The Kona Mash-Up singletrack speedfest returned to Afan Forest Park on 13 June, with the unique multiple-timed-sections format being essentially unchanged from the event's debut in 2008.
400 competitors made their way to Glyncorrwg to tackle the six timed sections. Two categories were on offer, with Technical riders being timed over the Whites Level Black Run, Darkside and Windy Point trails and Endurance riders adding in the Dastardly and Muttley climb and Joyrider and Jetlag on the July trail, but leaving out the Black Run.
The open format means that riders could tackle the sections in any order and as many times as they liked during the day (although there's not much scope for doing the Endurance sections out of order), with Technical riders spending much of their time sessioning the Black Run and Windy Point. An event village was set up at the top of those trails, although with the whole day to fill there was no particular reason not to head back to the Glyncorrwg centre for lunch and then head back up. It's all about "relaxed racing"...
With fantastic weather and dry trails, the riding was certainly up to scratch, and the ride a bit/rest a bit format is clearly packed with win. The organisers had something of a hill to climb with timing after 2008, which suffered a few setbacks, and while getting a complete set of results together for the mooted 7pm presentation proved a trifle ambitious, we gather that the evening party was "rather lively" so there's a fair chance that not many people actually noticed. Still a little work to do there, though.
In the Endurance category, Rob Cooksley (Bad Ass Bikes) and Rosa Martin both repeated their 2008 victories, while the Technical category was enlivened by the appearance of Tracy Moseley. Unsurprisingly, she won the women's event, while Crawford Carrick-Anderson took victory in the men's.
Full results (and those all-important individual stage times) are at www.konaworld.uk.com/mash-up/, and event photos can be found at www.rightplacerighttime.co.uk/.
The Kona Mash-Up was supported by Kona Bikes, Skyline Cycles, MBUK, Torq, Muc-Off, The DropOff Café, the Forestry Commission and the Glyncorrwg Ponds and Mountain Bike Centre. There'll be a second 2009 Mash-Up at Glyncorrwg on 5 December - same trails, perhaps slightly more challenging weather...
