WDMBA
ROUND ONE, RHEOLA 29th APRIL 2012
The down hill track at Rheola near Neath in South
Wales has a notorious reputation. It’s long with loose rock in the top section
flowed by roots and ruts in the lower sections. The boys last competed there at
Round One of the BDS in April 2010. On that occasion Isaac managed a fifth
place podium in Youth and Joel was 10th in Juvenile. So we were
returning with the boys two years older having both moved up a category.
We travelled up early on Saturday morning knowing that
the whether forecast for Saturday night/ Sunday morning was horrendous but the
boys remembered loving the track and whilst it may have put others off Isaac
and Joel were relishing the opportunity to spend the weekend ragging their Beef
Cakes through the mud.
Upon arrival they proceeded straight to the uplift
queue saying that they could remember the track and that they didn’t need to
walk it beforehand. Those turned out to be wise words because when I tried to
walk the track later in the morning it became very apparent that it was easier
to navigate down the course on two wheels than it was to walk up the track on
foot the gloop was so bad.
Anyway, completing their first run with beaming smiles
they returned to the pits to announce that ‘it’s just like a big Triscombe’.
There were some new sections and the infamous Star Wars had been revamped and
it was wet, very wet.
Practice went well with them knocking out six or seven
runs. Cleaning and maintaining the bikes was a bit of nightmare but we were
lucky to have plenty of water close at hand and we did our best to keep
everything running smoothly.
Off to bed and it was a moon lit night, might the
forecast be wrong? No, the forecast was right, the rain started at some stage
over night and by breakfast everything was soaking. It didn’t dampen their
spirits though, so after potions of hot porridge they were back in the uplift
queue for a practice run.
On Saturday afternoon the track had begun to dry and
had turned into the worst kind of sticky, clogging gloop imaginable but the
overnight rain had washed it away to reveal a pretty fast track. We hoped
therefore that the rain wouldn’t stop. We need not worried because it continued
to rain all day.
Joel was first down in Youth with a disappointing time
of 4.47. He had struggled with traffic on the course. A lot of the younger
riders littered the course and he couldn’t over take them in the conditions.
Isaac was next in Junior. Times in his category were all over the place but he
made an appearance immediately behind the competitor ahead of him posting a
time 3.37. First place in category and 5th overall.
Back up the hill for their second runs and Joel
improved significantly posting a time of 4.04 although he was again held up by
a younger competitor. He eventually finished 8th in category. Isaac
having posted a pretty good first run decided he would go ‘hell for leather’ hoping
to get as close to 3.30 as he could. He tells me all was going well until he
crashed in Star Wars finishing with a time of 4.12. His first run however was
enough for him to retain his lead and win Junior although his overall place
slipped to Ninth.
Next, it’s Round Two of the BDS at Fort William. What
awaits them there I wonder?
Many thanks to Rose Bikes, Moveo Safety, Osiris Shoes
and Juice Lubes for all your continued support.
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