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Day One: The Beast Awakes
After the calm before the storm, the Chain Reaction Cycles TransScotland
(Powered by Merida Bikes) kicks off to a fine start with a full
fat 76km opening day, filled to bursting with lung busting climbs
and off the back, rear tyre buzzing descents, reports Matt Skinner
in the second of his daily reports…
1st Linking Stage
Selkirk to Moffat
Total distance: 76km
Climbing: 2,100m
As the rains limply came down on Selkirk, the first Chain Reaction
Cycles TransScotland (Powered by Merida Bikes) shrugged off the
flailing elements on Sunday morning as 245 riders clicked into their
SPD pedals and began making their way to Moffat, some 76km away.
Facing them lay a not-insignificant hunk of typically Scottish border
country with three progressively tougher major climbs: this was
big country served up with a side of deep fried Haggis, a heady
mix of drizzle and side of blue sky and sunshine to finish.
The riders spun through Selkirk as it slumbered and headed west
along a sequence of wooded singletrack forays that screwed their
minds firmly onto the job in hand. The over night rains had given
the trails a good dousing and added some slippery spice to the mix.
The course then headed calmly by Ettrick Water and along the forested
trails of the Bowhill Estate before hot-stepping it to the foot
of the first major climb of the day: all 450m of it up to Sandbed
Moss that wound its way up snaking double track road before ramping
up grunt-inducing tussocky slopes to the top out. From there the
course skirted the flanks of Eldinhope Knowe, and made for the forested
escarpments of The Wiss and another gravity surge up 516m book ended
with mud and tough conditions under tyre, for which the fast rocky
descent was more than a just reward.
After a spin out on the black top to shed excess organic matter
and onto the Southern Upland Way, the riders worked themselves up
Capell Fell and it’s straight up stairway to heaven portage
to summit one of the highest points in the region just shy of 678m.
Then the die was firmly cast: the only way was down. Straight down
Selcoth Burn in an orgy of tyre buzzing steep and open grassy descent
that Keith Bontrager later described as “like a groomed ski
piste.” Just pick your line, get off the back and carve down
the never ending, brake pad melting descent to roll into the finish,
tired, elated and buzzing.
Tomorrow sees the second linking stage from Moffat to Drumlanrig,
followed in the afternoon by the first special stage on Drumlanrig’s
wooded singletrack, after which the race’s pecking order will
begin to take shape and the Chain Reaction Cycles TransScotland
(Powered by Merida Bikes) will truly begin firing on all cylinders.
But for many, the beast is already awake and prowling hungrily after
some truly memorable trail…
The overall Chain Reaction Cycles TransScotland’07 (powered
by Merida Bikes)
Champions will be decided by the special stages only: run at various
purpose built trail centres as either pair or relay time trials,
with one night time team time trial. The winners of the inaugural
Chain Reaction Cycles TransScotland’07 (powered by Merida
Bikes) challenge will be those to complete all four special stages
in the shortest cumulative time. Each day there will be a presentation
of the respective category Leader’s Jerseys to the current
leaders of the five categories. These are:
- Scottish Tourism Solo Category
- High5 Mixed Category
- Gore Veteran’s Category
- Buff Female Category
- BeOne Male Category
The Chain Reaction Cycles TransScotland’07 (powered by Merida
Bikes) seven day mountain bike stage challenge would not be possible
without the support of:
- Chain Reaction Cycles, title sponsor
- Merida Bikes, bike sponsor
- BeOne, Men’s category sponsor
- Buff, Women’s category sponsor
- High5, Mixed category sponsor
- Gore, Veteran category sponsor
- Scottish Tourism, Solo category sponsor
And also:
- Mercedes Benz
- Nite Rider lights
- 7Stanes Scottish trail network
- Schwalbe tyres
- What Mountain Bike magazine
- Forestry Commission Scotland
- BikeMagic.com
- The Mix insect repellent
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