The Heb - Race on the Edge
Race of Two Halves
Carrick Armer / 05.09.2016
Day two of The Heb - Race to the Edge was a fairly complete contrast to day one. Shorter, less hilly (generally), but with the highest summits of the race and (generally) a healthy dose of sunshine.
The adventure began again in the rain from Lionacleit school, with the top five solos and the top five pairs being sent off at one minute intervals, to give a chasing start and to avoid a peloton group hitting the main spine road all at once. The rain gradually abated, unlike the pace of the race, as riders moved across the causeway from Benbecula to South Uist, and onwards to the first transition at Howbeag where the early rain had stirred up the midges and the hardy marshals were donning midge nets and repellant, while racers did their best to get in and out of transition as fast as humanly possible. The discretion/valour matrix cropped up again in the first run stage of the day, with three CPs on summits: Hatharsal, low and close to the transition being the sole choice of most of the competitors; Hecla, 600m up and shrouded in cloud; Beinn Mhor 620 up and also shrouded. The elite and lead were more or less forced into taking in all three, those out for lower placings and enjoyment made the lower summit their own, Jonny Gallier remarking "that's the only hill I'm heading up today".
After the hills, after the running, the sun showed its face and the teams headed west to the coast, riding towards the machair tracks and beach riding that have been a staple of racing in these isles. The tide was on its way out, leaving a wide expanse of hardpacked rideable sand, and an easy but long spin, 12km of beach and more of machair, open and inviting. Teams made the most of the gentle spin, and were more relaxed and more sunbaked by the time they made it to the sole mandatory checkpoint on Orasay, another tidal island, with the marshals at the small summit complaining that the only had the beautiful scenery to look at, and that the beach was just much too pretty to be forced to look at all day. The teams trotting to the summit certainly seemed to appreciate it, taking in the view briefly before heading off again.
One more short stretch of beach and past the Polochar inn, where the nights festivities would take place, and the teams began what Race Director McGreal had described as 'the chaos stage', into a 3-way transition and out first to a kayak, along to the old Ludag jetty, where the first passenger ferry from Barra arrived to, back before the causeway to Eriskay was built. After that, back to transition and out to a final hill checkpoint, a short steep pull up the rocky slabs and heather ground that epitomise the Highlands and Islands. And finall, back through the same transition to a final short beach run to the finish line.
After the sun began to dip and the final racers crossed that line, all of the race circus moved onwards, to drinks, dancing and a rousing accordion rendition of AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck'. There were results and a prizegiving, which will become more clear tomorrow when the fat lady has sung. For now, the slim accordion player is working his magic, and it's time to enjoy the evening, and the hospitality of the islands. Slainte Mhath!
SleepMonsters
