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NB Modified results have been issued with allowance for Stage 3 Day 1 Pontrhydfengiad is a difficult place to get to but well worth the effort. This hamlet on the western slopes of the Cambrian Mountains is a great location for a round of the BEC or possibly something bigger. The Eisteddfordd Pavilion offers a covered Parc Ferme, signing on in the foyer, a bar in the evening, hard standing for all the competitors' transport & a field by the river for camping. The Dyfed Dirtbike & Aberystwyth MCC team did a tremendous job in the atrocious weather conditions to lay out a great course. One victim of the bad weather was Cambrian Timing who lost some of their gear to the floods & as a result there was only one test but on the plus side it was only a mile from the start.
4 times World champion Paul Edmondson described the Tywi as a "great course, really good". Out of the 166 starters, 52 riders retired but 11 finished with clean timecards. The 2007 Tywi was tough but fair as all BEC rounds aspire to be. Congratulations to everyone involved.
The build up started badly for the Garvald, East Lothian Scottish Enduro Champion as his dog was chased away by two terriers and disappeared, Murray and his wife Tracy spent the Friday afternoon searching for their dog instead of making the finishing touches to their D3 Racing KTM 250. Once the dog returned they were able to concentrate on the event which was to prove very difficult as the weather had been terrible during the weeks leading up to the weekend. The route had been shortened to give the riders a chance to complete the course. A special stage was cancelled and a very tight check was set up as an alternative challenge, Murray was one of only two Expert riders to clean the 18 minute stage and finished second on Saturday to the rider who had set out the track. On Sunday the route was further cut back to ensure the majority of the 180 riders reached the finish. Murray pushed to the finish and rode well in the cross country special tests, his combined efforts resulted in his first Expert Class overall win. Murray was delighted to win as he revels in these conditions and he was pleased the event had gone ahead despite the weather. Stan Watts report for Frontrowgb Photos available from Keith Bowen & Tim Tighe Day 1 Day 2
Report by Bob Mullins Amongst the many treasures of Wales is a great diamond. It is not locked away in a vault or displayed in a case but it can be seen on any map which includes Rhayader, Builth Wells, Llandovery & Tregaron. It is the Cambrian Mountains & at it's centre sparkles the Tywi Valley. It was in this majestic setting that a collaboration of Dyfed Dike Bike Club & Aberystwyth MCC mounted the Tywi 2 Day Enduro - Round 3 of the Motul Lubricants ACU British Enduro Championship - on the 29th & 30th July 2006. The start was in the Pontrhydfendigaid Pavilion, a wonderful facility which is capable of seating an audience of 2000 but on this occasion housed the Parc Ferme under cover. Alongside, there is a huge parking area & a field beyond for camping beside the river. Both the MX & cross country tests were within 5 minutes of the Start. The 65 mile lap was an extension of Aberystwyth MCC's Mountain Tops which uses the Water Splashes south of Strata Florida (familiar to anyone who has ridden the Welsh) but then after crossing the Abergwesyn road it threw out a huge loop that lassooed the spectacular lake Lyn Brianne. It also roped in the less picturesque Nant-yr-Hooch & Delawen Forests. Weeks of record breaking heat & no rain had left the ground dry & hard or as dry & hard as it ever gets in Wales. Walking the test on Friday, Chris Whitely from Chippenham aggravated a knee injury & was forced to withdrawn. As Friday evening fell, a slim crescent moon rose over the trees & the riders mellowed outside the pavilion where a bar had been set up. Would these warm Summer days ever end? The answer would be yes. The first three riders were flagged away at 10 am. The organisers would have preferred an earlier start but that would conflicted with a horse event. It was a long day. For the last Clubmen - starting at 10.50 am - they would not be finishing until 7.30 pm or later. The weather was forecasting rain by tea time but it arrived for lunch. A light mist at first which did little to dampen down the dust but helped it to adhere to rider's visors. Then it got heavier & the temperature dropped. The Championship class had 2.25 laps to fit in 6 tests. The Experts & Clubman had 2 laps & 4 tests. The first cross country test was not timed on the first lap. A reluctant spectator was Edward Jones who broke his fibia 4 weeks ago at Culham. He is already in a walking cast & hopes to be fit for the next round. Much of the course was new going or old going under new grass. It needed care & luck. Chris Hockey was unlucky. He fell heavily & retired with 2 suspected broken ribs. Huw Watkins also had a moment & pulled his hamstring. The Cambrian Mountains has poor mobile reception. Thanks to Raynet for the radio cover. By check 4 Darren Wheeler's headstock nut had undone. It was not the only loose nut on the bike (photo: Keith Bowen). In the absences of a 32mm socket, he improvised by tighten the nut by hand & wrapping a zip tie around it & one of bar brackets to stop it unscrewing. It worked for both days. Roger Baker lost a rad & Steve Dopson retired when he ran out of pads. The winding roads around the steeply sloping lakeside require good brakes unless you were prepared for some spontaneous freestyle & sub aqua action. Andrew Edwards lost time when he pinned his bike to jump a ditch only to be pinned by the bike in the ditch.
