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TransWales Challenge - SR
Great Britain, August 17-23, 2008
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 4 - August 20: Tregaron to Machynlleth (linking stage) , 82km
The Best Day?
By Matt Skinner
The rains may still be around but they can't dampen the enthusiasm of the riders after the best day's riding yet.
Linking Stage Four Tregaron to Machynlleth Total distance: 79km Climbing: 2045m
Today the Merida Bikes TransWales seriously stepped things up to give maximum payback to the riders for all their endurance – both on the stages and with the weather itself – as everything that is great about mountain biking was rolled out on a platter that only got sweeter as the day went on. Taking riders from Tregaron to Machynlleth 79km and 2000m of climbing away, the day's stage also had some bonus prizes in store for the riders: 2200m of descending. And the final destination also had one very important facility: a laundrette in which riders could wash and dry their much-abused kit.
The stage left Tregaron and for the first 20km gave the riders a gradual warm up along flat trail including an old rail line and a riverside ride along the Afon Ystwyth for a scenic spin into Aberystwyth. Following a grind up to the lunch spot things clicked and the riders got into the groove of proper wilderness riding with techy ascents and desents, wooded singletrack sections and stunning scenery. The trail jumped on the Continental Trail – part of the Nant-y-Arian trail network that the riders will encounter in greater depth tomorrow and Friday – and ran it backwards along the stunning Esgair Ffostudr section.
With long rocky climbs winding steadily amidst the folds and the flanks of the moorlands, the rocky trail base meant that progress both up and down was good and fast. With water running down descents and climbs in places creating floods and standing pools across the trail water – as with the rest of the event so far – proved an unavoidable reality of the ride. Many riders – already soaked and with adjusted mindsets (‘I can't get any wetter….') – charged in with youthful glee just for the hell of it, coming out the other side grinning from ear to ear.
The route then re-entered the trees near the shores of Nant y Moch reservoir and ran along tarmac and fire road before crossing an almighty stream. Here serious care had to be taken to respect the breadth and high flow of the water, and riders helped each other across safely to the other side. Then came the finale.
The first TransWales in 2006 had also visited Machynlleth before making the pilgrimage to Coed y Brenin – quite possibly one of, if not the, most important sites for modern British mountain biking. It was here that the first purpose built trail centre was conceived, built and realised by Dafydd Davis, OBE. Its influence is still echoing across the land with each and every new trail and trail centre development. But like today's stage, back then the chute descent off the top and into Machynlleth was heralded by the riders as one of the best sections of trail ridden of the entire event.
The descent itself is simple: a steep chute with a base of loose shale that drops riders skittering down at speed, on the verge of losing control and stuffed full of endorphins into the awaiting valley. With the end in sight, riders could at last relax and savour the final minutes to journey's end looking out across the Afon Dyfi (River Dovey) valley.
"It was definitely the best day so far," an elated USE Solo Men's rider Nikalas Cook said after finishing. "It was everything that's great about mountain biking: big climbs; amazing descents; beautiful scenery including an incredible waterfall; and great technical stuff like the chute descent." But that's not all: despite the set backs of bad weather, riders are gelling with spirit of the Merida Bikes TransWales' infectious ‘we're in this together' sense of camaraderie.
Tomorrow will see riders spin the 7km up the road to Corris and the Cli-Machx trailhead to begin the third Special Stage. Taking in the entire Cli-Machx trail it'll be a true test of fitness and handling skills as the trail climbs stolidly up right from the off before finally summiting. From there the trail then points straight back down again along on an increasingly fast, technical and challenging descent. The time trial will leave the riders exhausted yet buzzing, pumped yet ready to go again. And again. Riders will then head out on the 65km linking stage to Pontewyd, taking in some of the fine flowing singletrack at Nant y Arian that will host the final and deciding special stage on Friday.
But that's all yet to happen. Today, the riders are at last able to wash and dry wet kit, take in some warming beverages, refuel, share stories and rest after an inspirational and exhausting day in the saddle. For tomorrow it's about to happen all over again…
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Matt Skinner
- The weather and cloud rolled in and out all day, at times hiding vast canvasses of countryside in cloud.
- The route took riders along ancient tracks.
- Descent followed climb, before wiggling back up again to repeat.
- The wet conditions made the rock slippery in places made traction a gamble on the more technical pitches.
- It was a long, hard stage but the views were more than worth it by themselves.
- The riders set off from Tregaron at 9am with the last rider rolling in to Machynlleth at just after 5pm.
- It's water. It's wet. It's in the way.
