Saint Piran WRT mixing it up on the MTB scene

2022 saw the addition of a mtb set up within our Women’s race team. For us this was an opportunity to add depth to our team, to encourage and support more women in a sport that covers many disciplines. A sport that entails many hours of travel, many hours of training and the stresses and nerves that come with racing can be made much more enjoyable (and cheaper) when there is a team environment.

Two of our riders have competed at the National MTB XC Series, 5 rounds spread across the country with varying courses but each one very competitive. Christina made her debut to the world of mtb xc and has proven to be a real force to be recognised having finished 2nd at round one and winning everyone of the following 3 rounds within her category. Sadly Christina was unable to ride the final round but her wins at the previous rounds meant that she was a clear winner overall.

Here is what Christina has to say about her mtb experience

“At the end of the 2021 season, I decided that I would strive to have a varied summer of racing. One which kept my interest and motivation high, and ultimately, one which would see me excited for, and enjoying, racing. I rode a mountain bike long before I experienced the speed of the road, so alongside my winter cyclocross season, dabbling in some XC racing in 2022 was a natural choice. I still wanted to race on the road, and I was far from done with my TT bike. It was beginning to look like a busy season!

Unfortunately, a week before the first round of National XC Series, Covid finally caught up with me; it was looking like a no-go, but on the Friday before the race I finally had a negative test. Against common sense and worthy advice, I decided to still take to the startline, promising myself that I’d pull the plug if my body didn’t cooperate. The course was (apparently!) one of the most technically demanding that there has been in the National Series, so it was a tough start. Although I wasn’t at my best, I learnt a huge amount during the race and was humbled by the ability of the other riders. I was pushed out of my comfort zone, and finished the race better for it in 2nd place of the Sport/Expert race. BC have combined the two categories for the women’s races, which offers the chance to race against a much bigger field. It also means that, despite being a complete newcomer, I am able to race against Expert riders.

The next three rounds came quickly, with Newcastleton, Loch Ore and Cannock Chase in quick succession. Now back to full health, I have been able to finish 1st in all three rounds. Whilst this has given me a huge amount of confidence, I now feel that I need to race in the Elite category to really learn the ropes. With this in mind, I’m really excited to get on the startline for the National XC Champs (and short-course champs) on 24th July, in what will inevitably be an extremely strong field.

Aside from ‘XCO’ (standard XC races), my big aim for the season is the British XC Marathon championships at Kielder in August. I know that I have a very good endurance base, so I’m excited to test the water in this discipline. With a goal to achieve a podium position, I am starting to look at adjusting my training to prepare. A good test will be the first round of the National XC series at Pippingford on 3rd July.

We (teammate Libby and I) are extremely lucky to have some great kit to ride in; in particular, the Salice 020 sunglasses with their RWX lens is ideal for XC racing, as you are constantly moving in and out of dark woodland. Also, racing on Pacenti wheels with Schwalbe Racing Ralph tyres means that there is an ideal balance between lightweight and grip. The team have been incredibly accommodating in giving me the freedom to have such a diverse racing schedule, so it’s brilliant to be able to reward them with some good results. Time will tell what the remainder of the XC calendar brings!”

Libby has also raced at every round of the same series and 2022 saw her step up to Elite level. This is the highest category within the xc world and the competition is fierce! Having dominated the 2021 season, this step up was very much deserved. There has been a lot of travel involved in Libby’s racing this year with several rounds being a long way north of Cornwall but she has shown resilience and determination which has shown with continuous development and a fantastic result of 10th overall in her category. An achievement that we are really proud of and we can’t wait to follow Libby’s progress further.

“The step up to Elite was even bigger than I could have imagined! From coming dead last in round 1 to finishing 8th in the final round, giving me a 10th overall in the series is more than I could have asked for. I have learnt so much in the last couple of months, improving with each round. I am forever grateful for the support from my team, without which I wouldn’t have got this far”.

We round off the xc season with the National Champs in Scotland later in July, with Christina also taking part in the remaining 2 rounds of the national mtb marathon series as well as the national champs in August. We wish both the very best of luck with their remaining races, please give the teams social media pages a follow to keep up to date!

Plans for 2023 are already well underway and we now welcome applications for riders wishing to join our mtb set up for the upcoming year. Please drop an email to Jenny - jenny.bolsom@saintpiran.co.uk

We are also very interested to discuss options for collaborations and sponsor opportunities, please contact Jenny - jenny.bolsom@saintpiran.co.uk