The 1st round of the 2010 Hewitt National XC Championship got off to a cracking start at Chavenage Farm near Tetbury on Sunday 21st February.

Overnight snow had dusted the fields with a light frosting. The sun shone but the air was cold. The Midwest team of Ollie Moyce, Jamie Paget & Tyson Maytom-Jones had organised a training session the day before & their first job on Sunday morning was to chip the frozen mud off their wheels.

The first through was Ollie Moyce ahead of Aaran Poolman, Jason Fraser & Jamie Paget.

By the halfway point the sun had begun to work it's magic & the course began to dry. The Chavenage course is very compact & a good crowd had turned out to support the riders. Ollie Moyce held onto the lead, closely followed by Jason Fraser but with less than 30 minutes to go Jason's new Suzuki ran out of petrol. He had only had the bike for 3 days & he wasn't too sure of the capacity. Ollie Moyce went on to take the overall win. He had enough of a lead to stop for a splash & dash on his last lap. Midwest team mate Jamie Paget did well to get so much out of his Husaberg FE 570 in such slick conditions.

After the event Ollie Moyce said that he hadn't had the best of starts & he had struggled with arm pump on the first few laps but it was probably the same for everyone. Once the course began to dry out he really enjoyed the ride & he was looking forward to the first round of the British Enduro Championship this weekend.

Results, Expert Class
1. Ollie Moyce (Husaberg)
7. Arran Poolman (Husaberg)
8. Tyson Maytom-Jones (Husaberg)

Another Husaberg rider making his indoor enduro debut was British competitor Ollie Moyce. Competing in the event 'as a bit of fun' Ollie was unable to qualify into the finals but opted to try his luck in the night race. With the stadium lights turned off, and using only the headlight of his FE 390, Ollie started well, moved from second into first and claimed the win, much to his delight.

'I'm not the greatest trials rider and this was my first indoor, so I wasn't expecting too much. I got a good start in the night race and rode much, much better than I did in any of my other races. Maybe it was because it was just a fun race but I felt great. I moved from second into first and everything really came together for me then. I learned a lot during the event and really enjoyed it.' - Ollie Moyce

I travelled to the 2009 ISDE in Portugal with Kurt (my mechanic) in the van, meeting various other riders on the boat from Plymouth to Santander. After many games of bingo and watching magic shows we arrived in Spain at 11am the next day. Travelling through bright sunshine we made the 7-8 hour journey through Spain and into Portugal. Arriving a little later than expected we booked the caravan into the campsite and I went to meet the others at the team hotel where everyone looked fresh faced and ready for action. After a meal and a shower we had a good nights sleep ready to explore the area which would be our new home for the next 14 days.

Unfortunately the weather the following day was not on our side and we had very hard thunderstorms, delaying our test walking for a short period. After a few days of unpredictable showers it settled down and the sun shone.

After walking various sandy tests we decided we should get out on the test track which was a very deep sandy track of around 40 seconds long. It was a good indication of how the bikes would run and also how hard the week would be if the rider struggled in the sand.

Back to the pits with no problems and time to get the bike prepped for technical inspection the next day. We showed our documents and signed the papers at 5.30pm on the Thursday and our technical inspection was 9am on Friday morning. All bikes went through without problems although some needed to make small adjustments to their silencers.

The rest of Friday was spent walking tests and sorting bits out for the coming week.

Their was an opening ceremony held on Saturday night with a parade of all the countries teams, some speeches, the purple helmets did a performance and then some fireworks at the end.

Sunday is normally the day of rest but it is usual for most people to just go to the park ferme and check they have everything sorted and ready for the next 6 days. Then come back and chill out for a while.

It was nice to get off the start line and get going on the first day. The first check we rode out of town, over the bridge and to the first check in an industrial estate. This was then effectively the start of the lap. After leaving this check we rode around the corner, off the road and into the very deep, powdery sand test. It was great fun to ride but on the first day your start position is mixed up so there are many slower riders in front. I caught a German rider and whilst trying to pass him I crashed but I wasn’t going to let this get me down. Out of the test and into a long dry, hardpack and dusty check to the fuel.

