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2007 Welsh 2 Day Enduro |
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Daryl Bolter wins 2007 Welsh 2 Day - 21st & 22nd June Results Teams
Thursday Day 1: The riders had no need for an alarm call as torrential rain battered Llandrindod awake between 6 & 7am. For many riders in this year's Welsh, the Summer solstice would turn out be their longest day. By 8 the rain had abated as the first of the sidecar outfits set sail & then the solos in groups of 4 departed toward Beulah & the Irvin forest. Alan Graham from Ireland was the last rider away on a minute of his own but he would find plenty of company as other riders lost time. Although the clouds still threaten, the rain did not returned & temperature rose. The first offroad stage was a boggy open moorland. It claimed a few victims including #528 Stephen Jones from Abergavenny & #489 Phil Roper from Suffiolk with a suspected broken finger. Danny Wright & his father Gordon retired together. A warm drying wind blew all day & the course got better & better. The Irvin forest - without tarmac & traffic - is always tight & some well known riders - like Katrina Price & Steve Plain - lost time. Ian Peberdy fell heavily & required medical attention for 3 suspected broken ribs. Off the course Andrew Edwards wife Rachel was involved in a road traffic accident. She is 20 weeks pregnant & was taken to hospital for a check up but was given the all clear. Andrew retired to be with his wife. Edward Jones' front seal was leaking when he arrived the Cwmythig Hill test. Daryl Bolter set the fastest time with a 5' 57" - an astonishing 14 seconds ahead of Tom Sagar who was 2 seconds ahead of Paul Edmondson. Michael Arnold will probably be looking for something with a button after stalling on the test. Test times were only of interest to the riders who cleaned the Irvin in the morning & the long Abbeycwmhir stage in the afternoon would prove equally tight. Tim Foreman ran out of petrol but managed to mug a passer by. Tom Sagar left the road & picked up a shiner. Race FX's Paul Irwin lost time when a water splash washed out his contact lens. Nick Ashley & his team were competing in dog's outfits to raise money for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People , a great effort considering the heat & humidity. The stator on Karl Gunnlaugsson 2008 250 KTM packed in. Karl from Iceland has been riding the Welsh for 12 years & has his eye on his team mate Svenn Johannsson bike. At the Abbey Daryl held his nerve but Paul pulled back some time to lie in second overnight. Friday Day 2: A watery blue sky cleared & the forecast looked good. The day 1 results were been posted at the start. Daryl Bolter led the E1 Expert class from Edward Jones. Edward did well to finish 2nd with fork oil on front disc. Paul Edmondson was the Best E2 Expert ahead of Graham Jarvis. Jon Williams led the E3 Experts & Chris Tett was the runner up. Neil Williams was the best of a huge Over 40 class. Aled Evans has retired with a blown head gasket. Richard Chandler from Reading had lost his passenger but had found a replacement in marshal Gareth Hampson. The course ran anti-clockwise & both tests were ridden in the morning. The Abbeycwmhir stage - which cost most riders points - was been cut by 7 miles. With perfect weather the competitors headed north through Crossgates. As the riders left Llandrindod, the local school children lined the pavement to wave them off. They would soon be waving some of them back in for at the Abbey test it became clear that the wear & tear of the previous day had not been magically made better overnight by the pixies. Pads without linings squeaked & chain circlips were worn away. With the prospect of a breakdown in the Red Lion several riders head back. The remaining field moved on to Cwmythig where most riders bikes were looking decidedly second hand next to Justin Walton's Honda. He must have had a deal with Mr Sheen. Damon Rowe fell heavily off the flat top at Cwmythig & pinned his leg under his bike. St johns offered assistance but he carried on. David Nellis from Middlesbro dropped time on the slack Rhayader to Llangurig road section when he overtook a convoy of slow moving wind farm blades & missed the turning to Tarenig. The second day was warm & dry until 3 pm when an hour of torrential rain soaked the field. The last mile of offroad - through the boggy ground on the open moorland between Beulah & Llandod - became one of the toughest sections of the day. Unfortunately some riders didn't get that far. Previous class winner Huw Watkin's lost his rear wheel bearings in Strata Florida. Phil Wilkinson twisted his angle. Keith Horsnell lost