pete_scorpa3 Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 The Colmore Cup Trial was abandoned today when the heavy rain that had been forcast for the Midlands turned to snow early in the event. Snow combined with freezing fog, forced the organisers to make the difficult descision to stop the trial after most of the riders had completed just ten sections. The conditions on the roads around the Cotswold Hills were not safe, visibility was down to a few metres in places along the five mile drive from Dovedale to Hancocks Wood. The Stratford-Upon-Avon Club would like to thank the riders for reacting so well to the descision and also give a huge vote of thanks to all the observers who stuck at their posts until the bitter end. Here is a picture of Ross Danby at the biggest of the 'Three Sisters' in Dovedale which was a graded climb. Ross was one of just six riders to reach the 'zero' board. The picture shows how bad the conditions were. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minder Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Will there be any results issued? We were watching at Dovedale where most riders made it through. It wouldn't be ideal but at least you get a result for all efforts put in by organisers, observers and riders. Unless it is to be run later in the year? Such a shame with all the hard work put in but it was a particularly awful day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan williams Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 You need to get the Top Gear lads out there with the Snowbine. Actually it looks a bit odd to me to see bare ground since the guys I ride with are usually shoveling out sections this time of year to practice. It's actually better with snow as bare ground just freezes and makes for variable traction. Good on Stratford-Upon-Avon Club for giving it a go and then having the smarts to know when it was dangerous enough to pull the plug. Always a difficult decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadof2 Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 (edited) Just out of curiosity anyone remember the Cumberland County MCC trial at Milburn in the 1976 / 77 winter, (dancing on ice?) or the Barrow club trial at High Newton in about 1983? (2 foot of snow). Then there were the wet and foggy Scotts of 1990 and 96? or 97? when quite a few riders found themselvs swiming the section and some bits in between. Then there was the Lakes 2 day in January 76 - part of it was like Scott of the antarctic - freezing riders on their hands and knees in snow trying to drag there bikes along. Cheers Edited March 4, 2012 by Dadof2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Will there be any results issued? We were watching at Dovedale where most riders made it through. It wouldn't be ideal but at least you get a result for all efforts put in by organisers, observers and riders. Unless it is to be run later in the year? Such a shame with all the hard work put in but it was a particularly awful day. Correct me if i'm wrong, and i'm sure somebody i know will leap at the chance!, but i think you need a minimum of 40 sections , can be 4 x 10 of course, to class it as an event. ACU rule might have changed since i was with them. Shame especially considering all the hard work that must have gone in to put the event on but safety of the riders and officials must ALWAYS take priority. Must have been a hard decision to take but sounds like the right one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gasthatchgas Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Don't think there will be results as we only got through 9 of the 10 dovedale sections before we were told. Had to ride down the A44 in the snow to find our support van.....was hell on Tarmac!!! Deep in the woods we knew it was snowing but had no idea it was settling in the fields!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_scorpa3 Posted March 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Correct me if i'm wrong, and i'm sure somebody i know will leap at the chance!, but i think you need a minimum of 40 sections , can be 4 x 10 of course, to class it as an event. ACU rule might have changed since i was with them. Shame especially considering all the hard work that must have gone in to put the event on but safety of the riders and officials must ALWAYS take priority. Must have been a hard decision to take but sounds like the right one. Cold riders didn't stop the trial, cold observers didn't stop the trial, snow on the ground didn't stop the trial. It the dangerous conditions on the road that stopped the trial. We just couldn't take the risk that someone was going to get hurt riding a trials bike, with no lights, along the A44 in freezing fog with snow on the road. Things got bad around 11 am, some riders had been going for two hours, others had just started. We considered shortening the trial, we considered changing the route, but in the end there was no option but to call it off and tell the riders to make their way back as carefully as they could. Many were fortunate enough to have fiends with vans nearby and loaded the bikes up. The descision was not made lightly, but I believe it was the right one. Had we been able to complete 20 sections, there may have been a case for awarding half points, but many riders didn't get further than section 10 before we called it off, so any results would be meaningless. Pete Section six. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan williams Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 I figured as much. Nobody in the motherland would cancel a trials for mud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gasserguy Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 I was an early number and rode 5 miles down the A44 and took half an hour, Could not see a thing and not nice with a 40th artic lorry on your rear wheel. Did finish the second group then it was right to be called off. As for results, I don't think anyone gave in the punch cards so that's a No no! Shame after so many had put in so much hard work to get this trial on! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_scorpa3 Posted March 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Here's a shot of Mark Hicken exiting the middle of the 'Three Sisters.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw dave Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Had to make this type of difficult decision some years ago for the same reason - rider safety. - Not easy - but smart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_scorpa3 Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 The biggest of the 'Three Sisters' in Dovedale. This section was graded, only the very determined got past the '1' board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogle Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Here's a shot of Mark Hicken exiting the middle of the 'Three Sisters.' No gloves in those conditions! Hardcore. Probably wouldn't have been much use by that point though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_scorpa3 Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 No gloves in those conditions! Hardcore. Probably wouldn't have been much use by that point though. I ditched my gloves after the first hour or so, the water was running off the sleeves of my jacket and my gloves were soaked. It was actually colder with them on. I did notice a couple of riders wearing surgical gloves, but how effective they are I have no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_scorpa3 Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 This was an absolutely superb ride at section 5, by this time the section had deteriorated badly and many riders were failing on the roots at the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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