Sunday morning dawned cool & clear. After a long first day, the tariff was cut to 1 & a bit laps for everyone. Overnight there had been some light pruning around the course. Classes had 2 routes through Nant-yr-Hooch. Clubman Mick Seward regretted sticking with Expert plates when he got directed down an Expert loop. Dizzie Gillespie was the last rider but he wasn't waiting for the closing marshals. At the finish the top 3 came home in the same order the left on Saturday morning. David Knight was 1st, Paul Edmondson was 2nd & Jake Stapleton was 3rd. Daryl Bolter overcame a lot of discomfort to finish 7th. Euan McConnell's challenge ended when he retired on the 2nd lap with an intermittent electrical problem. Sean Robinson was the Best Expert & Steve Dustow was the runner up. Rob Faulkner continued to dominate the Veterans ahead of Neil Boyd. Katrina Price was 4th. Andrew Muller was the Best Clubman & Chris Hart was the runner up. Allyn Scotland #233 started both days with a puncture & did really well to finish. Just over 50% of the field were classified as finishers. This was an ambitious event executed with style. Congratulations to everyone involved.
Reigning FIM Enduro 3 World Champion David Knight placed his D3-Racing KTM at the top of the results at the third round of the ’06 British Enduro Championship, the jointly organised DDBC and AMCC Tywi Enduro, winning the Championship class on both days. With three months having passed since the second round of the BEC series Knight comfortably placed at the top of the results on both days winning on day one by 25 seconds and day two by 53 seconds. One of the first riders onto the enduro and motocross tests during day one, faced with slippery conditions Knight was unable to open up a commanding day one lead as he has at previous BEC events. Going on to win all but one of Saturday’s special tests Knight was one of just seven Championship class riders not to lose time on the going as tight time controls and bad weather resulted in a challenging opening day. Finishing ahead of Euan McConnell and Paul Edmondson Knighter claimed his fourth day win of the ’06 BEC series. With conditions drier and the day shorter on Sunday Knighter was the only rider to go under five minutes on the opening enduro test and having set the time to beat continued his winning ways during the second day’s competition. With the check times eased from day one all but two Championship class riders went clean on time with Knighter unbeaten on any of the day’s five timed special tests. Eventually winning by close to just under one-minute David remains unbeaten in the ’06 BEC series. David’s next event will be the penultimate round of the ’06 FIM World Enduro Championship held in Slovakia on September 2-3 where he hopes to claim his second consecutive Enduro 3 world championship title David Knight: “It’s been another good weekend really. After the two races in Canada and the US I was bit tired but I didn’t have any problems during the event. The tests on the first day were really slippery, especially on the first lap. I couldn’t push as hard as I wanted to, which was frustrating. It was hard to pull ahead and open up a good gap like I normally try and do. It did get a little more grippy at the end of the day. “The opening day was a bit too long really, especially as there were no tests to break it up. But there was some great new going and the tight check back to the motocross test was probably the best part of the event. “I enjoyed day two much more. Having a test right after the start was good and because it was a lot more cut up than it was on day one I was able to attack it more. They tests did get slippery when it rained hard at the end of the lap but they were perfect for the two runs at the end of the day. All in all it was a good event and the club clearly put a lot of effort into it.9-30/7/2006
