Tough One's Little Brother '09

Sunday 8th November evolved into a hectic day for Stan Watt, as he left the house at 5am for the 41/2 hour drive to Corwen in North Wales for the Tough One's Little Brother extreme event, organised by Steve Ireland and his crew at WOR Events.

By the time Stan had parked, got his bike through scrutineering and on the start line, he just had time to get changed in preparation for a 2 minute silence in commemoration of Remembrance Sunday, prior to race start.

Entered in the elite class, Stan was more than aware that the other 12 riders in class, were likely to be more technically capable for such an event. As the flag dropped, Stan peeled into 10th position and remained relatively careful on the first lap to assess the terrain and course. Passing two riders on the way, Stan started to pick up the pace but was overtaken on lap two and put back into 9th position.

With rain over the previous two days, Wern Ddu Quarry, did pose a challenge with plenty of wet rocks, stony climbs/descents and stream beds to negotiate. There was nowhere nice to land in the event of a fall to rider or machine.

Stan's KTM400EXC performed well although wasn't the best machine for the job. The 250 EXC 2-stroke would have proved a more ideal bike for Stan, making the course more flowing and ultimately easier.

As the race progressed, Stan was able to maintain a good/safe pace and from a result perspective, could have done with a 3hr race rather than 2hrs, as he caught two elite riders in the last three laps who were struggling with their own fitness and started closing in on those riders finished in the top 5.

Although, a good way down from eventual winner Tom Sagar and runner up Paul Edmondson. Stan was more than content to finish 7th in such a specialised event and a great insight into the challenge of the Tough One 100 in January 2010. The first round of the World Xtreme Enduro Championship.

Straight after the race, Stan was packed and gone within 30 minutes for the return journey home.

FRGB

ONE FOR THE FUTURE (Maybe)

Anyone who has young children kicking around on a motorbike, then I suppose or would like to think we are all aware of the 1- dangers 2- the actual fact of them being able to step up to the plate like your current best in the world; Valentino Rossi, David Knight, Ben Spies, Hiroshi Aoyama, etc, etc, is exceptionally thin.

But just incase, this is Cavan Watt clearing his first tabletop, aged 6 years and 2 months, at Rogershill Raceway

FRGB

Front Row GB at THE TOUGH ONE

Stan Watt from Front Row GB is set to build his extreme enduro experience this weekend in the Pro Class (running #62) at The Tough One's Little Brother, set in Wern Ddu Quarry, near Ruthin, North Wales.

Known as the #2 extreme event in the UK, only behind the well known Tough One, which will take on a new concept on 23rd January '10, when it becomes the first round of the World Xtreme Enduro Championship (wxec.com). Limiting the field to the best 100 extreme riders in the world and a slight name change to 'THE TOUGH ONE 100', it will be an exceptional spectacle for the start of a new world championship. Get all the information at www.toughone.com or www.worevents.co.uk.

The WXEC will also include the Erzberg Rodeo in Austria, Red Bull Romaniacs in Romania, Hell's Gate in Italy, Last Man Standing in the USA and the Roof of Africa in South Africa.

Although Stan will be riding a specially prepared Edmondson Racing KTM250 EXC at round 1 of the WXEC in January, this weekend will see him compete on a slightly modified KTM400 EXC.

FRGB

JOINT EFFORT AT THE DIRTY DOUBLE

Talon Engineering, RM Poole Enduro Club and Front Row GB got together to compete (in the loosest of terms) at the VO Two organised challenge at Inside Park, Blandford, named the Dirty Double.

The Team comprised of Rob Sartin from Talon, Dinger Bell from RM Poole Enduro Club and Stan Watt from from Front Row GB. Although all members, have at their time competed in alternative endurance events from Ironman triathlons, John 'o' Groats to Lands End and the Eco Challenge; the Team had not been training to any great lengths and arrived at Inside Park efficiently 20 minutes prior to the start. Getting to the start line safely for the complete cross country event, consisting of a 5km run, 20km mountain bike ride ending in another 5 km run, there was only enough time make sure their numbers were straight and the team was off.

With the everyday glory hunters heading off, like people possessed with some enormous amounts of caffeine, the guys drifted immediately to around mid-pack onto the first hill. Elbows out and a couple of dodgy lines, Rob, Dinger and Stan pushed past those who didn't have the lung capacity their heads told them they had.

Legs burning with no warm up, the Team came to the end of the first lap, to the main obstacles of the bog, the rope obstacle and the jungle and quickly figured out the best technique was to get on elbow and knees and get crawling, passing a few people every time.

Lap two of the run, went pretty much the same way as the 48 teams settled into their pace. A slowish transition to the bikes and the Team was on their way for the 20km bike ride of 3 laps. This was nicely laid out and consisted of the main enduro loop organised by SCEC earlier in the year. The flat part of the course proved good for those who mountain bike regularly but the Team made up places and time on the more gnarly enduro sections.

The multiple lap event, had its share of obstacles with a man-made netted bog, rope obstacle and the jungle, culminating in a 10ft wall and a couple of eager gorilla suited individuals who refrained from any confrontation when challenged, as the team came to the finish line.



After some mild confrontation and conflict with team Fit, Fat and Ugly when they decided it was a good idea to cut across on a few occasions throughout lap two, the Team pushed on and with no major issues finished lap 3 of the mountain bike course and straight into a fairly quick changeover and on their way for a two lap 5km run.

Legs weren't working well and with Stan suffering from a bit of back ache/pins and needles in his feet for most of the first lap Rob and Dinger set the pace and Stan clung on at a steady pace. With a number of teams now starting to clump together on the last running lap, the Team scuttled through the bog, rope obstacle and jungle to come out ahead of the teams around them.

With the gorillas and the wall to conquer, Rob, Dinger & Stan decided it was better to go down fighting and showed some aggression towards the hairy creatures, which was met with distaste and we were told we had to under the last net (see picture).

With the wall to finish, a planned technique worked to perfection with Team; Talon/RM Poole Enduro Club/Front Row GB finishing 3rd overall, even ahead of the organisers own VO Two Team.


1 44 Feat Uk
2 42 Off Camber
3 21 Talon/RM Poole E C/Front Row GB
4 43 Votwo
5 29 The fit the fat and the ugly
6 45 Running Straight to the Grill
7 11 gimbleuk.com
8 22 team curcuits
10 23 Team Endurance


FRGB