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Results Below, click pickures for bigger better examples and explanations.

In the end only three of us were taking the trip at 4:30 down to Devon to remind ourselves what riding Downhill was like. We got to the venue in plenty of time to set up camp at the bottom of the course before collecting our numbers and walking up the course to have a look before our first practice.

l		A quick blast diagonally across a fire road onto a steeper section with a few switchbacks before the ditches. This section played host to three water filled ditches. The course dropped down into the first, harshest, ditch and a good manual or hop was needed to get across safely although it was rarely pretty or particularly smooth. The second ditch was wider and it was possibly to roll or manual through and carry most of your speed the third ditch was possibly the wettest so it needed a lot of luck and a good manual to carry you through, immediately after this third ditch (now you tyres are totally wet and muddy) was a tight pair of rooty corners into the grass section. Again not particularly steep the grass section is memorable for its grass and moss-covered tree stumps that took some riders by surprise.

Onto a fire road for a sprint and to shift gear into the highest you have for the berms section. Out into the burning sun over a sharp bank through a fence into a bobsleigh-like section of 30+mph berms dug into the hillside. This section is the most fun I've ever had on a bike, railing the berms at such high speed with the need for surgical accuracy is such a buzz. The finish line was at the top of a steep grass bank that had to be hit diagonally with all the speed from the last section and caught out a lot of people frustratingly close to the end, including our Andrew and me who caught a pedal and crossed the finish line uncomfortably sitting on my stem.

Racing was exiting as some sections demanded balls of steal to ride so close to the trees or jump the streams and others required technical mastery, this left most categories with a tight first few riders but spread out by around a minute as the mice and men were truly divided. Curtis rider Jim Davage riding a Saracen was battling friend and local favourite Identity rider Mark Cornick all day with Jim finishing with the win in both seniors and the Super Cup. Their friendly rivalry continued with some Champaign spraying antics at the presentation. Then some sweet revenge for the soaking Jim received later with a sneak attack on Mark in the camping area, oh how we laughed.
Overall the race was well organised, there were some confusions with signing on but it was all handled smoothly in the end. There were no lifts but the course was short so it was just as quick to push to the top. Can I say hello the rider in senior who had a battery operated police siren installed on his bars, southerners sure know how to have a laugh at races.

We were camping on site before the next race on Sunday and filled the evening searching for some freeride opportunities, walking Sundays course and chatting with locals, before retiring to bed early.

Sundays Report
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