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  EndurolandRock Solid at The Edge Report Tim Tighe Nigel Wheatley's statement that the Rock Solid event at The Edge in Oxfordshire was 'just a bit harder than a usual Enduroland event' may qualify as the understatement of the year. The free breakfast and lunch did little to soften the blow. Although not as extreme as some extreme races, the Rock Solid event provided plenty of challenges and the venue was absolutely spot-on for the size of entry. Overnight, the wind had played havoc with the taped-out course markers and the race was delayed until 10.00am while the course was put in order but none of that mattered once the start flag dropped. The quarry-based event saw nearly 50 riders take to the start line for two hours of challenging riding, bathed initially in late Winter sunshine. A hard section hit riders straight off the start with a handful of steep climbs up very loose mounds of stone, which saw a log jam of riders all fighting for position on the first lap. Gary Daniels proved to be a class act. He wove his way around the struggling back-markers to pull a huge lead by the time the race finished. The man-made hills of stone near the start line hid the main part of the quarry from view but the obstacles and challenges stretched far into the distance and utilised the natural terrain of this great big hole in the ground. The course traversed the side slopes of the quarry and also incorporated several additional challenges in the flat centre-ground at the bottom of the massive hole.
By the end of the first lap Gary Daniels had things under control and cruised around the course with ease, gaining ground with every lap. A gaggle of riders tried desperately to catch him. Matt and Dan Boam were joined near the front of the race by Clubman Mick Boam, while Ade Deeley, just recovered from an operation, battled with Damien Butler lap after lap. Daniels was untouchable but Deeley forced his way to second place, just ahead of Butler. Running on reserve fuel with 15 minutes left, Deeley pitted and watched Butler move into second place but managed to exit the pits in third. Things became somewhat easier as the laps fell. Lines over the rock mounds became more established and hard packed as riders gained confidence but at the halfway point the glorious sunshine disappeared and light rain began to fall, making some parts of the course very tricky.
Ben Coleman took the Youth class honours. He struggled initially, as did many riders, but composed himself to post 14 laps and top the Youth class as Ben Tudhope grabbed second place with Jay Maddison third. Wendy Ellis-Smith was top Ladies rider. Her only challenger was a poorly Amy Beale who only managed two laps and really should not have started the race on reflection. For mid December the weather was unusually kind although the rain that fell in the second half of the race had very little effect on the hard-packed course It was tough, it was very entertaining and in the words of several Expert riders, the event was 'Top Notch'! Results Share |
As the flag dropped the Experts hit the first of several rock mounds, all
negotiating them relatively easily. Dan Boam hit the front immediately, followed
by Gary Daniels, Ade Deeley and Damo Butler. As the Clubmen hit the mounds the
trouble started. Just one stall created havoc as rider tried to find alternate
lines, stalled and created a real log-jam for the following Veterans and Youth
classes. For the spectators, very entertaining chaos ensued for a few minutes
until riders eventually sorted themselves out and the race got underway proper.
Beta mounted Mick Boam topped the Clubman class a lap clear of Adam Jones in
second place. Mike Pye was just 30 seconds adrift in third spot. Paul Davies had
a clear run in the Veterans class a lap ahead of his nearest rival Mark Kirby as
Chris Salt made a charge for third place and finished just 5 seconds behind
Kirby following a slight coming together on the final corner.