Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Iron Hill Challenge MTB Race Report 2017....

This past weekend it was back to racing at Iron Hill Challenge in the MASS MTB Series. With the lack of Xterra races until the World Championships in October, the calendar will need to be filled with other races consisting of XC and Endurance MTB races as well as a few trail runs.  The goal for these races is to race hard and put pressure on myself to go all out.

For Iron Hill Challenge that worked out pretty well.  I didn't get to pre-ride the course so aimed to take to the front as soon as possible to give me the cleanest view of the course.  Wow was I surprised! I had no idea that the course was as rocky as it was and was a blast from start to finish. It had a good mix of everything and with the oppressive heat it was a tough day for everyone.  Although I took the lead early I surrendered it mid-way through the 1st lap before getting caught behind some riders from the earlier fields which meant we rode a slightly slower tempo pace for a couple of the singletrack climbs. After getting past them it was game on and just before hitting the 2nd lap I made the pass for 1st and just nailed it for the lap.  In the end I was able to take the win by 3mins in the Cat 2 40+ field and posted a faster 2nd lap than the 1st which was a combination of knowing the course, meeting less slower riders and just punishing myself.  Mission accomplished.

A post shared by Iain Banks (@iainbanks1) on


With that result being the 2nd win in 2 races at the Cat 2 40+ field I think it is time to move on up. Next year I'll start racing the Cat 1 40+, which means longer races (one more lap) and probably a mid-pack finish but it will give me something to work on over the winter!



With the racing done as per the norm we headed off to Street, MD to visit the Falling Branch Brewery and enjoys some brews while the rain finally started to fall!

A post shared by Iain Banks (@iainbanks1) on

No comments: