Bloody Hell !!!! Yer think you lot had bad weather this weekend ?? I seriously tip my hat to all the competitors at Le Touquet this weekend - it was gale force God knows what, bitterly cold with Hail stones like ball bearings But the town was rammed. Campers every where, and most were partying all night.
Saturday was quite a good day - windy but at least sunny and dry. The one race today is Quads (which don't really do it for me ... !)
Sunday and the weather was atrocious. Hundreds of bikes lined up at parc ferme
The day started with the kids enduro race - some of these kids look about nine
The weather was on the turn though, and it was time for the main event. Feck me it was blowing a hoolie .... even the camera men came down from the cranes!
What is interesting, is the huge gulf between the pro riders and the weekend club competitors. The difference is like night and day. From the start it's obvious whose quick and you'll see a rider carvng through the pack (and then read his low rider number..) but three hours into the race and the difference really shows. Some competitors are now clearly on their absolute chin strap. They're sat, hugging the contours of the floor and and can barely lift their leg to kick over a stalled bike. (and of course the paradox of sand is that the slower you ride it, the harder it is..). The pro riders though, three hours in are still bucking and jumping the course like a kangaroo on acid .... incredible fitness
One poor soul was not so lucky; attended to on track by the Doctor who was winched in and was then stretcherd off - all while the race continued around them. It was like a scene from gladiator ... !
The start straight ... !
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gjcU1wrh4OQ?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Soooooo
Hats off to all those competitors. A true iron man race in the world of enduro - I was freezing just watching
Saturday was quite a good day - windy but at least sunny and dry. The one race today is Quads (which don't really do it for me ... !)
Sunday and the weather was atrocious. Hundreds of bikes lined up at parc ferme
The day started with the kids enduro race - some of these kids look about nine
The weather was on the turn though, and it was time for the main event. Feck me it was blowing a hoolie .... even the camera men came down from the cranes!
What is interesting, is the huge gulf between the pro riders and the weekend club competitors. The difference is like night and day. From the start it's obvious whose quick and you'll see a rider carvng through the pack (and then read his low rider number..) but three hours into the race and the difference really shows. Some competitors are now clearly on their absolute chin strap. They're sat, hugging the contours of the floor and and can barely lift their leg to kick over a stalled bike. (and of course the paradox of sand is that the slower you ride it, the harder it is..). The pro riders though, three hours in are still bucking and jumping the course like a kangaroo on acid .... incredible fitness
One poor soul was not so lucky; attended to on track by the Doctor who was winched in and was then stretcherd off - all while the race continued around them. It was like a scene from gladiator ... !
The start straight ... !
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gjcU1wrh4OQ?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Soooooo
Hats off to all those competitors. A true iron man race in the world of enduro - I was freezing just watching