Images by Jon Brooke/www.rightplacerighttime.co.uk
- As riders dropped off the tops the landscape became more rolling.
- There was still plenty of mud to be sliced through.
- Brooding skies and riders ready for the off.
Results
Overall Timing - Merida Bikes TransWales '08 - Solo Categories USE Solo Category - open female 1 Fiona Spotswood (Ironhorse Extreme) 26.16.30 2 Katrina Brown (Deeside Total Endurance) 1.23 3 Amy Baron-Hall (trio25.blogspot.com) 12.44 4 Anne Robinson (Pachy Dream Stalker) 15.30 5 Lynne Fraser 24.09 6 Julie Neuhoff (The Newlease) 25.05 USE Solo Category - open male 1 Ryan Bevies (RAM Bikes) 26.07.28 2 Frans Claes (Connections Granville) 0.22 3 Andy Barlow (White Racing UK) 0.25 4 Ewan Thorburn (Fat Tread Bikes) 0.44 5 Ian Mills (10Fifty) 2.16 6 Ben Lowe (18 Bikes) 2.47 7 Daniel Lewis (Royal Air Force Cycling) 2.59 8 Mike Tomlinson (South Fork Racing) 3.39 9 Jean-Claude Van der Veken (Cyclestore.co.uk) 3.45 10 Marcel Esser (Univega) 4.07 11 Paul Whittaker (Shredtopia) 4.22 12 Josh Ibbett (Extreme Endurance) 4.30 13 Charlie Eustace (Ellsworth/Freeborn/Torq) 4.31 14 Andrew Boyd (WKd) 4.45 15 Chris Herraghty 5.29 16 Dylan Stephens 7.41 17 Graham McConaghy (Army Cycling Union) 6.25 18 Joel Shotton 8.26 19 Matthew Zalewski (The Z Machine) 6.39 20 Richard Samuel (Guarana) 6.48 21 Donnacha O'Brien 7.42 22 Arnis Cirulis (KTM Latvia) 8.05 23 Roel Wouters (Connections Granville) 24 Neil Atkinson (Ride On / Buff) 8.20 25 Jim Shaw 8.30 26 Luke Morris (Mynyod Men) 9.04 27 Johan Frooninckx (Connections Granville) 9.30 28 Ioan Tudur Jones (Igglepiggle) 9.47 29 Lee Irvine (VC Godalming + Haslemere) 9.55 30 Nikalas Cook (220 Triathlon) 10.13 31 Wilfred Hoogenboom 10.29 32 Andrew Hull (Hull Express) 10.39 33 Matthew Atkinson 10.55 34 Ian Bather 11.01 35 Craig O'Donnell (Mango) 11.25 36 Richard Foster 11.30 37 Gavin Brown (Royal Air Force Cycling) 11.34 38 Rhys Ellis-Davies (Cymro yng Nghernyw) 11.38 39 Andrew Stewart 40 Davy Vandeput (Connections Granville) 11.55 41 Samuel Bennett (Royal Air Force) 12.00 42 Patrick Meldrum 12.34 43 Andrew Pettifer 12.57 44 Jimmy Grade (Connections Granville) 13.19 45 Richard Querelle (Tempus Fugit) 13.20 46 Christian Male (Santas Lone Cruzer) 13.28 47 Anthony Jordan (Cloud 9 Trails) 13.53 48 Ben Rees 13.55 49 Marcel Van Leeuwen (Marcel goes U.K.) 14.13 50 Marc Meyer 15.13 51 Tim Wolfe-Murray 15.18 52 David Fancy 15.53 53 Mark Blair 16.00 54 Simon Holme (Pachy Dream Stalker) 16.30 55 Matt Kitchin 16.31 56 Nigel Thomas 16.36 57 Oliver Castle 16.41 58 Robin Calverley (Royal Air Force) 16.55 59 Simon Loretz (Oxford University CC) 17.02 60 Steven Bone (Solo / Johns Bike) 17.04 61 James Moyle 17.17 62 Joseph O'Flynn 17.30 63 Michel Anton 19.53 64 Ryan Morawski (Team Eagle) 18.52 65 Paul Kelsall 18.55 66 Simon Ashwell (My name isn't Earl) 18.59 67 dave Penny (Choc-Chip) 21.14 68 Michael Flanagan 21.41 69 Lee Bacco 22.51 70 Jason Hughes 23.30 71 Philip Richmond 23.47 72 Steve Miller (Steve Miller) 24.08 73 Michael Jones (Thetford MTB Racing) 24.58 74 Tillman Lambert 25.27 75 