De Loose Mongoose Race Report posted by Mark, 9 March 2009 The BVI Mountain Bike Club 2009 racing series opened with a bang on Sunday at the Loose Mongoose in Trellis Bay.
there was sure to be some close racing and those spectators who made the trip to Beef Island were not disappointed.
years of age, the Cadets competed 3 laps of a shorter course around the dirt roads of Beef Island. The course included some soft sandy area's and rocky technical section which tested the riders skills over the 3 mile race.
finished just 6 seconds behind him, although Danny led for most of the race Braeden kept the pressure on him and both riders looked to be enjoying themselves. The battle for 3rd and 4th was very close with Jude Kinkead just beating Jaden Chalwell in an exciting sprint to the finish line. Xante Chalwell placed in 5th and Devonte Prentice 6th followed by another exciting sprint finish between William Mcintyre and William Adamson for 7th & 8th.
our expectations, the kids really took to the spirit of the race and it was great to see how competitive they all were. The clubs goal this season is to bring more youth into the sport of cycling and this proves that there are riders out there that want to race. The good thing about the course at Beef Island is that the majority of it is off the road and away from the traffic so we can control the race and ensure that it's safe for children to take part in. We're going to be looking for other similar locations where we can hold cadets races and keep the momentum going. Hopefully we'll be able to encourage these guys to take cycling seriously, after all they are the future of the sport in the BVI".
locations around the island, that are safe and away from traffic, "As most of our races involve sections of the public highway, it's hard to organise a race on the same day as the Adults races, so future Cadet races will be held as separate events" said Mark. More details of future Cadet races will be made available shortly. After the race, the top 3 finishers were given Prizes sponsored by Last Stop Sports. The main race of the day took place once the Cadets had received their prizes. With the Expert riders scheduled to complete 15 Laps of a 2 mile course, the race was going to be about who could take the suffering, especially with the strong Northerly cross wind affecting the paved section on the Airport road in both directions. Darrel Christopher Jr set the early pace straight from the start but was soon caught by the chasing group on the false flat and windy section of the old Airport road, the group was still close together as they hit the dirt section through the Beef Island bush with Chris Ghiorse taking a strategic lead on the dirt, Ghiorse who was riding on inverts was not as fast through the dirt however the narrow track making it difficult to pass was sufficient to keep his placing. The group began to stretch out on the first lap and a lead bunch of Chris Ghiorse, Orana Andrews, Mark Smith and Phillipe Leroy established themselves at the head of the race with each rider looking for a chink in the others armour, but the four were evenly placed over the next five laps, with Ghiorse securing the defensive position through the dirt sections. Mark Smith's bad luck continued to plague him when he flatted on the 5th Lap and fell a lap behind the whole field as he changed his tube, rejoining the race as Ghiorse and Andrews passed him he had all the work to do to try and gain the lost places. Further down the field Andrew Thompson was suffering a poor tire choice in the dirt sections whilst Hank Vergeer was hammering through his laps! Lisa Adamson, hoping to find some form in an unfamiliar discipline was pushing hard and making Sally Blackmore work for her position. On Lap 13 Chris Ghiorse made a successful break and a despite some hard work with Smith (who hadn't managed to gain any ground on the front 2 riders) Orano Andrews could not summon the energy to catch him. Once again Smith flatted on the last lap and after stopping quickly to pump his tire he managed to regain his 4th place from Andrew Thompson. Steve Marsh however wasn't so lucky and was forced to retire with another flat tire. The Intermediate riders completed 10 laps of the main course with Nick Matush taking first place, followed by Rhiannon Jones and Adele Perrot. The Social race of 5 Laps was won by first time racer Philomena Roberts who beat Nicole Charles by 30 seconds. Inigo Collins took the victory in the Junior class. After the race, Mark Smith lamented, "I was feeling really strong when I flatted, I was definetly quicker than Chris through the off road section and although he was all over me on the paved parts I felt that If I could have got in front on the dirt I would have opened a gap, but the flat was effectively the end of the race for me especially being a lap down when Orano and Chris passed me after I fixed the tire, there was just no way I was going to get away from them and make up 6 minutes a lap! I felt as though I would have had a good chance of 2nd place though, I was dropping Orano through the dirt and he was struggling to stay on my wheel on the paved sections". Orano commented, "I wasn't quick enough on the off road section, I need to practice more on the loose surfaces to be able to keep up, and the last 3 or 4 laps I was tired and when Chris got away I had nothing left to catch him up". The Club would like to Thanks Victoria Ghiorse for lap counting and Joel and Latoya for assisting with Timing and Photo's as well as Club sponsors, Last Stop Sports, Road Town Wholesale, Caribbean Insurance Limited and Kroll (BVI) Limited. The next race is the Virgin Gorda Mineshaft Challenge on the 3rd May. |
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