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This weekend will see the GBXC roll in to the fantastic Berwyn Leisure Park Complex. The venue was last used by us two years ago and was one of the most popular events from the 2008 series. This year will be no different with a great entry expected and also some top names as promised from the previous round. The course planned for the event will consist of some of the best cross country going for this National and prestigious championship. TV again will be present to film both morning and afternoon races where the action seems to be competitive in every class through out all 8 championships. Other news is that the age for the youth class has been lowered to 13 years to help with the introduction of our future xc stars allowing them to race on some the best and technical tracks that the GBXC team try to provide for the riders. There is no charge for overnight camping or spectators and entries will be available on the day at again no extra charge, you will be able to turn up and get a ride as with a lap time of over 15 min's we will be able to accommodate a large entry in each race. Berwyn Leisure Park is around 20 min's from Oswestry, postcode LL20 7LH and will be sign posted from the B4500 at Chirk in the direction of Llanarmon DC. For more information please call 01543 370070.
The second round of the 2010 GBXC Championship series returned to Devon
on the 13th June. The weather was sunny & warm. 140+ riders lined up
on the broad start line for the AM race. There were 5 classes. Craig
Parkes squeezed between Dave Dunn & Gary McCoy to take the holeshot in
the Vets. Dave's moment in the sun was short lived as he retired on
the next lap. Mark Hillier Rees was the quickest Sportsman away. Number
999 - Gavin Tatchell was on an emergency call in the Hobby class & Joe
Wooton led off the Youths. Keith Jenkins from Southam took the Premier with Gary McCoy
taking 2nd & Ade Bradley was 3rd. In the individual classes Jane
Daniels from Wigan won the Ladies with a impressive 9 laps from Stephanie
Jewell $ Gemma Holtham. Jeremy Callow in 6th overall was the best
Sportsman ahead of Welshmen Danny Morris & Graham Owen. The Youths
gave the old boys a run for their money. Joe Wootton from Welshpool
clocked up 10 laps to win the class & finish 7th overall. Brad Freeman
was 2nd & Ashley Bowden w After lunch - the PM race. With round 1 winner Tom Sagar out of action with tendonitis, it was up to Lee "Stan" Edmondson to represent the Putoline Suzuki fasteddy team. He didn't have the best of starts - crossing the line after the first lap in 5th - but by lap 4 he had made his way to the front & he was leading. Jamie Paget had been an early contender but he injured his hand on lap 4 whilst running in 2nd on his Midwest Husaberg & he had to retired. The red dust of Devon began to rise in the afternoon although a steady breeze did it's best to blow it away & amid the heat & the dust Lee Edmondson & Steve Holcombe became locked in a tremendous battle for the lead that came down to the final fuel stop. Both riders entered the pits together but Lee was the first away & he took the win. Steve was the runner up & James Jackman finished 3rd on the Poole MC Yamaha. All top 3 riders clocked up 13 laps. Steve rode well to keep up with Lee & he had the consolation of the best Expert award. Ade Deeley from Cwmbran in 4th was the Expert runner up & Sean O'Neal was 3rd. With 12 laps, the best Clubman 2T award went to Tom Hirons, Rhys Davies from Banwen was 2nd & Alex West from the Wirral was 3rd. In the Clubman 4T the Welsh invasion continued with a win for Gareth Delaney from Maesteg. Luke Williams was 2nd & Josh Snowden was 3rd. Lee Edmondson, “Naturally I’m delighted to get another win under my belt after such a tough start to the year. The RM-Z250 ran really well and with such fast and technical sections it really was the perfect tool for the job. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season now with renewed enthusiasm.” Glorious Devon once again proved to be a great location for the Great British XC series. Round 3 will be near York on the 4th July. Results "Just wanted to say what a fentastic venue and great effort put on by the GBXC team. Well worth the 4 1/2 hour drive to compete at a brilliant event". Dennis Harrison.
Overnight showers did nothing to dampen the sense of anticipation for the first round of the 2010 GBXC series at Coney Green farm near Stourport, it simply soften the brick red soil into an ideal ground for good racing. The Wyre forest venue is a spectacular location close to the M5 where the wooded Areley hill ponders the Severn River as it flows south out of Bewdley. The parking area was excellent & the paddock was a blaze of Putoline, Suzuki & Goldentyres sponsors banners. Optoma Loans donated the prizes & the whole event was filmed by the Blood, Sweat & Gears. Sunday was overcast & cool but dry. 250 riders were signed on. The morning race was for the Vets, Sportsman, Youths & Ladies & used a slightly modified course. In the Vets Adrian Bradley from Solihull was the overall winner with 10 laps from Jack Twentyman & Richard Main was 3rd. The Sportsman class went Ryan Armitage from Sheffield, 2nd.Jeremy Callow & 3rd Jamie Callow. Jane Daniels was the best Lady with 9 laps ahead of Helen Spiers on 8 laps & Gemma Holthan was 3rd. Rob Edwards from Oswestry won the Hobby class with 8 laps, Tom Granger was 2nd & Gavin Tatchell from Maesteg was 3rd. The main race started at 1.00pm. Paul Edmondson flagged the riders away in 4 ranks - Pro's, Expert , 2T & 4T. A broad climb up the hill gave the whole entry a safe run into the first corner, Tim Foreman took the holeshot in the Pro class on his Steve Plain GasGas 300 with Tom Sagar's Putoline Suzuki RMZ450 rumbling at his shoulder like the forecast thunder in the leaden sky. Tim has recovered well from his broken foot but he has picked up a purple thumb. Out of the corner the course ran along a fast straight at the top of the field with a series of chicanes to sort the riders into some kind of order before they entered the trees. At the front - while Tim & Tom were sorting themselves out - British Championship motocrosser Dorren Coutts from Horsham got hold of a berm & whipped passed them both with a slingshot. Dorren was riding in only his third Hare & Hounds & he is clearly a quick learner.
Paul Edmondson's expert eye had visualized & created an intricate course that weaved it's way through the woods like a rollercoaster before climbing to the fields at the top of the hill. By the end of the first lap Tom Sagar had taken the lead from Dorran Coutts. Lee Edmondson was 3rd & Luke Hill - competing in his first H&H - was 4th. With most riders on a 2 stop strategy, the lead changed temporarily at mid race but overall the order remained the same. There was a big hill in the woods that needed a lot of commitment to get up & a steady feel for the brakes to get down. It was too big for Gavin Tatchell's chain & he retired on lap 4 but for the most part the course flowed as smoothly as the river across the fields. The RAF team of Paul Owens, Martin Pickard, Matt Spiller & Dave Blackburn rode in a tight formation with Paul manning the rear gun. On the last lap Tom Sagar dropped his bike in the trees but his 30 second lead gave him time to pick it up before Dorran could catch him. Lee was 3rd & Luke was 4th. Steve Holcombe won the Experts & Tom Norton was the runner up. Tom was also new to the H&H & had traveled up from Horsham with Dorran. Derek Bawn from the valleys was 3rd. George Bayliss was the Best Clubman 2T ahead of last weekend's CTR winner Rhys Davies in 2nd & Chris Pryce was 3rd. Gareth Delahay won the Best Clubman 4T & Ironmen from the City of Steel - Lee Hattersley & Richard Cookland - were 2nd & 3rd. Throughout the event the spectators were kept up to date by Roger Harvey's commentary & afterwards he spoke to riders. Tom Sagar said how well the bike was going & what a great preparation it had been for next week's BEC in Lossiemouth. Dorrren said how much he had enjoyed the event & how professionally run it had been.
Registrations for GBXC riders can be downloaded from www.gbxc.co.uk and entries are available from Mandie on 01543 370070. GBXC 2010 DATES
The seventh and final round saw the GBXC series head to north Wales near Llangollen. After bad weather during the week it looked like the race would be a wet one. After walking the course on Saturday, conditions would be perfect. The track was very flowing and had alot of mixed going from muddy woods to dry flowing fields. The pro class line up was still full of the regulars and with championship still undecided the race was going to be exciting. With Tom knowing that his starts haven't been great, he knew that he would have to work hard to keep with leaders and to secure the championship. The flag dropped and Tom found himself in the middle of the pack behind Aston Bird (MPS Husqavana) . After the second lap Tom was in fifth behind Daryl Bolter (KTM), Greg Evans (KTM), Aston Bird and Si Wakely (MPS Husqavana). Tom knew this wasn't good enough to win the championship. Then on the fourth lap Bird stopped on a corner on the mountain which put Tom 4th but 3rd in Pro's as Bolter is in the Pro Lites class. A lap later saw Birds team mate Wakely have a massive crash which would see him pull out. Tom knew that if he stayed where he was, he would win the series, but Ash Wood was closing in. After an hour and fifteen Tom came into fuel, it was a good fuel stop and had pit board signs that he was catching Evans. Tom got within 20 seconds of Evans, but with two laps to go Evans had slowed with a blown shock so had to pit. Tom was now leading the pro class but still second to Bolter. On the last lap Tom took his time and made sure of getting to the finish safely. Tom reached the finish and took the pro class win. Tom was greeted by Steve Ireland and Paul Edmondson who sprayed the victory champagne. Tom had taken the 2009 GBXC Championship. "I am so pleased to have taken the championship. The race has been the most physical this year. After 2 laps had gone I didn't think I would catch the leaders but I had to dig deep and after I fuelled everything clicked. I would like thank all my supporters at the race cheering me on, all of my friends and family for their help and to all my sponsors for their continued support". Photo courtesy of Lee Leightwood.
