Race Report – Soggy Bottom MTB – Steve “Motor-mouth” Hodgson takes 5th Vet!

Sunday 3rd Jan 2016 was the first round in the Soggy bottom MTB series.

Race report from Steve “Motor-mouth” Hodgson

After waking to the sound of pouring rain (oooh Skid Row lyrics!!) this morning I didn’t think much of going down to Plymouth to race mtb at all. Still, I had some breakfast and woke up a bit and checked the weather again, Showers were now the flavor of the day so into my van I jumped and headed down.

I was greeted by a very muddy Harry Birchill with a grin ear to ear. He had just smashed his race coming 1st naturally. I also bumped into Jackie Shute who had just finished her race and come 3rd sport female.

A quick costume change and out I went for a practice lap. The first challenge I came across was a dirty great steep climb, The edges were worn away so the best place to ride was in the middle, It seemed to carry on forever! At the top the pressure didn’t let off as the course went though the forest. The ground was extremely soft and chewed up something rotten from the previous race. The only way to ride it was hard. Eventually the trees opened up and the track went onto a fire road, and then straight into the bomb holes that were full of water and mud. A short blast down another fire road and then it got technical. The course went over a steep shute into an off camber corner followed by a quick climb and then a series of off camber corners down the hill to the finish line. Not the longest course by far but every bit as hard with the current conditions.

A quick warm up on the turbo and I headed to the start line. We were starting in the middle of a field with a massive long mass start line.

The race was off, I gunned it as hard as I could and took forth wheel behind James Bovey. I stayed right on him until an oversight on my part and I dropped my chain. Flustered I cracked on but the gap had been set and as much as I tried I failed to close it.

I finished in 5th position in the end. There was a fair gap between me and 6th so my efforts were rewarded in that.

MDCC riders results

Jack Forest 7th Juvenile
Jackie Shute 3rd Sport female
Steve Hodgson 5th Vet (and 1st in the swearing competition).
Andy Taylor 12th Vet
Adam Forest 15th Vet