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All content © Bob MuIIins |
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The Welsh Trail Riders Association hosted their 40th Snowrun Enduro this weekend in the Crychan Forest near Llandovery. The weather was dry with bright Winter sunshine lighting up the frosted crests of the Beacons but the ground beneath the trees in North Crychan remained hard and icy all day. The event has changed little in 40 years. The bikes are shinier and the Freddie Mercury moustaches have become grey beards but it is still the same old boys at the helm. The course was run clockwise this year and did not include Glyn Saer. There was 5 laps for the Championship/Experts, 4 laps for the Clubman/Vets and 3 laps for the Sportsmen. The single test was at Cwm Cadoran. The W-Mounter Snowrun is the first Round of the ETJames Welsh Enduro Championship and it attracted a full entry - primarily of Clubmen, Sportsmen and Vets.
Stage 2 ran up the western side of the Crychan. The test started near the Sand Quarry and climbed Trout Hill before descending into a stumpy Cwm Cadoran and climbing the Ruts with No Name. Many years ago the Ruts with No Name were graded so the Ruts with No Name had no ruts but the cheeky monkeys are back and naughtier than ever. The riders then descended the Whoop Dee Doos to the end of the test at the top of the Swimbath Road where the recent clear felling has dried out one of the Crychan's most notorious mud holes. From the test the riders climbed a recently graded Bonky's. a wet Tube and the Gariant's loop before descending alongside the Rally Road on Super Mario. The course then crossed the stream at Eddy's Folly which has been bridged to avoid any more follies. The riders followed Hopkins Field and emerged from the forest at the Picnic Site.on to the Tirabad road for the final leg along the sunken road - Cefn Ludlow. The Championship class consisted of 4 riders. Steve Holcombe (Beta 250) was competing in his first Snowrun and he won all four test to take the Premier. Carl Jones was also riding a new Beta and he took a couple of laps to find the right gear to take the runner up. Charlie Evans (KTM) pushed Steve Holcombe on the first two tests but he was off the pace on the last two and he finished third. Kip Herring (Sherco) was a creditable 4th. Aled Price has recovered from his knee operation and he won all 4 tests in the Experts class with times that would have placed him 3rd in the Championship class. Andrew Edwards was runner up ETJames team members Andrew Bull and Adam James were 3rd and 4th. W-Mounter sponsored Paul Elvis Davies was the best of the Expert Vets ahead of Jamie Chipper Jenkins. The Clubman class went to Keith Jenkins. Ryland Jones was the runner up and Phil Jenkins was 3rd. In the Clubman Vets Paul Armstrong was the winner, Paul Westgarth was 2nd and Andrew Maben was 3rd. The event was filmed by Welsh language TV programme Ralio. Results
- Photos - Redbikejohn
Report -
Check
1 - Special
test -
Videos Ryan Quigley's lap
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Steve
Holcombe wins the Snowrun
From the start the riders
progressed gingerly to the Right of Way where the ruts offered some relief
from the treacherous ice on the forestry road. 2 other doglegs took the
field into the trees before they crossed the Tirabad Road and entered South
Crychan. Although they had only descended a couple of hundred feet the
ground was less icy as they traversed the Cortina. From 5 Roads the course
climbed a freshly graded Scrach to the Fire Tower Road where the riders were
distracted by the glare of the low Winter sun. The forest road on the
eastern side of Early Bird had the benefit of the morning sun and the riders
could crack on before a naggery loop bypassed the Timberyard and a fire
break took the field paddling toward the stream crossing at Bob's Stick and
the end of the check.