Having won the Lites, Daryl Bolter won this weekend's 6th round of the GBXC series at Baden Hall.on a KTM 450. The GBXC team switched venues at the last minute. Mark Roberts took the holeshot from Daryl. Matt Ridgway won the Kingwood H&H the day before but his Suzuki wasn't so keen on the Sunday & bas the last off the line. He worked hard to catch up but he crashed out. In dusty conditions Greg & Tom collided. When the dust had clear Greg was the first to get rolling. Simon Wakely retired when lost his clutch.
In the morning race Mark Houson won the Vets. Mick Kendal was the runner up & Karl Greenhall was 3rd. George Bayliss from Bristol won the Youth class from Gethin Humphreys. KTM UK.GBXC Report The KTM UK Enduro team scored an impressive one -two in the Pro Class at the GBXC round sixth at Baden Hall Staffs on Last Sunday . Having already secured the 2009 Pro-lite Championship with -in the series , it was decided to run to Daryl Bolter on a KTM 450 in preparation for the Weston Beach Race. Not having any prior experience on a 450, and with no time to test during the week, Daryl was a little apprehensive but wanted test the bike in a race situation and gain valuable track time . After a Good Start , Daryl unfortunately lost his seat !! on the first lap he had to pit whilst in the lead, after some slick spanner work by the team and a few red faces Daryl only lost about 30 seconds and was back out chasing the leaders. Greg Evans in the mean time had a race long battle with Husabergs Tom Sagar fighting for the lead, which resulted in both riders coming together . Greg was able to restart first , but this enabled Daryl to slip past into the lead. At this stage MPS Husqvarna Rider Aston Bird past Greg, and both riders battled for the rest of the race, but in the later stages Greg managed to move up to second place and hold this position until the finish. Thanks as always to the GBXC Crew for organizing another superb event , Mounter and Premier Bikes KTM , all Sponsors, and the Support Team ...
1 week has passed since the Dyfi BEC where Tom had his best BEC result of the year with a second overall to David Knight. Baden Hall set the scene for the 6th round of the GBXC series after the original venue wasn't suitable for the weekend of racing. Tom heard the news Friday of the venue change and new it would be a hard race as he was only able to finish 10th overall the last time he went there. The track for the day had been changed a lot since the last GBXC and was looking good. Tom lined up and knew that a good result would give him the championship, but not liking the venue, tom knew this would be his hardest race to date. As the flag dropped Tom was near the back and would have to work hard
to win or get on the podium. After two laps Tom would find himself in
the lead with Greg Evans (KTM) right behind. Tom held the lead for a few
laps, but that soon changed when the two riders headed toward the
backend of the course going down some ruts. Tom exited the ruts to find
Greg at the side of him causing both riders to hit the floor and get
stuck underneath their bikes. This allowed Daryl Bolter (KTM) and Aston
Bird (MPS Husaqvana) to pass. Tom and Greg remounted and got going
again, although Tom had to stop to make some adjustments and straighten
his wheel. Tom was now positioned down in forth he knew that it would be
a tall order to get on the podium. With the end in sight Bolter had a
large lead with Evans in second and Bird in third. Photo courtesy of Lee Leightwood. Next event GBXC Rd 7, 6th September Lee Edmondson wins the Prolites PAR HONDA rider Lee Edmondson has just won the Prolite class at round 6 of the GBXC race series at Baden hall. Coming from the back of the field after another bad start Lee moved up towards the front passing a lot of good pro riders. Moving into the lead at the 2 hour mark lee put his head down and pushed hard to the end. At the end of the race lee was 1st in the prolite class and 5th overall just behind Tom Sagar. Lee said " Today was really good for me i had a bad start but pushed hard to get up to the front i am happy with my result after a bit of bad luck this year things are looking up.
ASHLEY WOOD finished 6th in the Pro Class (8th overall) on his Steve Plain prepared CC250. Ashley had a good start and settled for a ‘safe-pace’ to bring the gasser and himself home in a respectable 6th in the Pro Class. Ashley leaves tonight to travel to the next European Enduro Round in Slovakia. BRADLEY KING and LUKE MEREDITH were 8th and 9th respectively in the Pro Class. They were a lap down on the leaders but nevertheless they battled on and finished in a respectable position. Luke rode the latter stages with no front brake due to a leaking front brake hose which must’ve been scary at the ends of the fast straights..
The 6th Round of the GBXC was back at Baden Hall where in the previous round here Mark took a 7th Overall. This time we saw an improvement as he took 5th in the Pro Class and a 6th Overall, taking another holeshot at Baden Hall, and coming around the first lap in second behind daryl bolter. But as Daryl had to pit mark went back into the lead and led another lap round, in the second half of the lap Mark dropped back to forth but was staying in touch with the leaders. As mark pitted after an hour and fifteen he was still looking strong as the leading four didn/t pull out much of a lead, but at the two hour mark , he really started to struggle as the blisters had popped on his hands, he found it really hard to hold on, Mark had to slow down a bit and dropped one more place to Lee Edmondson. "Its good to come here and get a top 5 in the class again, but I am really disappointed to have dropped off so much in the last 30 minutes, but all in all I am pleased the way things went." A big Thank You to John at JKJ Motorcycles,
www.landroversalvage.co.uk and Uncle Chris at C.E.L.E.C LTD. Also Andy
Lycett for all the work he does to the bike and Lee Leightwood for the
photos
I arrive at Baden hall, the sun was shining and it was a good atmosphere all round. I walked the track. They've made some changes since I was there last. I was feeling really good. As we lined up ready to go. My bike didn't fire first time so I was last away. I then set off playing catch up working my way through the field and settling into a nice rhythm. Then on the second lap I lost the front end coming down a dusty straight and faceplanted the ground. Feeling a bit second hand and wondering where I was, I picked myself up restarted. I continued for another lap feeling dizzy with blurred vision, so decided to call it a day. Then I went to watch the other guys in the woods to see if I could pick up some tips.
The 5th round of the 2009 GBXC series introduced riders to another great new venue located in the beautiful Usk valley between the Black mountains & the Brecon Beacons on the Glan Usk Estate, Crickhowell near Abergavenny. With 3 out of 4 wins, Tom Sagar was the clear leader in the overall standings by 21pt from MPS Husqvarna's Aston Bird. With a win today Tom would win the series outright but the late entry of David Knight would rewrite the script. The weather was perfect with overnight rain softening the ground & a bright race day dawning with fluffy clouds scudding in from the Southwest on a warm wind. 80% of the 7 mile course wound through mature woodland with root strewn firebreaks & rocky roads. The end of the lap weaved around a grassy pasture. The morning race started at 11am. There was a special prize for the holeshot. As the course ran over a heap of old straw, the first rider didn't get sprayed with dung. The wet course dried out quickly, Keith Jenkins won the Veterans by 9 seconds to take the series from Mark Houson. Colin Jones from Broughton was 3rd. Off the bikes Keith & Mark are a bit slower & they both missed the presentation. In the Youth class, George Bayliss was first, Gethin Humphries was second & James Dent was 3rd. Danny Morris from Maesteg won the Novice class from Ashley Bowden. Luke Smith was the best of the Sportsmen. Jane Daniels won the best Lady form Sophie Thomas & Clare Taylor.
The afternoon race started at 1pm - just as light shower rolled in. KB Racing's Lincoln Brewster took the holeshot from Mark Roberts & Bradley King with David Knight in hot pursuit. David was a bit too hot & overshot a couple of the early corners but as the spectators gathered at the finish of the lap the unmistakable "thwack" of his Kawasaki burst out of the trees with a clear lead. KTM Uk's Greg Evans was in second place on his Mounter 250f. Once the grid was clear the Experts were flagged away & KB Racing's Lewis Belfield took the hole shot. Jamie Paget's rear moose popped out on the first lap. With his race over he stopped to assist Gavin Houson for whom the GBXC has proved to be a jinx. Gav has a suspected broken collarbone. Phil McLaughlin retired with a seized front caliper. GasGasUk spannerman Luke Meredith had a busman's holiday when crashed early & had to replace his throttle. On lap 3 a broken tape caused Euan McConnell, Ollie Moyce & Tom Sagar to overshoot a corner. After an hour, the leaders had settled into a pattern with the Knighter leading from Greg Evans with Si Wakely 3rd & Daryl Bolter 4th. Tom Sagar's detour had snatched the win from his grasp so he flicked the Midwest Husaberg on to cruise control. With his points lead & the BEC at Knighton next week, Tom sensibly chose to play a waiting game & clinch the series in round 6. Lee Edmondson has been suffering from flu all week & retired. Jon Hinam's engine proved that the dangers of smoking are true when it blew up.
