My season was gathering momentum then...
CRASH!
I was getting back into the bike racing swing of things recently but have since come unstuck. It's been a while since I did a full post so I've decided to post up some stories and pics of various things going on over the summer up til now.
Les Gets trip
July was to be a riding holiday like I'd never had before - riding big bikes and no racing at all. I was lucky to have a Pivot Firebird with me which was just an unbelievable bike. So fast EVERYWHERE! We took in some epic days in the Les Gets and Morzine area and I was like a kid in sweet shop. Highlights...
- Epic 8 hour ride to Champery and back with local legend Figgs - knarley riding at it's best.
- Cold Kronenberg
- Wall rides
- Dust
- Cols on the Kinesis KR810
- Riding DH tracks on an awesome bike
Racing
Its been a long time coming but I started to feel pretty fast on the bike again. I didn't plan to compete in 2011 but I couldn't stay away really and had pinned on a number in various events since may with varying success. After France I started to feel pretty good again and decided to ride the British National Cross Country Champs. I started reasonably in a fast race but I came down in a silly crash on lap two and injured my ankle. My race was effectivly over and I limped home as a DNF. Not a great start.
Following this I competed at the SXC in Perth where I won and started to feel pretty good. I did a mini blog on this trip here http://kinesismorvelo-rab-wardell.posterous.com/highland-road-trip)
I decided a few road races would be good fun so followed this with the Battle of the Braes road race near Stirling and the Scottish Criterium Champs in Paisley town centre. Both were great races and I got stuck in but couldn't make my mark on the race as I had intended as there were some strong teams present.
MTB championships
The following week was the Scottish MTB champs at Drumlanrig castle. I was confident I had good legs going into this and was hoping for a good result. I followed the fast pace of Dave Henderson for the opening lap but had to drop off into 3rd place and remained there for the rest of the race for the bronze medal. It was a little long at over 2 hours, but a fantastic course and great organisation from the www.sxc.org.uk team made a great event. Thanks guys!
Crash
Last Saturday night I was invited to compete in the Renner Promotions Scottish Borders invitational criterium to welcome the Tour of Britain to Scotland. The event looked fantastic with another closed road town centre circuit for the top scottish riders to race on. It was amazing to be racing in such a high profile event with some many friendly faces around. The race wasn't to be for me though as I came together with another rider early on in the race and colided with a traffic island. Later that night it appeared I have broken my right wrist in the crash.
I am now out of racing action for up to 6 weeks. I hope to resume during the cyclocross season but I am gutted to be missing the Red Bull minidrome event on the 2nd of October in Glasgow (more details here http://www.redbull.co.uk/cs/Satellite/en_UK/Event/Red-Bull-Mini-Drome-Glasgow-021243070484950) Once I'm all healed and out of the cast I hope to be back on the bike for a solid winter training. I have aspirations to get back into international racing over the next few years and get back to being an athlete and not just a bike rider as I have been for the last 5 years or so.
I'd like to take a chance to thank those who have supported me this year - big thanks to Kinesis UK, Morvelo, Pivot Cycles, TRP, Marzocchi, FSA, Maxxis, Clif Bar UK, Upgrade Bikes, all the KMP supporters, Madison and Alpine Bikes.
'til next time, keep on riding
Rab
