Heres to the weekend!

I had a mate’s stag do last weekend which was probably not the best preparation to a big race so maybe it’s for the best. I did win the karting though so that did give me a chance to practice standing on the podium and being gracious in victory! Hopefully that will be a good omen for the season; it may also be blind optimism!


The thing about the first major race of a season is you never really know how the season will pan out. Last year I went into the season feeling confident based on the 3 midlands races I had done in 2008 and finishing 7th in the series. I quickly came down to earth after struggling to get above halfway up the field all season and being a long way behind the leaders. I feel quicker now than I did this time last year, My results have been better than last year and I am definitely looking forward to getting stuck into the racing more than previously. However, I can’t help wondering if the competition will be feeling the same! Looking at the entry list for Sherwood, most of the names I recognise are now in Expert, so I don’t have any idea who will be quick, and I don’t really have any way of gauging how I will do from the post race analysis of results.

All that waiting, all that preparation, discussing kit with your mates, making sure you have everything you need. It is all coming to an end this weekend! No, I don’t mean the 4th (or 3rd, whatever you want to call it) Gorrick; no, not the first BMBS of the season up in Sherwood Pines. Nope! I’m going Snowboarding in Chamonix! I appreciate I could have planned it better than on the same weekend as the season opener, and on the same weekend the Columbia-Bikefood team were supposed to finally all be in one place. I also appreciate this late in the year there probably wont be much snow either but I am looking forward to the week off work and some relaxation in the form of wine and cheese! Hopefully I will be able to hire a bike at some point in the week and tackle a few of the lower slopes, it would be rude to go all that way and not sling my leg over a bike at all! Unfortunately I didn’t manage to blag any winter clothing off Columbia in time for this trip, but hopefully next year I can get my order in time to look the business, at least until I get on the board!


Anyway, good luck to everyone racing at the weekend, especially the Columbia Bikefood boys and the Witney Wheelers! I will be there in spirit, even if in body I will be sitting in a hot tub, surrounded by snow, supping on a cold French lager!