Mission Complete for 2011. Plans for 2012...

Dear Riders,

 

What a season...

 

With Mud Sweat and Gears complete for another year, I would like to thank you all for you support and enthusium. With the warm up series, the eastern region mtb series,

weekday rides, schools events, and the all new summer enduro complete - its been a busy one with over 2500 participants taking part.

 

Looking forward...

 

Plans for 2012 are already in full swing with dates being confirmed as we speak for the Eastern Region MTB Series and the Summer Enduro. We are also very excited about hosting a round of the British Cross Country Nationals at Langdon Hills, Essex - which will mean that the Eastern Region will be hosting regional, national and with the Olympics at Hadleigh, Benfleet - international mountain bike races next year! Not bad for a region with no mountains...

 

Onto a personal note, with sadness but excitment for the future, this years series will be my last as i am emigrating to Australia in a few weeks. As mentioned however, Mud Sweat and Gears will continue to get bigger and better next year with Matt Ewings leading on the series. As many of you may know, Matt has played a key role in the series this year - leading on the courses at Hylands, Danbury, and stepping in at last miniute to run the Tunstall event. With this change in management and the series in full planning mode for 2012, Matt is really keen to hear from you via matt.ewings@essex.gov.uk on your feedback from this year and your thoughts for next year.

 

Special thanks...

 

With my departure - i would like to pay special thanks to those organisations and people who have supported me and helped grow MSG from its one off event in 2008, to what many regard as the largest regional MTB series in England: sportessex, Essex Outdoors, Danbury Outdoors, Essex 2012 Legacy, Essex County Council, Chelmsford Borough Council (Antony and Matt), British Cycling (Mark, Keely, Brian, Rachel and Sara) Adam Johnson, Graham Elliot, Phils Bike Company (Phil), Chelmer Cycles (Jon and Andy), Herogate Cycles (Dave), Moore and Large, Helath Muscle and Fitness (Ant), Trailnet (Geoff), Timelaps (Matt and Martin), Army Cadets, TROGs, Thetford MTB Racing (Paul, Mike and Debs), Codam Park (Sharron, Jason, Josh, Ben and Pete), , Roger Powell, Tony Williams, Gino Howe, James Price, Craig and Ross, Linzi Wood and Linzi Carlton.

 

Winter events...

 

Mud Sweat and Gears will be back in April - but in the mean time please check out the below events happening this winter:

 

Dust til Dawn with Thetford MTB Racing

 

MTB Winter Series with Thetford MTB Racing

 

Off Road Duathlon with Waldon Tri

 

Rough Stuff with Norfolk Cycling

 

 

Many thanks again. Wooop Wooop...

 

Alistair

 

alistair.russell@essex.gov.uk - until Friday 23rd September 2011

 

alyrussell@hotmail.com - there after

Langdon Hills Post Event Info

Thank you for supporting the sixth and final round of the Mud Sweat and Gears: Eastern Region MTB Series. Please see the below links for results and photos! 

Results
http://www.timelaps.co.uk/results.aspx

Photos
http://www.flyingtigers.co.uk/page2.html

Series Standings
Updated on 20/09/11. Please click back on the www.mudsweatgears.co.uk homepage and click on series standings under Eastern Region MTB Series Any questions alistair.russell@essex.gov.uk

MSG Team

MSG Eastern: Langdon Hills Pre Event Info

Online registration is now closed for MSG Eastern Region MTB Series: Langdon Hills (Sunday 18th September 2011). We have received over 220 pre entries, however there is still space for a few more on the day. Payment will be by cash only.

- To find out the specific location and other pre event information click here

- To check your entry and find out who has pre-registered click here

Look forward to seeing you on Sunday,

 MSG Team

Eastern Exposure at UK School Games

By Graham Elliot

So what’s this got to do with MSG? Well from the outset the objective with MSG has been multifaceted, but giving youth talent an opportunity was very definitely part of the deal. Ambitious riders might also like to consider that selection for regional and national teams are based on British Cycling membership and participation in BC sanctioned events……….like MSG for instance!

All of the boys team have come into the sport via MSG. Imogen Buick captain of the girls has also graced the series. Hopefully we will also soon be seeing one Ellie Bushell appearing in the challenger category as a potential star of the future. So that’s ¾’s of the Eastern team benefiting from MSG. How cool is that???.

Anyway the team are now back from the games tired, battered, but definitely not beaten.

The story is very much split into differing male and female experiences. With that in mind in real terms our girls were 5^th overall, and were just shaded out of two podium places individually. Not bad for somewhere so vertically challenged. And the boys? Well they weren’t last, and they certainly didn’t disgrace themselves. Given that not one of them has more than 2 years racing experience, and most of them no more than a year, that fact is extremely creditable. Overall we came 9^th out of 14 regions.

However, that is not the full story. From the outset the overall purpose of the games is to give talented athletes a learning experience. So over this weekend I am proud to report that I have overseen a group of youngsters which have developed exponentially not just as athletes, but as people. If for that reason alone it has been a major success.

If you want to view the results you can find them here: http://www.ukschoolgames.com/2011/results/cycling/index.php

You might also like to view the show reel of the weekends event that will give you a flavour of the whole event. The Eastern Region riders are in Royal blue skinsuits…. (Its amazing what buying a cameraman a coffee can do for you nowdays!)

http://www.ukschoolgames.com/aboutus_video.php

Graham Elliott

British Cycling Eastern Region Board MTB Representative


The Dream Team!!!!

British XC 2012 is going East Side!

The Mud Sweat and Gears team are proud to announce that they will be hosting in partnership with British Cycling the fifth round of the British XC Nationals at Langdon Hills, Essex on Sunday 15th July 2012. The team are really excited by this opportunity and look forward to welcoming riders from all over the UK/the World to the East of England!

For more information please click on the below link:

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/mtb/article/mtb20110819-2012-British-XC-Series-0

Hadleigh Farm Mountain Bike Venue - have your say on its future...

As you may be aware, Essex County Council will be starting the initial consultation on how the Hadleigh Farm Mountain Bike Venue should be used after 2012 with a view to bringing forward Legacy proposals later in the year.

At this stage ECC are taking initial general views on the priorities for wide range of uses of both the venue area and the neighbouring Hadleigh Country Park to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to input into proposals. ECC would be very grateful if you could spare a few minutes to complete the survey and forward this on to other that may be interested.

Once the responses have been received and collated ECC will conduct further consultation including with a selection of specific groups who express an interest, so please ensure you include contact details and indicate if you would like to be involved in future consultations or to be kept informed. Initial proposals will be shared through the below website and local drop in sessions later in the year.

The survey is online by clicking here

Rough stuff for October...

Our friends at Norfolk Cycling are putting on a event on 16th October called CTC Rough Stuff 

Please click below for more info

http://www.norfolkcycling.co.uk/Ruffstuff.html