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Manchester Midweek Mountain Bike Madness
Results: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 SERIES STANDINGS
ROUNDUP: Round Six
Result
It was more like mountain bike mudness than madness, but the show went on! In the first wet race of the series (it had to happen sometime, this is the north) Adrian Lawrence took his third win of the series. Riding away from the front group of three alongside Stephen Leigh, which initially contained Jack Humphreys, the win was not enough for Lawrence to claim the overall title.
That was left to John Mackellar - a Junior rider who has put most of the seniors to shame over the course of the six races!
The mountain bike madness has been a great success in 2010 - and for something that was just a concept in April, organisers hope that the series can resume in 2011.
ROUNDUP: Round Four
Result
The first week that rain threatened; but thankfully nothing came of it! Yes, the course was slightly damp in places, but this just made for a few more drifters and alot more fun.
Tom Bell took his first win of the Series, convincingly riding through the field and lapping almost everyone! However, in second and third two Junior riders were tearing up the strip! Jack Humphreys eventually dropped John Mackellar to round out the podium.
The biggest news however was the first Series Standings being released - check to see if you're the leader now! And with just two races remaining, it's really important to keep racing and grab the first overall title.
ROUNDUP: Round Three
Result | Photography
The Clayton Vale World Cup came to town this week, marking the midway point of the series with a class field lining up to take on some great short-track XC racing.
World Cup rider Andy Blair took the win on a humid night; but such was the class of the field the Torq rider didn't have it all his own way. Current British number one in the Expert category - Giles Drake - pressed Blair all the way for the win, the pair being kept company by Tom Bell for most of the race.
Despite the high calibre of racing at the front end, the majority of the fifty-strong field was still made up of those getting their first ever mountain bike racing fix. Jim Howarth is just one of these legends - completing three laps for the first time in the series and getting further up the big climb every week!
Meanwhile, Junior John Mackellar continues his move through the senior ranks, from eighth to sixth.
There will be more racing in two weeks, 7pm at Clayton Vale - don't miss it!
ROUNDUP: Round Two
Result
Round two of the Midweek Madness and a return to Clayton Vale, this time with nearly fifty riders on track and a new winner!
Photography By Richard Naylar
The sun was out and the trails were dry and severely dusty in places, making for fast racing throughout. There were some changes to the course, but the essential elements remained; namely the killer climb, an extended singletrack on the back section of the course and the stepped descent. Sometime soon organisers promise a venture down the Dragon's Back descent, but for now that will have to wait...
On the night a group of five took to the front, including round one winner Adrian Lawrence and four new faces. From this group two of the newcomers jumped to the front; Charlie Evans and Stephen Leigh. Gaining a lead of ten seconds from the pack by the halfway mark, both riders looked inseperable, but with two laps to go Evans attacked on the steep climb, opening a gap of five seconds.
It did not look enough at first, but somehow it held up for the remaining lap and a half, leaving Evans to take the win, Leigh eight seconds back, and round one winner and series leader Lawrence in third.
Winning Junior - Jack Humpreys - was another new face, just beating round one winner John Mackeller to the win, while Clare Crabtree was the first ever women's winner.
Racing resumes in two weeks at 7pm under the Clayton arches where there will be another great course and maybe some brand new challenges...
ROUNDUP: Round One
Result
The opening round of Manchester Midweek MTB Madness was a great success! With forty riders taking to the line under the Clayton Vale Arches and conditions perfect for a post-work blast, Phil West started with the traditional countdown to race.
Legs from sixteen to sixty took on a ten minute loop which surprised many; but organised by British Cycling's mountain bike contingient who were behind the Dalby World Cup, riders were always guaranteed to have a fun lap albeit in slightly unexpected surroundings.
Situated behind the Velodrome on the east-side of town, Clayton Vale consists of a two mile tarmac strip, which runs the length of the park and is split by a river. One side of the river has a series of brutal power-climbs; riders rewarded with fast woodland singletrack descents, before crossing the river for longer, shallower climbs and stepped descents.
With so many trails, the course will change each fortnight to offer a variation of trails, but in week one the shale descent was linked to the riverside trail, before climbing behind Dragon's Back. From the top of the hill, riders descended into woodland singletrack, before crossing the river and negotiating the wooden staircase.
On lap one riders were close; a group of four containing Adrian Lawrence, Jason Wiltshire, Phil Dysart and Luke Webber at the front. By lap two though, Lawrence and Wiltshire were clear, leaving Dysart and Webber to work together.
The order remained until the penultimate lap, when Wiltshire could no longer hold Lawrence's wheel, leaving Adrian to ride away to a convincing win, while behind a close battle for the podium positions continued.
Webber was the first to try and get across, but with half a lap to go ran out of gas and was passed by Dysart. Somehow Wiltshire remained in second, much to the chagrin of both Webber and Dysart who both came close to stealing second-place throughout the fifty minute race.
Winning Junior was John Mackellar who finished eighth in the overall standing - a great result which scared some of the more senior riders!
Racing resumes in two weeks when everyone will have the chance to test themselves on a new course; everyone is welcome to race, because it's a great way of exhausting some of the stress from a hard day in the office - don't miss it!
LAUNCH: Manchester Midweek MTB Madness
A brand-new midweek mountain bike series is coming to central Manchester! Headed up by British Cycling's Regional Events Team Manager Lisa Graham and North West Regional Events Officer Phil West, racing starts on Thursday June 10 at Clayton Vale Country Park and runs throughout the summer. Here's the official line:
Six Events June - August
There will be six events across the series on a bi-weekly basis giving Manchester's mountain bikers two races per-month in June, July and August.
The course has been designed by the mountain bike experts at British Cycling and will be all about the fun factor varying at each race. And though laps may be under ten minutes, there's plenty of short climbs, fast descents and winding singletrack, with a little doubletrack for overtaking. Or freewheeling.
The event is open to everyone and will work on a mass-start format, races lasting 50 minutes and one lap for all competitors. Racing starts at 7pm, leaving plenty of time to travel direct from work, sign on and grab a practice lap, before the main event.
We'll have more details including a sneak preview of the course and what's on offer in the coming weeks.
Essential Details:
The event is open to Junior and Senior riders, male and female and all riders will start together. Registration will be from 6pm in the Start/Finish area and the course will be open for pre ride from 6.30pm. Racing will start at 7pm
Race Dates: 10 June, 24 June, 8 July, 22 July, 5 August, 19 August
Race Distance: 50mins + 1 lap
Entry Fees :
BC member - £8 advance, £10 Entry on Line
Non BC member - £10 advance, £12 Entry on Line
Pre entries can be sent in to -
C/o Phil West
British Cycling
National Cycling Centre
Stuart Street
Manchester
M11 4DQ
Cheques payable to - Phil West. Any enquires about the event can be sent to - manchestermtbseries@gmail.com
