British Cycling National Mountain Bike Series round 5 - Kirroughtree
Utmost Academy rider Zach Smith attended the final race in the British Cycling mountain bike calendar in Kirroughtree Scotland. Known for its stunning natural beauty and challenging terrain, Kirroughtree is a premier venue for mountain biking, nestled within the Galloway Forest Park, featuring a range of technical features that would test all the riders’ skills and endurance.
Having recently secured his first senior victory in the Guernsey Velo Club XC series, Zach was eager to build upon that success and his 11th position in the Short Track XCC race the previous day. Starting in 10th position out of 40, he made a great start, and maintained that strong early pace on the first lap, coming over the line in 7th place. Over the next two laps, Smith continued to demonstrate his prowess, expertly navigating the technical rock sections and steep, rutted downhill stage, to move up a position to 6th place by the end of lap 3.
The final lap, would see Zach under increasing pressure from competitors Wilfred Pugh and Scottish National Downhill Champion Zach Buchan. Despite attempts to thwart their attacks, they did overtake him in the final stages of the race, with Smith managing to keep them within a few seconds at the finish line.
Reflecting on his performance, a delighted Zach commented, “It was yet another hard race!! My goal for the series was to finish with a top ten result as a first year Youth and I managed to do this” I am now looking forward to the National Championships being held at Woodies Bike Park on July 20, followed by the Junior European Championships in Sweden 4th – 9th August.
Written by Rod Smith