In the Experts class, KBRacing's Lewis Belfield led from the start to take the win from Joe Jones. Harry Hilas was third. Callem Hicks from Pontypool was the best Clubman 2T ahead of Tom Hirons. Merthyr's Rhys Davies was 3rd. In the 4T Clubman class, Sean O'Neil was the winner & Gareth Delahey was runner up.
The 5th round of the 2009 gbxc series took place just the other side of Abergavenny. The track was completely different to previous rounds with mostly tight woodlands, fast rocky fireroads and a grassy "special test" section. The 15 minute lap was in perfect condition after the morning race rider took the wet stuff of the top and the fireroads cut up and many rocks coming out. I managed to get a better start than i ever have in a gbxc race and came into the first corner in 3rd place! i was so shocked i nearly dropped it in the 2nd corner! Lincoln Brewster and Mark Roberts were in front. Knighter and Greg Evans managed to get overtake me quickly but i held my place and overtook Brewster. My arms pumped up really quickly and i couldn't shake this off till my pit stop. Daryl Bolter got past right at the end of lap 1 and i was in 5th place. Tom Sagar, Aston Bird and Si Wakely got past on lap 2 but i hung with them and managed to pull some time on the riders behind except gasgas team mate Ash wood who went past on lap3. I then had the track to myself and kept a good pace up until the pit stops. i found myself in a battle with linc brewster again , i was just as quick as him but lincoln seemed to work his way past the lapped riders quicker than me. Again i found myself riding on my own in 10th place overall until 3 1/2 laps from the end a small crash let ollie moyce catch me up. we had a good battle for a lap and a half which i really enjoyed . I got the 2 laps left signal and ollie managed to pull a 20 second gap on me in that lap. As i came round the grass test at the end of the lap i could see that knighter wasent far off lapping me. Dad pulled me over to check how much feul i had and i didnt have enough to do another lap so waited for knighter to come past and went into the finish so i didnt have to do another. i still finished comfortably in front of the next rider Euan McConnell. This is by far the best ride ive ever had at a cross country event and i really enjoyed it. i felt really fit at the end and maybe if i didn't get such bad arm pump in the first half i maybe could have gone a bit faster but when i get a good start next time i will be used to it. I was really pleased at the end. Im feeling confident and really looking 4ward to the bec knighton enduro next weekend thanks again to everyone who is helping me at the moment and all my sponsers. Brad king - enduro and hare scrambles on GAS GAS UK EC250 - www.freewebs.com/bradking25 - supported by K4OFFROAD, TALON, STEVE PLAIN M/CS, MICHELIN, GAERNE, NAU, RENTHAL, MOTUL, KRIEGA, ROGERSHILL RACEWAY AND RUSH RACING. Gas Gas Uk Enduro team The Steve Plain / GAS GAS UK Enduro Team were out in force at Round 5 of the prestigous GBXC Championship. No.1 GG Rider ASHLEY WOOD (EC250) had a good battle with the 'terminator' of cross country racing Lincoln Brewster who he managed to fight off and finish 7th (8th overall) at the finish. The course with its good technical parts with some mental flat out sections was a good mix to test all abilities and balls! GGUK Teamster Bradley King was a solid 9th in class (11th overall). This was a good result for Brad who has improved alot this year with his positive and commited attitude to his sport. GGUK Spannerman Luke Meredith had a nightmare seeing him crash early on and wrecking his throttle which meant he had to pit early to change it. Luke finished 13th in class but waaaaaay down overall ;( GGUK rider Gareth Hopkins was a non-starter due to re-agrivating his shoulder injury at 'The Welsh' All four of 'Plainer's Boys' will be hard at it this coming weekend at Round 2 of the BEC.
For the 4th round of the 2009 GBXC series the team chose a new venue n South Devon. The weather was atrocious on the Saturday morning but luckily the torrential rain cleared from the Southwest & by Sunday morning the course was drying quickly. The 7 mile lap was a good mix of fields, woodland, gullies & stream crossings. There was even a bit of jungle for the celebrities. In the morning race - for Sportsman, Novices, Ladies & Over 40 - veteran Keith Jenkins from Southam was the overall winner from Adrian Bradley. The best Sportsman was Chris Pryce from Leominster & Ashley Bowden from Farford won the Novices. Gethin Humphries christened his new Route 55 KTM with a win in the Youth class & Kieron Jordan from Stoke on Trent was the runner up. Jane Daniels was the best Lady from Sophie Thomas. In the afternoon race Mark Roberts whipped up his JKJ Kawasaki to take the hole shot closely followed by Paul Edmondson. By the end of the first lap Mark had dropped back & Paul had taken a good lead from MPS Husqvarna rider Simon Wakely. Paul held the lead to the halfway point before Tom Sagar & Daryl Bolter overtook him. The battle for the podium was then joined between the power of Tom's Midwest Husaberg in the open & the agility of Daryl's Premier KTM in the tight. After 150 minutes only 9 seconds separated them as Tom crossed the finishing line & Daryl in 2nd received the consolation of winning the Pro lites. Simon Wakely was 2nd in the Pros & Paul Edmondson battled the pollen into 3rd. Less than 30 seconds separated Greg Evans, Ollie Moyce & Ashley Wood in 4th, 5th & 6th. KB Racing's Lewis Belfield won the Experts from runner up Joe Jones. Local lad Max Hembroke was 3rd on a "farm bike". Kalem Hicks from Pontypool was the best 2T Clubman & Sean O'Neill was 4T best Clubman. Results Photo courtesy of Lee Leightwood. Tom Sagar - Midwest Husaberg Round 4 of the GBXC series was set in Kingsbridge, Devon. This was to be the best race to date giving all the riders different types of terrain to tackle during the 7 mile course. After 2 weeks off the bike after having a massive crash training, Tom was not quite sure how the race was going to pan out. After the heavy rain on the Saturday the track was slippery but the weather held off for both races, with an hour gap between races gave the track time to dry up even more which made track conditions perfect. The pro riders lined up with Paul Eddy joining the party. As the flagged dropped, Mark Roberts (Kawasaki) got the hole shot with Eddy (Suzuki) close behind. Tom got his best start of the year getting off the line in 5th. At the end of the first lap, Eddy led with Si Wakely (MPS Husqvarna) 2nd, Tom was 4th and was pushing hard to try and get to the front. After an hour had pasted Wakely and Tom had passed Eddy and were having their own little battle but Daryl Bolter was pushing hard and passed Tom. Wakely and Tom came into fuel at the same time which left Bolter out front on his own but yet to fuel. Tom's pit stop put him ahead of Wakley and set about chasing Bolter. 2 laps later Bolter fuelled and Tom took over the lead but not by much and the final hour was going to be any ones race. 2 laps from the end and Bolter was putting the pressure on. Tom made a mistake which allowed Bolter to close in. Tom then made a big mistake, hitting a rock forcing his hand to come off the handlebar allowing Bolter to take the lead. Tom regained his composure and chased after Daryl. The two riders came over the start line together to start their final lap. As the two riders entered the first wood Bolter took a wide line and Tom went up the inside into the lead. Tom pushed really hard to try and pull a gap on Bolter knowing that he was ready to pounce. As they rode down one of the tricky rutted climbs, Tom passed a backmarker and Bolter got stuck behind him. This gave Tom some breathing space and allowed him to take his third win in the series. Bolter finished close behind and Wakely third. "I've had an awesome race with Daryl today and didn't think i was going to beat him because he was riding so well. I was very impressed with my fitness after my big crash which hasn't allowed me to train. The course was excellent and one of the best tracks I have ridden". Tom also would like to thank all the team and sponsors for their continued support and to Chris Hockey at Dr Shox for all his help. Husaberg, Midwest Racing, Putoline, Renthal, Metezler, Acerbis, Scott, TCX, Airoh, Regina, Carbon Lorraine, Twin Air, ISO2, Redlynch, Rygor Commercials, Evoke Concepts Firstly I need to say a massive thanks to my parents and Gareth `giz’ Edmunds with helping me to get everything ready in time for the latest GBXC. Giz has race prepped my bike that I will be using on the welsh 2 day and the rest of the BEC and to be sure that the bike was fine I decided to test it at this race, and well it was frankly, bloody awesome! Giz has done an amazing job with setting it up and I can’t wait to ride it again. The race started excellent for me, I wasn’t last of the line! I went into the first corner in forth and set off after the leading three, I was slightly off the pace to start with, with having to learn the new bike and the track I was losing ground on the first three and then I made a small mistake that let Tom Sagar and Phil McLaughlin through. After about half an hour I was feeling good on the bike and got myself into a good rhythm, I could see I was catching the leading group of Si, Tom and Fast Eddy, coming up to about the half way mark I was on the back of Fast Eddy and there was nothing between all four of us, I went passed Fast Eddy and was trying to find a way past Tom when he made a small mistake and the gap was just about big enough to squeeze through, I was now chasing Si with Tom trying to get back past me and we were having a great little battle between the three of us, coming up the last hill we were still really close and then Si dived off into the pits followed by Tom and fast Eddy which left me out front. I now knew I had to push like mad to get as much time between us because as I was next to fuel and I wanted to get out of the pits in the lead. Dad gave me the signal to fuel next lap so I kept pushing hard hoping to of gapped the group, I took a look over my shoulder towards the end of the lap and seen I had pulled time on Paul and Si but there was a Husaberg chasing me down, Tom must of had the same idea as me and wanted to be in the lead after fuelling. As I was just firing the bike up I could hear Tom coming up the hill and he just got in front of me as I was coming out of the pits. Tom managed to pull a few seconds on me and I just knew I had to keep pushing as anything can happen in racing, and then I came to one of the long rutty sections and he got slowed up by some back markers which allowed me to get right on his back wheel and we pushed each other as hard as we could. Tom made a small mistake on the penultimate lap which let me through and we started the final lap like it was our first and just let it hang out which was great fun, we got into the woods