Billy Joe Whenman earlier in the year at Margam Park
In the first British Cycling Short Track event - hosted by Reading's All Terrain MTB Club (RATZ) at Checkendon - Billy Joe Whenman took the win ahead of Chris Minter on super-fast singletrack as it wound through beech woods and poppy fields under bright blue skies.
On a lap of just four kilometres riders would race under half the distance of a traditional XC race, but still get a compliment of ranking points for their efforts.
The blisteringly fast Checkendon singletrack made the racing an ultimate test of singletrack skills; one foot wrong and you'd loose a vital second. From the under eights (some of whom were even too young to ride a proper two wheeled bike), through to the Pro-Elite's everyone walked away from the race smiling.
Notable performances include Kate Culvert, who won the open race in her first ever mountain bike race. It was also a first-ever-win for Ben Turgoose in the Sport race, whilst Hugo Humphreys made it a double header with wins in both the Open and Youth categories.
The 1st Gear Cycles Rampage Series continues on the July 5 at Checkendon, South Oxfordshire. It's an ideal testing ground for those new to XC racing, particularly kids. However- as the weekend proved there's some fast, fun and exciting racing to be had for more experienced riders.
Details and an entry form can be found at www.ratmbc.co.uk with full race galleries at 1st Gear Cycles.
The Rampage Series is organised by SMBC, the team behind the 2009 National XC Champs and the SouthernXC Series. SMBC are very grateful for support from 1st Gear Cycles.
