by Nuno Luz
It was on a very warm and sunny day, now apparently the norm for the UK racing season, that the fourth and last round of the SouthernXC series took place in Clanfield, a large village near the South Downs National Park.
This last round was less of a single track and more of short track, fast paced, with short laps around a small circuit carved on the side of a hill with a brilliant view.
When getting there, parking was plenty and the venue was busy, with riders getting ready to practise. I was able to get a warm up lap and check out the lines and some of the course highlights: a long and very technical rock garden; several twisty and steep switchbacks; three subsequent rock obstacles on steep climbs; a fast downhill with steps – lots of them; and the cherry on the top of the cake, a long ramp to a jump. Yours truly stayed clear of the latter for good reason – you could not roll it and you would need good power in your legs to clear it, which I did not possess …
Nevertheless there were B and even C lines for the two toughest features, the rock garden and the ramp jump. For the rock garden you could go over a steep but rollable man made wooden ramp, that was the B line. Or opt for the safest but longest way around the rock garden via a twisty single track. I preferred the B line as it was quite doable and from what I could see just as fast, if not faster than the rock garden, without the risk.
The ramp jump also had a B line – a bit trickier, since it involved a last minute turn to the right onto another steep man made ramp, coupled with a steep but very rollable descent. I preferred this one for the first and second lap, though unfortunately as the legs grew tired I stalled on the climb and that made me acutely aware that I should go via the C line.
After getting a good understanding of the course, as I was getting ready I realised I had forgotten my hydration bottle, not what you want on such a hot day. Luckily I had my precious “assistant” (fiancée) with me that day for the photos, and she was able to source one for free, from the great people of Veloline. Kudos to them for helping a fellow rider in need!
Each lap was around 1.6km, just over a mile, and most of the course was exposed to the sun, with only a small portion of the switchbacks shaded. Hydration was essential as well as managing the heat, since there was an elevation gain of almost 400m to be negotiated and the side of the above-pictured hill, making most descents recovery time.
This time I took part in the Open race instead of doing my usual Open Novice, and this would go around the track for 8 laps, instead of 6 for the latter category.
A total of 31 riders showed up at the start line which was right at the bottom of the hill, with a straight and steady climb then setting you up for a twisty descent. On the side of the hill there was a feed/tech and spectator zone, with the race HQ right behind.
As the race progressed, the pace was higher than the Open Novice which I had done the previous year, and I had a hard time keeping up, but was determined to finish.
Unfortunately I observed two crashes on the rock gardens, one of them quite hard, which reinforced my decision to stay clear from it and keep to the B line.
At some point, there was a rider crashing the A line ramp jump and he was being assisted by medics, which made the Marshals close the A and B lines.
The race continued for me without any issues, slow and steady! Reaching the end, unfortunately with one less lap than the rest of the riders, but happy, I had finished.
My laps were on average 10 minutes long, with my fastest at 9:49, which probably tells me I should go back to Open Novice!
Still, I had an amazing morning, and was able to meet some familiar faces, before heading back home.
Looking forward to next year’s edition, hopefully a longer series with a few more rounds as the 4 rounds felt like they went by too quickly!