and tom had good line on the slippery rocks and passed me, further round the woods there was a long downhill rut and it was now my turn to get caught up behind a back marker, it allowed Tom get just to get away enough and I couldn’t do anything about closing the gap, and after two and a half hours of good close racing he crossed the line seven seconds in front of me, another good weekend for me with 1st in class and 2nd overall so I’m happy. Massive thanks to all my sponsors and my pit crew and everyone out there shouting me on, my next race is this Sunday coming at Canada heights which I’m really looking forward to. See you at the races, Daryl The 4th round of the GBXC was held in Devon and was a brilliant venue for racing with the weather holding off all day. Ollie had a poor start and was nearly last around the first corner. After the first few laps he was running in 12th position and seemed like he couldn't go any faster or catch the guys in front but this was due to excessive arm pump and slowly faded leaving Ollie with full strength to start his attack on the field. He pushed hard in the latter stages and ended up finishing the race in 6th overall and 5th in class. "The race started badly for me as I was nearly last off the line due to such a quiet engine it is hard to know when it has started with all the other bikes around. I then had to get through severe arm pump and pushed hard towards the end of the race. I really enjoyed it though and am working hard in preparation for the next one." Thanks to Husaberg, Midwest Racing, Putoline, Renthal, Metezler, Acerbis, Scott, TCX, Airoh, Regina, Carbon Lorraine, Twin Air, ISO2, Redlynch, Rygor Commercials, Evoke Concepts
After another Holeshot at GBXC Round 4 Mark found himself at the front of the Pro class. At the end of the first lap he found himself in 3rd place, and after a few more laps he was past by tom sagar , darryl bolter and greg evans. After mark pitted for fuel he found himself comfortably in 6th overall, In a comfortable 6th place overall and 5 th in class. At the 1 hour and 30 minute mark, the chain derailed on the Kawasaki. Having to push the bike to the pits to repair the kwacker he found himself 3 laps down. With the bad luck from the 1st and 3rd Round Mark was hoping for a good result in Devon. But it turned out to be another bad day at the office. Finishing in last place (12th). His results not showing how much training and effort hes putting in but hopefully his luck will change. Thank You to C.E.L.E.C Ltd, landroversalvage.co.uk and JKJ Motorcycles for there support. www.freewebs.com/markmotoroberts GasGas Uk The STEVE PLAIN Managed GGUK Enduro Team were at Round 4 of the GBXC Race Series in Devon and No.1 Rider ASHLEY WOOD finished 6th overall. This was a good result for Ash who could not compete in Hungary last weekend due to illness. Ash had a bad start and with a fast course it was difficult to 'catch and pass' so to get back to 6th at the flag was a good solid race for Ashley. Bradley King (SPGGUK) and Luke Meredith (SPGGUK) were 10th and 11th respectively in the PRO Class and showed 100% commitment as normal. Brad got stuck in a rut on the first lap behind Greg Evans and then crashed shortly afterwards getting frustrated after losing valuable places. Brad settled his pace and finished just infront of his Team mate Mezza at the flag. Luke was struggling a bit for big power on his trusty EC200 on an open fast course.
The 3rd Round of the GBXC series took place at Maeshafn, North Wales on Sunday 3rd May. Heavy showers in the week softened the peaty ground but the weather on the day was perfect. In the morning race Adrian Bradley won the Vets ahead of Keith Jenkins. Chris Pryce from Leominster was the Best Sportsman & Nathan Holtby from Stourport was the runner up. In the Novice class Michael Windsor from Coventry was the winner & Danny Morris from Maesteg was 2nd. Jane Daniels won the Ladies class ahead of Sophie Thomas. The Best Youth rider was George Bayliss & Gethin Humphreys was the runner up. Matt Ridgway took the holeshot in the Pro race & led the 1st lap but on the second lap he went wide to avoid a fallen rider & Tom Sagar seized the lead. There were some large rocks on the course & Mark Roberts found one on his second lap. He broke his wrist. Simon Wakely & Aston Bird also had some air time but they were able to carry on. Euan McConnell was another rider caught in the minefield. Greg Evans retired after hitting his head on a low branch. His helmet was cracked & his vision was blurred. He was check out by A&E & given the all clear. There was some close racing with both Tom Sagar & Matt Ridgway jointly setting the fastest lap times. Tom was the winner on a Midwest Husaberg ahead of MPS Husqvarna's Simon Wakely & fellow team member Aston Bird was 3rd. TM's Phil McLaughlin was 4th & Matt Ridgway was 5th. Euan McConnell on the Aprilia was 6th & Paul Bolton has recovered from the knee injury that put him out of the Romaniacs to finish 7th. Daryl Bolter in the Pro-lite class was 2nd overall - a minute behind the leader. Lee Edmondson was the runner up. Robert Rees from Wrexham was the best Expert ahead of Ben Wootton. Callum Hicks won the Clubman 2T & Shaun Buchan was the best Clubman 4T.
MPS Husqvarna were back to full strength for round 3 with Si, Aston, Gav, Tom and Mick looking forward to a good race Vets were first away with Mick back on his 310 for the first time since round l of GBXC so feeling a little rusty! he made a surprisingly good start but threw it all away half way round the first lap damaging his clutch but battled on to the end enjoying every minute but was to knackered to go and find his result. Next up was the main race with the track having dried out a little Aston and Gav were fired up for it but Si was still suffering from a cold he picked up in Sardinia knew it would be hard work plus he had an extreme hard on! (Metzeler front tyre for hard dry conditions) as usual the Husky boys were last off the line along with Daryl they had a lot of work to do but after 1 lap Aston and Si had made good progress and moved up to 4th and 5th the pair battled through to 2nd and 3rd by half distance then Si took 2nd after Aston decided to make 2 fuel stops they then ran together for several laps with Si following Aston , after all the fuel stops had been made it was a straight race to the finish with Tom Sager way out in front And Daryl Bolter in second with Si 3rd and Aston 4th and Gav steadily moving through the field on his little 125 up to around 9th place and Tom around 10th in the expert class At the flag positions remained the same but for Gav who ran out of fuel 250 mtr from the line his new big fuel tank not quite big enough In conclusion another good day for MPS Husky with 2nd and 3rd in the pro class for Si and Aston and Gav showing that with a little bit of luck he will be in the results soon at GBXC ( he is the only Brit to have finished every World round this year and is leading the North of England championship ) one person missing from this weekend was Rob Johnson who has a broken leg but we all wish him a speedy recovery Thanks to Steve and Paul and the GBXC team for another well organized event Daryl Bolter Me and my girlfriend Kate arrived at the GBXC on Saturday lunchtime, the setting for the event looked awesome and with the sun shining we put our walking boots on and set off to walk the track. With the first two rounds being a relatively easy walk, looking up at the hills around I got the feeling this was going to be a bit harder to walk! Within about 15 minutes Kate and I were both panting away! The track was looking good and had a bit of everything in it, including a few big hidden rocks! It took us about 2 and half hours, a lot of sweat and a couple of blisters to walk round the track. With the morning race just about underway I went for a look about again and with some heavy rain through the night the track was cutting up quick, the surface layers soon disappeared and went down to rock, the climbs in the woods were getting trickier by the lap and bumps getting bigger with every rider going through. This is when I realised that we were in for a beating! My bike was now on the line and ready to go, I was feeling confident and just wanted to get going before the nerves set in, I’d fuelled my body up with food and walked up to the start line ready to put my start practice to the test. We got word that somebody was badly hurt out on the track and the air ambulance needed to come in so there would be a slight delay, in all we were delayed for about an hour and a half but they got the guy of the hill safely. With such a long wait before the start my focus had wandered slightly and guess what, I fluffed the start up AGAIN! One day I will get the start right and won’t know what to bloody do with it! Anyway with making my life hard as always I set of trying to pick my way through the pack, coming over the crest off a hill all I saw was the TM of Gordon Clarke and the Aprilia of Euan McConnell kart wheeling down the track, I managed to come through quite quick and could see Greg, Si and Aston having a good battle, all of a sudden I caught Greg, he didn’t look to good as I passed and I got the message he had hit his head on a branch. I set off after the husky’s and had a good battle with them for a few laps and once I’d passed them I was in 2nd overall and trying to chase down Tom Sagar, I managed to close the gap down from a minute and a half to about 25 seconds and then I hit a wall, I’d pushed myself so much in the beginning and with the track being so demanding I started to feel sick and everything was cramping up, I could push no more, I don’t like to settle for second but I had no choice, I started making big mistakes and with a couple of laps to go didn’t want to injure myself. So a win in the pro-lites class and second overall wasn’t too bad considering my appalling start, massive thanks to my pit crew and all of my sponsors and everybody screaming at me to go faster, and thanks to Michael Ranger for purchasing my new dump fill from Andy at flatoutracing.com that worked perfect. See you at the races, Daryl
Round 3 of the GBXC race series was held last weekend at the mid wales venue near mold. PAR honda rider Lee Edmondson had another strong ride to finish 2nd in the pro-lite class and 6th overall. Lee had to work hard for the result having not got off to a good start coming around the first lap in 23rd he pulled up though the field. Pushing hard for the whole 2 and half hours lee was looking really strong right up till the end of the race. After the race lee said "i am happy with my result today i got a really bad start and it was hard work to get though the traffic. I suffered with arm pump for the first hour but once i got rid of that i could push on" Lee would like to thank joey for all his hard work before the event getting the bike running real good on Friday and Saturday also thanks to his brother paul and all his sponsors.
