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Courseride: British XC Championships
Posted June 17 2010
2010 British MTB Championships Home | 2009 British MTB Championships Coverage
With just weeks to go until the biggest event in the British XC calendar, we check out the venue which will host the 2010 British XC Championships.
Equidistant from London and Brighton, the Pippingford Estate has already hosted two Southern XC Rounds, drawing praise from riders - and following our courseride it's no surprise.
Set in the leafy Forest Row, once through the Pippingford gates the Estate is pleasantly cut off from the rush of London, which is overlooked from the arena.
If the weather stays dry, the course will be remembered as a classic with significant, extended climbing and descending; and while staying true to the quality ethos of Southern XC and Gorrick-style laps, Pippingford is a different take with a minimum of winding singletrack over loamy surfaces.
Instead, you feel closer to climbing five kilometres of testing fireroads and descending a variety of mini-downhill tracks, featuring huge berms, optional jumps and steep chutes; all linked by some classic singletrack.
Riding alongside current British Champion Liam Killeen and local heroes Adrian Lansley, Steve James and Steve Jones, going was rock hard and fast - dangerously so in places.
Rain would make the limestone and chalk surfaces - laced with a selection of the finest roots - only more lethal; but I hope it stays dry; if only to be hailed as one of the best British XC courses of all time, proving that there are some stern ascents and descents south of the Peak District.
In bright sunlight the biggest obstacle was defining exactly what the trail ahead did; something Steve Jones discovered to his expense with a monstrous crash, which in turn led to a bout of memory loss!
Although this cut our fun time on the track significantly short, the key details were there; an open start leading to a recklessly fast opening downhill of around 40 seconds. From here, there was a few metres of loamy soil - the only place you'll find it on-track.
Next up was the quarry, a series of bombholes and power-climbs which are just enough to suck any remains of energy before the first major climb. And it is major. Thankfully all on fireroad, but nonetheless a killer multi-minute effort to get you to the top of the signature downhill, where lesser riders will be exposed without regard.
Open turns, flat turns, drop-aways - this section has everything before a nasty traverse back to the safety of the fireroad; which inevitably points upward for a long time, before returning to the start.
There's little to write about, because there's not much in the way of split-sections; but that's not a bad thing. The sub-20 minute effort will encourage bigger gaps and long periods of concentration. And in that sense, it's easily comparable to the standard set by Innerleithen last year.
If you want to race for the Championship then you must have a British Cycling Racing Licence and enter by June 20. If you want to race to enjoy the course and don't have a licence, there's a later deadline of July 12.
We'll have a further update on those entered and the race favourites just as soon as entry closes.
