Alex Smith

Race report

Not the finish I was hoping for. Rode blind, hit a tree on the first lap on a downhill section while trying to make sense of the flagging. Hand and shoulder sore for the remainder of the lap so was unable to make up any time. Was going to call it quits at the timing gate but I am sucker for punishment. Tough course, seemed like a ton of climbing and losing elevation on fire roads, not fun. 2nd lap went as expected. Ended up last out of the finishers, but could have moved up a spot as I didn't realize the guy in front of me was in the race. Full face helmet caught me off guard. Went off course a few times as the flagging was either confusing or didn't exist. Oh well. 8th overall for the series, which I am pretty happy with.

Race report

Best performance this year. Riding our local trails helped. Was wet and really muddy. Great route, has just enough elevation gain, some techy sections and fast descents. Nicely spaced double track sections to get by people without them having to stop. Great crowd as well. Looking forward to the final race in Victoria.

Race report

19th in Men Category. Wet, muddy, definitely a struggle. Tried to take it easy as Hammerfest Enduro was the next day. Hoping to improve performance at Cumberland in two weeks.

Race report

Tried to pace myself for this one. Went easy on the first lap. Racing blind, but stuck behind a local. Second lap really struggled on the climb. Once at the top, took a few minutes to recover and then pushed hard. Managed to pass a couple of riders on the downhill and flats. Pushed hard to the end. Was happy with the result and effort. Nice trails, great support from local crowd. Everything was well organized and the rain held off. Hats off to all the volunteers, musicians, organizers and Taws Bike Garage for making this a great race.

Race report

Nice race route and well organized. Plenty of climbing, which made the second lap a tough one. Wider trails allowed for ample room to let other riders by. Weather was great and so were snacks after the race. Still recovering from illness, hope to do a little better on the next race.

Race report

First XC race. Three laps at Hammerfest. Small loop, light rain at times and fairly muddy. Huge turnout which meant spending too much time yielding to faster riders. Learning experience, hope to do better next time.