The first Sunday of every month signals race day at the GBXC race series and this May bank holiday weekend was no exception as 400 of Britain's best enduro racers gathered near Chester for the third round of the highly touted cross country championship. Among the line up, Electraction TM UK were strongly represented with riders in both the Pro and Veterans classes. After missing the previous round due to his World Enduro Championship commitments, Ulster man Phillip McLaughlin was eager for a good result to add to his second place finish from the opening round of the championship in March. Gating well off the start he quickly placed his EN450 TM amongst the front runners, holding fifth place on the opening lap. Tensing up on the rough and demanding course he began to struggle to hold on with arm pump, dropping backwards and outside of the top ten. An earlier than scheduled fuel stop by his pit crew enabled him to regain his composure and from then on he set about making his charge back through the pack. Picking off riders one at a time he worked his way back up to seventh before his second and final fuel stop. With a half an hour left on the clock he had made it to fifth and by now fourth began to look possible. Giving one last final push on the final lap, he almost had it only to finish within half a bike length short at the chequered flag.
Irishman Gordon Clarke also made the short trip across the Irish Sea to compete. After a terrific start in the Pro class on his EN300 TM, he found a boulder hidden in the grass and had a big get off, bending his handlebars and severing his front brake hose but was luckily unhurt. Repairing the damage in the pits, he set off again two laps behind the leaders but soldiered on to finish the two and a half hour race. The Electraction TMUK team's next event will be opening round of the Irish Enduro championship on May 17th, followed by round four of the GBXC on the 7th of June. Electraction TMUK is supported by Moonraker Masonary, Gannomat UK, Kleenrite, HydraMaster and CCM Racing, with product support from Fox Racing, Renthal, Elf Lubricants, Metzeler, MotoShox suspension and Lappin Performance.
Scotland’s Euan McConnell suffered a major crash on the inaugural lap of the third round of the Great Britain Cross Country (GBXC) series in the Welsh village of Maeshafan on the weekend. He then managed to climb aboard his Aprilia RXV 450 to finish sixth in the Pro Class and 10th overall. Although injured and with a damaged motorcycle, the determined Scot remounted his Aprilia and was placed 18th in class at the end of the first lap. McConnell fought for the remainder of the two-and-a-half-hour race to pick away at riders every lap to safely finish in sixth position. “The crash happened so fast,” explained McConnell. “There was another rider who was flying through the air in front of me and before I knew it I was upside down. I saw stars for a moment and the back end of my bike was caught in the back wheel. I also hurt my left wrist, but the adrenaline must have kept me going, because I just jumped back on my Aprilia and kept going. “I wasn’t sure that I had managed to sort my bike out to continue, so I briefly stopped in the pits to check it over. It looked okay even though I had broken the rear subframe. I got back on and kept going. I had a lot of time to make up. “By the seventh lap I was up to 12th position and I felt like that I had lost so much time that I would be out of the points. I kept pushing on as anything can happen in these GBXC races, so I persisted with getting to the end. “I am still only managing to complete an hour on a tank, which means two fuel stops for me, while most of the other competitors are only doing one. When I came in for my final pit stop I was in eighth position and I was told that I was only a minute off Paul Bolton. That gave me a target. With the 20 minutes left, that was my mission. To catch Paul. I managed to catch him and finished a credible sixth in class. “After the race my left wrist was in a bad way and I struggled to find any strength in it. I’ve been for an X-ray and the doctors found that I have a damaged scaphoid, but it doesn’t seem to be a major break. I’ve been given a strap to support it and will be getting it checked out again next week.” McConnell is currently in fifth position overall in the Pro Class of the GBXC series with four rounds remaining. The next event will be held on 7 June 2009.
After the Snowrun I decided to make changes to my bike so I fitted a duel program ignition system and a lower compression head supplied by Hardcore Racing. By the end of the first lap I new the changes made to the bike were working well with the hole shot and first place at the end of the 1st lap. When the flag dropped I was lucky to get of the line as I kicked the bike I felt the clutch dragging but the bike fired ok giving me a perfect start leading into the first corner. I put my head down and concentrating on putting in a fast lap leaving the rest to battle behind me completing the first lap in first place with a clear track in front. A third of the way around the second lap a marshal was standing in the track directing me off the track for a injured rider lying on the track I lost concentration for a minute and Tom Sagar flew past me I chased Tom and we battled for a time but the big Husaberg with all the power pulled away. I then raced with Greg Evens but the flue I had began to tell I had no energy when Aston Bird passed I just followed him and Greg keeping them with in sight Si Wakely was next to pass I had to let him go as I was now riding in a high gear to save energy but still in 5th place, when Daryl Bolter passed I decided to use all my energy and follow him for nearly a lap which pulled me closer to the riders in front but it was time to refuel and when I stopped I was so drained I couldn't open the fuel cap I wanted to retire but decided I had to finish the race thanks to all the people in the crowd that were clapping waving and shouting even members from other teams this gave me a big boost, then 3 laps from the end Philip McLaughlin passed me like he was on his first lap but Greg was sat by the side of the track holding his head hope your ok Greg. What a good feeling when I came around the last corner to see Steve Ireland holding the flag sorry I did not stay for the prize giving but I felt so ill and wanted get home with more than a 4 hour drive ahead , In spite of the flue a great result brilliant hole shot, 3rd GBXC that I have been leading the race, 5th in my class and the 1st 2 stroke at all 3 rounds. Thanks to all my sponsors Meredith MX Ltd, SHOT from Feridax .com Hardcore Racing, DEP Pipes, J G Bricklaying, Guyan Mini Buses, Simply Saab & my team. Bradley King Gbxc round 3 was held in north wales at the weekend with me hoping to improve on my performance from round 2. the track presented more of a challenge than rd2 although very motox'y the rough bumpy hills and rocks meant that line choice and fitness would come into play. I got of to bad start but gained some places on the first lap and was in the top 10 after a few laps. I caught up to my gguk teammate Luke Meredeth and was also racing with Gav houson. after a couple of laps i felt that i could up the pace and catch the next group in front. I went for the pass on Luke only for my front wheel to drop of the edge of a bank and i had a big over the bars crash. This knocked me and the bike about abit and i rode the next lap and a half without the use of the clutch having knocked it down on the bars. I pitted and refuelled and fixed my clutch in the process but struggled to get back into the race until the last 2 laps. on the last lap i managed to catch and overtake Andrew Edwards and Tim forman as well as the unlucky gav houson who had run out of fuel. this put me 9Th in the pro open class and 14Th overall nearly getting Luke at the finish. I was abit disappointed at the finish because i felt that if it wasn't for the silly crash i could have made the top 10 overall but pleased with my recovery in the last 2 laps. May will be a busy month for me with the brecfa enduro and rd2 of the European enduo champs in Hungary.
