Woodside whispers

stucinabog · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 70

Now that most of the pain has receded from my body after the weekend just wanted to say thanks to everyone involved in setting up the event.

Although it was cold for riders it must have been worse for the people at time checks and marshalling as there was very little shelter from the weather. The course was well laid out and although the time checks were very tight for me still allowed a 5 minute breather when re-fueling and after the test - that was much appreciated!

Lossie was as expected but Monaughty was a whole world of pain on Sunday, at one point I thought I would never get out of there.

The woodside test was awesome and I only wish I could have done it justice!! Maybe next time.....

Cheers

Stu
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Elginboxer · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:14 pm Post subject:

Good to hear your thoughts Stu and glad to hear you finished as that's what you want, it's a shame the road sections were so long but that was the preffered route of the police.

Monaughty was certainly cold myself and Kevin the chairman were the two trials bikes up there and when we rode the course at 7 in the morning we ourselves wondered if we'd make it to the end. However for Monaughty being so wet it was still hard underneath in most places although I'm sure for some it didn't feel like it at times Shocked

Anyway I think this round was certainly a case of opposites attract as the two forests couldn't couldn't have been more different from each other.

And as Stu says a big thankyou to all officials over and throughout the three days and all marshalls and helpers from all over that made sure this event yet again ran in Scotland, without you people it wouldn't happen Exclamation

P.S. A big thankyou also to HWR MOTOCROSS' Jane Wilson for providing the scrutineering team with tea, coffee, soup, rolls, cake and babysitting throughout the whole of friday for the scrutineering team and to the DEC helpers for providing food and refreshment to the workers at Woodside on both saturday and sunday Icon_2

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old git · Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 240 Location: Aberdeenshire

After more than a year of planning and a lot of seriously hard work Grampian Motor Cycle Clubs round of the Metzler British Enduro Championship finally took place over the Easter weekend. The course was nothing if not ambitious and attracted a field of around 250 riders. The weather forecast in the run up to the event was not good and during Friday scrutineering officials, entrants and support crews were subjected to sleet and painful hailstones.

Starting at Milton airfield the riders took a right on a short road section and entered Lossie forest. Lossie is a small relatively flat forest that on first impressions would appear to be relative easy. There are few riders that having ridden a full enduro in Lossie would use the term easy and Lossie forest in the same sentence. The course is a non stop series of roots, stumps & whoops that take every bit of a riders concentration and stamina. At no time in the 21 mile loop is there any respite, no fire roads, no flat fields, nowhere at all to sit back and recover slightly. Then there is the power and energy sapping dunes to really test a riders skill and resolve. By the time the riders leave Lossie and the first test of the day and head back to Milton for fuel there are few that have any doubt that this will be anything other than a tough day.

After the effort of riding the forest the cold conditions on the roads between the venues are another factor to test the riders. With temperatures only a few degrees above freezing and a wind chill that makes it feel much colder as well as frequent snow and hail showers, going from seriously hot in the forests and tests to very cold on the road sections is not easy. It is a British Championship Enduro and no-one expects it to be easy and no-one complains.

We are manning the exit check at Woodside that is only a few yards from the entrance check. The first championship class rider is expected at a little after 10.30. A few minutes after 10am, the in check gets its first business of the day in the form of a clubman rider on a Husky 125. We are all more than a little confused, are we looking at the next Knighter? Here is a guy that has apparently started over an hour later than the first championship riders, completed Lossie, refueled and got to us in around 10 minutes in total! It soon became apparent that on leaving the start he had turned left instead of right and missed out Lossie altogether. He about turned and made his way to Lossie but he must have lost at least 20 minutes.

Soon enough the championship guys arrive and make their way to the moto cross track and the start of the Woodside Special Test. The test is long by any standards and has a bit of everything. A muddy start on the track then into some tight turns in the trees with loads of exposed roots then back onto the track briefly before another deviation up into the woods across some really slippy rocks. A couple of heavily rutted turns then down towards the bottom of the track again and a short steep uphill then around the back to the steep up and down sections before heading along the side of the sand quarry and on to some small whoops. The sand quarry isn't normally available to ride but has been kindly opened up specifically for the event and beautifully carved out with cracking ramps, jumps and a spectacular table top. All of it demands a flat out riding style and many riders struggle as they would have on the dunes at Lossie. Out of the quarry and onto the furthest out point of the test overlooking the A96 and Elgin most of which is oblivious to the fact that a British Championship motorsport event with some world class riders competing is taking place right on their doorstep. Into the trees again and the tight twisty track that leads to the slippy and heavily rutted brick corner, the rutted straight heading towards the "one ten" track and a left turn towards the river and the short run towards the tyre obstacle which gives many riders from all classes a fair bit of grief. The tyre trap was added by the sadistic element from the club and it went well with spectators though some of the riders might think otherwise. A short uphill then a really steep descent through the trees and some tight turns on the sandy section of the motocross track before finally finishing the test after the tabletop. Out of the test, across the paddock and another rooted climb that gave a few clubmen some grief and for most a rest at our exit check. Most championship riders were on time or a minute or 2 behind as were the experts. A sign of a well timed enduro ensuring that the riders have to work for their positions. No-one looked cold by the time they reached us and many were obviously at the limit after such a long and varied test. The sand quarry appeared to be the real killer especially for riders not used to riding sand.

A fairly long cold road section then the challenge of Monaughty Forest. Normally the venue for GMCC's 2nd Scottish round in August it would appear that while very rideable it was a real slog for some riders. A complete contrast to Lossie with some very fast sections but still with stumps, roots and a few bogs. Refueling stops at both the start and finish of Monaughty ensured support crews also had their work cut out.

The top classes did 2 complete laps on day 1 and 1 complete lap plus Lossie forest again.

A very complicated and ambitious venture that as far as I could see went down very well with all the riders and is a great credit to the people from GMCC and the other Scottish clubs that provided invaluable help on the day. All the helpers were invaluable and the people guarding the entrance to Woodside (you know who you are) deserve special mention as without your diligence in spite of all manner of excuses from the support crews you managed to keep Woodside free of vehicles and ensured the section ran smoothly.

Many thanks also to the riders who made the effort to come to our event and provided us at times with spectacular riding and at all times with great courtesy at our check. Hopefully you'll all be back to do it again (sooner rather than later)?

Wink

Elginboxer · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:29 pm Post subject:

An email recieved today which is a very good testimony to the event!

Front Row GB

Dear Grampian MCC,

This is just a quick note to pass onto all those who worked on and helped out at the 2nd Round of the BEC round in Lossiemouth. I am fortunate enough to race enduro in the UK, Europe and as far as North Africa and I have to say, it was a joy to see such a well put together event over a great variety of terrain.

This is by far the best BEC round in the UK and I hope you are all able to have something together again for next year, as it is a British Championship so should be spread across the UK as a whole. I know the weather wasn’t great but this did not hamper the enjoyment of riding the Lossie and Monaughty areas.

Thanks again for such a great event and I think the motocross idea as part of the points scoring is an excellent addition for both riders and spectators and gets my full support as a rider.

Obviously, the weather didn’t lend itself to people being able to have a look around our Dakar truck and bikes but that was not the priority for the weekend as it was purely for interest. Best regards for the future of the event and hope to be up that way again. Best regards, Stan watt.

www.frontrowgb.com

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Never argue with a fool. They will lower you to their level and then beat you with experience...
GMCC