Altura Whinlatter Challenge

Whinlatter Forest Park, Sunday 29th March 2009


Race Report by Jenn O'Connor

After a week of hailstorms and freezing Northerlies, we couldn’t believe our luck on Sunday morning, waking up in Keswick to a crisp, clear, still spring day. The first Altura Whinlatter Mountain Bike Challenge drew a crowd of 450 enthusiastic mountain bikers up to The Lakes, rubbing their eyes and hunting for long-discarded sunglasses.

More than 450 riders lining up for this stunning season-opener.

The Whinlatter Challenge was billed as a 30 mile, mass start, timed event, run over two 15 mile laps incorporating sections of the new Altura Trail, along with various fireroads and linking sections. Annie, Nadine and I managed to muscle in to the front row of the grid just before the start, and I took off fast, hoping to keep ahead of any bottlenecks in the singletrack. I had Sue Clarke right on my wheel, and I knew it would be a big challenge for me to stay ahead of her. Sue is always a strong competitor, and is enjoying good early season form, posting top-5 results in the Turkish Riviera Cup rounds earlier in the month.

Altura Patterson Training racers Annabel Simpson (left) and Jenn O'Connor get off to a flying start.

The first half of the loop set the tone for the day, with long leg-sapping climbs. Some sections of the course had frozen in the hard frost the night before, and were fast becoming spongy in the morning sunshine. I managed to stick with the leading group for the first 20 minutes or so and got into a good rhythm. Apart from the odd slip on a rock or root, our group sped through the switchbacks and singletrack without drama, and I was glad I’d made the effort to get clear from the bulk of the field in the opening stages.

Team rider Nadine Spearing tackles the singletrack.

Chris Hope, a Patterson Training client and riding for Keswick Bikes, caught and overtook me, in what was to be a storming ride for him as he went on to pick off the rest of the leaders and take the honours as first rider home. Dave Hayward, another Patterson Training client, was also in our lead group, but took a wrong turn and sped off up a fire road, oblivious to our shouts.

The group gradually strung out, and I picked up a few places on the steeper climbs. This was my first proper ride on my new custom Scalpel Petite, a super-light little race bike that eats steep shale climbs for breakfast. Sue was never more than about a minute behind me, and I knew she’d be pacing herself and racing smart, so I kept a steady effort and concentrated on riding smoothly.

The course looped back to the start / finish area, then back out along a road section, and I found myself alone on a blustery stretch of tarmac. Sue was tucked in behind one of the men chasing me, and I could see it would be a waste of energy to try and stay ahead, so I let them catch me and took a rest on Sue’s wheel, appreciating the chance to munch some RideShots and down some energy drink. The final section of the loop was another killer climb, but I kept it steady and saved my energy, as I could see at that point that it was going to be a long day. The last descent was singletrack, and I recognised it as part of the Altura trail. I made sure I was first into the singletrack, which was the right move as I heard Sue falter on the rock slabs behind me. I kept my focus on the trail, and practised the techniques that I’d gone through with Craig from Cyclewise in our skills session the day before. It made a huge difference, and I flew down the singletrack feeling confident and barely touching the brakes.

Jenn rides through one of many switchback sections.

Through the feedzone and out for the second lap, and I was riding on my own. Although it was warm in the sunshine, it was chilly in the shade and my feet were numb and my legs starting to wrap up. I kept my focus on smooth riding and good technique, and geared down a bit for the climbs as my cold knees started to creak. It was another hour before I finally made it back around to the finish line, first woman home and seventh overall - a good effort and a pleasing result, as I felt I’d really pushed myself and ridden pretty well.

Meanwhile, Annie suffered three punctures on the sharp Cumbrian rocks, and finally had to pull out, despite begging tubes and patches off fellow competitors. This was a real disappointment for her as she is on good form and was holding up well, staying within touch of the lead group through the opening climbs. Sue recovered from her tumble and held on to second place, a few minutes behind me. Nadine struggled to get into a rhythm and lost time on the leaders in the first lap. She managed to finish, albeit well down the finishing order. Suffice it to say it was a very tough event, and the course certainly lived up to its Challenge title.

We owe a big debt of thanks to Craig and the team at Cyclewise. Craig took our team out for a skills session on Saturday afternoon – no silly trackstands, jumps or wheelies, just good core trail techniques. He helped us to recognise our bad habits (mostly mine!), and took us through some simple drills. He then videoed us each riding a section of trail using a helmet cam, so that we could sit down over a coffee after the session and analyse what we’d learned. It was a real eye-opener. I didn’t realise how stale my riding style had become over the years, and how a few bad habits were causing me to be thrown about on the bike, and ultimately slowing me down. Practising a few simple techniques has helped me to relax and ride faster and with greater confidence. I’ve gained a fresh enthusiasm for mountain biking and I can’t wait to get my Scalpel out on the trails again. The guys at Cyclewise really know their stuff, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. And they can even help with trackstands, jumps and wheelies too, it that’s your thing!

Racing starts in earnest for the Altura Patterson Training team next weekend at the first round of the British Mountain Bike Series at Sherwood Pines on Sunday 5th April. Check our blog for updates, and Andy's twitter posts for lap by lap reports!