12:12 Torq in your Sleep - 29th August

Minley Manor and Gorrick hosted a hugely successful and enjoyable 3rd edition of TORQ In Your Sleep. The organisation was perfect, the arena was well setup, and the course was one of the year’s favourites with tricky singletrack with names to boot.

A small team of 3 made the short trip up to Army land in Aldershot for another race and another new venue for us.

Andy and Ian P were riding in the Male pairs and I was attempting the vet solo. A quick glance around the riders at the brief gave us a good insight into how tough this was going to be. Strong teams from Torq,Ergon,Mtn Trax,XC Racer,Morvelo and some
handy solo riders. 












Andy was lead for the pair and he turned in a quick 45 min lap, whilst I took a more leisurely 55 mins thinking of the long day to come.









The baton was a wristband and this seemed to cause quite a few teams problems as they struggled to get it off over their gloves and many were dropping them on the handovers. Those bands from Mayhem are certainly effective and perhaps the next purchase for the Gorrick team

Andy and Ian were lapping in pretty consistent times and were in the top 20, I was churning out hour laps and was slowly moving up the field also in the top 20.








4 laps in, the heavens opened and this turned the track which was dry and fast into one where you had to be a little careful as there was plenty of rooty sections. Spongebob was a little treacherous as was the Minley Maze which was tight and twisty.






Luck was on our side the rain stopped and by 7pm when you had to fit your lights the course had dried out again.









Dusk came and the lap times started to slow, by this time the fast boys were coming up to lap me for a second if not third time. This is always the worst time of the race as daylight disappears and your lights are a little ineffective for a while before complete darkness arrives.

The 8.1 mile course with 650' of climbing was holding up well with the 600+ riders. Andy and Ian had now consolidated 19th place and I had moved up to 13th. Satisfied with their efforts the guys called it a day just before midnight, I had succumbed just before 11pm totally beat.






 This was a great event, plenty of thanks for letting people past,a truly great atmosphere with music blaring out from under the Bridge to Nowhere and free beer at the finish. Perhaps we should camp next year???



 Thanks to Gorrick and the Army Cycling Union for probably one of the best enduro's of the year.





A great report from a tri-athlete's first mtb race at Torq in your Sleep
http://i-must-try-harder.blogspot.com/ 2010/09/gorrick-1212-torq-in-your-sleep.html