After a long drive up to Kingussie late on the Friday night I managed to get a good sleep in the Tipsy Laird Bothy.
After turning up on the Saturday, checking out the superbly stocked cafe and the bike shop, I took two loops around the course, which had a few small puddles but all the rocks seemed fairly dry.
Somehow I managed to miss the 'natural' section, which came as a great suprise when I hit it on the first lap. Total mudfest!! See the videos.
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The Saturday night was a little different. There was a live band playing in the Tipsy Laird Pub (right next to the Tipsy Laird Bothy) which finished at about 12.30 and a group of women arguing and shouting until about 1.15am. Eventually got to sleep at about 1.30am!!
As the sun came up and started to melt the frost on Sunday morning I loaded up my Orange Sub 3 mountain bike onto the car and put on my 'bonnett' and headed from my bunk house down to the first Scottish Cross Counry (XC) Race at Laggan.
There was a great turn out. New model of 'this' and improved versions of 'that', new cycling tops, shorter racing carbon bars and squeaky clean mountain bikes. As a seasoned entrant in the 'fun' section I was well prepared to take on the all comers... by making sure I had loaded with carbs by having a Chinese take away the night before and was ready for some FUN!!
The sun warmer everyone in time for the start of the races at 11 am. The Juniors race was well attended as was the Fun with 20+ entrants. Then it wa time for the 'serious' mountain bikers of the XC world to come out to play, after the Vets and Grad Vets had done their blinding segment of trail. The Elite men stepped up to the line.........
Tony Haresign
Mountain Biking Scotland
"Get Out of the Woods!"
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
SXC Mountain Bike Race Series - Round 1 - Laggan
Posted by Tony Haresign at 9:10 pm
Labels: mountain bike reviews, mountain biking races, mountain biking scotland, SXC Series (Scottish Cross Country Mountain Bike Racing)