After a tough few weeks of XC racing I was really looking forward to a little more gravity racing this weekend ! With the weather always looking to play its part we managed to find a dry window to get out and ride the first 3 stages on Friday afternoon. Coed-y-Brenin was one of the original trail centres and its testament to how well built the trails are as over 15 years later they are still in good condition. We all knew this round of the Enduro series was going to be a man made trail centre and I was expecting a lot more pedalling than Innerleithen as I have ridden the trails many times and they are xc trails ! The first 3 stages took in most of the old, original Red Bull trail and they were quite pedally but also physically tough as the rock here is just solid and it was a good upper body workout as well as a leg workout !

Stages 4 and 5 were on the new side of the road and took in some of the MBR trail. Stage 4 was a great stage with some flat rocky technical trail at the start then into a new smooth bermed and jumpy free ride trail, some fireroad and a short climb and then a great descent to finish. Stage 5 was a short stage but it had a brutal 45 sec pedal on the flat to get to the finish arena so it was hard one to finish on !

Saturday was a nice dry day for practice and for qualifying. I had a good seeding run, taking 1st place ahead of Helen Gaskell by close to 20 sec.

Thanks to Jacob Gibbins for this picture of some dry riding during the seeding run.

Sunday as forecast poured with rain all day long ! I was so glad of my new sponsor Endura as this is the first year I have been sponsored by a kit company that makes kit designed for the UK weather !! I ended up riding in my full waterproof jacket and 3/4 waterproof shorts and I even got out my Shimano winter boots to keep my feet toastie all day !! On a day like that good kit really does make a massive difference and I was so pleased to have good kit and the experience / old age to know when to use it ! I saw so many people freezing cold and wet through without any waterproofs.

Staying warm was the biggest challenge during the day as once your hands were soaked through the cold wind soon froze your hands when you got up to speed on some of the fire road sections. I had some serious pain as my hands came back to life at the end of stage 3 !

Trying to stay warm required huddling in the trees to gain body warmth !!

I was really happy with how I was riding and I really felt the benefits of the XC racing and training I have done since the last enduro as I felt strong on all the pedalling sections. I caught up with my 20sec rider on most stages and on the long and flat stage 3 I managed to pass the whole elite women’s field, so I knew I was going well !

Sadly my luck ran out and about 1 min in to stage 4 I ended up on the floor whilst taking a big berm on the freeride section. Getting up I wondered what had happened, but as I set off again I realised that I had a rear flat ! With a lot of the stage still left I decided to stick a tube in and get to the finish. In the panic of the moment I forgot I had a CO2 inflator and just used my pump like normal, so lost a very valuable 6 mins on stage 4. Sadly I was not able to get that much time back and finished 3 mins back in 5th place. I was pretty gutted as I had worked really hard all day and came away with nothing. I was even more frustrated as I had no idea how I had punctured as I was running tubeless, however investigations the next day when I got home revealed a small dent in the rim and some damage to the bead and sidewall of the tyre, so I must have hit the rim earlier in the day or earlier on that stage which must have lost some air pressure then when I pushed hard in the berm the tyre just burped and lost all the air…bummer.

That’s enduro racing and you have to get yourself and your equipment through the whole day. That said I still had a great day and even in those conditions the format and social nature of enduro racing is a winner !

For the first part of 2012 my race schedule included some XC races with my focus being on the Pro Sprint races at the World Cup rounds. Most of the UK national XC races clashed with the UK Gravity Enduro races, but this weekend I was free and decided to travel up to Dalby for round 2 of the National Series. Having only ever raced at Sport level at an XC national I did not know what to expect in the Elite field. Having had such a painful and demoralising experience at the WC at Houffalize last weekend I was feeling mentally down on the XC world ! This weekend would be a little different starting on the 2nd row in a field of 30, rather than being on the back row in a field of 90 women. It meant that I had chance to get a good start and be in the race from the start and not having to walk and queue round the first part of the lap ! Weather conditions were not great and after a massive downpour and hailstorm on the Saturday it left the start filed pretty muddy by race day and the start loop was pretty wild. I got some great speedway style drifts going on as I managed to get up to 2nd and followed Annie Last around the start loop.

