Isle of Wight mountain biker Simon Ernest made a competitive return to racing at the Gorrick Autumn Series on Sunday (18th October), battling his way to a top 5 finish despite missing out on 4th place by just 4 seconds.
After a difficult year, Simon was keen to get back into competitive action and targeted the opening round of the regional mountain bike series, held at Highlands Farm in Farnborough.
Competing in the Grand Vet category for Wightlink Cycle Race Team (CRT), Simon secured a second-row starting position on the grid, knowing that a strong start would be crucial to avoiding bottlenecks as riders entered the narrow singletrack sections.
However, he found himself caught behind slower riders from the start, with the tight and technical trails offering limited opportunities to overtake.
As the leading 5 riders began to pull away, Simon was forced to work his way through the field, picking off several competitors during the opening lap to move into 5th position.
From there, he focused on maintaining a smooth and consistent pace in an effort to close the gap to the riders ahead.
With just 1km remaining, the rider occupying 4th place was within sight, but Simon ultimately ran out of distance to make the pass.
He crossed the finish line in 5th position, an agonising 4 seconds behind 4th place.
Reflecting on his performance, Simon said:
“I was happy with my race, and have some clear areas to work on in training ahead of the next race in November, where a podium has got to be my objective.”
The result gives Simon a solid foundation to build on as he prepares for the next round of the series, with a podium finish firmly in his sights.
Simon has thanked team sponsors Wightlink Isle of Wight Ferries, Island Renewables, Wight Mountain, Rapanui, Kreative Studios and Adrian’s Bike Shop for their continued support.
