- Redhill, Gloucestershire
Report: Chris Roberts | Photos Charles Robertson
SLIDESHOW
VIDEO
Rd3 Schwable British 4X Series 2012 on Pinkbike
REPORT
The 2012 Schwalbe British 4X Series just keeps on delivering. Sunday was the third round of the Series and it was held at the famous Redhill track in Gloucestershire. If you have not been to Redhill yet, you are really missing out. One of the most fun 4X tracks in the country will provide some of the best fun you will have on two wheels! Neil and all the boys and girls at Redhill have created a fantastic bikepark and as ever the Schwalbe British 4X Series were very happy to hold a race here.
Saturday was practice day and a chance for the riders to get into the track and work on their lines. Photographers were up on the track and later on in the day it looked like a whip contest up on the hill with a lot of the top riders throwing their bikes around over the jumps and having plenty of fun.
Race day and glorious sunshine greeted everyone. The track was really dry and dust clouds were flying up from the riders wheels. As gate practice got started it became pretty obvious that the tight first turn was going to be the scene of a lot of action. Get through this turn clean was going to be the key to the day for all the riders.
Racing started at 12.30 and during the motos the racing was amazing. Loads of passing and some great battles gave the crowds plenty to shout about. The first corner was, as suspected, where a lot of the action was happening. Being in the lead was not necessarily the best place to be as smart riders were being created and pulling off some amazing passes.
When the dust settled, the finals began and here are the results.
In Fun, Aaron Shaw rode fantastic all day taking the win ahead of Blaine Harris and Ben Lovell with Keaton Greenwood in 4th. These guys are the future of 4X here in the UK and it was great to see such high entry numbers for the fun class.
In Big Fun, the wee a lot of Redhill locals taking part. 32 riders started the day, but they were whittled down to the final where Ash Brown took the win from Paul Bakewell and James Finlay. A quick mention to Morgan Hampton, one of the main guys behind Redhill who took third in the small final giving him 7th for the day. Also Andrew Cooper who had a crash at the start of the day and broke his collar bone. This was bad for Cooper, but great for the crowd as he commentated on the event all day!!
Onto the new Rippers class. Trading wins all day until the final where Joe Lashley took the win from Riley Jenner, Jamie Emmett and Rhys Mahon.
Juveniles are really providing some fantastic racing this year. Current National Champion Dylan Grell Delsol was looking strong but the rookie in this class Ryan Hutchinson pushed him hard all day. Plenty of bumping and loads of passing between these two all day, but Dylan got the win in the final ahead of Ryan and Christian Corthorn with Cameron McFadden in 4th.
Youth is a great class right now as there are so many riders that can win. On this occasion Arthur Cotterell took the win ahead of Luke Cryer, Bardolph Kerr and Connor Hudson who all piled up in a first corner crash. This class will be close all year and it will be very interesting to see who wins at the National Championships in 2 weeks time.
In Juniors, Joe Mallinson has been knocking on the door for a while now, but this was to be his day, taking his first junior win ahead of Dom Bardon, Joe Buck and Jordan Lunn. Just like Youth, this class seems to be wide open and predicting a winner in any junior race during the day is very tough.
In the seniors, a shock in the quarter finals as series points leader Dave Richardson was beaten and made an early exit. With a chance of taking the overall series lead, it was game on for these guys. In the final Danny Hughes got the snap and did not look back taking the win and the overall series lead. Simon Parsons was able to hold off a hard charging Dave Roberts at the finish line with Matthew Sills in 4th.
The 'Jedi' Masters never fail to disappoint. Newbie, Foz Willis ended his Downhill racing to concentrate on 4X this year and what a decision it was. He led the final from the start and was looking good until he cased a small jump and lost momentum. The others gained on him but he held it together to take another win ahead of Gareth Parr with an awesome ride from Ramon Figuerola (in his first ever a final) in 3rd and Chris Cumming in 4th.
Vets had a great new addition to the class. Simon Turner Competed in his first ever 4X race yesterday and the tender age of 65 and he had an absolute blast. In the final Simon Rickett took the honours from a returning Steve Walker, the ever consistent Philip Gray and Simon Turner in 4th. If Steve Walker gets some more gears on his bike for Bridgnorth, he could well be a contender for the National Championships.
So onto the elites and the women were up first. It was awesome to see Katy Curd racing. The UK's female 4X ambassador was in fine form and absolutely flying on track. See got the snap and led the race from start to finish, but perhaps the ride of the day came from Cara Murray who pushed Katy all the way to finish 2nd ahead of series leader Suzanne Lacey and the stylish Jess Greaves. All the women were riding fantastic all day and it was great to see so many new faces, leaving their dh bikes alone for the weekend and having a go at 4X.
So finally it was the elite men. Series leader Scott Beaumont was not racing due to being ill with tonsillitis so the door was wide open for the third different winner of the elite in 3 races. It was great to see French rider Chaney Guennet racing in the British series and he rode fantastic all day, making some great moves and passes. The final was made up of Lewis Lacey, Scott Roberts, To, Dowie and Alex Metcalfe. Lewis Lacey was looking on it all day and had the inside gate choice for the final. Lewis made the snap and went into the first turn in good shape, but an awesome move from Scott Roberts moved him into first. Lacey went to 4th on the exit of turn one as Tom Dowie and Alex Metcalfe followed Scott through. Roberts held it from there all the way to the line ahead of Dowie and in a great last turn move, Lacey got himself up to 3rd.
Roberts Said after the win "it was great to be back on it after few dissapointing results i am now ready for the National Championships in 2 weeks time"
So that was it for round 3 of the 2012 Schwalbe British 4X Series. The next round is in 2 weeks when we will return to Bridgnorth for round 4 of the series on Saturday with the National Championship on the Sunday. The names above will give you an idea of who is looking good ahead of National Championships, but as with every other year, there will be a lot of surprises.
See you there.
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Pro-Elite Men
Scott ROBERTS 1st
Tom DOWIE 2nd
Lewis LACEY 3rd
Alex METCALFE 4th
Will EVANS 5th
Pro- Elite Women
Katy CURD 1st
Cara MURRAY 2nd
Suzanne LACEY 3rd
Jessica GREAVES 4th
Rosie SMITH 5th
Fun 12-16
Aaron SHAW 1st
Blaine HARRIS 2nd
Ben LOVELL 3rd
Big Fun 17+
Ash BROWN 1st
Paul BAKEWELL 2nd
James FINLAY 3rd
Rippers
Joe LASHLEY 1
Riley JENNER 2
Jamie EMMETT 3
Rhys MAHON 4
Juvenile
Dylan GRELL-DELSOL 1st
Ryan HUTCHINSON 2nd
Christian CORTHORN 3rd
Youth
Arthur COTTERELL 1st
Luke CRYER 2nd
Bardolph KERR 3rd
Junior
Joe MALLISON 1st
Dominic BARDON 2nd
Joe BUCK 3rd
Senior
Danny HUGHES 1st
Simon PARSONS 2nd
David ROBERTS 3rd
Master
Foz WILLIS 1st
Gareth PARR 2nd
Ramon FIGUEROLA 3rd
Vets
Simon RICKETT 1st
Steve WALKER 2nd
Philip GRAY 3rd
Simon TURNER 4th
