Cadeleigh- 15th June 2008

Cadeleigh- 15th June 2008
Nice weather driving up to Cadeleigh, took a couple of hours, but just as I got there the bloody heavens opened! It absolutely lashed it down, thunder an all so I took shelter in the van reading the t+mx until it stopped. Things were now going to be interesting due to the recent downpoor, and that’s exactly how it turned out to be.
After doing all the necessary, the time came for us all to do a sighting lap, so off we went.
I’ve ridden this course before so I knew a little bit about it including the 3 or 4 slippery climbs, the ultra slimy downhill’s and the off camber grassy sections that were like riding on ice due to the recent rain. Overall some nice wooded sections, nothing too technical and the course was rounded off by that motocross track with a few jumps on it and a couple more grassy fields.
On to the start itself then, I was in the clubman class, 2&4 strokes together, any size bike.
The flag dropped and off we went, I made a really crap getaway and was near the back but managed to make a few places up through the woods until we hit an off camber grassy right hander. Still desperately trying to gain more places I overcooked it, the front slid away and ended up on my arse! By the time I got back on the bike I was plum last.
When made it round to the first of the climbs chaos loomed up in front of me and I had to wait until the marshals had cleared the way of the riders until I could carry on. Going down these hills the other side was bloody well tricky and I virtually had to ‘crawl’ down in order to keep control of the bike. On my 2nd lap I did a ‘you’ve been framed moment’ while taking it easy down one of those slippery descents. The front went away from me and I went straight over the bars doing a somersault landing on my back which luckily for me was in some soft bushes, nice one! What happened next was something that you might see on ‘you tube’ if you type in ‘funny videos’ on the search bar (or words to that effect). I picked myself up, got back on the bike, started her, let the clutch out and promptly slammed into the nearest tree about 5 yds away! My throttle had got stuck wide open! I hit the tree at fair crack as well because it flattened my ring that I wear on my right hand as I slammed into it (much to the annoyance of the girlfriend coz she bought me that ring). Oh well never mind I’m sure she’ll buy me another one!
I rolled down to the bottom of the hill and tried to re-start the bike but it wasn’t having any of it and I’d thought that I might have fouled up the plug, not good if your miles from the pits. I rested for 5 mins, turned the fuel off, kicked her a few times, turned the fuel back on, kicked again, and Bring-a-ding-ding, the sweet noise of a two ‘smoke’ rung around my ears as the Tm fired back up into life and off I went. By the time I got through the transponders after doing 2 laps (36 mins) I knew I was well down due to the couple of ‘offs’ and getting held up.
Had another ‘off’ on my next lap on one of those hills again, my fault really as I tried to get past a fallen rider through a gap that wasn’t there, no problem though, just went back down and made it up 2nd time.
After I pitted and went back out on the course the club had obviously decided to cut out some of the hills probably due to the chaos they were causing some riders so our lap was now a lot quicker. Shame that, those climbs were fun.

As I raced on and with about 20 mins on the clock remaining I thought I could get another 2 laps in and maybe 3 if I pushed it a bit before the clock ran out on me. These last 20 mins turned out to be action packed! One guy on of those orange bikes (you know the one’s, there everywhere) overtook me whilst going over one of the jumps only to go over the bars right in front of me and get a face full of dirt with his bike landing on top of him. I managed to avoid him but stopped and asked him if he was ok, he was a bit shaken but alright.
Next up on one of the grassy off cambers 2 riders got tangled right in front of me again and came crashing to the ground, again I managed to get out of the way and carry on. I did take a quick look back, they both got up so no problem.
I then ran into a fellow TM rider as he’d got stuck on a slope and I saw a gap to get past him, but just as I got next to him he moved, he hit the deck, I stayed upright and carried on. Yet again I took a quick look back to make sure he was ok.
As I started another lap with 10 mins to go I knew it was going to be tight as to weather I could get another lap in before time. I kept looking at my watch on the bars thinking will I make it or not and yes I did with 20 secs to go!
I was well pleased with that and rode round in almost complete isolation due to no one being behind me, but there was still a few in front and as I caught and passed some I came to the only hill that was left in the course which was still causing some riders a few problems. I rode up it ok but as I got to the top 2 marshals were helping some guy get back on his bike and there was gap that I could get through to pass him, so obviously I went for it. Sods law, just as I was about to pass him he slipped and fell down right in front of me. I tried to avoid him but couldn’t and ran over his leg! I came off, got back up and turned round to ask him if he was alright and guess what? It was the same TM rider that I’d hit 10 mins ago!
Thankfully he was ok because I’d seriously thought that I might have broken his leg, phew.
After I made it back to the finish I waited for him to finish and told him that I didn’t have anything against him and I wasn’t out to get him just because I’d hit him twice in the few laps of the race! He took it all in good faith and we both had a laugh about it.
Had a chat with Rob Ellick and Paul Ford just as I was leaving and to be honest Paul must be sick to death of seeing me. Every time we speak before a race, he has a Dnf. He did it at Combe Sydenham and he did it here as well!

Finishing position: 24/29
Bike status: ok
Injuries: none