Scot Fitzgerald whips the finish for the Kingley Vale A Team

This year we’ve been supporting a bit of grass-roots racing with the X-Fusion Enduro 1 All-Mountain race series, a three round, beginner friendly DH enduro race series based down here in the south. The first two rounds at Forest of Dean and Salisbury Plain were a sell-out success and last weekend saw the season draw to a close at Swinley Forest. Organiser Carlos Perez was keen to put on an event that tests all-round mountain bike skills and fitness and at other rounds has included trials type sections and technical climbs to mix it up but the menu at Swinley was as much about fitness as it was dh skills due to the venue’s lack of topography.

Technical challenges were not lacking though as a glut of twisty singletrack formed the basis of every stage, all lubricated by a layer of wet mud courtesy of the previous nights deluge. It was a great day out on the bike with the link trails that joined the stages proving to be as much fun as the stages themselves, and even took in Swinleys infamous Labyrinth trail!

Winners on the day were Aiden Bishop in the competitive men’s, Kingley Vale A in the teams and Anne Leuschner in the women’s. The sport category was headed by Paul Catchlove in the solos and Bronze Bull in the teams. The overall series titles went to Ryan Bevis (Ram bikes, male), Anna Buckingham (The Big Adventure Store, female), team Sketchey B and Chris Waddup (senior).

Well done to all the winners and to everyone else to took part. It was a great series that offered something for everyone and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. We’re looking forward to 2013 already…

www.enduro1.co.uk/