his kickstart but kept it going to finish 9th in the Expert E1. Huskysport's Daryl Bolter E1 - supported by MPS Racing - repeated his 2004 success & was the overall winner. Paul Edmondson was Best E2 & 2nd overall. Greg Evans on a W-Mounter was 3rd, Tom Sagar 4th & Edward Jones 5th. Chris Tett won the Expert E3 class ahead of Jonathan Williams. Gaz Hampson proved to be a good replacement for Jeff Gosling on board Richard Chandler's outfit & the team finished. Bradford & Morgan won the Expert Sidecars ahead of Turner & Yelland & the Smith Brothers won the Clubman Sidecars ahead of Marshal & Evans. Tony Gush from Wrexham won the E1 Clubman class on a Honda 250 & David Lloyd-Jones was the runner up. Jeff Cannons was the Best E2 Clubman ahead of Lee Smith. Martin Cheeseman won the E3 class & Paul Spurgeon was the runner up. Only 2 twin shocks finished. More a result of soggy drum brakes than of outdated suspension. Ben Falconer switched to a Gas Gas 200 so Ady Connell was the winner of the Twin Shock class on a Harley. Last man away Alan Graham finished & rushed back to Ireland to compete at Lempster on the Sunday. With no Over 50/60 classes this year there was huge Over 40's class. Neil Williams was the winner ahead of Carl Davies. 65 year old David Vaughan dropped a couple of minutes & finished 5th in the Sportsman class. Buster Griffin finished OTA at 72. The Best Team was MPS Racing consisting of Daryl Bolter, Simon Wakely & Chris Hockey. The runner up was Hafren A consisting of Edward, Robert & Dylan Jones. The presentation was at a new venue in the Metropole & although it was a bit of a squeeze, it had a great atmosphere. The precious crystal ware was hand out & reverently placed on the bar of Rumours to be filled liquid oblivion. Saturday Review: The carnival is over for another year. The tents have been taken down & stowed away with the memories. It's been another great week, another great event & now we're heading home.
The Optoma Loans Enduro Team braved the rain and harsh conditions at the 56th annual Welsh Two Day Enduro on Thursday and Friday (21-22 June). The Optoma Loans Team rode the 340 mile course through the wet and muddy welsh countryside, Dakar Rally legend Mick Extance competed in the Expert class and Optoma Loans CEO Andrew Seymour was in the Clubman E1 class. Day One and the 11-stage 180 mile challenge began in Llandrindod Wells. In tough conditions, Optoma Loans rider, Andrew Seymour was unfortunately “timed-out” but continued on to the second day where he only dropped 6 minutes. Andrew’s Optoma Loans Team mate, Mick Extance dropped 6 minutes on the first day and went on to day two and the 160 mile course. Optoma Loans backed Dakar Rally rider Mick Extance was using the Welsh Enduro as one of a number of training weekends to get ready for his big race in January 2008. Optoma Loans boss, Andrew Seymour who is a passionate Enduro rider is also preparing for the Dakar Rally, in 2009. Mick Extance said: “I settled in well to my rhythm and it was great to be back out on the Bike. I am not sure the weather and conditions will prepare me for the Desert but it was still great experience to get under my belt. I used to ride for the GB Team in this event many years ago and I think I did well. Most of the Expert class are on small 250 2-stroke bikes whereas I was on my Dakar Honda CRF 450X 4-stroke bike for training.” Andrew Seymour said: “I was disappointed to be timed-out on the first day, but overall I am pleased with how it went as it was great experience. I have learnt a lot about the event and will definitely back next year with lots more experience. The conditions were so tough there were broken bikes of all colours left throughout the mountains but my Yamaha was awesome, I didn't even need to adjust chain and I would like to thank Steve Ruffles who did a fantastic job setting up my bike. It took me 6 hours to clean the bike on Sunday and I am ready for next event.” Results Expert E2 1. Paul Edmondson 666.01 2. Tom Sagar 679.93 3. Edward Jones 646.18 25. MICK EXTANCE 1126.29 Results Clubman E1 1. Tony Gush 755.43 2. David Lloyd Jones 820.23 3. Michael Mundy 800.58 47. ANDREW SEYMOUR Optoma album Team GGUK at the Welsh Wayne Braybrook has just finished 5th in the Expert E2 Class at the famous 'Welsh 2 Day' Enduro. Wayne was actually riding his usual and trusty EC300 which would have won the E3 Class easily but a mistake by 'myself' entered Wayne in E2 ! Nevertheless the 'Welsh' is a fun event and its the overall that 'really' counts where he finished 9th overall. With Wayne not riding a special test since Hells Gate back in Febuary he was a little out of practice. Also a crash on the first test on Day 2 didn't help when there are only 4 tests in approx. 