MARK and Scott Thwaites led the strongest ever assault by off-Island
riders on the End to End Mountain Bike Challenge on Sunday.
The Leeds brothers, riding for Kinesis and Crosstrax/LHL Group
respectively, finished first and second in the increasingly popular
Sleepwell Hotels and Eurocycles-sponsored event, which saw a record
number of 340 finishers from a round tally of 350 starters.
An amazingly high number of 59 failed to register after initially
entering, including 28 locals.
Conditions were mixed in the early stages, with light rain and low
cloud, while deviations to the route on top of Slieau Dhoo and the Beary
area added an estimated 2.5 miles to the 44-mile distance, making Mark
Thwaites's sub-three hour performance all the more impressive.
The field made a fine sight as it led away from the Point of Ayre mass
start at 10am.
Little more than two-and-a-half miles up the road at Bride, with a
welcome tail wind behind them, an early lead group of about 30 riders
had formed containing all the main protagonists.
Without Elliot Baxter, Andrew Roche or Peter Kennaugh, the local
spotlight was on Paul Kneen and Andrew Cook to muscle into the top 10,
Cook looking for better luck after a hapless time in the Manx Mountain
Bike Club-organised event in recent years.
At the end of the initial 14-mile coast road ride to Ballaugh, Kneen and
Cook were out in front on the road, joined by Island Games teamster Alex
Kinvig.
They had a 30 to 40-yard lead over the chasing pack, having chosen to
break free of the bunch after fearing a coming together as the riders
jostled for position.
Their move proved prudent as a couple of the Kinesis riders touched on
the approach to the Ballacobb turn-off when another rider cut across
their bows and one of them, Chris Andrews, went down quite heavily.
Three or four others unclipped their feet from the pedals of their bikes
and came briefly to a standstill as the pack sorted itself out.
To give some indication of the spread of ability in the field, there was
something in the region of 30 minutes between the leaders and the
tail-enders before the real hard work started on the steep ascent
between Ballacobb and Slieau Curn.
Mark Thwaites soon moved to the front on the climb, staying feet-up on
the rocky section to the first sheep gate. He was initially chased by
fellow Kinesis rider Jack Pullar, Stephen Bottomley (Crosstrax) and the
impressive Alex Kinvig, who had celebrated his 18th birthday just a few
days earlier.
Paul Kneen passed 2006 runner-up Johnny McEvoy and Scott Thwaites on the
climb, but picked up a rear flat on the added stoney and somewhat
technical loop around Slieau Dhoo. Luckily, he had injected his tubes
with the Hutchinson latex goo-type fluid which sealed the leaking air
for the time being at least.
He caught Kinvig and Pullar on the approach to the first chekpoint near
Brandywell Cottage, but there was no sign of leader Thwaites on the long
haul towards Slieau Maggle and Colden, which was still shrouded in mist.
The fast sweeping plantation fire tracks saw no real problems for the
leaders, but behind them Elliott Moore had taken a fall on the nasty,
rocky descent towards the Brandywell Road, necessitating a trip to
hospital and five stitches in his knee.
Earlier still, Niall Shimmin had suffered a repeat of the hamstring
problem which had forced him to pull out of the triathlon a week
earlier, while MMBC committee man Guy Whaley retired at Ballacobb after
picking up his third puncture (two in the front and one in the rear)
without even getting a sniff of off-road.
A number of riders questioned the seemingly endless loops on the quad
bike course on Beary Mountain, where it was easy for individuals to miss
out sections of the defined route either by error or intent. The
relatively smooth descent to Ballacraine was a welcome respite for most
and at checkpoint two (St John's) Kneen was five minutes behind leader
Mark Thwaites - Kneen having snatched a brief glimpse of the young
Yorkshireman on the Beary wraparound in the much improved conditions.
Pullar was close behind Kneen and the pair had a nip and tuck contest
over the tough Slieau Whallian and Arrasey sections, leading to the Glen
Rushen river and the very difficult but short climb onto the
Creg-ny-Crock Plantation single track.
At checkpoint three, the triangle leading onto the Eary Cushlin track,
Mark Thwaites was seven minutes clear, going through at 12.23 when the
majority of midfield riders were only approaching St John's.
Kneen had just edged ahead of Pullar and was looking good for a best
ever second place result when the last few pounds of pressure in his
rear tyre finally hissed out and he was left with no choice but to stop
and fire in another tube.