It was great to get to ride for a short time with Annie. She really is a great talent for the UK and she really can ride a bike up and downhill which is great to see ! I just couldn’t maintain her pace after the first start loop and thought I would just blow up if I tried to stay at this pace for much longer ! I gradually got overtaken by 2 visiting foreign WC riders and Scottish talent Lee Cragie during the first main lap and came through after lap one in 5th pace. I was happy with that, but sadly I still had 3 laps to go ! I kept reeling in Lee and the Japenese girl over the next couple of laps after the technical section and down Worry Gill and then the gap would open up again as we had to climb back up the long climb from Medusa’s drop ! I did manage to maintain a decent pace and held my position to take my first ever Elite XC podium at a National !

The muddy conditions definitely played into my strengths as the course was tough and got pretty cut up in places. I think I also learnt a lot about racing XC as my last lap was one of my fastest, showing that I really could have gone harder at the start as I still had something left at the end ! This XC racing really is tough, I have so much to learn about just how much you can push your body over a long period of time !

Next weekend it’s back to some Enduro Racing. I think the 5 minute stages will seem easy now after this !!

The race season certainly started out in the most perfect way, with a trip up to Scotland to one of my favourite riding destinations, Innerleithen and the British summer arrived on the same weekend !

The UK Enduro series is in its second year now, but with the fast growing interest in Enduro all over the world, this year the series is much bigger with first round  full with 300 people eagerly awaiting to get the season started. It was also my first Enduro in the UK and I really was not sure what to expect, as to exactly what sort of trails they would use. It was a 30km loop with 5 times stages all predominantly downhill with over 1500m of climbing . Innerleithen has some of the best steep DH single tracks and the route took in some trails I have done before and some completely new ones. It was a tough loop to get around, and with the start times they gave us for each stage on Sunday there really was no time for a rest, or even time to eat between some stages, so fitness came in to play as the day progressed !

The 5 stages were all very different in terrain, length, sped and physical demand, so it really did test all of your riding skills and I felt like I had raced an entire National DH series all in one day ! With over 30mins of timed riding for most people and 5hrs in the saddle on Sunday it was a great day on your bike.

The atmosphere throughout the whole weekend was great and out on the trails on Sunday it was so cool to be out on what felt like a big ride with over 300 people, the forest was full of bikes !

We had a really healthy women’s field with nearly 20 in total with a complete cross section of backgrounds and skills from current world junior DH champion Manon Carpenter, to ex world cup riders Emma Guy and Tracy Brunger to first time racers. I had a lead of over 10 secs after the seeding run on Saturday going into Sunday’s racing, but still with 5 stages to go I needed to ride fast but with minimal mistakes. I managed to have 5 good stages without mechanical problems or crashes and was really happy with how felt. I took the win ahead of Sarah Newman and started off my Enduro season in the best way possible.

A big thanks to the organisers and I look forward to the next event at Coed-y-Brenin at the end of April.

www.ukgravityenduro.com for my info and the full results

In search of one UCI point: Tracy Moseley writes for Bikemagic

http://bikemagic.com/news/in-search-of-one-uci-point-tracy-moseley-writes-for-bikemagic.html

Action sports videographers, the Parkin brothers, have created a video of the action you can expect to see from T-MO racing in 2012 - http://vimeo.com/35158118

(London) – Tracy Moseley announced her list of sponsors, and provided additional details of her 2012 race plans while at The London Bike Show last week.

Tracy sat down for a Q&A session alongside World Cup commentator Dan Jarvis. She spoke of how the T-MO racing idea came about and her plans for 2012 in more detail. The sponsors that will be supporting Tracy in 2012 are a mix of companies Tracy has worked with for many years, with the addition of some new sponsors for 2012.

Trek and Bontrager will be the title sponsors for T-MO racing. Trek will be providing a selection of frames to cover the variety of racing Tracy will be doing in 2012. The Slash and the Remedy will be the weapons of choice for Enduro races throughout the world.  She will continue to use the Session 9.9 for Downhill racing. For cross country races, Tracy joins the ranks of pro racers using 29ers, and will be using the Superfly 100. For pro sprint racing, will use the Elite 9.9 hardtail.

