Welsh 2 Day Enduro 2008
Results should be found soon on the W2D Website
Other Year's reports: 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
Photos by: Drew Moore, Tony Falconer, Anth Moore, Ian Vessey
Notes by: Drew Moore, Anth Moore, Ben Falconer, Ian Vessey
I know 'A4 Rules!' sounds like a stationery order, but have a look at these results and you might cotton on. Unofficial Provisional Welsh 2 Day Results on Bob Mullin's site. Note: For the official ones use the link on the right.
Drew says: Here's a few snaps from the special test refuelling area at the second test, held shortly after the first, on Day 2, Cwmythig Hill
At 2 hours into the second day, continuing wet weather showing. Steve B called it a day here after aggravating an old wrist injury during a heavy fall, wanting to save himself for next weekend's Powys.
Pete, Vess, Mike A, Ben F, Lee Hook, Mike W all losing some time but in good spirits at this stage. Constant rain saw the hilly Cwmythig test coated with an evil layer of slippery mud, meaning the best times came from a steady and smooth ride that kept the plot upright. Many experts were to later drop their bikes, as the sharp, off-camber bends took their toll...
Anth says: I'm sure you've already had feedback that it was a "Proper Welsh" this year!
It was good to see some familiar faces this year including Ray Morse.
By the look of all West Glos Riders on Fri eve, maybe the club could consider buying a pallet of Optrex for these events.
How does Ben eat so much at refuelling checks?
Mike Allen should ride Clubman or Over 40 next year after this years result, or pay for the Optrex.
More West Glos riders should consider buying 4 stroke or diesel bikes, so the refuelers can use up what's left in the cans.
It was good to see the new Sherco Importer present with the new 250 4t and even better to see it runner up in the E1 expert class.
Why did Drew send everyone to the left on the Irfon Check at the end of Day 2 except for Mike Allen, who nearly drowned when ushered to the right?!
Any uncollected cans are at Haines & Co. Please collect asap (My insurance broker's not happy).
BenF says: Even though I knew I'd houred out by 6 minutes, as I headed around the Lakeside to the finish on day 2, I was mighty pleased just to have finished what has been the toughest Welsh 2 Day Enduro for many years.
The weather wiped out huge swathes of the entry. It rained quite a bit. Infact, about 90% of the time.
Day 1 went OK, losing 6 minutes in the Irfon Forest. Usually this is do-able for me on time but I had a funny feeling conditions were going to get worse, so I conserved a bit of energy and didn't push it in worsening conditions. Steve B, who was 2 minutes ahead of me, lost 2 minutes in here, which was pretty good, especially on a first Welsh.
I met Ant and Gavin at the Strata fuel stop, relieved to find my treacle tart unfettered by their grubby mitts. Both had come up just to fuel and enjoy the fantastically bad weather, along with Drew, my dad and Angela.
The first test of the day was at the Rhayader motocross track, where Geraint Jones was kind enough to offer some excellent advice on how to conquer the grassy and wet track. The gist of it was, rev hard when the bike's upright and you'll get grip from the drier ground underneath - and it worked! All I have to do now is learn how to get round the mega-slippery corners...
Still, being offered advice by one of the best enduro riders ever sums up the Welsh, it's a special event in a great sport.
Then the afternoon's main tight check, Wennallt Bank was pretty tough, I lost 16 minutes there thanks in part to having to remove the sidestand. I headed in to the Abbeycwmhir test, only a mile from our accommodation. Sadly Steve B ran out of teeth on his front sprocket in here, which was a shame as his test times matched some good experts.
Again, flat and off camber turns offered nothing in terms of grip but I was spurred on by the whole Falconer contingent, and Ant and Gav. I even made it to the top of the big hill - just! Apparently this was where Jonathan Williams, son of the late Kenny who put so much in to setting out the Welsh and this test in particular, was doing all he could to get stranded outfits to the top in the way that experts do best.
Right at the end I saw regular long distance trialler Jerry Walters, who warned me of the slippery turn at the end. It wasn't the last time he helped out.
Next morning, only me and last year's clubman E2 winner Jeff Cannons were on the startline at the Lakeside at 10.02am, and I stayed with him for the first 100 yards of check 1. He carried great speed and finished 3rd in class this year.
The Abbey' test loomed, and was just horrendous. Sliding off down the big hill on my backside proved just how hard it was. I could not keep the bike upright, whatever I tried.
