This last month has been one of highs, big lows and then a big high. At the start of the month, we headed to France on holiday straight from the last British National round feeling good with a nice win under the belt. Then on my first full day of riding in France, I fractured my wrist with the British Champs exactly two weeks away. Fortunately, after healing fast, I took the decision to race the British National Short Track Championships and won.
We headed out to Les Gets on holiday. I had planned for a relaxing time in the sun, watching the World Cup races, and some bike park fun with friends. I had also planned a nearby French Cup race where I would have had a decent gridding so was hoping for a good result.
As I left to meet my friends with my enduro bike, my Dad said, “Imagine if you have to phone me today to say, ‘Dad I have broken my …’ when the British Champs is two weeks away”. Long story short, after a long and full fun day of riding, one of my friends crashed ahead of me on a jump line and I crashed straight into them and into the back of the next take-off, injuring my wrist, shoulder, and neck. I phoned my dad to tell him the news.
After being evacuated of the mountain on a stretcher, I was treated at the excellent Les Get medical clinic. But I then had to an extremely late night at the hospital in the valley getting a CT scan, I was patched up with a wrist cast and a neck brace. I knew British Champs was going to be a struggle, but I was still determined to do everything possible to try and make it. I was so upset that I did not even want to watch the World Cup, so I enjoyed some time off in the sun and did some light turbo work for the remainder of the time abroad.
After getting back to Britain, my wrist was feeling much better and after discussions with my coach, we decided that I could ride the Short Track Champs as the risk of further injuring my wrist was quite low. Despite limited training in the last two weeks and having only been on the bike outside once since the accident, I felt surprisingly good in practice and warm up and, if anything, I slight overdid it.
After the start, I managed to get straight into the lead and attacked the first couple of laps to force a selection. After this, Dec Oldham came to the front for a lap before Max Standen took over setting a high pace and dropping Dec a few laps later.
Our duo caught the elites (who started 30s before us) going through the finish line with two laps left and I thought we might sit on them. However, Max went straight to the front triggering the top elites to attack (they did not want beaten by the juniors after all) and causing the group to split. During all this chaos, I used my cyclocross skills to undercut Max on a grassy corner to take the lead of the junior race into the single track with some elites on our tail.
From there, it was me defending the lead from Max over the last two laps. I eased up when there was no chance of overtaking and drove hard everywhere else to hold the front.
This meant Max had to beat me from behind on the short sprint. There was a slight dogleg coming out of the single track onto the finish straight, so I deliberately straight lined it forcing Max to the inside which I then closed off, stalling his sprint slightly giving me an advantage. It was a hard and close sprint, but I managed to take it by a bike length.
After everything, I was absolutely delighted to take the win, but decided not to race the full XCO race on the quite technical course. It was better not to risk my wrist with some big races still to go this season.
I have two XC races left this season and then a short break and onto the cyclocross season.
As always, a huge thanks to SORT, Pedal Potential, Braveheart Trust and last but definitely not least, my parents for the support in getting me here! 😊
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