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Three Go Mad In Manchester

Gary Vallance (Team Usual Suspects) / 08.08.2006

For the Usual Suspects team the build up to the Manchester Rat Race was a nerve wracking affair. Having enjoyed a successful summer of racing, we were starting to feel a little apprehensive, with expectations higher than ever. An early start and some creative parking ensured that we able to unload our gear, assemble our bikes and check in smoothly before the arrival of most teams, yet despite our relative efficiency, it was hard to shake the sense of anticipation amid the buzz of the city centre venue.

Proper preparation ...

Returning for the race briefing that afternoon, Piccadilly Gardens had truly become the Rat Base. Hundreds of black-shirted competitors making final preparations and trying to relax, amongst assorted thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies zip-wiring, dynoing, trials riding and parkouring throughout the event village.

Briefing over, maps collected, we began to note down the thirty checkpoint locations on the large scale A to Z. Compared to previous Rat Races, the layout immediately seemed more compact, with all but one control within the main city centre. I couldn’t shake the nagging suspicion that for the first time, we could clear the Prologue. With the controls marked out, we each took some time to form our own routes in our heads, and then compared notes. The plans were all pretty consistent, mostly determined by the locations of the normally point-heavy/time-restricted checkpoints. Finalising Plan A, we discussed a full clearance, and then introduced some “cut off points� in case we slipped behind schedule. While James and I made final notes Tom scouted ahead, reporting back with the exact location of our first checkpoint.

Fast and Furious

There was no question that we were taking this event more seriously. We positioned ourselves directly beneath the starting gantry at the front of the pack, and when Gary Tompsett finally sent us into the streets, we sprinted towards the nearby barbers shop at full tilt. We reached it third, with other teams having run direct off the back of the pack, but I was soon in the chair, having my hair reduced from short to shorn. In the meantime Tom and James transferred the checkpoint values to the map and mentally logged the route to the next control. A weekend of fast and furious racing had begun in earnest.

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