Mark Roberts - JKJ Kawasaki - Injured Unfortunately Mark (left) Shattered a bone in his hand on the first lap at this weekends GBXC at Maeshafn. The hand is in a full cast and he could be out of action for sometime until it is fully healed. It is likely that it was Just the rough conditions that caused the injury. We all wish Mark a full recovery and a strong comeback very soon. A big Thank You to C.E.L.E.C Ltd and www.Landroversalvage.co..uk for there support so far this year 2009 GBXC Championship points – Pro Class – after round three:
Ivan Sheane, Vets. Praying for intervention! & "How big
is too big?? Must be the biggest pitboard I've ever seen".
The 2nd round of the GBXC series took place at Baden Hall on Sunday 5th April. The weather was perfect with fluffy clouds in a blue sky. There had been a last minute change of venue from Kent to the Midlands. The course was very open & flowing. Mark Roberts took the holeshot but - despite a serious burn on his forearm - Matt Ridgway led at the end of the first lap. Mark was 2nd & Greg Evans was closing in 3rd. Greg had a disappointing first round & he was fired up to take the lead on lap 3. By lap 4 Greg & Matt had pulled out nearly a minute ahead of Daryl Bolter (left) in 3rd. Daryl - in the Pro lite class - also struggled in the first round. He had ridden with an appendicitis but now fully recovered he came on a charge to take the lead at the halfway point & held it to cross the line in first place. Greg finished 2nd to win the Pro class. Aston Bird was 3rd & Matt Ridgway finished 4th. The fast going gave Euan McConnell plenty of opportunities to open up the Aprilia & drive it home in 4th. Darren Carter was 2nd in the Pro lites & Lee Edmondson was 3rd. Round 1 winner Tom Sagar was off the pace & finished 10th. Ollie Moyce dislocated his shoulder. In the Experts class, KB Racing's Lewis Belfield was the fastest. With 14 laps he came close to a top ten finish in the Pro class. Rob Reese was runner up. Shaun Kersey was the Best 4T Clubman ahead of Mark Cheetham. Kalem Hicks won the 2T Clubman & Tom Hirons was the runner up. Welsh youths did well in the AM race with Gethin Humphries from Festiniog taking the win from Welshpool's Joe Wooton. Keith Jenkins was the Best Vet ahead of Adrian Bradley. Nathan Holtby won the Clubman class & Luke Smith was the runner up. KTM UK .... Dealer Enduro Team report KTM riders had a clean sweep at last Sundays GBXC at Baden Hall. After a disappointing round one , the team of Greg Evans , Daryl Bolter and Ed Jones were fired up and looking for a good result and they certainly came through with the goods ! Daryl (above) won the event overall with Greg coming in Second , and Ed Jones securing the best 125 . Daryl Says “ I had a poor start, but by the second lap in had moved up into seventh place, I was then able to pace myself and I enjoyed picking off the riders in front of me . After two Hours I finally moved into the lead. It was a good fast MX style course which suited me fine , I initially thought that I may lose out to the 450,s at this track , but my Stock KTM 250 was awesome and I was delighted to make the top steep of the podium. “ Greg , Daryl and Ed , would like to thank KTM UK , Mounter Motorcycles , Premier Bikes, and ET James and all Individual sponsors for the support...
I had a good start 2nd behind Mark Roberts after the first corner I soon passed mark knowing I had to put in some very fast laps. At the end of the first lap I had pulled a gap on mark but I could see Greg Evens catching Mark and by the end of the second lap Greg had passed Mark and was closing in on me, then near the end of the 3rd lap Greg passed me but racing together we had pulled out a 50 second over the 3rd rider Daryl Bolter. Daryl was flying and caught me just before I stopped for fuel which was a very quick stop as I left the pits Aston Bird pitted right behind me I set of as fast as I could but the burn on my arm was becoming very painful and 3 laps from the end Aston passed me, having a big lead over the next rider I rode steady to the end. I am very happy with 4th overall and to be on the podium in my class was a brilliant result, plus being the 1st 2 stroke home again was excellent . I have to see the plastic surgeon tomorrow to find out if I need a skin graft on my arm. Thanks to Meredith MX Ltd, g.j bricklaying Ltd, Hardcore Racing, My Dad and Martino.
Scotland’s Euan McConnell put in an impressive performance at the second round of the Great Britain X-Country (GBXC) series held at Baden Hall in Staffordshire yesterday. The former British Enduro E3 Champion raced his Aprilia RXV 450 to fourth position in the Pro class, following a gruelling two-and-a-half hour battle in the April sunshine. McConnell got off to a tough start after being caught in a bottleneck section of the track and ended the first lap in 17th position. However, the Scot was determined not to give up the fight and set about working his way consistently through the pack, gaining several positions with every lap. An exciting battle with Tom Sager towards the end of the race saw McConnell leave his rival for dust as he gained his final two places to finish in fourth. “I had a really bad start to the race,” explained McConnell. “I was probably one of the last riders off the line. Then there were two tight corners which were clogged with traffic, but I managed to get through, then pass a group of riders and I was in about 17th position as I raced around the lake and towards the rest of the course. “The ground was hard packed and bumpy to ride, but overall the course was fast, which suited the Aprilia perfectly. On the first lap I crashed and went over the handlebars twice, before picking myself up and battling on. I kept passing riders and by the end of the first lap I was 11th overall. “I just kept going, and as I rode on I felt how much I could push the bike. Over the two-and-a-half hour race, I had to refuel twice because I was having to push so hard to close on the leaders. Re-fuelling did eat into my time, but I still managed to get ahead of plenty of fast riders to climb up to sixth position overall and fourth in the Pro class. “I’m pleased with my result. I think that the time I have invested in riding the bike before this race has paid off. With a month to go before the next round, I will be able to get some more time on the bike and make some changes to help with the upcoming round in Wales.” Tony Campbell, Piaggio UK Group General Manager: “Euan’s performance yesterday was very impressive. To go from 17th to fourth place shows great determination and skill and he is obviously getting on well with the bike. With another month to practice before the next race, we are very excited to see how far Euan can go”.
PAR Honda rider Lee Edmondson got off to a good start at round 2 of the GBXC series running about 8th into the first corner lee went round the outside of the second corner and moved up into 4th. Running 5th for most of the race lee moved up into 3rd overall at the half way point then he had to fuel. The track was fast and rough from the start. At about the 2 hour mark lees hands started to blister up so all he could do was try and hold on till the end. Eventually lee came home in 3rd in the prolite class and 6th overall. Lee said " I am happy with the way I rode today my riding speed is getting better each week just a shame my hands blistered up. I would like to thank my brother and Joey for all their help."
GasGas Uk Ashley Wood was best GasGas Uk riders in 7th, Gareth Hopkins in 10th (full of painkillers), Bradley King 16th and Luke Meredith (right) in 18th... nothing special but good strong results for all riders with no problems... Charlie Evans was 4th in the Expert Class. Photos by John Shirt Senior
Mark took the Holeshot at Baden Hall ahead of Matt Ridgway, Lincoln Brewster and Greg Evans. With a strong pro line up it was crucial to get a good start, doing Just that Mark found himself in 2nd place after the first lap, within a few seconds of race leader Matt Ridgway. Half way around Lap 2 Mark was caught out by the dust, not being able to see anything and crashing into a rock and having a big off, he rejoined the race in about 6th position, behind Lee Edmondson. The next 3-4 laps were spent battling with Euan Mcconnell, Euan eventually passed Mark gaining a bit of a lead. Darren Carter also went past Mark when pitting for fuel. An 8th place overall in the Pro class. Fantastic result especially after losing rhythm and places due to a big crash on the 2nd lap. A big Thank You to JKJ, C.E.L.E.C and www.Landroversalvage.com See www.freewebs.com/markmotoroberts for more info
Tom Sagar has won the first round of the 2009 GBXC series at Stourport onboard his Midwest Husaberg. Greg Evans was the first rider across the line in the shortened main race but he was disqualified for refuelling with the engine running, 4 minutes behind Tom, TM rider Phil McLaughlin was awarded 2nd & new MPS Husqvarna signing Aston Bird was 3rd. Talented newcomer Matt Ridgway was 4th. Wayne Braybrook had a great start to take the holeshot but lost his front wheel on the next corner & had a heavy fall in traffic. He did well to recover & finish in 6th. Simon Wakely had a big crash near the beginning of the race on a long straight and hit his head. He tried to keep going but his vision was funny so he decided to call it a day. Fellow MPS rider Gav Houson also retired with an electrical problem. The weather had been 4 seasons in a day & when a heavy shower arrived at the 2 hour mark the organiser decided to end the race early. Last year's winner David Knight was competing in a local race on the IOM & having his own problems . Par Honda's Lee Edmondson was the best of the "Pro lites" & 6th overall. Lincoln Brewster was the runner up & Daryl Bolter was 3rd. The next day Daryl went into Hospital With Suspected Appendicitis ! Obviously he was unhappy with way he rode yesterday, but even in great pain wanted to finish the race.. Ben Wootton from Welshpool won the Expert class with a result that would have placed him 14th overall. Robert Reese from Wrexham was the runner up. John Deakin of D3 Racing was 3rd & KB Racing Lewis Belfeild was 4th. Calem Hicks from Pontypool was the best 2T Clubman rider ahead of Scott Clifford. The 4T Clubman class was won by Mark Cheatham & Richard Tucker was the runner up. In the morning race. veteran Keith Jenkins won from Adrian Bradley. Mark Houson was thrid. Local rider Liam Garbett won the Sportsman class ahead of Chris Pryce. Ian Blackwell started his career well with a win in the Novice class & Chris Coulson was the runner up. George Bayliss won the Youth class, Gethin Humphries was 2nd & another Wootton from Welshpool - Joe - was 3rd. The Best Lady was Jane Daniels from Wigan ahead of Sophie Thomas.