Electraction TM UK riders Euan McConnell and Jake Stapleton both produced strong performances at the third round of the ’06 British Enduro Championship, the Tywi Enduro jointly organised by DDBC and AMCC and held in West Wales, with McConnell winning the Enduro 2 class on day one and Stapleton finishing as overall E2 class runner-up behind former world champion Paul Edmondson. As the only rider to beat David Knight during the opening day’s competition Scott Euan McConnell produced his best result of the ’06 season so far placing just 25 seconds behind the reigning world champion and winning the Enduro 2 class ahead of Paul Edmondson. Fast right from the start of the day, McConnell finished as one of just a handful of riders not to lose time during the day. Coming close to beating Knight again on the second timed motocross test McConnell held off Edmondson to give TM their first BEC class win of the season. Frustratingly for McConnell his hopes of a repeat result failed to materialise. Just two seconds behind Edmondson after the first two special tests of the second day a troublesome hot start mechanism resulted in his bike stopping periodically and then refusing to start. Losing two and a half minutes on the third special test to his rivals McConnell then failed to complete the opening lap of the course as his bike troubles worsened. Forced to withdraw from the event Euan was more than a little disappointed due to having ridden so well on day one. Thankfully TM UK’s second Enduro 2 class rider Jake Stapleton had a far less adventurous weekend at the Tywi Enduro. Finding the slippery conditions on day one difficult to adjust to after competing in WEC events in Canada and the US Jake stayed clean on time on day one and placed third in the E2 class behind team-mate McConnell and Paul Edmondson and in fourth overall. On day two Jake performed better than he had on day one finishing in third overall and second in the E2 class. Placing 30 seconds behind Edmondson Jake finished comfortably ahead of the third placed E2 class rider Si Wakely. Jake Stapleton: “Day one went pretty good. The enduro tests took some adjusting to because it was really slippery but hard underneath. I liked the motocross test but a few riders were a little quicker than me. One thing that I was really happy with was my speed on the trails. The conditions were pretty wet and muddy in places and I didn’t make any mistakes, which was good. I didn’t lose any time. Being on the same minute as Knight and Edmondson was awesome – I was able to see what they were doing, the lines they were using, and I just tried to stay with them for as long as I could. It was an education following Knighter in places. “Day two was better – the tests weren’t as slippery. I felt better on the tests, didn’t make any mistakes either. Day one was a little too long but day two was great. I got a similar result to day one – third overall and second in class, but I felt I rode better.” Euan McConnell: “Day one went really well. I pushed really hard on the first un-timed enduro test, which helped me at the start of the second lap. It was so slippery that on the second lap I made sure that I took tight lines in the corners and just rode really calmly, making sure I didn’t get any wheel spin. Doing well on that test gave my confidence a real boost for the rest of the day. My 450 was great on the motocross test as well and I didn’t make any mistakes all day. On the last lap I struggled a little bit with a soft mousse but I still managed to win the Enduro 2 class, which was great. “Day two also started well. I really wanted to get the same result so I really focused on riding without any mistakes on the first test. After the first two tests I was only a few seconds behind Edmondson. That’s when my bike started to cut out on the second cross-country test. The bike stopped a number of times and refused to start. Then in the forest it stopped again and it took me ages to get it going again. It was really frustrating because it wasn’t a mechanical problem, just something stupid. I think it could have been the cable operated hot start that caused the problem. Day one was great, day two was really frustrating. “The event was great. I didn’t like the check through the ‘splashes’ but thankfully the rest of the event was completely different to that. So much of the course was brand new, not one long rut like some of the Welsh forests have become. The organisers had clearly put a lot of effort into the event with loads of wide, open trails, which were great fun to ride.”
