I'm really looking forward to racing this year, whether as a spectator or actually on course. Despite my initial misgivings about my enforced move up to the Masters class for 2008, I've just had a look at some of my old lap times from National Points Series and Gorrick races in 2005 and 2006, and although I would be nowhere near the front, I would at least have a few people behind me. Of course, I was relatively fit in 2005 and 2006, and not being a hypochondriac about my still not 100% right knee, so I doubt I could repeat those times right now...
On an NPS-related note, I've now rejoined British Cycling after allowing my licence to lapse, so I feel a bit better for supporting our governing body in the UK, despite its many faults.
One thing I could never understand, particularly after working at the World Championships at Fort William in 2007, was why British Cycling seems to make so little use of sponsorship to help support our riders. Italy have Skoda logos all over their strip, Rabobank clearly work together with the Dutch team, and yet all British Cycling seemed to do was use Trek bikes and have a small Adidas logo on the strip. It's all change this week however, with Hope not only working more closely with the XC riders at least, and providing some lovely mint green disc brakes in the process, but also Halfords Bikehut have now joined in too, although I'm not sure if this is for XC and/or DH too.
One thing I hadn't realised when guessing who would be at Mountain Mayhem this year is that the 2008 World Championships take place the same weekend at Val Di Sole. That would explain why there's no Giant team entered, since Oli Beckingsale will be in Italy, and also makes it unlikely that Ian Bibby will be riding for SiS/Trek or Jenny Copnall for any of the teams requesting her as a rider. However, it appears this week that Sue Clarke (formerly Sue Thomas) is making a return to XC after getting married and missing all of 2007's races. She's joined SiS/Trek so could be at Mayhem on their Expert Mixed team, which could now be very strong on the women's side. I had in my head that Amy Hunt was still at Trek/SiS and therefore could be on their team at Mayhem but of course she's at Trek/VW now....
It will be interesting to see how the results of the first NPS of the year go, with Sue Clarke added to the usual suspects of Jenny C, Amy Hunt, Jenn O'Connor, Kate Potter and the like. I hope to be there on 13/04 in Thetford, albeit probably just as a spectator taking photos (badly) and some video footage, but I'll decide that over the next week or so.
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