Stamina, Spring Sun and Celebrity Encounters on the Ridgeway 200 Enduro
News Release / 15.05.2013
The second annual Ridgeway 200 Mountain Bike Enduro saw over 50 riders converge on the Ridgeway for a weekend of tough all-terrain riding and some truly impressive feats of speed and endurance.
The Ridgeway 200 Enduro is not a race: it’s a timed challenge, following a 200k linear route from Wendover to Swindon and back over 2 days, with riders setting off at two-minute intervals and a gold, silver or bronze medal for every finisher. This is a chance for riders to push their own stamina to the limit: as rider Neil Plant put it,
“It was in no way an easy ride and at a couple of points I had to question my sanity and whether my legs would last - but as I've said many times in life if something's easy to do is it really worth it?”
Weather and trail conditions were superb over the weekend, helping Ian Chapman and Casper Kaars Siipesteijn shave over 10 minutes off Mark Harvey’s 2012 record to complete the 200k course together in just 9 hours 26. Second through the finish line on Day 2 were brothers Phil and Scott Webb, completing the course in 10 hours 19.
Mark Harvey himself meanwhile raised the bar for endurance by setting off at 2 a.m. on Saturday morning from the Day 1 finish line and riding 100k back to the start to join fellow riders for the official 200k challenge. Mark finished this year in a very respectable 11 hours 06, the 5th fastest time for this year’s challenge.
The Enduro event format makes the Ridgeway 200 accessible to riders of all degrees of ability and experience, and whilst some raced to beat the clock, others took more time to soak up the great weather and scenery, spending up to 19 hours out on the course - one rider had the chance to hobnob with the Prime Minister, out for a walk near his Chequers country home!
First-time Enduro riders Sam and Adam Swanson said,
“Our first time doing a long ride. The most we’d done before was 35 miles so we thought it was a big jump, but actually on the day … your organisation, helpers and of course the weather just made the event so good.”
Next up in the Extreme Energy Enduro Challenge series is the Gallows 200 on 19/20 October, following the Wayfarers Way from Hungerford to Arlesford. The Extreme Energy Hi Tec Ultra running series meanwhile continues with the Pony Express in the New Forest, 4/5 May, followed by the Fan Dance Challenge, 18 May.
Further information:
Extreme Energy http://www.xnrg.co.uk/
The Ridgeway Enduro 200 Challenge was presented in association with our generous sponsors:
Bucks MTB club: http://www.bucksmtb.co.uk/
Mountain Mania Cycles: http://www.mountainmaniacycles.co.uk/
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