15 hours riding! No excuses though as it is the same for everyone. Wayne had no problems with the two tight(ish) checks on Day 1 or the tight check on Day 2 where we had 24 minutes to complete the check. Wayne actually rode this with 2 minutes to spare! I also rode the Welsh for 'fun' and finished 16th in E2 which is crap! However i was pleased to stay on time but useless on the tests....better on Day 2 though. Still not bad for an office boy! Young 18 year old and GGUK spannerman, Luke Meredith finished 20th in E2 because the 'pillock' lost 3 minutes on time on Day 1! He stayed on time on Day 2 and i was happy to see him 'clean' the tight 24 minute check. Luke is maturing well as an Enduro rider and his test times are fast. If he stayed on time on Day 1 he would have finished 8th in E2 which is VERY good...However he didn't so i beat him...ha!! Also worth a mention is Martin Cheesman who won the Clubman E3 Class on a 'Thor Motorcycles' supported EC300, well done. Shirty Photos: Donate £1 to the ISDE support & download a high resolution copy. Details More Photos available from Keith Bowen Video: Frank Morgan MaIvern Iodge, Howey, LLANDRINDOD WELLS, Powys, ID1 5RE. TeI: 01597 822642
The annual Welsh 2 Day celebration of offroad motorcycling took place around mid Wales on the 22nd & 23rd June 2006. This year's event was devoted to the memory of Eddie Chandler (photo left by Pete Cobbe). The start was - as usual - at the lakeside park in Llandrindod Wells. Scrutineering took place on Wednesday & there was a thriving trade in wheel bearings. The weather was overcast & cool. For the spectators, the main source of excitement was the prospect of seeing David Knight competing on the new KTM 950 but unfortunately - after his impressive WEC win in Italy on the weekend - there was not enough time to prepare the bike. David came anyway & supported his brother Juan. In the Police camp there was a dilemna about team selection when news arrived that Kate Wakely has joined Dorset Constabulary. Day 1 dawned grey but dry. Overnight there were a couple of light showers but they hardly touched the ground. Before the start - which was officiated over by the Mayor of Llandrindod - the organisers took a moment to remember Eddie Chandler who died last year at the Natterjack. Eddie's sombrero & drool commentary have been a feature of the Welsh for many years. A picture of him in his hayday also featured on the cover of the programme & in a fitting tribute his ashes were scattered by his fellow sidecar drivers at ceremony on Strata Florida. The event started at 8am. Gary Christopher clearly avoided the temptation to use his local knowledge or the marking & went the wrong way as he exited the lakeside. A neat donut got him back on track. 6 riders acquired start penalties. The 150 mile course was similar to last year. It was ridden clockwise on Day 1 & in reverse on Day 2. Due to bureaucracy a lot of good going has been lost, as 9 times winner Geraint Jones says in the foreword to the programme & goes on to congratulate the organisers for their efforts to hold the line. The cross county test - a couple of miles outside Llandrindod - was a combination of grassy fields with the odd ditch & tight woodland. It was the first opportunity the riders had to get a feel of the ground. Andrew Edwards got a good feel when he somersaulted off a tump in the grass. Juan Knight bent his left thumb back when he landed heavily after jumping one of the ditches. It was the same hand he recently broke on the Isle of Man Beach Race so he was well prepared for the discomfort. The course then went over moorland to Beulah & through the Irfon forest. From the Irfon the riders swept along the glacial Valley of the Devil's Staircase to river crossings at Strata Florida. The "Splashes" were low but Ricky "Night" Mair must have been feeling the heat & took a dip. He dropped 55 mins. Huw Watkins had 4 punctures & retired. The Sidecar & sportsman times through the refuelling area at Pontrhydfendigiad were incorrect & any penalties were discounted. Roger Harvey of Honda UK crashed & sustained a suspected broken leg. Dutchman Mick Koch got a good taste of Welsh style hospitality when he missed his re-fuelling stop but was able to borrow a tank full from the Army support. Due to sheer number of riders, the organisers decided to drop the Sweet Lamb & Hafren stages as they did in 2005 for the Hafren European round. #36 had an electrical fault on the long road section from Tarenig. They managed to borrow a spare to start day 2 but finished early. Keith Caldicott's rear sprocket bolts broke loose on the test. Paul Edmondson (left: Keith Bowen) won the first day.