PAR Homes Honda Racing Fast Eddy rider Paul Edmondson finished the third round of the ’06 British Enduro Championship as overall winner of the Enduro 2 class and in second place in the overall results behind David Knight. Finishing as runner-up in the E2 class on day one before winning on day two of the DDBC and AMCC organised Tywi Enduro, Edmondson increased his lead in the E2 British championship standings as a result of his strong results. With the opening day one of the toughest faced by BEC competitors for several years Edmondson finished as just one of seven riders who managed to remain clean on time. With several tight time controls and heavy rain making the day challenging for all riders, close to nine hours in the saddle meant that the Championship class riders were more than ready for their beds come Saturday night. Starting a little slower than he’d hoped he would Edmondson spent much of the first day trying to get himself ahead of Scott Euan McConnell. Beating Euan on two of the six tests Paul placed just two seconds behind and as runner-up in the Enduro 2 class on day one. On day two Edmondson took the lead in the Enduro 2 class right from the start of the day and topped each of the five tests in the E2 class. With the day much shorter than the first only two Championship class riders lost time, which meant that the results were decided on the event’s motocross and enduro special tests. Placing as runner-up to David Knight in the overall classification Paul topped the E2 class ahead of Jake Stapleton and Si Wakely. Paul Edmondson: “It’s been a cracking event – really enjoyable and a proper enduro. Day one went things went well. I started off a little slow but Euan McConnell started exceptionally fast – so fast that he was on Knighter’s case early on. I clawed my way back to within a few seconds of him but had a really enjoyable day. I was a little disappointed not to have beaten him but I was certainly trying my best. I wasn’t too far behind David overall. Getting to ride on the same minute as David has helped push me on a lot – it made me ride a little faster on the going than maybe I wanted to but it’s done me good. The tight checks were really god fun. “The second day was really good fun. With a bit less time in the forest and more time on the tests you had to push hard all day. I finished a little further behind David on some tests than I would have liked but finishing as runner-up was good. My bike was good, I didn’t have any problems apart from racing Knighter on the first un-timed test on day one and banging my arm, and the club did a great job of running a British championship.”
Husky Sport Husqvarna rider Daryl Bolter returned to competition at round three of the ’06 British Enduro Championship, the Tywi Enduro staged in Pontrhydfendigaid, West Wales, having been out of action for several months following an operation on his left wrist. Despite being far from as bike fit as he would like to be, and still adjusting to life on a 250cc two-stroke after several years aboard a 125, Daryl posted two solid results placing inside the overall top 10 of the Championship class on both days. With conditions tough on day one Daryl dropped one minute on the going before claiming an eventual eighth place finish in the overall Championship class and as sixth best finisher in the E2 class. On day two Bolter performed better than on day one and not pushing quite so hard made fewer mistakes and produced better special test times. Improving to fifth in the Enduro 2 class Bolter placed just five seconds behind third placed E2 rider Si Wakely, and in sixth overall. Despite an achy wrist at the end of the event Daryl was happy to be back on a bike and once again competing in the British Enduro Championship. Bolter’s Husky Sport team-mate Chris Hockey crashed out of the event on day one breaking two ribs as a result of a fall on one of the tight checks. Topping the overall Expert class results at the Tywi Enduro was Sean Robinson. Narrowly finishing ahead of Steve Dustow in the combined overall Expert results aboard his Husqvarna WR250 at the end of the event, Sean placed seventh overall in the Expert class on day one before placing as runner-up by one second, and topping the E2 class, on day two. Daryl Bolter: “It’s great to be back on a bike and racing in the British Enduro Championship again, but it’s been a frustrating weekend for me. Not being able to ride for such a long time, and because I’m still adjusting to racing the 250, I being beaten by riders that I could easily beat last year. That’s so frustrating. I know it will take some time before I return to the speed I was racing at before my wrist injury but it’s hard when you know you are capable of finishing higher up the results. “The weekend was a good work out for me. I made a few too many mistakes on the first day, which put me down the results a bit, but losing one minute was annoying. The tight checks were good – I guess I was just a little rusty. When things went well on the tests I was pleased with my riding, but on occasions I was riding the bike a bit too much like a 125. “Day two was better for me. I still would have liked a better result but I was more consistent and felt smoother. My wrist was fine – it aches like hell but that’s to be expected. All in all I’m happy with the way the event went. I just need to keep riding now to get my speed back.” The Enduro News 2 Man Team Photos : Huw Watkins Greg Evans - Championship 11th
Michael Rees - Expert 11th
Results Saturday Sunday Combined Championship Standings Photos available from Gary Jones, Keith Bowen, The Top 3 (photos by Chris Mearns, RLC)
Goggles found I found a pair of goggles on the Dalawen (after the dam) check on Saturday. If you lost a pair, let me know the make & colour & I will try & return them bob.mullins@virgin.net
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Tywi
2007 
Friday The forecast for scrutineering was for sunshine &
showers. As the day began there was precious little of the former but by
lunchtime the wind began to blow in increasing patches of blue sky.