It got worse in Wennallt Bank, where I lost 31 minutes. I had to wait in a short queue to be helped across a river crossing and up a gripless bank by marshals including Jerry - all of them were caked in mud, head to toe. Great effort, thanks guys. Thanks too to the next set of marshals only a couple of hundred yards on, who were soldiering on making new lines in the stump fields. Gail and Phil of the Mercian Dirt Riders cleaned my goggles at the end of the check, which was a real morale booster.
The Rhayader test came and went, I must have spent more time with Drew, Ant and Gav than on the test. They tended to bike and rider magnificently in awful conditions.
I rolled in to the wind farms check on my minute. At least it would be fairly easy - wrong! Marshals directed us up a stump field around an impassable track, and as I ran out of momentum, caught sight of Lee Hook. Gunning his Gasser 200, there was no way he was going to be stopped as the front wheel pawed the air. He looked almost in control.
Dad met me at the rally school for more fuel and I headed in to the Strata check.
Carrying 31 minutes of lost time, I wondered how I could get in to the end of a 22 minute check still carrying 31 minutes on my card. I figured to just do it in 22 minutes but fate had other plans anyway. This check is usually straightforward but the bike ground to a halt in a big puddle right next to Western Centre stalwart Sue Hunt. Thanks to Lee Hook's good advice, I turned off the fuel, led the bike on its side and drained the carb. Still no go. Sue pointed me in the direction of the chap I know as the "bloke with the enormous wheels on his Discovery", who whipped the plug out and cleaned it. Bike goes - I'm still in this event, and 9 minutes have been lost.
Then things got worse, as the rain teemed down.
As I waited to start the last tight check through the Irfon forest, the red numberplates of the championship riders loomed up behind. Being knackered and having to get through the rutfest knowing they are going to be on you ain't nice. It got worse, again. Just as I was weighing up the deep ruts through a dog leg gate entrance, Tom Sagar whipped past and hit the ruts so hard he came off. He was back on in a trice and off. That really didn't fill me with confidence.
Anyway I weighed in and at the same spot, the bike just would not shift. Well it wouldn't with the chain off, would it?! A young marshal was a real star here, parking his bike up behind mine to stop the onslaught of the experts using me as grip. We tried to find neutral in a 2ft deep rut and fit the chain back on by rolling the bike back, which this lad did very proficiently. I was off again - and Lee Eddy planted it in a massive rut right in front of me. This is not going well. When these boys get stuck, you know it's very hard. I did get past then really parked it. Remembering the advice from Geraint's schools, I stopped, made a decision and stuck with it. Flailing around aimlessly just wastes energy, so I rocked the bike hard from side to side until it freed a bit, hooked it in in to third, revved like hell and pushed like a prop forward. As I was doing this, Geraint's boys picked their way round me. Had the situation not been so dire, I would have stood back to admire their handiwork. Bike freed, I tooled in to the end of the check, some 24 minutes late. Which made 66 for the day.
Incredibly Ant, Drew and Gav were in the depths of the Irfon, which was a real boost.
Thankfully the slog over Llanwrthl Rhos was cut out, which left a secret check and a road ride to the finish. Riding in with a couple of experts who were pulling wheelies, donuts and stoppies just showed how relieved even the best riders were to finish. Ok, it was childish and naughty but in the nanny state we live in, it was a refreshing and hugely amusing sight. Anyway, the only audience they had was a bunch of very wet enduroists.
The results show me as a DNF, rather than an OTA (over time allowance) but I know I finished. My body is still telling me that now.
Thanks once again to the Welsh 2 Day committee, who did their very best amid awful weather and following the sudden loss of Kenny from their ranks.
See you next year.
Vess says: Bloody hard. Wet. Muddy. Slippery. Lost loads of time, can't remember how much on Thursday, about 30 mins I think. Houred out in the Irfon forest by 10 mins on Friday, but still managed to ride the whole route.
Earlier in the Wennallt bank check, I took an early bath in a (very) small river crossing, much to the delight of Steve Biddle and Pete Neale who were queued up and watching the proceedings. The marhshal said "give it loads!", so I did, the bike lept forward, hit the bank, stopped dead, and pitched me into the water. Ha Bloody Ha! A half mile later I was stuck again in a mudhole, so lost 45 mins just at those two places.
Probably the worst thing was visibility. My goggles were useless and riding without in the driving rain was a bit painful on the old eyeballs.
So apart from the crappy weather, the mud and slime, getting stuck, falling off and houring out, it was great!!
Many thanks to the refuelling crews for their assistance and encouragement.