Sagar's
Storm at Season Opener The GBXC (cross country series), started with a well turned out event on Sunday at Stourport on Severn. The format of the day consisted of two races, race one hosted the classes Over 40’s, Sportsman, Novice, Youth and Ladies. Tom’s dad Paul rode in the over 40’s to a well placed 21st overall. The main race, race 2 hosted classes Pro, Pro Lite, Expert, Clubman 2 stroke and Clubman 4 stroke. The Pro class was a highly contended class with riders such as Tom Greg Evans, Daryl Bolter, Si Wakely and Aston Bird all competiting in the British Enduro Championship. Tom finished 3rd overall in the GBXC series last year and was looking to improve on his performance this year. Tom didn't get the best of starts off the line, he was placed about 17th overall, Tom was pushing hard to climb up the order, by lap 4 Tom had placed himself in 2nd place behind Greg Evans on a KTM. Tom was closing the gap on Greg, with Philip McLaughlin on TM close behind Tom. Tom knew that no mistakes could be made. Unfortunately the event was cut short due to the amount rain fall, and was cut to 2 hours. Tom had been pushing hard, he had increased the gap between him and Philip to 4 minutes, but was unable to pass Greg. With the chequer flag dropped, Tom was given the news that Greg had been excluded, due to refuelling with his bike running, so Tom moved up a position to claim victory.
Husaberg, Midwest Racing, Putoline, Renthal, Metezler, Acerbis, Scott, TCX, Airoh, Regina, Carbon Lorraine, Twin Air, ISO2, Redlynch, Rygor Commercials, Evoke Concepts
The opening round of the highly anticipated GBXC race series finally took place this weekend at Stourpourt on Severn. Among the 220 rider line up that took to the stage was Electraction TM UK's rider Phillip McLaughlin aboard his EN450 TM. Following on from his impressively successful debut in the Championship class at the opening round of the British Enduro championship, Phillip was keen to prove the result was no fluke. Unfazed by the 40 strong rider line up in the Pro class, he set about doing just that. Gating well off the start, he found himself at the head of the pack midway through the first lap. Passed by a hard charging Greg Evans knocked him off his rhythm, where he fell back to 6th place by refuelling. After a swift and efficient pit stop by his team he set about making a charge back up through the field, steadily picking off riders as the laps ticked by. With signs of severe weather closing in, event organisers announced that the race distance would be shortened to two hours instead of the scheduled three. Getting an earlier than expected last lap pit board, "Factory" Phil gave one last final push for home to cross the line in a fantastic 3rd place. He would later be promoted to 2nd place on the rostrum after a technicality that saw race winner Greg Evans disqualified. "Today's race worked out really well and I'm delighted with the result", commented Phil afterwards. "Maybe I was a little surprised to find myself in the lead so soon and got a little tensed up, but a slick pit stop recharged me. Finding a 2nd wind, I was able to dig deep and push hard to the flag. I feel bad for Greg, he rode great but either way I made the podium, so I'm chuffed. I'd like to thank everyone on the team that's been helping me this year but especially Nick Craigie and the Paget family" Phil hopes for the good results to continue as he prepares for the opening round of the World Enduro championship in Portugal on March 21st. Electraction TMUK is supported by Moonraker Masonary, Gannomat UK, Kleenrite, HydraMaster and CCM Racing, with product support from Fox Racing, Renthal, Elf Lubricants, Metzeler, MotoShox suspension and Lappin Performance.
Matt Ridgway
continued his run of top class results at the GBXC on his Meredith Suzuki
RM 250. Lining up on the
front row alongside the top Pro Enduro riders there was a long wait while
the organizers moved the large crowd back from the tapes for their safety. After
refuelling Matt rejoined the race in 4th position after Greg
Evans was excluded for refuelling with his engine running. Matt set of
after Aston Bird closing to within 2 bike lengths when a lapped rider sent
Matt into the trees losing some ground. The weather was against Matt when
the heavens opened just before the 2 hour mark. Steve Ireland deciding to
reduce the race to 2 hours which ended Matt’s chance of a podium
position. Matt commented
that he was very satisfied with the result in the first round of the GBXC.
Especially because the first 3 riders are all competing in this year’s
World Enduro Championship, 4th position was a very good result
as I am new to these events.Also being the first 2 stroke home was a very
satisfying result. Proving that the switch from motor cross this year was
a good move. Matt is still working to improve the bike setup for these type of events but enjoying the new challenge and the friendly atmosphere between riders. Matt would to thank Meredith Moto Cross Ltd for his Suzuki RM 250. All the team and Jack Stringer for Matt’s photos. Matt’s next event is 22nd March at Midwest Championship 1st round Chevenage Farm. The first round of the GBXC championship was held on Sunday at Stourport on Severn. The tight and bumpy circuit greeted a total entry of over 500 competitors to a day of mixed weather and eventually heavy rain. The MPS Husqvarna team suffered mixed fortunes at what was expected to be a good day for all! Aston Bird had his first taste of the TC450 Husqvarna in battle, and brought the open class bike home in a fine third place, despite having to pit 3 times for fuel with the small capacity tank. Simon Wakely did not fare so well, having an enormous crash after the first hour and then suffering from double vision (and not just when seeing his manager!) ; Simon had to withdraw from the race. Gavin Houson was having a fine ride in 2nd place in the Prolite class on his CR125 until his modified ignition cried enough and left him stranded out on the course and he registered a dnf. Father Mark Houson upheld family honour by finishing third in the Vets class on his TC250 model. Well done to all concerned, the next big outing for the Team is the world enduro championships in Portugal and Spain in 2 weeks time, and we wish them every good fortune out there in the WEC.
Ollie Moyce - Midwest Husaberg report Photo Jack Stringer With a strong pro line up it was crucial to get away fast. I didn't have the best start but made my way through the pack on the first few corners and by the end of the first lap was running in about 7th. At the moment I am struggling with severe arm pump at the start of XC events so really struggled to push early. After 3 or 4 laps I had a small incident whilst trying to pass a rider causing me to crash and lose a considerable amount of places. I had to then re-adjust and relax resulting in less arm pump and much more control. I felt good for the second half of the race, pushed hard and pulled back through the field finishing in 7th. Thought it was a great event and cant wait for the next one. Hopefully the weather will allow it to run the full duration. Thanks to Midwest Husaberg UK, Renthal, Putoline Oils, Airoh Helmets, ISO2 Nutrition, Carbone Lorraine, Scott Goggles, Metzeler tyres, Twin Air, Regina, TCX and Jackson Rowe.
