ACE Race
Hard Times at Hafren
Rob Howard / 14.08.2006
As they rode out of the large camping field (the same one as used two years ago) the competitors headed south into the forest to begin the Mtb stage and had to plan to stop at another transition in the centre of the forest for the running stage between 11am and 4pm. Some went to the south of the forest for the first part of their ride, others to the north, and in no time at all the field was so spread out it seemed they were all taking different route choices.
With dozens of tracks and fire roads, not all of them marked on the map, navigation required careful concentration and considerable skill at riding and route plotting. Any lapse in concentration could easily mean an unnecessary descent, a missed CP or at worst getting completely lost. Once you were out of position it was very hard to relocate. There were teams stopped at junctions all over the forest, studying their map boards and arguing about exactly where they were!
There was no doubt the highlight was two long sections of steep single track which ran up onto the Plynlimon hills from the transition, one following the Severn Way and the second another tributary. They were paths competitors would also use on the run ... but that wasn’t as much fun – especially climbing up them!
Run to the Hills
Soon after 11am the transition was busy with the first arrivals who wanted to spend more of their time running. The race medic was also busy when Finnish racer Pasi Ikonen (Buff Endure) came in with a badly gashed forearm, having tried to ride through a nearby ford and come off worse. It was a very deep, clean cut and the medic said, “you could see right to the bone!� Pasi had to go off to hospital for stitches and after 10 years of racing all over the world on the international circuit it was the first time he’d had to pull out of a race!
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