Bontrager will be supplying tyres, wheels, helmets, saddles, seatposts for all bikes and handlebars, stems and grips for XC.

“Being able to stay with Trek was the most important factor in creating T-MO racing as I wanted to stay with the bikes and company that had given me the best  3 years of my career,“ Tracy said.   “I am really excited to be using Bontrager tyres in 2012,  and having the opportunity to help develop their range to include tyres for Enduro racing and riding “ Tracy said.

Endura will be the clothing sponsor and will be supplying custom printed kit and also a full range of riding kit made for all weathers the UK can throw at them ! “ I am really pleased to be working with Endura for 2012 and really excited to be able to be promoting a British company “ Tracy comments.

WildWolf will be a relatively new name to many people. A nutritional drink sponsor based out of Spain. They will launching their drinks in 2012 and watch out later in the year for a pretty cool helmet design that WildWolf have created for all of Tracy’s helmets.

Shimano will continue to supplying brakes, drivetrain, shoes and pedals for Tracy in 2012. Also returning will be Fox as the suspension sponsor after many years of a successful partnership. Tracy says “ It was important to stay with the companies that I have worked hard with over the years and both Shimano and Fox were companies that I felt really comfortable with and trusted the products they have”

Trixter have supplied Tracy with one of their interactive X Dream bikes to complement her training and have continued their support with T-MO racing in 2012.

Osprey were a new sponsor for Tracy in 2011 and will be increasing their support for Tracy in 2012 as the supplier of all travel luggage and day backpacks as well as the packs that Tracy will be using in Enduro races. Tracy has this to say “ Having a pack that fulfils all your needs  and one that is comfortable is really important for enduro racing  and having used Osprey bags in 2011 I was really happy with the products and really excited that they were keen to increase their partnership with me in 2012 “ Alpinestars will also be continuing their relationship with Tracy as protection sponsor.

Deityis also new 2012, and will be supplying handlebars and stems for Downhill and Enduro. Tracy comments “ The new line of handlebars and stems from Deity are really exciting and I am looking forward to promoting Deity in the DH and Enduro world “ Ethirteen are on board to supply chain devices for all the bikes in Tracy’s fleet.

Returning as Tracy’s longest-term sponsor, Oakley will once again be supplying the eyewear for racing and casual wear.

RRP will be supplying Tracy with much needed mud protection.

Sole will be returning as a sponsor for Tracy helping optimize her power to the pedals with insoles for all her riding shoes and comfortable supportive footwear for after riding.

Lessbounce, makers of sports bras, have been a long time sponsor of Tracy and will continue to supply ‘support’ her in 2012.

CycleOps will be helping fine tune Tracy’s training in preparation for more XC racing with the use of turbo trainers, rollers, and Powertap training products.

Action sports videographers, the Parkin brothers, have created a video of the action you can expect to see from T-MO racing in 2012 - http://vimeo.com/35158118

T-MO Racing – NEWS

Tracy Moseley, the 2011 downhill World Cup champion and 2010 downhill World Champion, will be refocusing her racing efforts in 2012 under the T-Mo Racing banner. The Trek-sponsored rider will expand her racing calendar to include a variety of race formats next year. Having begun her racing career in the early 1990s, downhill became Tracy’s speciality, although she has always enjoyed mixing up her mountain biking. Going forward, Tracy will return to her multi-discipline roots and will participate in several races in 2012, including World Cup downhill events, Pro Sprint Eliminator races, and a special focus on enduros.

“After 12 years on the World Cup downhill circuit and the achievement of all the goals I set for myself, I felt that the end of 2011 was a perfect opportunity to make a change in direction and pursue some new challenges,” said Tracy.
“I would like to extend my thanks to Trek World Racing and everyone working behind the scenes at Trek for the most successful three years of my career to date. That support has allowed me to attain both a World Championship title and a World Cup title. I look forward to continuing my relationship with Trek as both an athlete and ambassador, as I pursue new ventures,” she added.

