TransScotland

The TransScotland attracted the best endurance mountain bikers from all over the UK and overseas. The small Scottish border town of Selkirk was the start for one of Britain?s toughest mountain bike races. The TransScotland is similar to the epic Trans-Alps and Trans-Rockies point-to-point races that cross the Alps and the Canadian Rockies. The TransScotland mixes seven (daily) linking stages ? varying from 60km to 110km in distance ? together with a selection of special time trials ? from 10km ? 17km stages using Scotland?s purpose built trail centres: Glentress, Dalbeattie, Mabie and Drumlanrig during the day and one at night. These time trials determine the overall winners. The 7-day race involves around 500km of riding with 14,100m of climbing, all mainly off-road. These figures were tougher than the TransRockies! Around 250 riders started the race, paired in teams or as solos. Hilary Bloor and Rob Davison were riding for Team planetFear as soloists. Hilary started well after winning the first time trial in Drumlanrig and set off in the leader?s jersey on the second race in Dalbeattie. During the race gearing problems led to a broken chain and she lost her lead and her jersey. Later that day she discovered that her bike could not be ridden any further unless a new wheel could be found! A friendly competitor whose bike also had mechanical problems lent her his wheel and the next day she rode the 110km linking stage with no further problems. Eventually a new wheel was bought and she finished the whole race as 3rd vet overall. Rob posted some fast times at all the time trials without any major mechanical problems and finished in the top 20 overall.This was an epic week; covering some amazing tracks and paths over some of the remotest parts of southern Scotland. It was a very memorable 7 days and competitors were grateful to miss most of the forecasted wet/windy weather that England had! Next year the race will return to Wales sometime in August ? so see you on the start line.

QuellePlanetFear