We`d heard a lot about this course and how brutal it actually was on bikes and riders alike and the event which took part on military land, used for Army training didn`t disappoint us.
Saturday – I had a good timed qualifying session with a 1.59 lap time, achieving 16th position for my gate picks all weekend, which I was pleased about.
Race 1 – I managed to get a mid pack start and was circulating around the low teens, I continued to push on, despite feeling very dehydrated and eventually finished in 19th place. After the race, I nearly collapsed because of the intense thirst and rehydrated with electrolyte supplements. The issue was obviously caused by not putting enough fuel into my body earlier, but I learnt from my mistake and put it right for the later races.
Race 2- Pretty much the same as Race 1, but running 16th in the earlier laps & eventually dropping back and finishing in 19th place again.
Due to my consistency, I managed to get 18th overall for the Saturday, against some really tough competition, riders from Ireland, Scotland, Wales & the Isle of Man.
Sunday – Watching the Pro`s was a learning experience and how their line choices were selected, made a difference for when I did my sighting lap.
Race 3 – A much better start and running 14th for a lap or so, but with the quality of the field, they eventually made time up and passed me later in the race, meaning another 19th place finish for me.
Race 4 – With another mid pack start, I was around 20th position, but this turned into utter carnage for most riders, other than the top 3, with them experiencing problems with the change in the track and also fatigue, meaning plenty of falls and changes in positions. I had two over the bars crashes dropping down to 23rd place, but I kept going and came in 21st position.
My weekend achievement was an equal 17th overall on points, but due to my poor last race, I managed an 18th overall, of which I was generally pleased with and learnt
several valuable lessons. My overall fitness is good, thanks to the guidance from Coach Robb Beams, my starts and race pace need to be addressed and more hydration during the week, building up to the weekends.
Many thanks to the NORA CRS Development Team and all of the associated sponsors for your continued support.
