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enduro
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Beacons 2 Day Rally |
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Bounds wins Beacons 2 Day Rally - 22nd August - Results The Welsh Trail Riders Association held their Beacons 2 Day Rally in the Crychan forest this weekend. The Met Office issued "Be aware" severe weather warning for Saturday. There is no better place than the Crychan to be aware of severe weather. The course was 29 miles long. On Day 1 it was clockwise and the riders rode 3 laps. There were 2 tests. The first dropped from the Firetower via the Timberyard to Bob's Stick. The second was around the Castle & over Trout Hill. Craig Bounds (left) rode his second test without a seat on his BMW X-Challenge 650. It made very little difference to his times which were consistently 10% faster than Bob Creedy from Taunton on a CCM Dualsport 644 in second. Trevor Newton from Sunderland was 3rd. Jonathan Williams from Llandrindod Wells set the second fastest set of times to win the Sports bike class on a KTM 530. Geordie Brian Eland was 2nd and Gary O'Shaughnessy from Taunton was 3rd. The wet conditions proved to be too much for many of the riders and a third of the entry retired.
"Big thanks to all those involved in making this a cracking event. Superbly run, a brilliant course and a great atmosphere. Sunday was as good a day out on a bike as you could wish for. More of the same next year please." Stephen Hague # 168 "Having bought a 690 enduro, I thought I would try my first rally. The Beacons was an excellent event very well run extremely friendly and a brilliant course albeit a bit wet, well it was Wales! A big thanks to all concerned." Jon Boulton Photos Bob Mullins Keith Davies
Beacons Two Day Rally 2009 Report from Dot Jones Unusually for this part of Wales the competitors found blue sky and warm sunshine waiting to great them at the start area in the forest up past Tirabad. Around 125 eager riders were queuing for technical inspection and then a long wait for the 11am start. There was a varied mix of makes, engine size and physical size with some very big machines in evidence. First man away was Mark Molineux aboard a well prepared Clarkes BMW and he would be finding the route and hoping to keep ahead of the other large machines on his tail, many KTM 950’s and 640’s and two Aprillias, one fitted with road tyres. From the entry list it seemed that almost every rider was over 40, 50 or 60 except the ladies whose ages were not disclosed. Some ladies were here for their very first off road event and were a little apprehensive. Jennifer Wright KTM 250 4T would be riding with hubby Bernard and Andrew Neri in close attendance. Andrew is planning to enter the Dakar on a KTM in 2010 after many years of assistance, if he can get some sponsorship and sell his house! Another first timer was French lady Sophie David on board a brand new Kawasaki 250 KLXS but after a very slow first lap completed the second but decided another day would be just too much. The two old farts Jim Jones on his equally ancient TTR and Bob Room were full of beans, literally after a good brekkie. Bob’s KTM was proving difficult to start and when the battery finally gave out poor Bob struggled to kick start the bike and had to retire after one lap. Strange that replacement hips are not designed to cope with kickstarting motorbikes. Most riders enjoyed a steady ride dicing with their mates on a great course in the glorious sunshine. WTRA marshals had been busy pumping out a lot of water from a very deep hole in the infamous sunken lane after Bob Perrin went for a swim! Lots of tired bodies after two laps and the smart money was on Mark Vaughan winning day one as he went all out due to his not being able to ride on day two but there were a few other contenders for the lead.
Tim Whittle on the Caponord Mark feeds the BMW Jennie Wright & Catherine Smith More Photos Keith Davies |
On Day 2 the course was reversed and the sun shone. Jonathan Williams
(right Euan Davies) set the fastest times to win the Sports bike class.
Alistair Brown from Brighton was the runner up on a KTM EXCF 250 and Calvert
Jones from Kilgetty was 3rd. Brian Eland dislocated his shoulder but he was
still able the reach out and hold on to sixth. Craig Bounds once again won the
Trail class ahead of Antony Whittle from Penryn and Steve Hague from Glossop
was 3rd.
On
Sunday the weather was back to normal, low cloud and drizzle and the earlier
start caught out a few riders who had enjoyed the hospitality of the inns in
Llandovery! A few non starters but otherwise it was a regular line of riders
waiting at the start check. The drizzle made the top surface greasy and the
early numbers said it was like riding on ice and a decision was taken to cut
the laps down from three to two again. Though Bob Perrin was heard to comment
that if heavy rain came down then three laps would be more of a challenge! As
riders returned for refuelling the talk was of a slippery track, diversions
into the ferns and many fallen riders. One track leading to the start of a
special test was particular tricky and the big machines found it very
difficult and riders were helping one another to get through. The ladies were
in fine form enjoying bacon butties between laps and Gill Myers was riding a
Yamaha DT125 two stroke after many years on a four stroke and was pleased that
this decision proved to be the right one. She commented that it took about an
hour on the first day to get used to the smaller engine and having to use the
brakes. Only a few retirements as the heavy rain began to fall and riders
arriving at the finish were very muddy indeed but all had big smiles. The
event had proved to be just right, challenging but not dangerous or too
difficult and every finisher collected an award as they thanked the hard
working WTRA crew.
