Epic Blast Trophy
I discovered about two weeks ago that the UK NPS this weekend which I had been focusing on, had been cancelled. I was really annoyed about that because it would have been a real chance to test myself against top female competition – its been frustrating racing against one or two girls every time this year. Still, it meant I could race the Epic Blast instead, something totally different to any race I’ve done before.
We did a couple of practice runs the day before on slippery, muddy trails but with roasting sunshine. There were a few sections where a big bike or at least fatter tyres would have been nice, but most of it was great fun and ridable. I was looking forward to it!
After the luxury of an uplift to the top of the course, I lined up in the freezing cold and wind for the first heat. 10 of us (me being the only one on an xc bike) tore down across the heather and into the singletrack. Then it all went wrong. The trail was horribly muddy and slippery and I just wasn’t feeling it, I dabbed once, couldn’t get clipped in or any rhythm going. I felt like a beginner. Eventually I got going but was way behind. As I got further down I started to get into it and I managed to pass a couple of people but was a bit annoyed not to have ridden better.
By the second heat, it had started raining and I was seriously considering not bothering. Good job I did, had a great time in the end. I rode the whole thing much better. It was a combination of giving in to the mud and let the bike slide all over the place, and powering through it when I could. The course was great, a mixture of technical, muddy bits where you had to just hope for the best, fast flowy sections of the manmade trail centre, some nice berms to swoop around, and big jumps if you were so inclined!
The Blast itself was madness, so many people charging down the hill. Several funny crashes with people flying over the bars, getting ridden over etc. On the muddy technical parts I just tried to follow the wheel of whoever was in front of me, and it worked quite well. I more or less kept up with guys on big downhill bikes and then when we got to flat or uphill parts I was able to fly past – felt like cheating a bit but had to take what advantages I had!
I was the first female finisher, covered from head to toe in mud, but with a big smile on my face. It was a great day, shame about the weather but I guess you can’t have everything. Thanks to Epic for all the work that went into it, really well organised, loads of people there supporting and the trophy is probably the best I’ve ever won!