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All content © Bob MuIIins | ||
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The first 2 rounds of the 2016 ACU British Enduro Championship returned to the picturesque North Yorkshire town of Helmsley this weekend. Un-Spring like weather came close to sabotaging the event as the fag end of Storm Jake collided with a cold north east wind on the Thursday night and dumped 50 cms of rain on the venue. There was some traffic disruption and Leeds Bradford Airport was closed but the organisers took the decision to go ahead and not to disappoint the 200+ entry who were enroute. On Saturday morning the sun was shining. Steve Holcombe (Beta) started as he meant to go on by setting the fastest time on the first test - 5 seconds ahead of Josh Gotts (TM). Jamie Lewis (ORE Yamaha) was 3rd, Brad Freeman (Colwyn Bay KTM) in 4th was back to form after 12 months off through injury, Tom Sagar (Sherco) 5th and Jack Edmondson (KTM) 6th. Charlie Evans was a non starter as he and his partner Karleene were welcoming their new baby girl Isla May Evans into the World. For some riders - in the slick conditions - at Helmsley. giving birth would have been a pleasant alternative to riding a bike. Out on the going the riders soon found where all the rain had gone. After a week of dry weather It had soaked into the ground and turned a firm track into porridge. Moderate hills and cambers became difficult and the scheduled 4 laps for the Championship class rapidly became unfeasible as bottlenecks began to develop.. Charlie Frost dropped 4 minutes while being held in a queue and under the new "All rounds count" ruling his season was over before it had begun. Out in front Jack Edmondson upped his pace to take 2nd on the 2nd test - less than one second off Steve Holcombe's time. Brad Freeman took the 3rd and final test as the organisers cut the Enduro test and stopped the race after 2 laps.
Back in the real World, Tom Elwood was the Best Expert ahead of Jake Gowan and Jordan Ridgway. Jordan was very pleased with a top 3 result in his first BEC Expert ride. Joe Chambers was 4th and Dan Mundell 5th. James Benny from Truro was the quickest Clubmen on the first of their 2 tests but James Jackson (Eurotek KTM) was more consistent and he won the class. Alistair Griffin was runner up and best E1 2T. Fred Adams was 3rd. James Benny 4th and Harry Houghton 5th, Day 2 started with Steve Holcombe again posting the quickest time on the first test - 7 seconds ahead of Brad Freeman. Tom Sagar was 3rd. Daryl Bolter 4th, Joe Wootton 5th, Jamie Lewis 6th and Josh Gotts 7th.
By the 3rd test the pattern of the day was set with Steve Holcombe and Brad Freeman one and two in their own class. Jamie Lewis led the following pack. On Test 5 Jack Edmondson tied with Steve Holcombe and Jamie Lewis was one second behind with Brad Freeman on his heels. Steve Holcombe and Brad Freeman tied on the 6th test. Jamie Lewis was 3rd and Joe Wootton had is best result of the day by taking 4th. With the 2nd day win sewn up Steve Holcombe could afford to ease off the gas and Jack Edmondson took the final test of the day. Joe Wootton and Steve Holcombe tied for 2nd and Tom Sagar recovered from his earlier crash to finish 4th. Steve Holcombe took the Premier and Brad Freeman was the runner up. Jamie Lewis was 3rd, Jack Edmondson 4th and Joe Wooton 5th. Marking his first outing on British soil as a Beta Enduro Factory Team rider, Holcombe is now one step closer to being ready for his debut season in the senior ranks of the World Enduro Championship. Steve will return to action in two weeks time at the opening round of the 2016 ACU British Sprint Championship on March 19/20 before heading to Italy for the last part of his preparation ahead of the opening Enduro World Championship event. Steve Holcombe: “Everything went as planned in Helmsley and I’m glad I was able to make a winning return to the British Enduro Championship. In terms of my performance there’s not a lot better than topping the overall on both days. I feel it shows how well my winter preparation has been going. It was also a good chance for me to get more seat time on the bike I’ll race in the EWC. The bike was handling great and I was riding within my comfort zone from the start. On day one I won the first two tests fairly comfortably and had enough of a cushion to take it steady and get the win. On day two I started with some really good test times and just kept plugging away. I’m feeling great at the moment and it’s nice to see all the hard work paying off. Now it’s just a case of getting down to Italy to do some more testing with the team ahead of the World Championship opener in Morocco. I’ll also spend a few weeks training with my Beta teammates Alex Salvini and Johnny Aubert, which I’m really looking forward to.” Tom Ellwood was the best Expert ahead of Richard Ely and Lee Sampson. Jack Pentaligon was 4th and Lewis Belfield 5th. Shaun Buchan was the unluckiest rider of the day when his chain snapped on the final test. The re-introduction of the Extreme test did not suit Jordan Ridgway but he drew on his positive attitude "I had a decent weekend at Round 1 and 2 of the BEC. It was my first race in the expert class. I managed to keep it upright in all 3 tests and came 1st e1 2 and 3rd overall in Experts. I am still shocked at my own result. I wasn't expecting a top 3. I know other people had problems with the 2nd check