James and I lined up on the front row for the start of our race, dropping down a category from normal after less-than-perfect preparation in the days beforehand!
The course started off with a short sprint section, leading into a steep descent with a hairpin bend on loose soil, testing rider's bike control for some very close racing. Having pre-ridden the course earlier on, I opted to jump off the bike and run up the first steep section, feeling smug as I overtook a few riders who attempted it but inevitably couldn't find the grip and floundered.
Following the climb I settled into 2nd place, putting a bit of distance between myself and the riders behind me. Usually the best strategy is to get a good start and hold it for as long as you can; time spent cruising behind slower riders at the start is time you can't get back again.
In the final sixth of the race I was caught by one of the rider's I'd left on the first climb, my final lap was a minute slower than the previous one, and that was all he needed to make his move. So I finished in third, 8 seconds behind him, but still happy considering I hadn't raced since last year. Speaking to him after the race it sounded like he'd been stalking me from a safe distance for miles, if only I'd knew he was there I might have put in 8 seconds worth of extra effort!
James came in 14th place, still respectable out of the field of 31 riders, and cleary suffering with a cold (although the opaque white suncream definitely added to the effect!).
Mike Chaplin entered the Masters category where the competition was much tougher, and came in an excellent sixth, with lap times only 10% down on the fastest expert riders.
That's it now for the Gorrick Spring series, although the 4th round Southern XC race takes place at the same location on 18th May. See you there!
Gareth Ashton