Children - who weren't old enough to have witnessed the phenomena
commented upon it to their parents. Another welcome sight was 
Saturday A grey dawn gradually turned to blue as the clouds
thinned. The first 2 riders were flagged away at 9.01am & the tarif
was 2 circuits of the 45 mile lap for everyone. The course took the riders
through the village to the MX test. A policeman with a speed camera
monitored their departure. One outrider with a non UK plate was stopped
& asked to produce his documents - which he was able to do. Rudy
Austin had an early drama. His brother had gone from the start to the
refuelling area with everything he would need for the day including his
timecard. Fortunately the Knighter's card was still in it's envelope. The MX
test - on the side of a hill - was sandy & quick with a sweet table
top before the finish to get some air on film but the bike wouldn't stay
shiny for long. Check 1 to 2 was the water splashes of Strata Florida with
some boggy going & a big downhill. There was no shortage of travelling
marshals - at times the burger van was totally obscured by dayglo but the club
could do with a few more Check marshals.
Check 2 was manned by me & the WTRA team
Bob Jeffries, Phil Wilkinson &: Jim Lee. Stage 3
through Nant yr Hooch was tight. This year the course did not cross the
Lyn Brianne dam as Talawen was too wet. The service area was at Sawn yr
Mynnydd which is also used for re-fuelling by the Cambrian Rally. There
was a bit of confusion as to whether the riders could refuel before or
after the check. Some riders were directed away & lost time when they
ran out of petrol. It's a measure of the going that 8 ltrs couldn't last
28 miles. The MX test on the second lap was cancelled due to the land
owners' daughter was getting married at noon. Carl McIllroy from Cornwall
crashed heavily on the way to Check 6 crushing his exhaust & splitting
his radiator hose. He had time to remove the pipe, cut the split out &
refit the hose. Dizzy Gillespie high sided his bike & landed heavily,
breaking his collarbone. Richard Tucker broke his kickstart. Jamie Paget
dnf'd when he ripped off the radiator. He rode 2 checks with out any water
& melted the head o rings, the exhaust o rings and anything else that
could melt but it did not seize. If it was dark the engine would have
glowed. The final
check of the day was the tightest & the toughest. A tricky camber led
to a steep hill & when things looked like they couldn't worst, they
did. Liz Millet lost her clutch. Murray Thomson was one of only a few riders who
didn't use his minute.
At the finish the Championship riders had 2 tests back
to back. The second fastest time on the test was set by Mick Seward's dogs
& the fastest time was luckily set by the little dog they were chasing.
As
the last of the Clubmen turned into the working area, rain began to fall.
Nick Gill's YZ developed an electrical problems in Strata Florida. It was
bad luck but a great opportunity to get my Frontera muddy. Nick accepted
a 15 mile tow back to the start & rode well. 
Sunday Overnight the rain passed & the 2nd day dawned clear.
The tariff was one lap for everyone with an extra loop for the
Championship class. The first few riders were held up at the MX test by a
technical problem but still cleaned the check. The Clubmen & Veterans
were directed around the bogs & the downhill before Strata Florida but
Murray Thomson won the Metzeler British Enduro Championship Expert
Class in Pontrhydfengiad Wales at the weekend. Report
by Campbell Chatham
Twyi
2 Day - British Enduro Championship - 29th-30th July
2006
David Knight
(left) did what he does best - which is win - but 
Knighter wins BEC Rnd 3
E2 class win for McConnell, overall E2 runner-up for
Stapleton at BEC Rnd 2
Edmondson takes overall E2 class honours at BEC Rnd 3
Daryl Bolter returns to the BEC
