Bikedock Belles

There was free camping available on the Friday and Saturday night and they arrived at around 7.30pm to a busy field with lots of vans and tents already there and the finishing touches being put to the course.

After getting the tents up and registering, they then availed of the free pasta and had a yarn with some of the other folk milling around. The early night didn’t really happen as they got stuck into helping Antoine (winner of this year's Coast2Coast) to build his single speed which he intended to race on (nutter – but great prep for the World Single Speed Champs end-August)

The next morning dawned fine and dry everyone was asking the girls were ‘the rest’ of the Belles were and how they found the TransAlp race???? Oh how gutted Julie and Andrea were not to be defending their title at Bull Raid – but they were being responsible?! and doing their MTB Leader qualification all weekend. Yaaaaawwwwwwn!

The 12 hour Bull Raid enduro is best completed by taking turns at laps. Molly took the first lap.The fastest competitors were completing the laps in around 50 minutes and the girls had guessed they would take around 1hr 30 mins max. Debbie lounged about and got supplies into the pit while Molly was slogging around the trail. They were the only female 12 hr pair so unless there was a disaster, they were going to claim the title. The only stipulation was that they had to complete 2 laps.

Molly rolled in at 1hr 20 mins not looking too happy at all. She said it was awful and it had taken its toll on her.

After a very quick transition Debbie then took off on her lap. Having taken part in the first round of the NPS at Bellurgan a few months previous she had a little knowledge of part of the course. Firstly there was the tortuous climb up Horsepower hill which although was not that steep just pulled the energy from you.

Then into the forest and up a series of severe switchbacks, through the trees. The course was quite technical in places but the ground was reasonably dry and fast. She was starting to relax and really get into the swing of it and enjoying herself when disaster struck. Hamburger Hill, which caught out Julie and Andrea last year and involved cuts, bruises and head butting a rock (but the rock survived!!), struck again. Debbie lost control and did a fairly big face plant into a pile of rocks, also splitting her knee open pretty badly. 

Rowan McMahon (26 Extreme) was the first to come across her and stopped to help and when he saw that her kneecap was on show he said “Oh god don’t look at that!” Debbie told him she was fine and for him to go on. His reply... “The Bikedock Belles would kill me if I left you lying here!” 

They decided for him to go to the next junction and alert the paramedics and Debbie would make her way down to them. As she walked down to them all she could think of was she just had to finish the lap and then they wouldn’t be out of the race. The medics cleaned the wound (took photos of it) and put a bandage on it and off she went and slowly but surely finished the lap.

She was greeted at the end by a very worried Molly but after some reassurance, she jumped on the bike and kept going. Debbie finished the nightmare lap in 1hr 38mins even with the medical stop. Molly then was going it alone while Debbie went to hospital for stitches. Good old Jo McCallum (bored after 2 weeks home after her immense support at TransAlp!) collected her at Daisy hill Hospital and they returned to the race. Unfortunately Debbie was out of action but was there to cheer Molly and Eileen Regan on. Eileen was doing the 6 hr solo and was going really well.

The day ended with Molly and Debbie taking the women's title and Eileen taking the 3^rd women's 6hr title. Molly soldiered on, mentally tough after losing your team mate, and progressively got better with each of her laps - an accustomed MTBer by the end ! Now there's training for you !

It was a bit of a struggle for Debbie getting up onto the Podium on her crutches but she managed! In her ears was ringing the much coined Belles phrase "drink a pint of concrete....and harden up" !

That night was spent relaxing around the ample campfire and enjoying the generous BBQ laid on as part of the package. The next morning they all packed up and headed home and agreed despite the mishaps a great weekend was had by all. Debbie is now really determined to have another go next year and at least last more than 2 hours!

The Bull Raid is a superb event and the atmosphere is great and really relaxed. Thanks to Alan Bingham and Eddie for organising it (and for the lift to hospital). See you again next year!

NB written by Debbie (after drinking several pints of concrete!)

Ding Dong

Andrea