Off Road Cycling  Podium Placings for Wheelers

A bumper programme of off road racing was enjoyed by West Suffolk Wheelers & Triathlon Club over the weekend, with the first of a mountain bike double header setting the tone on Saturday.

Hosted by G8 events at Santon Downham near Thetford, Saturday’s curtain raiser was a 5 mile loop held on Forestry Commission and private farmland. Used for the first time as a mountain bike course, the deceptively fast start on open fire tracks soon took riders into a much more technical series of single track, inclines, bomb hole and hairpin sections more used to seeing motocross racing.

The sections of energy sapping mud made for challenging conditions as the day wore on, but Robin Lines (2-hour Juvenile) paced himself well following a puncture to record a superb 2^nd (4 laps in 2:11); Fraser Elsworth (1-hour Youth) also faced down the mud, he too finished well for 2^nd (2/0:51 minutes). In the Grand Vet Male 2-hour race, Paul Watson made a welcome return to MTB racing and pinning his ears back powered to an outstanding 1^st (6/2:26).

Also in the same category, triathlete Ray Reeves continued his fine run of form for 7^th (4/2:01) and Darren Baker worked hard for 9^th (4/2:18).  Chris Hinitt had another fine race in the Male Open event, and despite a nasty crash, his efforts were well rewarded with 6^th (4/2:14).

Malcolm MacFarlane, in the 4 hour Vets race, gave an outstanding ride to finish 2^nd (9/4:21).  Malcolm again produced the goods in the return event on Sunday, the course reversed from the previous day. His time of 8 laps in 4:00:12 enough for his second successive silver medal.