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Innerleithen
The last NPS at Innerleithen was a good event and a brilliant track even though I did really rather poor. I just couldn't get it together in practice and didn't get the flow going until my race run when it was too late. The course was superb, nice and long with lots of lines to choose from and not too many jumps. The only problem I had with the weekend was the 1.9 mile ride to get to the buses for the uplift. 
I'm not averse to some cross country now and again but when you're on a DH bike it is a bit different and the rather steep and long push from the top of the uplift finished me off completely. So I managed to get a bit of flowing going on my race run but it was too late to improve and didn't finish very far up the field.

Scarborough
I had been looking forward to the Fat Face Night race in Scarborough for months and when it finally came I was super excited. I walked the track on Friday night and got even more excited as I'd just bought a new Hope Vision 4 light and couldn't wait to use it. The course started up in the castle and finished on the harbor wall by the seafront. The builders were busy Friday night until 2.00 in the morning building the large wooden features just down from the castle. 
Unfortunately the security people were not happy with the felting on the wood and delayed practice so we only got three runs before seeding (I know people that managed to blag them selves extra). In seeding I took a big dive off the scaffolding over the roundabout at the bottom (only crash all day), managed to pick myself up and crawl to the finish line 20 metres away. The weather just got worse and worse and the accidents stacked up and the spine board got plenty of use. Just the accidents that I heard of included - dislocated hip, dislocated arm, broken arm, broken leg and several broken ribs. It got to 10pm and I was out in the pouring rain by the castle waiting for my run when the decision was made to halt all proceedings and cancel the race. So a mass descent of Scarborough it was and I did get to use my new light at least once. Unfortunately this means that they take the time from my seeding run as my race run. One of my worst ever results in my history of racing.
I did intend to use this year as a bit of a test and to get myself back into the racing scene but was hoping to do a little better. Its the Decision DH at Moelfre next and hope to do ok there even though the tracks there are not my favored style, roll on tight, wooded courses rather than the open hill sides of Moelfre. 

Fans of mountain biking in Morzine and users of our excellent Morzine and Portes du Soleil guidebook will no doubt recognise Chris Lazenby’s name as one of the main authors of the guide. After many a season working and riding out there, Chris put together a fantastic selection and iconic tick list of DH tracks in the area for the book.

Now after finishing his degree in Digital Design and Film, Chris has found time to start racing DH again. ‘This year’, he says, ‘I have been concentrating on getting back into the racing mindset and also getting the points to do the national series. It is a new system where you need 5 points to enter a national race (next year it will be 10). I had what I thought was a poor race a couple of weeks ago but still managed to get 19th place which gave me 22 points, so I'm am secure for the nationals this year and next. Next year I'm going to hit every national and also the national champs, where ever they may be.

Later this year, not content to stand still, Chris is off to study Architecture in Leeds. Something he’s have always wanted to do since being a small boy. ‘Thought I'd better get it done while it's not too late’ he says.  ‘And thanks to BikeFax for sponsoring me and giving me the help I will need while being a student again.’

Chris is also going to be the editor in chief and lead writer on our next guide to be published ‘Downhill Britain’, which will give out the beta on all the best DH sites across the UK.

Photos: British Cycling, Chris Lazenby

Congrtulations to Neil Halcrow of Team Bikefax. Neil got himself up on the podium in 1st place at the Bontrager 24/12.

Neil Halcrow and partner Heather Wilson won the mixed pairs category of the Bontrager Twenty-four 12 mountain bike race this weekend. Heather and Neil competed in the full 24 hour race, an endurance MTB around a course of 12-14km.

The track was dry and dusty which made for some fast lap times.  The pair’s category meant that Heather and Neil compete in a ‘tag’ or relay style race. Their tactics to complete several laps before each relay proved positive and it won them 1st place.

Neil says, ‘After 24hrs we completed 29 laps of a 15km course and were 1 lap and 1 hour up on second place and 5 laps up on 3rd, so very good result. The course was super technical with most of the climbing at the start and full of fantastic tricky but flowing singletrack, of which we couldn't help ride at full speed and constantly attack.

Team Bikefax is sponsored by: Kona bikes and Continental tyres