This was the one I was fearing after the descriptions given about last years mudbath and the description of the course as 3/4 uphill and 20 secs of down hill. I had seen pictures of last years finishers bikes that looked like they had been dredged from a ditch !I also got thinking cheap points in the league as surely this would be one that people tended to miss - but that theory was put to bed when I saw how busy the car park was.
My warm up lap didn't fill me with confidence as mud quickly accumulated around the front brake and blocked the wheel pretty bad - how was I going to make it around 5 laps !Decision made - avoid the muddy line wherever possibe and ride the wetter grass to keep water moving through. Well, this approach seemed to work, because after my usual slow start, I found I was keeping the wheels pretty clean by riding those lines and also taking back places as it seemed quicker to get away from the well trodden path.
I shipped the chain a couple of times, but managed not to have too many dramas on the way round, trying to ride sensibly and calculating the best lines through the bends.
The last lap I was blown up and the legs had gone - but satisfied to finish such a hard race in a better than usual position ( I think !!)
Up next : Ostlers Plantation
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