The Regional VTT Championships brings riders from the Haute Vienne, Creuse, and Correze departments together. It’s a step up from the up from the Haute Vienne Departmental Champs where I came second, and it’s the final race to determine invitations for the National Championships in May.

I’ve been round the circuit a couple of weeks ago with my friends Davy and Charly. It’s very fast, rolling, and today it’s mostly dry. There’s a deep stream crossing, a muddy stream crossing, and a few wet bits, but it’s gonna be quick.

In the frame there’s Jean-Claude Sansonnet, wily old racer with 9 national podium placings, Jean-Claude Laskowski, ex national road-race champion, and champion contre-la-montre, and me. I’ve been told that on this ‘roulant’ circuit Laskowski is the man to fear.

Now. veteran A’s (40-50yrs) and veteran B’s (50yrs and over) race together, with the youngsters doing four laps while the rest of us do three. So it should be just a case of latching onto the youngsters and getting towed around. I’m on the grid behind Olivier Dessisard, he’s veteran A, and outright winner of the St Junien VTT race last season, so i’m in a good spot.

We’re away! Up through the chicanes to cross the line for the first time. There’s a slight bottleneck, we’re getting squeezed, I’m in about 9th going onto the short tarmac section, I’m OK. On to the first climb, getting held up by a couple of big riders from the Correze, I use the line that i’ve previously scouted to the left, I’m past them, and sitting on the back of the lead group. Both the Jean-Claudes are there.

Diving down across the loose rocky section to the first stream crossing and into the 200 metre porridge section, we all make it through without dismounting. A short climb, we’re still all together with a vet A in yellow forcing the pace. Down the roller-coaster singletrack we’re going incredibly fast, no margin for error here.

Braking hard we swing left along the valley. I’m on Sansonnet’s wheel here. He swithches me through a deep puddle, naughty! Through the deep river crossing and onto a short washed out climb, lots of erosion ruts and rocks, we sprint it and we’re gone. JC Sansonnet is allowing a gap to open. I jump past him as hard as I can, I don’t want to tow him along.

JC Laskowski is looking good, sat third in line of the leading group. I’m trying to get across the gap, but it ain’t happening. I cannot believe how fast I’m going, and how hard I’m pressing on the pedals and making no progress. Meanwhile JC Sansonnet has clawed his way back onto my wheel!

Now it’s JC Sansonnet who jumps me! This ain’t going to plan! As we cross the open field to go through to start the second lap I can see JC Laskowski sitting comfortably on the wheels of the leading vet A’s (that was my plan!), I can see JC Sansonnet working hard to try and get across, and I can see another veteran A closing on me from behind.

The vet A catches me, he’s making good progress, I try to lift my pace and get his wheel. I’m on, and just about holding him. He knows I’m a vet B, and doesn’t seem too bothered. Out through the muddy stream crossing and into the woods. We’re motoring, and we’re starting to get into tail enders from the race in fron’t. Then we catch Olivier Dessisard! I glance across, he looks in trouble (turns out he’d crashed and ended up pulling out). We push on.

Crossing the field to start the last lap things aren’t looking promising. JC Sansonnet is climbing out through the start as I’m dropping in. But, anything can happen, so I stick to the task, and give my all for the last lap.

Through the muddy section for the last time, I catch an edge, shoot myself to the side of the track, and my taxi gets a gap! I complete the lap alone, finishing third, some three minutes off the pace.

Analysis – What went wrong? Nothing, just lacking in a little top-end speed, and haven’t really regained the form I had before that chest infection a few weeks ago. The pace today was blisteringly fast, and the race was done and dusted in less than an hour and a quarter. I know what I need to do.

Meanwhile – In the ladies race Carla put in a fantastic ride to take second! Her improvement in form over the last few weeks has been astounding.

Best of all – Job done! As podium placed riders Carla and I have now recieved our official invites to represent the Limousin region at the National VTT Championships in May! A fantastic opportunity or what? 🙂

Thanks to – The race hosts Ambazac Sprinter Club the fabulous circuit, and superb organisation. Thanks also to Philippe at Photolaps for the superb pictures.

