British National Points Series Round 5 Checkendon Saturday 16th & Sunday 17th August, 2006.
The fifth and final round of the National Points Series at Checkendon was the last race of the season for the Starlet team, and turned out to be a mixed bag. Checkendon is a rolling, semi-technical course, which made for a fast and furious race with little respite. Sharp flint added to the mix, ending the race early for many riders.
With so much singletrack to contend with, I knew I would have to get a good position at the front of the bunch going into the first corner. The start was the kind of bunch sprint you would normally see at the end of a race, but I managed to hold the pace and slot in behind National Champ Jenny Copnall and Amy Hunt. I kept them in sight for most of the first lap, but was caught up by Irish rider Tarja Owens, who is smooth and very quick through the singletrack. Tarja and I traded places and rode most the second and third laps together.
The series winners!
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We overtook Amy on lap two as she jammed her chain, but I knew she would not lose more than a couple of minutes getting it dislodged, and would be chasing hard to make back the place. I was able to pull a gap on Tarja in the last lap, and pushed hard all the way into the start finish area, just holding off Amy, who put in a huge effort to catch Tarja in the last 200 metres. The second place confirmed my second place in the series overall.
My team mate Kate Potter was not so fortunate, as one of the many riders to fall victim to the tyre-shedding Checkendon flint. She tore a hole in her tubeless on the first lap and was unable to get it to re-seal. She lost a full 30 minutes running the rest of the lap, before swapping a wheel and carrying on. Kate needed to finish this round in order to gain a place in the series, and she carried on the last two laps, despite having been lapped and dropping to the back of the field. Full credit to her for carrying on, and by doing so clinching third place in the series. Her determination is a testament to her strength throughout the season.
As this is the final Starlet race report for 2006, I'd like to thank all of our sponsors, friends and family for the fantastic support we have received throughout the season, particularly the tireless efforts of my partner and Starlet team coach Andy Patterson.
Have a great winter, and look out for us in the New Year.
Moose