Patrick Hoekstra (Bike Zone) 26.09 76 Kevin Leary 26.37 77 Paul Hamnett 26.58 78 Chris Smith 27.05 79 Richard Edge 27.07 80 Chris Lamb (Mammoth Lifestyle) 28.12 81 Dennis Hoogenboom (Hoogenboom Hrs) 30.50 82 Damien Stafford (Team Staffx) 29.27 83 Peter Atkin (Tunnel Hill Trolls) 84 Matt Wood 30.45 85 George Harris (Harris 07) 30.49 86 Tony Berlin 31.12 87 Kit Carruthers (To Be Confirmed) 34.13 88 Tom White (Pit Bikes) 34.12 89 Patrick Hertveld (Pacer) 36.22 90 Paul Sumption (Thetford MTB Racing) 34.57 91 Geert Celen (Connections Granville) 37.54 92 Christopher Aiken (Dewhurst Dynamos) 39.14 93 Joris Vandebon (Connections Granville) 41.28 94 Huw George (One to One) 95 Lee Warner 96 Mark Smith (Sytwer Cardiff) 43.28 97 Ian Gill (Team Plugga) 45.28 98 Oliver Townsend (Cloud 9 Trails) 43.28 99 Lex Cumber (Heckler @ the back) 100 Marien Van Os (Marvos.com) 101 Lawrence Walton (Oxford University CC) 47.38 USE Solo Category - vets female 1 Mary-Rose Cross 26.30.30 2 Anne Dickins (Cloud 9 Trails) 2.21 3 Kim Williams 9.52 4 Sally Mawson 18.26 5 Alison Wright 22.26 6 Ros Fish (Dorset Rough Riders) 20.26 USE Solo Category - vets male 1 Steve Heading (White Racing UK) 26.10.31 2 Kerry Graham (BAD.CC) 1.26 3 Bryan Singleton (Ride On / Buff) 3.14 4 Jonathan Edwards (Carpe Diem) 3.43 5 Richard Wilson 4.34 7 Antony Gray (Team Milo) 5.24 8 Jim Dickson (SMA) 6.35 9 Daryl Cavill 6.52 6 Robert Koppenhol (WKd) 8.09 10 Gary Bridgeman (Factory Farth) 9.19 11 Steve Gordon (Dorset Rough Riders) 9.30 12 Paul Facer (Skid Marks / SMRC) 10.08 13 Arthur Rijk (Bikeshop Amersfoort) 12.17 14 Russell Rout 10.56 15 Gary Hull (Chicken Leg's) 11.38 16 Dave Nichols (Riding for Wayne) 13.15 17 Russell Miller (Boys from the Fort Stuff / St. Ives CC) 14.05 18 Brian Trill 14.21 19 Geraint Davies 15.03 20 Doug Corrie (Swords CC) 16.02 21 Graham Bull (Family Ties) 16.25 22 Steve Whitehouse 16.53 23 Neil Birch (The Big Adventure) 17.24 24 Sean Dukes 17.33 25 Alan Parkinson (South Western Road Club) 18.55 26 Martin Zepler (Fellowship of the Granny Ring) 21.33 27 Rafael Ruiz Fuente 22.25 28 Mark Essex 24.33 29 Jack Peterson (Numplumz) 23.58 30 Shaun Pallister (Mammoth Lifestyle) 24.20 31 Ray Morriss (Mintcake MTB) 24.25 32 Mark Flynn 24.54 33 Eric Goris (Connections Granville) 28.49 34 Angus Robinson (Team AARM) 29.00 35 Jon Goodman 29.07 36 Gordon Sim 30.03 37 Howard Thomas 38.41 38 Dave Bellamy 40.25 39 Graham Hughes (Manx Mountain Bike Club) 40 Stuart Clarke (Stuart Clarke) 44.25 NINER Single Speed Category 1 Henry Richard (Bike Shed Wales) 26.12.33 2 Matt (69er Collective) 0.01 Overall Timing - Merida Bikes TransWales '08 - Team Categories Fraser High5 Sports Nutrition - Mixed Category 1 Meggie Bichard / Ed Kerly (Team Chance) 26.13.42 2 David Evans / Lily Mathews 0.25 3 Paul Hoogenboom / Alieke Griffioen (Peptiplus-Bikezone) 7.58 4 Shane Dickenson / Rickie Justine Cotter (Cytek) 11.26 5 Richard Morgan / Joy Bringer (Whitehousecampsite.co.uk) 12.14 6 Larissa Trussell / David Carr (Team Tracey) 17.32 7 Claire De Jongh / Simon Neuhoff (The Clantons) 