youssef (Fusion Bikes) 0.56 Veteran Women's Solo 1 Julie Dinsdale 43.41 2 Tatjana Troll 3.36 3 Hilary Bloor (Team Planetfear) 10.51 Veteran Men's Solo 1 Rob Waller (ERC One Week Younger) 31.24 2 Antony Green (G A Cylces/gonebikinmad) 0.21 3 Matt Scrase (MTB Marathon.co.uk) 1.59 Mixed 1 Maddie Horton & Jay Horton (XC Racer.com/Trek) 34.25 2 Alice Crook & Neil Hamblin (Cakemonsters) 5.02 3 Joy Bringer & Richard Morgan (Whitehousecampsite.co.uk) 10.15 Veteran's 1 Bryan Singleton & Peter Strong (Global/Torq/Buff) 33.16 2 Robert Barker & Mark Langdon (Sportstest.co.uk) 1.10 3 Mario Brunello & Fulvio Damian (Police Team Italia) 5.51 Female 1 Julie Cartner & Renel Brennan (7Stanes) 37.25 2 Sally Lee & Kate Chappell (Extreme Endurance) 9.15 Male 1 Ryan Bevis & Jonathan Pugh (RAM Bikes/Scott UK) 27.09 2 Andrew Wardman & Steven Halsall (7Stanes) 2.08 3 David Preston & Chris Herraghty (Hoop Troop) 2.29 Note: There are no results for the linking stages of the TransScotland.
