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Ready to ACE

Rob / 14.04.2004

This will be first ACE 2-day race of the year, and it’s also the second British Championship event of 2004. It looks like it’s going to be as competitive as ever in all classes, but it won’t be taking place in South Wales as expected.

Last minute access problems, which could not be overcome, forced race organiser Phil Humphreys into a rapid relocation away from the Brecon area. With all the courses and logistics already planned a landowners association changed their minds and rather than postpone he relocated to the Hafren Forest area in mid-Wales, which was used last August. As he said, it was “fortunate we left a good impression� and the landowners in the area welcomed the event back.

It’s a little visited area, and the forest is surrounded by some wild mountain scenery. “I’ve found more single track in the forest this time,� Humphreys said, “but don’t expect to be in the forest as much as last year. There will be some different challenges on this course.�

As you’d expect for a BARC event the team entry is strong. The winners of round one, Saab Salomon, are not entered (at present), so it may be a good chance for the chasing teams to grab some points while the defending champions are not around.

The favourites must be The North Face, who were 3rd in round one in February. The have Jon Brooke and Gary Tompsett in the team this time around, with regulars Keith Byrne and Nicola Macleod and will be intent on keeping their ACE Race series title. They will be up against a strong Snow & Rock team, and ‘High Five’, who are ahead of them in the current BARC points standing.

Gill Watson won’t be with High Five this time as she is racing in the solo class. Both defending champions are missing in the solo categories (Marc Laithwaite and Liz Cowell), and the only past winner taking part is Tom Gibbs, returning to solo racing after a year’s break. In the pairs categories Linda Collison and Cherry Fryer are back defending their title, and the male and mixed pairs categories look very open.

We’ll have news and pictures after the race right here on SleepMonsters, and if you’d like to go yourself there are still some places available, so it’s not too late. Let’s hope the weather is as good as it was last time!

You can see the report and pictures from last year’s race at Hafren Forest here.

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