19.22 8 Gaye Taylor / John Taylor (WVCC MTB) 21.37 9 Darryl Rice / Fay Cripps (Cripps) 21.48 10 Anne Waddington / Jay Foad (Lemmings) 24.35 11 Nickolas Ringwood / Hilary Catchpole (Team Hayland) 26.52 12 David Steel / Abigail Armstrong (London Phoenix Mixed) 28.08 13 Chris Cooper / Vikki White (The Pocket Rockets) 30.54 14 Tom van Tellingen / Claudia van Tellingen (Bushbikers) 35.58 15 Bob Hallmark / Camilla Edlin (High5-Online.com) 41.15 BUFF Headward - Female Open Category 1 Irene Lachner / Alice Lund (Wateam) 26.39.08 Gore Bike Wear - Male Open Category 1 Ifan Richards / Christopher Purt (Revolution -Bikes RT) 26.12.04 2 Steven Franzoni / Craig Sterrett (Outdoor Escape) 0.28 3 Ben Jones / Andy Jones (Clee Cycles / KCNC) 1.38 4 Bruce Philip / James Holness (Beyond 925) 2.56 5 Martin Fisher / Andy Hughes (The Serial Fanniers) 2.58 6 James Cooper / Rick Fielder (Army) 3.33 7 Brendan Kay / Karl Povey (Army Cycling) 6.11 8 Richard Connor / Steve Torley (Team MK) 6.58 9 Peter Rimmer / Charlie Sheridan (Rimram / Tirconaill Abu) 9.16 10 Robert Graveley / Jeremy Baker (Fubar) 9.42 11 Paul Crowley / Mairtin Savage (Lakeside Wheelers) 9.59 12 Knut Harald Smette / Jeremy Giddens (Team Oslo Sportslager) 13 Kieron Selley / Mark Dix (Team Ubique) 10.05 14 Thomas Ward / Richard Eldson (Team Cheese String World Endurance Racing Ltd) 12.11 15 Andrew Green / Martin Shepherd (Stumpjumpers) 10.17 16 William Milne / Paul Smith (The B Team) 14.14 17 Andrew Blackmore / Jason Curle (Bat Fastards) 15.00 18 Ricky Dickenson / Huw Davies (Cytek) 13.52 19 Andy Guerin / Julian Jordan (Berks on Bikes / Purple Bike Shed) 14.07 20 Gregory May / Richard Wagstaff (Greg and Wag's most excellent advanture) 17.24 21 Andy Prince / Jonathan Eggett (Team Al Fresco) 17.48 22 Shaun Lewis / Martin Penticost (M&D Cycles Specialized) 18.13 23 Rudolf Coetzee / Eric Marshall (Stofstreep) 18.48 24 Neil Walters / Andy Lillicrap (TSTWKT) 19.27 25 Johan Nell / Sarel Hiemstra (Pofadder) 21.17 26 Keith Flory / Andrew Gillott (G of the Bang ) 22.34 27 Kevin Hallahan / Jack McGeown (Soggy Bottom Boys) 22.41 28 Matthew Cummins / Mark Wright (The Blackdogs) 23.19 29 Nick Scott / Ben Dean (Not Mobile / High Peak Cycles) 25.34 30 Andrew Smith / Geoff Styles (Team Peanut Head) 25.36 31 Alan Stafford / Matt McDonald (IROZ) 27.51 32 Rob Jones / Jamie Lynch (MrCycles.co.uk) 28.05 33 Paul Clark / Paul Latchem (Phasenineclothing.co.uk ) 28.42 34 Lewis Collins / Gareth Taylor (What Mountain Bike) 32.44 35 Gary Ludlow / Daniel Culkin (Ludkin) 38.53 36 Stu Brew / Chris Watson (Old Goats) 37.03 37 Matthew Corke / Rhrodri Hornung (Man and Boy) 38.53 38 Hugo Abreu / Tiago Fonseca (Tugas) 37.42 ERGON - Vets Category 1 Carl Hutchings / Stuart Lockyear (London Phoenix Vets) 26.16.49 2 Simon Jepheart / Gary Cousins (phasenineclothing.co.uk) 0.12 3 David Wood / Tom Jones (Team Dysynni) 6.28 4 Enrico Pizzorni / Marco Zanetta (Ruotequadre Italy) 8.17 5 Richard James / Paul Shackleford (Snetterton Frog Riders) 18.15 6 Paul William Brown / Troy Rollason (Numplumz/Superlight) 19.52