Photos available from Pete Cobbe Keith Bowen Gary Jones Video: Frank Morgan MaIvern Iodge, Howey, LLANDRINDOD WELLS, Powys, ID1 5RE. TeI: 01597 822642
For Enduro devotees the Summer Solstice means the annual pilgrimage to Llandrindod Wells for the Welsh 2 Day. Scrutineering took place on the Wednesday beneath a cloudless sky with temperatures soaring into the 80s. The common beside the lake was packed with tents & motorhomes as well as trade stands for the forgetful. It was possible to buy anything from a spare pair of gloves to a Fast Eddy CRF. Six Days manager Gwynne Baraclough & Natterjack CoC Dusty Miller were raising funds for the ISDE team buy raffling a £14,000 limited edition Husqvarna supplied by Huskysport. The tickets are £2 each. In Clerk of the Course Elwyn Price's palatial office there was a whiff of excitement & horses. The course on the wall outside was very similar to the previous year but by-passed the Hafren which is being prepared for the forthcoming European round. As a result the total distance per day was 133 miles. It was ridden clockwise on Day 1 & anti-clockwise on Day 2. On Thursday morning the first 2 sidecars were away at 8.01am & the solos followed at 4 a minutes. Eddie Chandler was there to see them off in his traditional Welsh sombrero. As well as the 540 competitors in the programme there were 2 late entries - Paul Edmondson & Geriant Jones. Paul had never won the Welsh & a previous visit had ended in an RTA. Geriant is a 9 times winner but hadn't ridden the event for 10 years. The cross country test - around a field & through a wood - was within sight of the town. Ed Hopkins set the fastest time to Llandrindod A+E after a heavy fall on the 2nd corner. MX stars Bradford & Morgan set the fastest sidecar time on the test but retired with an electrical problem. With the test, the 1st stage was slack but the 2nd stage was through the Irfon forest & the times were tight. 2 to 3 included the winding Devil's Staircase & the 4th stage was the river crossings at Strata Florida. The water level was low. Refuelling was at Pontrhydfendigair. 5 to 6 was the Tiranig before a long road section on the Rhyader road through Llangurig. The penultimate stage (8) went over Tom's Farm & the Red Lion. It was supposed to been tight but a section may have been cut out. The MX test was at Abbeycwmhir. There was a holding check in the town just before the finish & at 3.17 it began to fill with a lot of happy faces. Most riders enjoyed the 1st day but would have preferred less dust & at 4am on Friday morning rain duly arrived. Karen Clarke fitted a new tyre to her outfit on Day 2 but stripped the nobbles before the 1st test at Abbeycwmhir. She & her husband Neil did well to finish & deserved to be classified as a finisher & not a DNF. With the wet conditions & the riders on A schedule the Red Lion stage was tough & tight. Andrew Wooley's Yamaha parted company with it's carburetor but he was able to zip tie it to an oil way & carry on. Eco warriors Nigel & Richard Smith tried to reduce their fossil fuel emissions by experimenting with a fuel & water mix. The experiment failed & they dropped 6 minutes. South Wales Superbikes lent Niibbs Adams a new Husqvarna 450 demonstrator for his first ride in the Welsh & Nibbs demonstrated how to finish on a Gold. ACU T&E Chairman John Collins returned after a break of ten years to pick up some bronze. On Friday evening the riders & organisers gathered at the Pavilion for the presentation of the awards. Turner & Yelland won the Expert sidecar ahead of the Barnetts. The Rowlands won the Clubman sidecar class. Ashley Wood was the Best Clubman & Gareth Rowlands was the runner up. Hugh Watkins won the Over 40s & Geriant Jones won the Over 50s. The premier was won by Paul Edmondson & Edward Jones was the runner up. Edward Griffin finished. The Mayor & the Powys councillor responsible for the Environment both thanked the organisers for once again bringing the event to Llandrindod. Results Photos available from Keith Bowen . Video: Frank Morgan, Malvern Lodge, Howey, LLANDRINDOD WELLS, Powys, LD1 5RE. Tel: 01597 822642 Paul Whibley's Welsh 2 Day: On the 23rd and 24th of June the Welsh two day was held in a town called Llandrindod Wells. Now I didn't always know that Wales had its own language, but its a strange one. When you see road signs with