slapshot 3

I was aiming at the bent rim....

or......

At least the bloke that scratched it found it......... What I meant, as you very well know Mr Curran, is what sections???

The Pic....says much

Where did that happen??

The FULL UNEXPURGATED STORY is available for a fee......... Big John and David did get lost along with the observers. The flag marking as you came across the base of the dam was not brilliant and certainly myself and the other observers (Magnon and his mate Shane, gorgeous bikes boys!) headed off to where the Dubh Lochan section had been the previous year. WRONG!! Finding the Meall Na Cruadhie section became a bit of guess work after that, we were thrashing about the moor for a good 40 minutes before we found them, the stretch above Blackwater was not pleasant. We were never more than a couple of miles away from them but it was like needle in a haystack stuff. It was like that for us at the start of the day I suspect it got much worse, some riders lost a fair whack on time because of it....... Your turn prof.

I dunno......she's got you sussed... got a cracking pic of her at Lagnaha on Monday, the determination etched on her face, I'll post it when I get home tonight.

Mose is actually pretty good when he knows his subject matter......road racing, bit of scrambling etc etc but trials ..nah, The Moff would be better, I can sense his ego expanding at the same rate as the contents as the batcave

He looked steady on Monday morning......

good comeback.....

Must have been a right stinker...... Had the same conversation about toughening them up with HL before we left on Tuesday....She said the boss had already said he wouldn't be tightening them up, yeah must have been a belter

Alas no more, heard he's dropped Two at Gorton this morning

Still on then..........

So what is the point then??? When that rule was set up in 1994 (I think) it was to stop riders taking over 5 mins per section nothing more. no fundamental change could take place as it was mid season. The length and style of sections DID NOT CHANGE, the riders just had to up their game. Your comment about relative difficulty, that day in Germany, Jordi Tarres dropped 18 on his first lap that dropped to FOUR in the second lap, the next rider, Angel Garcia dropped 45, DOUBLE what Jordi lost. Sections were as hard then as they are now relative to the skills of the riders. How many world rounds did you see in the 90's. Sections evolve every year, they move to challenge the skills of the riders but do so based on the time limits allowed. If a rider cannot complete the section within the time he fails, simple. It's like the question regarding a 5 on no-stop rules on the SSDT thread just now. Forward motion must be maintained if not it's a 5 This is not about time management........this is about a rider's skills and how they ride a section WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE RULES of the governing body. Simple.....

nah that was last night, bugger Greig waited tilll I'd gone home. It was hot on Monday, damned hot, not surprised he was sweating a bit....

I don't now what odds you'd get but lets put it this way whether or not the king himself can go clean is immaterial, if the weather stays as it is this trial will be won on dabs. That in itself puts extra pressure on the top riders. Tell you what though what I saw before I left, the boy is up for it...I think you call this the Intense Look

White lady speak with forked tongue...... Watching year on year you can get to the stage where the poor observers are in dire need of minders themselves, EVEN in the P65. Arm them with Tazers or big clubs with nails in them, beat the buggers off. I've watched a certain well know rider has asked son to distract observer while he alters section...... Kid came up to me on Saturday while his old man was riding the section....come on, personally too long in the tooth to fall for that. Its a tough job and you have to respect every single one of these folks. NOW....get back over to SSDT.org and get me some gossip missus

I saw the way you were watching.....

Didn't see it but there was a bit of a buzz about that. bike stops forward motion - 5 - should be simple Sections at Lagnaha were really hard however they could all be ridden non stop, many riders showed that

My ever balding pate is redder than the header bars at the top of this page......Monday was superb, down in the burn at Lagnaha, sun shining, warm....nah HOT superb riding...only a cold one would have improved it

A good few years back now at the German WTC round at Osnabruck one rider a certain Snr Tarres took nearly SIX and a HALF minutes to ride one section.....two weeks later in Czech Republic we have a time limit per section. Give em two minutes, they'll use two minutes give em more they'll take all they can get.....

Got home late last night, great few days weather was great apart from Sunday. HOWEVER...... The Pre-65 was rather spoiled for me again by the muppets who think it's okay to take their bikes off road because they can't be a***d walking. Friday Meall Na-Cruidhe not many but one or two bikes out on the moors thrashing around all over the place, I know there were a few press bikes but these folk need to be more obvious, yellow press bib?? As for the one I chased, wish I'd got the plate number, 315 mont if anyone's willing to own up......... Saturday was a different story, you could barely move at the top of Mamore for bikes and som eof the Rambles were not chuffed either. The old fella who was observing Flooks couldn't find it so when I did, I stopped to make sure he got there okay. Couple of walkers stopped to ask what was going on, explained and they set off again. Met up at the top again and they said "you explained about the riders but what about the rest" at that stage their must have been 15 superfluous bikes at the top of Mamore.........we go through this every year....STAY AWAY. If you are one of these clowns then shame on you! One of these years when you've sod all to do the first weekend in May because the P65 is stopped because the club can't get land let us know where you live so we can come and ride all over your garden......Still think snipping throttle cables is a viable option.......

I'm not gloating but.....that high did the trick I'm home (bah humbug) but sunburnt...haven't said that after a Scottish for a few years.....

Okay, I'm leaving for kinlochleven this morning so my last throw at the dice....... Friday - Patchy rain and drizzle but improving as the day progresses always a chance of a shower or two but improving. temp 10-12 Saturday -- Friday in reverse starting fine but rain due into that area by early to mid evening so becoming more cloudy as the day goes on, wind increasing overnight into Sunday. Temp Saturday up to 14 Sunday - not great, cloudy & wet, typical Fort William day temperature 11-13 (there is a a minor glimmer of hope, there is a high building over Scandinavia and the north sea, depending on how quickly it builds it could keep the rain and front out to sea.....maybe...) Monday - Any lingering rain should die out pretty early as the high has gains more influence. Nice day at Lagnaha hopefully. If the sun does get through we could have temperatures up to 15 -17 degrees. Tuesday similar to Monday Wednesday & Thursday - Reasonable days always the chance of a few showers though. Friday & Saturday - Front pushing in from the west as the High declines back to the rain and wind I'm afraid./ typical mixed bag, how many years since it was a real good 'un. Moderatley confident out to Monday but beyond.....that's a crystal ball job, not even the seaweed is helping there. As always...it'll probably all go horribly wrong

I have to be honest, snakes scare the cr@p out of me I'd be the other speck