WXCRL Woodlands Road Race and DRR MTB Enduro Movies!

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Dorset Rough Riders MTB Race – The Start

Amazingly, 120 into one single track does fit.

WXCRL Dorset Rough Riders MTB Race

The second Wessex League event of the weekend got underway, a 2 hour MTB Enduro around Wareham forest, won by Mark Chadborne of Ridebike.co.uk. Rain that had been threatening held off and 120 riders lined up for the start of the main event, on a 5 mile route over forestry commission firetracks, with a few ‘technical’ sections to keep everyone on their toes. Another seventy riders entered the supporting ‘have a go’ event and the children’s races earlier in the day.

120 riders started the main race. Mark Chadborne is already in the position he would remain in for the entire event, his Ridebike.co.uk clubmates guarding his tail.

Mark Chadborne again, showing how its done.

James Horton of Primera Sport being hunted down by Roland Tilley of Ridebike.co.uk. They would finish in the opposite order.

First female competitor was Elizabeth Gilmour of Primera Sport

Organising club Dorset Rough Riders were out in force, on the road as well as the marshal posts and setting up the course over the past few days. They were very much a text book example of a club all pulling together to organise and run a great event.

Mark Chadborne takes the win with six laps in two very hard hours.

Race organiser Tom Moralee, sponsor Charlie the Bikemonger and Rod Jefferies get ready to hand out the prizes.

A full list of results will be appearing here just as soon as they have been sorted out. Lets just say that we’re really looking forward to getting hold of some transponders for next year!

As it is, the first three in the main event were:

1. Mark Chadborne – Ridebike.co.uk
2. Roland Tilley – Ridebike.co.uk
3. James Horton – Primera Sport

Not forgetting that Roland Tilley had also got a third place in yesterday’s 70km road race at Woodlands, not to mention 2nd at Moreton on Thursday evening. Now there’s consistent.

So, congratulations to all 120 of you, we hope you all enjoyed yourselves. Or if not enjoyed, then…

All photos Gordon Skillen

WXCRL Woodlands RR and Dorset Rough Riders MTB Race Preview

So, did you enjoy those few weeks off? Good. Hopefully you’ve all been out training since and will be race fit come this Saturday and the Woodlands Road Race. This is a handicap event, open to all from elites to 4ths, with riders given a head start depending on their level of ability. The elites have to get their heads down to catch the thirds and fourths. Similarly, the thirds and fourths are encouraged to go like stink to stay ahead of the chasing pack. The bigger the groups of riders, the easier their task. Hint hint.

The first group of riders leave the start line at 10.30 am, 20 minutes after the sign on closes in Woodlands village hall, about a mile west of Verwood (map). The course runs south down the B3078 Cranborne road, then left at the Horton Inn, down into the village of Horton and up the hill and back to Woodlands again. 69.4km or 6 laps later, the race turns off the main course and towards the finish line, where the survivors will sprint it out up a slight incline. Enter here.

Come Sunday, Dorset Rough Riders will be running a mountain bike race in Wareham forest, based out of the Forsetry Commision’s HQ, just off the Sika Trail car park. Sorry, no map available, you’ll just have to get your ordenance surveys out. There are various events over the course of the day, with a 2 hour endurance event, counting for Wessex League points. The top fifteen score – that is to say the top fifteen in the main race. A top fifteen in the ‘have a go’, or the 13-15 year old, or 8-12 year old events sadly will not score in the wessex league results, although the pride in a race well ridden is yours to keep.

The main event kicks off at 11.30, while the course probably winds through trees and goes up and down a bit too. No one who knew anything about mountain bike racing was available for comment at the time of writing so apologies for being vague. Enter here.