A group of mountain bikers from the Wightlink Cycle Racing Team have taken on tough terrain and fierce competition at national and regional level events recently, with mixed fortunes across the board.
On Sunday 27th April, Nicholas Earley, Ewan Cook and Alfie Haydon travelled to Margam Park in Wales to compete in round 2 of the National Cross Country (XC) MTB Championships.
The course was described as very hilly and technical, featuring fast rocky descents, long rock climbs and switchbacks that tested even the most experienced riders.
Ewan and Alfie were first up in the Junior category. Both got off to a solid start, but Alfie’s race was marred by bad luck when he landed on jagged rocks following a drop, puncturing both his front and rear tyres. Despite the setback, he pushed on to finish in 27th place. Ewan put in a strong performance, staying in the lead group over 3 laps. Despite a couple of costly errors, he crossed the line in a commendable 9th place against some of the country’s top junior riders.
Nick competed in the Open Expert category and continued his strong form from earlier in the season. After settling into a rhythm on lap 2, he began overtaking riders and looked set for a strong result. However, disaster struck on lap 3 when he crashed hard after losing control on a corner, landing on his head. Although his race ended there, his injuries were thankfully superficial, with cuts to his face and mouth.
Closer to home, junior rider Mackenzie Cook took part in round 2 of the Southern Enduro Series at Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Petersfield.
The course offered a blend of steep descents, drops, jumps and sprint sections. Riding a new bike for the first time in competition, Mackenzie suffered a fall on Stage 3, going over the bars into a pile of logs covered in brambles and stinging nettles. He escaped serious injury, sustaining only a jarred wrist.
Mackenzie Cook has said:
“It was a really wicked event and despite my off, I really enjoyed the racing and can’t wait until next time.”