Pullar, Scott Thwaites and Kinvig, equally spaced at one minute
intervals, all filed past Kneen who managed to catch back up with Kinvig
on the approach to Point 1119 only to suffer another flat on the long
off-road descent to the Sloc - this time in the front. A quick-fill from
a gas canister was enough to keep him mobile and he again caught young
Kinvig, who was having his best ride to date after benefiting from a
summer of top class events including the Island Games in Rhodes and
junior road tours of Ireland and Wales.
Mark Thwaites descended the Sloc and passed through the gates onto the
Carnanes at a blistering pace, negotiating the new safer parallel add-on
from the bottom gate below Ballarock to Surby before reaching tarmac for
the road section to Port St Mary and the final climb (a steep one at
that) of the Howe. But still the hard-working E2E committee had found
another safer option for the finish and riders were guided into a field
where the road plateau's out above the Howe for the final climb to the
finish on the approach to Cregneash village.
Kneen briefly repassed Pullar for third on the descent through the
fields towards Surby, but Pullar recaught him on the approach to Four
Roads. Seconds later the pair were brought to a halt at the level
crossing while the Manx Express steamed through from Castletown. When
the barriers lifted it was Pullar who had the fresher legs and he
outpaced the 38-year-old on the final climb to take the last podium
place - 17-year-old Scott Thwaites having got the jump over his two
pursuers in the final few miles to take a hard-earned second behind his
brother.
Alex Kinvig was understandably delighted with fifth, but even more
ectatic when he later discovered that he had qualified as the recipient
of a new Kinesis frame for the best 18 and under Island rider.
The next local home was the relatively unknown Richard Callow of Union
Mills, who arguably produced the ride of the day to slot into eighth
with a finishing time of 3:19.58. His 2006 performance, 22nd in 3:32.53
was impressive, a sub-3:20 this time and a top 10 finish in pretty
formidable company was fantastic to say the very least. We can only
assume he actually lives or works off -Island as he does not compete
locally over the rest of the year.
Julian Corlett, for a man now in his late 40s, also rode extremely well
again to place 10th, followed home by former Island Games swimmer David
Glover of Ballamodha who had a cracking ride to finish 11th in 3:22.42
(last year he was 21st in 3:27.45). Next were Ramsey man Kale Hawkins
(who gets married to Joanne Teal in the next few days (best wishes to
both) and Ramsey reared Andrew Cook in 13th and 14th places
respectively, the latter man a little below his best having not competed
on a regular basis for the past 12 months.
The Kinesis duo of Chris Andrews (who crashed at Ballaugh) and Johnny
McEvoy (last year's runner-up who had several stops attempting to fix
the seat on his mount after the retaining bolt stripped) led home the
local six-pack of Chris Whorrall, Gianni Epifani, Trevor Kirkwood, Tony
Varley, Colum O'Shea and E2E founder Graham Hughes, who while
handicapped by a cold still managed to finish third in the grand veteran
class behind Ilkley's Reg Haigh (seventh) and Varley.
The first woman to finish was Helen Jackson of Bradford, 39th in a good
time of 3:48.00, with Island Games road rider Cayley Ennett of Greeba
again second, 62nd in 4:04.32 and first of the under-23 women, two
places clear of leading veteran woman Jacqueline Easton of Wokingham.
There were good rides in this class from Sara Elliott (nee Tse) of
Braddan and Catreena Price of Castletown, who were fourth and fifth
women home overall, first and second respectively in the women's masters
class.
THE Manx Mountain Bike Club wishes to thank the following for their
invaluabe support: Sleepwell Hotels and Eurocycles for sponsorship, all
marshals, Army cadets and traveling marshals/medics, Manx Radio's Tim
Glover for acting as compere, Ballacraine farm, the Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and of course the End to End
committee.
Check out these sites for images from the End 2 End 2007. If you have any links/images you'd like featured just email them to me tom.m@upgradebikes.co.uk
www.flickr.com/groups/e2e2007/
Eurocycles bike shop have agreed to sponsor the feed stations at this years End 2 End challenge. We are very grateful for the continued help that Mark and Graham have provided. Eurocycles have an excellent range of the latest and loveliest bikes and kit, and they are always willing to help out with friendly advice. So head along to 8a Victoria Road or call them on 01624 624 909.