With support from Trek, Tracy’s new objective is to elevate her profile as an all-round mountain bike athlete. She has set goals to finish in podium positions across all of her planned races, and to gain points for World Championship selection in both cross country Pro Sprint, and downhill. She will have a variety of bikes from the Trek quiver to choose from, including a Session 9.9 and Slash, as she pursues her new aims. “We are delighted to keep Tracy within the Trek family,” said Trek UK’s Marketing Manager Andrew Griffin. “Her successful career and outstanding reputation made furthering the relationship an easy decision to make. We look forward to supporting the shift in her racing career,” he added.

Complete details of Tracy’s 2012 calendar and full support list will be announced during the London Bike Show on January 13th. Follow Tracy on Facebook, and on Twitter @tracy_moseley.

My final 2 weeks in Europe were spent riding, riding and more riding and racing. It was so nice to be in the mountains at this time of year as the autumn colours were just amazing and the trails and towns were really quite. It was definitely out of season for the alps and we made the most of it riding in some beautiful places without seeing a soul. We spent a few days with friends Lucy and Phil that run the mtb holiday company in Verbier, Bike Verbier. They have so much amazing trail knowledge not just of Verbier but also the area around. More big days, hike a bikes and 1.5hr climbs meant we got to some of the most remote, unused perfect alpine singletrack descents that went on for hours ! Back to back big day riding was not the best preparation for more Enduro racing but this trip was all about enjoying the riding and trying out some different events. Whilst already in Switzerland we took a short but very mountainous journey over the Furkapass to Flims to take part in the final Maxiavalanche race.

Maxiavalanche is a smaller version of the Megavalanche, still a mass start and predominantly downhill race but a little shorter, times for Flims were around 13mins. The early snowfall across the alps left the start of the race in the snow and with some warm sun over the weekend it was quickly melting snow, but for the first race on Sunday morning it was still frozen solid which made for a pretty scary start ! The terrain in Flims looked amazing as the mountains were not super steep, chairlifts linked up miles of valleys and I can imagine it could be a great spot for some big day trail riding.

The racing took place over 2 days with practice and qualifying on Saturday and then two race runs on Sunday. There was a good field of around 25 ladies, enough to give us nearly 3 rows on the start line. I had no idea how I would fair amongst the enduro crowd so I just made sure I got the best start I could and kept accelerating down the first wide open section trying to get away and avoid any carnage ! My plan worked as in every race I got a good start and led from start to finish. The wet slippery conditions definitely helped me as it was pretty technical in places so I felt my downhill experience really helped me take some time out of the rest of the field. It was another great experience doing a mass start race, it’s a lot more nerve racking than just riding on your own and being out in front I felt like I was constantly under pressure, however I really enjoyed this format of racing.

From Flims we returned back to Verbier for yet more great riding. After a couple of days I really needed a few days off before the last race of our trip. Back down to the Mediterranean coast, this time to Finale Ligure, a resort I have heard so much about for its great riding so I was excited to check it out.

Finale was hosting the final round of the Italian Superenduro series. Again a slightly different format this week, it was back to individual racing, with 5 special stages in the day over a 50km loop it was a technical test as well as a fitness test !! We had a start time and then specific start times for each stage and a time you had to reach the finish. The times were planned so that you not only had to race the special stages flat out as they were timed but the liaison stages were also pretty tough as the time allowed gave you just enough time to make it to the next stage. You could not afford to cruise or stop for a coffee along the way. There was just enough time to pull your pads up have a quick drink and you were back on the start line !! It really was a pretty intense and tiring day. If you had any mechanical issues you really would end up having to sprint the climbs to make it in time ! I really like this format as it meant that you really had to be able to pedal as well as ride the downhill sections well. True all round mtb ability was needed, it was cool.

The trails and town were great, so much great riding right from the town and beach I can see why it has become such a popular biking destination.nI survived the day with no mechanical issues and managed to keep to my start times and ended up just taking the win ahead of a past U23 XC world champs who pedalled by me with ease on every climb !! It was a great event to finish my trip to Europe and another great enduro format. I really have enjoyed the riding and the atmosphere at these events. With the UCI looking to include Enduro into the World Cup in 2013 I think it’s a really exciting time for this branch of our sport.