Wifey and I got his’n’hers trophies when we raced the Haute Vienne Departmental VTT Championships on Sunday. But racing can be cruel can’t it? 🙂

First the wife – This was her first race in years. See, she doesn’t really enjoy racing, she just likes riding her bike, something she’s very good at, and something that’s not gone unoticed. She was ‘leg hunted‘ then ‘sweet talked’ into racing by Theo, the president of a local club who loves to see women race!

Anyway, she put in some good training, and given the horrendous conditions on the day she did a storming ride to take 2nd place. She told me straight after that she’d hated every pedal turn, it was too hard, and she never wanted to race again. Then wha’d’yer know, by the end of the prize presentations Theo has worked his magic and she’s agreed to do the Regional Champs, the National Champs, hell! she’s even signed up for a 24hr race.

Now me – I really wanted to win this one, I really did. Gridded on the front row of the vets race (vet A >40 and vetB >50 raced together), they counted us down with 5 seconds to go, we were gone on 2. I led out of the field, riding hard. Into the woods my friend Eric Monjoffre came by, I grabbed his wheel. Out onto the road section 5 off us were clear. Jean Claude Sansonnet came by, I took a short rest on his wheel before jumping to be first off road.

Now we were into the meat of the first lap. I dismounted early for a muddy run up, I was still in the lead at the top. Back on the bikes there’s now three of us going clear. John Claude, Olivier Desissard (remember him? the scratch winner in the St Junien VTT race), and me. Out onto the open hillside, it’s tough, i’m trying to find traction, Jean Claude comes past followed by Olivier. I’m working hard.

At the top of the course I’m a couple of hundred meters off the lead. The rocky descents are covered in a film of mud but I’m motoring fast, and I’m getting it right. Along the short valley and back up into the arena. The commentator is saying something about Jean Claude. As I cross the line, there he is with his back tyre flat. I dunno how long it’ll take him to fix it, but I have to make the most of it. I try to lift my pace.

On the greasy, muddy, rooty, rocky, hateful second lap climb to the top of the course I’m aware that Marcel Buisson is not that far behind me. I can hear spectators willing him on. On long straights I can see him. I really need to get out of sight. It’s hurting.

On the run up back into the arena I can see quite a way back down the course, I’m clear. Going through the arena and out for the last lap someone shouts me that Olivier is not far in front. Out onto the road section for the final time, spectators are telling me that I’m clear, nobody in sight. But, I wanna make sure, and as I’ll never have to climb the hateful course again I attack it. I can see Olivier the leading vet A, looks like he’s about a minute ahead.

At last, the top of the course, all the hard work done. Onto the rocky descent for the last time. Skimming over the rocks I get a kick in my rear wheel, it steps out, and I feel a gentle bisou (kiss) on my rear rim. I cross my fingers, but it doen’t help. She’s flat! I don’t know whether to push on on the flat or stop and change it. My mind is made up for me when the tyre comes off the rim.

Time suddenly goes into warp speed, my hands turn to banannas, and it seems to be taking for ever to change my tube. I have my new tube in and I’m blowing it up when Marcel passes me. “Ce n’est pas vrai”, he says. With just enough air in I jump on my bike and give chase. Down the last desent like a nutter, but as I reach the final run up I can see Marcel disappearing over the top. I’m beat. Racing can be cruel can’t it? I’m first loser home in second place.

So what happened to Jean Claude? – well, he got his puncture fixed and got back in only to puncture again, and a third time. This is bad, because it means his selection for the national championships in May now rests on his performance in the regional championships in April. Racing can be cruel can’t it? Very!

About that puncture – I’ve been running tubeless tyres for a while now, and they have been great. However, being thorough in my preparation I set a spare pair of tubed wheels up with more knobby tyres in case of muddy conditions. It was only after my warn up, and at the last minute that I switched to the tubes. Even then, it’s only the second puncture i’ve had in a race ever. Doh!

Not forgetting – Many thank’s to everyone at Saint-Léger-la-Montagne VTT Rando Club for puuting on a great race. 🙂 ….and thanks to the Barboriers for the photos. 🙂