Welsh 2 Day Enduro 2013
More info here on the W2D Website
Other Year's reports: 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
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Just added a new video of the Twinshocks and Champs. Scroll down or click.
Ben had a very different take on the W2D this year.
Ben had a wildlife trip and came back with ... some rare shots of creatures known as "course openers", which are sighted so few times that their very existence has not been officially confirmed. A semi-nocturnal species, once a year they leave their Forest of Dean and Monnow Valley habitat for a migration to Mid Wales. There, at the crack of dawn, they set out on two midweek 130 mile foraging missions, feeding on chocolate bars, energy drinks and petrol.
Constantly stalked by expert sidecar crews, they must continually be on the move, pausing only to make minor route marking adjustments. The leader of the herd, having made this annual migration for many decades, has grown a waterproof outer layer, which the younger members of the herd will learn to develop in coming years.
After passing through the migration grounds, they are followed by a herd of around 600 enduro riders ranging from sportsman to championship species, which will all return to their feeding territory around a town centre lake before chasing the ever elusive course openers again.
Other more easily identified species from the West Glos club, known as support crews, time check controllers, marshals and even riders will make the migration again year after year.
General opinion was that the event route has improved for 2013 and the signs for a successful future of the event are very encouraging. I hope I can rejoin the riders next year after a year off, fuelling and hobbling.
Vess
Weather forecast looked like it was going to be better than 2012, bit of rain on Thursday maybe. Met Mike and Mickey at the lakeside on Wednesday after signing on and went from there to the Church Farm test for a wander around. Looked OK, so we dropped off two vans at PenyBont, and headed over the hills in Mike's van to the Rally School at Pontrhydfendigaid to look at the new test.
Few little tricky bits there but nothing too technical, so we headed back to look at the Cwmythig test at St. Harmon.
On the way, Mike was distracted and hit a rock, bursting a front tyre. The 3 of us managed a relatively quick change on the narrow single track mountain road without getting hit by passing traffic. The spare steel wheel wasn't the same size as the bust alloy, but it didn't seem to slow the van down! We skipped the test and went back to the Penybont to meet up with Pete and Angie, and to have some food, a couple of beers and an early night.
Mickey wasn't feeling too good with a stinking cold and was up half the night, so he wasn't feeling too clever in the morning.
I was first of our group away at 9:17, followed 15 mins later by the other 3. Within a few miles, Mike unfortunately had a terminal mechanical when a lug on the gear change shaft broke somewhere behind the clutch leaving him stuck in top with the lever dragging the floor. The rest of us carried on without drama through the Irfon and on to Strata Florida. The river was low but the puddles were still deep in places and as we got to the top, the rain started. We were lucky to get around the test at the rally school before the rain really came down, but it did at least keep the dust down for the rest of the day. There was some new going in places – farm tracks and the like – which were a welcome break from tarmac. The forest checks got tighter and snottier towards the end, and the last slotty stretch along the fence after Abbycwmhir just about finished me off for the day.
Thursday night should have been early to bed – it was for me and Pete - but Mike had retired and Mickey's cold got the better of him and he decided to retire as well, so they both stayed in the bar until well past midnight.
The Friday morning start was an hour earlier and although the rain had stopped, low cloud on some of the hilltops made visibility difficult at times. The going was a bit slippy, but the real nasty bits had been cut and a few more interesting sections added. The ride around was most pleasant although the tests were all greasy and slippery, and I nearly drowned the GG in one of Strata Florida's deepest puddles. The real killer was the horrible slippery Church Farm test right at the end which sapped the last of my energy. Me and Pete both finished – always a good result. Friday night I managed to stay awake until 11, but the 2 DNFers were still going after 1:30am apparently – never heard a thing!
Much of the route this year was similar to previous years, but with most of the nasty whooped out stuff taken out, and some good interesting new bits added in, making for a thoroughly enjoyable 2 days riding, so many thanks to the organisers. There were however quite a few grumbles about some of the marshals. Most were doing a splendid job at checks, road crossings and other vital places, but there
appeared to be a minority who were just out for a day's riding, and were either getting in the way (as Pete found on one of the climbs) or were just nowhere to be seen where they should have been monitoring the more difficult places on the going – do your job or enter the event!.
We'll be back!
And local children have always had involvement in the W2D, be it spending playtime in the school yard waving at the riders, or practising their creativity skills as in this poster competition. Someone has decided they are going into marketing and tourism when they grow up, I think.
Twinshocks and Champs
I have a sneaking suspicion that the Twinshock class take this a lot more seriously than the Championship. A bunch of West Glos support and retirees stayed on to watch the MX test in the increasing rain. Watch the video for some entertainment.