but luckily I didn't get held up. On Day 2 they added the extreme test back in which didn't really suit me. I lost a lot of time in that test so I know what I need to improve on. Came away with 2nd e1 2 stroke and 10th expert. Definitely need to improve on my consistency over the 2 days". Less than half the Clubmen made it home. James Jackson was the winner. Jack Ditchfield was the runner up and Fred Adams was 3rd, Allyn Taylor was 4th and Richard Curphey was 5th. The 4 Ladies 1.Glesni Jones, 2.Rosie Rowett, 3.Ellie Cooke and 4. Kate Smith were all finishers. The Over 40s took a pasting with less than 50% finishing. Russell Millward was the class winner and Karl Greenhall was the runner up. Dave Nellis was 3rd, Paul Davies 4th and the indestructible Richard Hay 5th. There were 5 finishers in the Over 50s class Mark Houson, Philip George, Robert Murfin, Stephen Askin and Colin Blunt. Postscript The bad weather created a lot of problems for the organisers. Sadly - instead of supporting the team's efforts to keep the event going in difficult conditions - there was a lot of unnecessary criticism on social media. Euan McConnell was one voice of reason "I'm all for things getting better and im sure if there is any appetite left with John Kerwin and dirt bike action to run the next round that it will get better, but I read with dismay all this whingeing and negativity in social media. I would like to offer some perspective. The event had cleans in all classes. The fastest guys and their bikes in all classes were challenged by the course and the special stages and the fastest, most able guys won. Yes, the paddock was a quagmire but there was a tar road all the way in. I have seen people getting towed into paddocks in July. Not much more that can be done with the paddock unless anybody wants to pay for a ring road? The extreme test could have been a bit more open and had a few fewer logs in the interest of the lesser able riders getting round. The other test could have done with some less temporary corner markings but ultimately the riders were knocking the tapes down as quick as the few marshals could put them up. Minor points that could have been addressed had the clerk of the course been left to attend without coercion. The going, as a few people have pointed out, was challenging, but it was all rideable. I personally wasn't off pushing or lifting. The terrain was remarkably grippy. I thought that the marshals were managing it well, cutting out some snotty bits as the weekend progressed. There was a good mix of obstacles and no stoppers, or at least what used to be classed as stoppers. I can see how it has been frustrating for some riders to lose time due to queues but I learned that lesson early on in my bec career. Many moons ago at a snotty bit in a welsh forest marshals were getting champ class riders to queue on an off camber single track to take turns to have a go at an obstacle. A young david knight pushed and heaved passed us all through tree stumps and roots to make his way to the front. His desire and ability to tackle the course before him and get to the check first was greater than all of us as sheep. Don't wait, you each have a minute to try something. If the rider in front of you is not able then make sure you are. The marshal is there to keep the course flowing and getting you to queue is one way for them to do that. You are there to compete. If conditions are bad, and they certainly were at the weekend, set out on the check like you are competing, not trail riding. Catch the guy in front of you and pass them on an easy bit. Let them wait in the queue. While you, if you are able, take further minutes pushing on in front. I too fear for future of bec. We already have sprint and extreme spinoff s from what used to simply be 'enduro'. If you don't like racing bikes in mud in march then stay away, but please be assured that you never will like or be able without giving it a go. Give the organiser some slack and work with him or there will be nobody left to run British Enduro Championships. Venues are getting harder and harder to find, with more and more onerous hoops to jump through. I think right now the bec needs john and his team or the likes of them more than they need the bec". Rounds 3 and 4 of the ACU British Enduro Championship will be held by the 28th and 29th of May at Graythwaite in the Lake District,. Photos: Nicky Morson Photography
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ACU
BRITISH ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP
Steve Holcombe was the winner. Brad Freeman was runner up and Josh Gotts
was 3rd. Jamie Lewis 4th, Jack Edmondson 5th, Daryl Bolter 6th, Tom Sagar
7th, Joe Wootton 8th, Owain Humphreys 9th and Lee Sealey 10th. There was the
stubble trouble on the grassy test as the usual suspects ploughed their own
furrows. David Knight was unimpressed by the course cutters and he
retired. No sooner than the marshals replaced the tape the riders
ripped it down again. In the pits the sound of engines was drowned out by the
drone of "supporters" complaining that the extreme test was too extreme and
there was a lack of cucumber sandwiches for a proper picnic.
Steve Holcombe also won the second test from Brad Freeman with Owain
Humphreys putting in a flyer to take 3rd. Owain said "I liked the test,
a proper Welsh one". Tom Sagar crashed and dropped half a minute. Josh
Gotts clipped his radiator on a post and lost his coolant.
