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Roadtrip 2016

No two ways about it, this year has been tough, probably one of the toughest I have faced since the Foot & Mouth disease outbreak in 2001.  If you’ve read the previous blog update I had to take forced time out, you know when all the jigsaw pieces fall into place so well and then a big fist comes down on the table and *WHAM* everything’s chaos.

Instead of individual race reports I’m going to condense things down here to bring you all up to speed, with the exception of Tom.  Yes, he’s been out there racing and giving it some welly, as we say he in the UK, however his race reports have been non-existent, teenagers eh!

Tom kicked the year off with the first round of the Scottish Downhill Series at Ae Forest, sadly it wasn’t his day taking 30th out of 35 riders, a puncture let him out of contention, he was gutted.

Marc Purkiss, the team’s new Orange Bikes mounted rider kicked his season off at Northern Downhill’s Time Trial race up the Hamsterley Forest way taking 36th place in a all-inclusive men’s category, not a bad way to start his year off, he was chuffed with that.

The Scottish Downhill Series returned to Innerleithen for round 2, Marc was on a loaned bike as his Orange hadn’t arrived, he did what he could.  Saturday failed to deliver the goods as he was still getting used to both the bike and the fast as all hell course, come Sunday though he was on it and took 20th in the Masters out of 48, not half bad!  Tom was just a smidge out of the top ten taking 13th in the Youths, he was on fire!  I’m gutted that there was no decent photography from this event, ah well, can’t win them all, bugger!

With no time to rest on their laurels it was straight up to Glencoe for round 3 of the SDA..... to those in the know, Glencoe is short but super technical and separates the wheat from the chaff.  Nick wasn’t too happy on the Saturday after taking a buffeting with the weather however he stepped up to the plate on Sunday and drove his FTW home for fifth place in the Masters.  Hell yes Nick! Marc Purkiss kept him in check as he wasn’t far behind taking 7th place, while Tom screamed across the finish line taking in 16th in the Youths.  That is what I call a bloody great weekend on an utterly brutal course!

Tom flew solo at the third round of the Pearce Cycles Series down at Rhyd y Felin, it wasn’t too bad, he took 20th in the his category.

The weekend afterwards Nick and Marc were back up in Scotland, (they seem to like that place!) for the Scottish Championships at Aberfeldy. Aberfeldy is an old school course, technically demanding and deserving a certain level of respect, no wannabe speedway style BMX tracks here!  Nick didn’t fair too well on the Saturday, stopping and starting as riders in front of him were crashing left, right and centre.  Come Sunday he powered across the finish line in 12th place, with Marc hitting 15th, neither were a happy-chappy but hey, that’s racing for you.  Pick yourself up, dust yourself down and carry on!

Tom was back down south on the 10th July with the fourth round of the Pearce Cycles Series at Hopton in Shropshire. So, so, so, so close to the top ten, he took 11th, he could just reach out and taste it! 

Next up is the biggie!  The National Championships, this year held at the Revolution Bike Park in Wales.  Believe the hype this place never fails to deliver and both riders had their work cut out up against ex-World Cup racers.  Marc stepped up to take 13th and Nick pipping him for 12th!

Mid-season respite came with the second Northern Downhill Time Trial, this time in Weardale, a good get together of riders letting rip down the moorland trails.  Just Marc this time and he smashed it home in 11th, resplendent in his awesome new team merch t’shirt, ROCK ON!

A wee break now and then Marc’s heading up to Fort Billy for the 5th round of the SDA, BRING IT!