Welsh on it its hard to even form a pronounciation in your mind. When I asked a Welsh friend to speak some it sounds like nothing else I've heard before. Sounds kind of cool. Makes you think a bit about how languages evolve and change. It seems it has absolutely nothing shared with English! Anyway onto the race. The race consisted of one big lap per day, two tests per day, one at the start and the other after the eight odd hours of riding. This is a more relaxed race with some slack times and a lot of road sections. Although there were two tight checks. It is a social race but everyone is still deadly serious when it comes to the tests. Day one started good with a good time just behind Eddy. On the second test I got slightly held up by another rider and my time suffered, ending the day in 3rd. The day had been really dusty which I've been told is unusual for Wales. But that was about to change. Day two dawned with a heavy rain crashing onto the roof of the sprinter. The rock hard ground in the tests had been turned into something like an ice skating ring. On the first test I had a really tidy time with Ed Jones coming out with the fastest time, showing his skills in the slippery conditions. Leading up to the days tight section I was told they had added an extra 5-8 km. So as the rain had made the course more muddy and rutty I thought I better get on it. I arrived 8 minutes early with only a couple of scary moments, saved mostly by the WER damper. The last test of the day was incredibly slippery. I managed to stay rubber side down and came up with another good time, although Eddy and Ed Jones has slightly better ones. So I was 3rd for the event. Happy with that. Cool race but remember to get entries in early, 500 starters, 500 were turned away!
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Wednesday Scrutineering: Due to the heavy rain the field at the lakeside
had become sodden & had to be closed to heavy traffic. The weather for
scrutineering was overcast but dry. This year the course ran clockwise on day
1 & in reverse on day 2. The only major change is that the test
venue outside Llandrindod was not available so the organisers have requisition
Rhayader's Cwmythig course. The exit from the Teranig has also been changed to
accommodate wind farm construction. This also reduced to road work through
Llangurig. The second test was Abbeycwmhir as usual. Scrutineering closed at 6.45pm. Late comers got a thorough soaking as the
heavens opened at 6. With the common closed & the campsites full, a lot of
riders had parked around the lakeside road with their awnings across the
pavement to create a European atmosphere but the local police soon threatened
an eastern European response probably in responds to a single complaint. 
Optoma
Loans Enduro Team Brave the elements in Wales
Welsh
2006
On Day 2 -
unusually - it did not rain. In fact the sun had it's hat on. The lakeside
banter rose as old men laid their plans "to ride next year". A
sidecar accident required the Air Ambulance. The last test of the second
day always draws a good crowd which swells as the day goes on & early
finishers dash back to see the Experts in action. A deeply slotted ditch
absorbed the attention of various minders but Greg Evans (above) solved
the problem by leaping it in a single bound. Helena Hunt had planned to
re-fuel but at the last moment she jumped at the chance to partner Arthur
Walton #38 whose passenger was unavailable. With absolutely no experience
of sidecars she hoped to make a few checks. She actually made it to the
finish. Congratulations Helena. Mark Jones was recovering from a
dislocated hip & was also taking the event one check at a time. He
finished on gold. The Overall winner was Paul Edmondson & Simon Wakely
was runner up. Ratboy Jason Thomas won the E1 Experts ahead of Mick Kock.
Greg Evans was 3rd. Despite his injury Juan Knight won the E3 Experts
ahead of Chris Tett. Steve Plain won the Over40s & David Knight's
spannerman Julian Stevens was runner up. Disappointing for an event that
attracts a wide age range the Over 50s class has been dropped. Par Honda
Racing won the Best Team but as Jones after Jones stepped up to collect
Hafren MCC & Morris Lubricants awards it was like the 80s had never
gone away when Geraint would bring along a skip. Thanks to everyone
involved. 
2005
Welsh 2 Day 
