This event was suggested by a friend and what an event I loved it though when we arrived all was frozen and he had parked opposite to me and the look we gave each other, it was so cold, kit on we were away to sign on n adjust bike , then we all had to ride down the hill for a very busy crazy free for all start? 500+ And we were away frozen trail but I got 4th in vets 17th overall so that was good, the blizzard came in on the last lap and trying to get out in the car was a nightmare.
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“I think we would all agree that Hit the North 3 will go down as ‘a classic.’ Despite the wet weather of recent weeks, a well-timed cold snap over the few days before the race transformed the course from what could have been a muddy hell into something fast and hugely enjoyable.
A record entry number for the seniors/vets race meant that the start had to be relocated to the foot of a kilometre long climb to spread riders out as best we could. This caused many to quickly realise that behind the laid-back vibe of HTN, lies an unforgiving, painful side…
Almost 300 riders rode lap after lap of the 4 mile, not-all-rideable course. Some rode fast, some not-so-fast. Some rode as many laps as possible… some lurked in the bushes near the end. All seemed to love the course though. The usual top-drawer brass band and catering crew were there and a samba band greeted those who had conquered our trademark unrideable climb. We hope the band encouraged riders to push harder with a slice of very much contrasting Rio carnival. At the front, the win was eventually claimed by 2011 winner Ian Taylor (Craven Energy), with 2010 ladies’ winner Jenn Hopkins (Singletrack Magazine) claiming the top spot. The vets’ race was won by Adrian Lawrence (Bglobal) and Eleanor Underhill (Weaver Valley CC).Full results here http://www.hitthenorth.net/news/results-2/A late snowfall gave the last couple of laps an epic feel, but also caused some big problems with cars stuck in our car park (which lies at the bottom of a hill) resulting in a frantic search for shovels and grit.
Understandably riders also disappeared quickly after the end of the race rather than stand around in the sub-zero temperatures, so we didn’t have chance to hand out prizes or to say our ‘thank-yous’. So here are all the thanks and acknowledgements that we wanted to say at the end but didn’t have chance to because of the pesky weather…
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“I think we would all agree that Hit the North 3 will go down as ‘a classic.’ Despite the wet weather of recent weeks, a well-timed cold snap over the few days before the race transformed the course from what could have been a muddy hell into something fast and hugely enjoyable.
A record entry number for the seniors/vets race meant that the start had to be relocated to the foot of a kilometre long climb to spread riders out as best we could. This caused many to quickly realise that behind the laid-back vibe of HTN, lies an unforgiving, painful side…
Almost 300 riders rode lap after lap of the 4 mile, not-all-rideable course. Some rode fast, some not-so-fast. Some rode as many laps as possible… some lurked in the bushes near the end. All seemed to love the course though. The usual top-drawer brass band and catering crew were there and a samba band greeted those who had conquered our trademark unrideable climb. We hope the band encouraged riders to push harder with a slice of very much contrasting Rio carnival. At the front, the win was eventually claimed by 2011 winner Ian Taylor (Craven Energy), with 2010 ladies’ winner Jenn Hopkins (Singletrack Magazine) claiming the top spot. The vets’ race was won by Adrian Lawrence (Bglobal) and Eleanor Underhill (Weaver Valley CC).Full results here http://www.hitthenorth.net/news/results-2/A late snowfall gave the last couple of laps an epic feel, but also caused some big problems with cars stuck in our car park (which lies at the bottom of a hill) resulting in a frantic search for shovels and grit.
Understandably riders also disappeared quickly after the end of the race rather than stand around in the sub-zero temperatures, so we didn’t have chance to hand out prizes or to say our ‘thank-yous’. So here are all the thanks and acknowledgements that we wanted to say at the end but didn’t have chance to because of the pesky weather…
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