2018 Race Calendar

I know that 2017 isn’t over yet but races tend to fill up quickly so I’ve been registering for some 2018 races already. I’ll be racing in Scimitar Sports colours next year, so as well as the Quadrathlon Trophy Series races I’ll be joining some other Scimitar Endurance riders in various mountain bike or gravel bike races too. I’ll be doing a few Kayak Time Trials as well, and hopefully the Welsh Cyclocross Series again. My 2018 race calendar is looking quite full already.

Kayak Time Trials

The year will start with a few fairly informal Kayak Time Trials. My kayaking is still my weak discipline so anything I can do to improve is a good thing. I actually did the first of my kayak time trials last weekend and hopefully have 3 more to do early in 2018.

Quadrathlons

Unfortunately I missed a couple of the BQA Trophy Series races in 2017 due to injury so I’ll be hoping to add them all to my 2018 race calendar. That includes the Fabian4 Dyffryn Conwy Mountain Triathlon which despite not having a swim is still part of the Quadrathlon Trophy Series. It looks like quite a tough race!

The Trophy Series has a total of 6 races in 2018, three of them on consecutive weekends in September. Lets hope I’m fit for September, although peaking for three weeks in a row is impossible.

Mountain Bike Marathons

I’m hoping to do a couple of these. The Scott MTB Marathon in Builth Wells and the Pivot 24/12 in Plymouth. Although officially races I’ll be happy to just get around and complete them.

Gravel Bike Races

This will be a new thing for me, but there’s a really good looking event called GritFest not too far from here. It’s being put on by Matt Page at A Cycling, the same people who organise Battle on the Beach, Tide to Tide and Cross Mountain as well as a couple of the Cyclocross races. They know what they are doing when it comes to bike races so it should be well organised. It looks like a good format too. The event takes place over a weekend and consists of two days of gravel bike riding with timed special stages. Day one is 80km with 1600m of climbing and 3 timed stages. Day two is 40km with 1000m of climbing and another 3 timed stages. More importantly, there are 3 feed stations on day 1 and 2 on day 2.

I’m hoping I’ll be able to ride it with some friends and that we’ll be able to take it easy on the non-timed stages, maybe even stopping for a picnic at the feed stations, but still go for it on the timed stages before regrouping again for the next non-timed section. With free camping, evening entertainment and lots of other things going on it should be a good weekend.

Cyclocross

With that little lot done and dusted it’ll be time to start the Welsh Cyclocross Series again. Who knows, if I get a fair bit of time on the bike sorted over the summer I might even feel a little more competitive by the time CX season rolls around again.

Race Calendar

Things are by no means set in stone as family, work, illness, injury and other commitments always get in the way somewhat but here’s what my provisional race calendar is looking like at the mo.

Looks like fun, and that’s the whole point. Although I shall do some training and obviously give it my all in most of the races the emphasis will once again be on enjoying it. Winning won’t be on the agenda but crossing the line smiling will be.

Tags: Races