Scotland's Euan McConnell has raced his Aprilia RXV 450 to finish the first round of the Great Britain X-Country (GBXC) national series held at Coney Green Farm in Worcestershire on the weekend. The enduro rider finished the shortened race in 12th position overall. Over 220 riders contested in the first round of the championship with the off road circuit combining tight woodland tracks and open grass fields. The changing conditions saw the competitors faced with sunshine, rain and then snow, and as a result, it was cut from a two-and-a-half hour event, to a shortened two-hour race. "It was my first cross country event on the Aprilia," explained McConnell the former E3 British Enduro Champion. "The course was good with plenty of varied terrain, although it was really rough and bumpy to ride after the track was cut up after the first race. "I didn't have a good start and then I worked hard trying to make up places, which was tough as the track was crowded with riders. As I made progress I then got stuck behind slower riders which held me up and I just kept passing slower riders to make up time. "Before the event I only made one modification to the bike which was to change the foot pegs to Raptor Racing titanium foot pegs. In light of the muddy conditions this was a good decision as they are made to keep the pegs clear of mud. "I found the Aprilia great to ride. It performed faultlessly throughout the event and I'm keen to get some more time to ride it before the next event in April." Tony Campbell, Piaggio UK Group General Manager: "The weather obviously made this course tougher than usual, and combined with the fact it was Euan's first Cross Country event on Aprilia his ranking shows he is obviously becoming more accustomed to the bike. We are looking forward to April and hopefully drier conditions"
PAR Honda rider lee Edmondson has won round 1 of the high profile GBXC series. Coming from a very bad start Lee was down in 25th place after lap 1. Each lap he was coming though the field of very good pro riders picking one by one off. He fueled 90 mins into the race knowing that he could push hard for the last hour. A heavy rain storm came down so the organisers had to shorten the race down to 2 hours. Lee had the last lap pit signal from his pit crew to push hard so he did catching and passing 2 riders on the very last lap he put in his fastest lap of the race. Coming over the finishing line he had moved up all the way to win the prolite class. After the race lee said " I had a very bad start so I had to come though the field which was hard work it's a shame they had to cut the race short as I felt I was getting faster. I would like to thank steve , paul and the gbxc team for putting on a great event. Also par homes, joey and sade for making it all possible " The first round of the gbxc series was held at stourport today. It was my first ride in the pro class. the pro class had now been split into two classes - pro "open" and pro "lites" but with both classes starting together the first row of the afternoon race start was certainly packed with the uks best cross country and enduro racers. The track had abit of everything with woodland sections on a hill and flowing fields with rain hitting the track on and off all day long. I got off to a bad start but managed to push my way through and finish lap 1 in the top 15. I picked off another couple of places in the following laps and was around the top 10 and having a great race with oli moyce, jon hinam, jason fraser, tim forman and luke merredith. I pitted after an hour and a 1/4 but lost quite abit of time with a difficult pit stop. i rejoined the race just in front of dylan jones and rode the rest of the race - which was shortened to 2 hours - swapping places but dylan just beat me to the flag. i finished in 13th pro open and 17th overall. Once again i would like to thank all my sponsors and everyone who helped me this week especially mum and dad, my sister Zoe, Steve plain, John Shirt, Danielle Hall and Rob Sartin. plus my uncle tony for king sporting my bike. Brad king - enduro and hare scrambles on GAS GAS UK EC250 - www.freewebs.com/bradking25 - supported by K4OFFROAD, TALON, STEVE PLAIN M/CS, MICHELIN, GAERNE, NAU, RENTHAL, MOTUL, KRIEGA, ROGERSHILL RACEWAY AND RUSH RACING. This was the second full Team outing for the Steve Plain Managed GAS GAS UK Enduro Team and we had some good solid results with all Team riders pushing hard and all having respectable results. In the main afternoon race Wayne Braybrook holeshotted the race with an awesome start on his EC300. The new Michelin S12 provided the launch Wayne needed to get to the first corner ahead of the charging pack. This was short lived as Wayne went down hard at the next corner where he was bulldozed by Mark Roberts and also nearly by his GG Team mate Luke Meredith on his EC200 who then found himself leading the first lap !! Go on lad.... Wayne started flat last with no front mudguard and a badly twisted front end, but casually remounted straightened the gasser and set off after the pack. No fuss just got on with the job in hand to recover after his crash ;-) After the usual first lap chaos, Greg Evans led the race with Tom Sagar and Phil Mclaughlan in hot persuit. Ashley Wood was the first GGUK rider after the first lap in approx 6th place with Wayne next who had pulled through really well. Bradley King (GG) was pushing hard, with GG Teamsters Luke Meredith and Gareth Hopkins (still struggling with a bad shoulder) all in the top 15 or so... At the planned half way fuel stop both Wayne and Ashley pitted together and spent the next hour of the race nearly holding hands! As the rain came down again the organisers cut the race to 2 hours. I gave all the lads the 'one lap more' signal and they pushed hard for yet another 12 minutes. Wayne crashed again on the last lap letting Ashley and Lee Eddy past to lose 5th place. Still Wayne can be proud to have started flat last and to finish 6th in the Pro Class....not bad for a 39 year old who hardly ever rides ! So at the finish Team GGUK had Ashley Wood best GG in the Pro Class finishing 5th, Wayne 6th, Bradley King 13th and Gareth Hopkins 19th. Luke Meredith was 6th in the Pro Lite Class and SPGG Rider Charlie Evans finished 8th in the Experts. Charlie was charging hard and was gutted the race was shortened.. Ross Danby (Team JST GGUK Trial Rider) enjoyed himself and finished 16th in the Experts on his EC200...
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as
3rd on 9 laps. Brad proved the resilience of youth by finishing 25th
overall after falling on the first corner under the wheels of a following
rider. The crash looked serious but Brad picked himself up, dusted himself
off & carried on. Well done. In the Hobby/Novice class Tom Granger & Gavin Tatchell
both moved up a place on their first round performances to take 1st &
2nd. Neil Birch was 3rd. Micheal Windsor & Mike Vaughan were unlucky
to retire after completing 8 laps each. The winners were presented with
their awards after the race by Paul Edmondson & they basked in their glory & the
Summer sun.
In the
Expert class Steve Holcombe was fastest away followed by James Berrill. Ben
Ridgers' Honda was reluctant to start & needed a bit of encouragement.
Local rider Liam Garbett was the quickest 2T off the line but Rhys Davies
from Banwen outbraked him into the corner. The first 4T away was anyone's
guess as both he & his bike were covered in mud. Rumours are it was
Gavin Tatchell who had enjoy the morning race so much he had taken his
brother ride in the PM Race. 
At
the end of the day Daryl Bolter was overall winner & Greg Evans was the
runner up. Aston Bird was 3rd & Tom Sagar was 4th. Lee Edmondson was
the best of the Lites. Lewis Belfield won the Experts from Ben Wootton
who has recovered from last weekends foot injury. Shaun Kersey was the
best Clubman 4T & Tom Healey was the best Clubman 2T.
Steady
Day for Tom Sagar
Team Steve Plain / GGUK Enduro Team were out in
force at GBXC Round 6
GBXC
Round 6 - Mark Roberts
GBXC Round 6
David
Knight had collected his new Kawasaki 450f from K4Offroad in the week. When he was
asked how it handled he said "I don't know I haven't ridden it yet
".
David was being supported by his brother Juan who is building a 300cc
Gasuki for himself. A couple of Knighter fans (pictured right with DK)
had put in a lot of work painting up their Rover Metro to look
like the General Lee from David's favourite TV show - the Dukes of Hazzard. David
really appreciated the gesture & the Dixieland horn.
Amongst the spectators was Matt Ridgway who is currently lying in 3rd
overall. Matt is resting his injured shoulder in
preparation for next week's second round of the British Enduro
Championship at Knighton. Gareth Hopkins was also resting his shoulder. Jason Thomas (left) has returned from the USA for the
GNCC Summer break & doctors have confirmed that Mick Seward has broken his
collarbone for the third time. 
At the halfway stage the riders pitted to refuel. David Knight was
predictably slick but Greg Evans lost time & dropped down to fourth.
For the next hour Si Wakely & Daryl Bolter (right)were locked in a battle for
second. As they crossed the line Si took the runner up award with Daryl
only a couple of yards behind. There was consolation for Daryl in the fact
he had scored enough points to clinch the Pro lites Championship
with Greg was 4th & Tom was 5th. Aston Bird on the MPS Husqvarna
was 6th & Mark
Roberts (right) on the JKJ Kawasaki was 7th.
8th in class Report by
Bradley King - Photo by Martin Harding
GBXC Round 4 - Devon
- 7th June
Mark
Roberts
GBXC
Rd3- 3rd May - Maeshafn
MPS
Husqvarna Report
Lee
Edmondson's Strong 2nd at Round 3
Phil Fights For Fifth
Report
by Robert Lynn
"I
had to work hard for it today", reflected Phil afterwards. " I
got off to a good start and was well placed early on but due to the delay
in the start I hadn't warmed myself up properly beforehand and quickly
struggled to hold on with arm pump. Luckily my pit crew spotted this and I
got an earlier call than I expected for my fuel stop which gave me a
chance to relax myself. It did the trick and from then on I was able to
put my head down and ride like I wanted to. Unfortunately I just came up
short at the flag for fourth!"
McConnell
suffers crash but manages a top six finish at GBXC
Matt
Ridgway report from the 3rd GBXC Photos
Martin Harding
Brad
king - enduro and hare scrambles on GAS GAS UK EC250 - www.freewebs.com/bradking25
- supported by K4OFFROAD, TALON, STEVE PLAIN M/CS, MICHELIN, GAERNE, NAU,
RENTHAL, MOTUL, KRIEGA, ROGERSHILL RACEWAY AND RUSH RACING.
Daryl
Bolter wins GBXC rd2 Photos by Martin Harding
Matt
Ridgway
McConnell
battles into fourth for Aprilia
EDMONDSON
PODIUMS AT GBXC RD 2 photo courtesy of lee
leightwood
JKJ
Kawasaki Mark Roberts
Tom wins GBXC rd1
Photo Jack Stringer
Results 
Tom commented “Obviously I am pleased to win the event but its in
unfortunate circumstances, the track was brilliant, a fast flowing event.
Again the bike ran like a dream, unfortunately I got a stick stuck in my
back brake, which I had to stop and get out, but overall I’m happy with
my bike and my performance. Obviously this event is really good training
for me as I have the World Enduro Championship starting now in two weeks.” 
The team sends grateful thanks to all sponsors and helpers.
