More info/results here on the W2D Website
Other Year's reports: 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
Page Index: Snippets, the Haines Report, the Vess Report. Vids. Words by: ed. Vess and Anth.
Post mortem is starting to come in. I didn't get there this year so send me your anecdotes/notes/story/pics/video links and we'll put something together.
Undoubtedly the biggest Enduro in the UK ran on 26th and 27th of June, 
to be precise. This year we had even closer links than before with the W2D Clerk of Course being Huw Watkins, our Wyegate CofC. Wear body armour for the next club meeting Huw, the back slapping could be excessive!
Anyway, here is where you will find all the info and results etc. Welsh Two Day Website.
Snippets
Roy was there. Our President was perfectly placed by the Ditches at Church Farm chatting to no less than CofC Huw and Geraint Jones when the the noise of a Clubman fully 'on-it' flying up the cambered corner that was causing problems to a lot of folk. The rider jumped the first ditch and then proceeded to jump another - admittedly completely off course and outside the tapes, he nevertheless kept it nailed and pointed it back at the course and jumped the next genuine ditch too. Roy said 'that must have been Arran', Huw doubted we'd got anyone that fast in the Forest, but Roy was right of course. Well, except that Nathan Etheridge beat Arran by a clear 40 seconds - He probably understood the benefits of keeping wheels on the ground to aid turning better than young Wells. Congrats to both for the entertainment and coming 3rd and 5th overall in the Clubmen class.
I notice this year the lack of Gold, Silver and Bronzes in the awards. So it is true the Welsh Gold mines at Dolaucothi really have run out then! Surely that is nearly as dramatic a change as when it changed from 3 days to 2! I've just thought about that. Does this mean my medals will now gain in value? Think I'll go and count them!
View from the sponsored rider
It was all change on the accommodation front for West Glos riders as our hosts Tracey and Drew from the Severn Arms had moved to the very upmarket Bell Inn at Llanyre www.bellcountryinn.co.uk.
Once the bikes were all through scrutineering, we set off to the Rally School at Pontryhydfendigaid to walk the test. This was the first time I'd seen it and it looked excellent, with plenty of grassy flowing turns, an interesting ride around a collapsing cottage, some wooded off camber and a nice ditch, (which Arran jumped on day one, but landed on his behind with the bike in the distance!) Good on him for having a go.
Next we went back to Crossgates and walked Church Farm (the 1st test on day 1).
Before we knew it, Pete, Denver, Mike and myself were on the start line just behind Guy and Ben on Thursday morning and were soon off to the 1st Special Test. Mike Allen left the start in a hurry and was in the test before I'd even joined the queue! It was dry and quick, but I left jumping the ditches to the Experts. No major incidents so on the the next check. The forestry tracks were way too dusty to stay with the rider in front, so I kept backing off until I could see.
We were all clean on time until Strata Florida, where Ben's carb to air filter rubber allowed some water through and cost him a couple of minutes. The water was lower than previous years, but there was still plenty of it!
We all finished day one and were on the line for Friday. It had rained over night and the 1st test at Abbeycwmhir was slick! I managed to stay upright but every time I turned the throttle, the back wheel wanted to be the front. The following 20 mile check that took us past the wind farm took us through a rain storm (that felt like hail on your face) to help dampen the dust but thankfully the Rally School test was still dry and as good as day 1. Strata Florida was fairly slack on time again and this time Ben avoided drowning with some duct tape around the back of the carb.
Sadly Ben's day 2 was to soon come to an end on the first long forestry climb during the Irfon Forest check when lack of coolant caused his bike to seize. We stopped to see what was wrong, but unable to help, we left Ben heading back down the hill to the start of the check to call for help from Tony.
As the check went on it became more muddy, rutted, and hard work, and I soon woke up to the fact that I could be losing time. I tried to go quicker but it didn't seem to make much difference, but thankfully having memorised my time due in at the check I crossed the line right on my minute.
A long check finally got us to the final Special Test of the event at Crossgates, and it was a slippery one. I saw Huw right in the thick of it on an off camber bank, yelled his name, rounded the next bend, and rode the next off camber bank with no control whatsoever gathering enough marker tape around my back wheel to go from one end of our workshop to the other. Sorry Huw!
Back to the Lake Side at Llandrindod and it was all over for another year (apart from the last check at the Bell Inn).
Why would Mike Allen suggest we would last longer in the bar than the Irish lads staying there?? We stuck it out until 2:00am - the lights went out in the bar at 3:00am - ***** West Glos lightweights!
Thanks to Tony, Angela, Drew and Gavin for a top job refuelling, and to Huw and his team for another 1st class Welsh!
View from the Chair
Nice and dry for most this year.
After signing-on and scrutineering etc., Mike kindly drove us over to the rally-school for a walk around the test, and then back to walk the test at Church farm. The new digs at the Bell were a pit posher than the Severn Arms - and the showers worked properly which was a bit of a novelty.
Bit dusty on day 1 but not as bad as I feared it was going to be. Nice route, nothing too tricky although the Irfon forest check was a little tight on time, the rest was fine. Overnight rain made some parts a bit slippery on day 2, but me and Mickey just about managed to miss the rain showers (unlike the over 40s shower following us who got a bit wet in the Tarenig). The Irfon forest was well slippy by the time we got there and a few minutes were lost. The test at Church farm had turned a bit evil, but at least the final heavy downpour held off for me and Mickey again, and arrived just in time for the over 40s (shame!!).
So a nice ride around for a couple of days, and well organised and marshalled - cheers Huw!
(My crystal ball tells me there is a video link coming soon. ed.)
The view from the Chair's Chair
Crystal balls never lie - ok maybe the wire to Vess's head gave the game away.