Then another check but this was an Enduro test which was tight and rocky. Whilst coming off a drop off the bike stalled and in my rush to get going again I was twisting the throttle therefore it did not start for about 15 to 20 seconds. After the test we rode round the corner to the check. Then another check with a nice flowing sandy test at the end. My first test of the day was pretty good and a lot of fun to ride. Then it was back to the check in the industrial area for another lap. My tests on this lap varied with some being better and others not so good.

After the lap we rode back to the town but had to ride what was known as the KTM super test which consisted of a test laid out on the beach front with long straights and dunes of about 3 minutes long. Again this was great fun to ride but was so deep and powdery it was very easy to crash.

In my 15 minute work period I decided to change both the front and rear tyre because I was not happy with my choice of front tyre so opted to put an extreme hard on. All went well but my front spindle would not go in as hard as I tried. This was due to the quick release bolt inside the shaft heating up and expanding. I had to bodge the wheel in and fix it in the morning which I did with no problems.

Day 2 was the same course and tests as the first day and I knew that I had to step it up if I were to do well and get a gold medal so I did and had a much better day pulling myself up a lot of places. Finishing after 2 days, 7 seconds behind Si Wakely.
Unfortunately on this day Lee Edmondson’s clutch went and he had to retire, David Knight crashed and hurt himself and Jamie Paget had to change a barrel and piston to make sure he kept going.

Day 3 + 4

A new course and 3 new tests but this time it would be the going that was the hardest part of the day. For the last 10 minutes of the first check and the whole 30 minutes of the second check we had to ride over powdery sand about 10 metres wide which was great fun for the first lap but as you could imagine was horrendous by the end of day 4.
The first test was through some fields which had a rock hard floor like concrete making it tricky in the corners.
The second a test next to the beach but a harder type of sand and physically challenging, and the third a very rocky test with steep hills but ironically the most enjoyable of the lot.
I had some good steady days with no major incidents on any of the tests but crashed both days on the KTM super test back in the town.

Day 5

A totally separate day from all only using one of the previous 6 tests and this was the one with the concrete slippery corners. The other was next to a river which we rode to just after leaving the first check. It was nearly 9 minutes long and very tiring to ride especially so late in the week. The last check had 2 tests in, one being the previous days and the other a very deep sandy test.
I think I was more focused on making it through the day so stayed steady. I didn’t crash on the KTM super test so was pleased to end with a good one.

Day 6

The last day is renowned for being fairly easy and slack but due to the final motocross being more than an hours drive away we had 2 one hour checks to do in the morning which were not the simplest of rides.
Once we arrived at the amazing GP motocross track of Agueda we put our bikes in the parc ferme and waited for our race. I was in the second E2 race. We had a warm up lap and then got into the race which was a lot of fun for the first 3 laps until my arms pumped up and so I decided to back off but still enjoyed it. I was glad to finish the day and the week.

I finished in 77th place overall and got a gold medal.

Thanks to all the support crews and helpers at the ISDE!

Fresh from a European Championship round in Italy Ollie was keen to get back on the bike he was getting more and more to grips with. The Natterjack, run by the Reme team is always a fantastic event with a long Enduro test in the woods, an MX test in a deep sand bowl and long whooped out checks which take their toll on the entry. This year they had included some new sections including a vertical wall with an option of going up it or around.

Day 1,

At 10am the riders started, making their way to a check just before the MX test. This was a timed test but it had been un-ridden so there were no berms or lines. Ollie crashed twice in the test but stayed positive because he knew the course would only get better. Then it was out on a check which looped back around to the start of the Enduro test. This first test was untimed so it was a good chance to check out all the lines available. Ollie decided he would not even try the wall as his trials skills as yet are not sufficient enough. After the test it was time for the dreaded check over the other side of the road and then back to start another lap.
Upon arrival to the second MX test Ollie was ready to prove something and was having a great test until he caught his arm on the final tree before the finish causing him to crash and lose valuable seconds. Back round to the first timed Enduro test and Ollie made a mistake in the bog and fell off. His day was going from bad to worse with everything seeming to go wrong. He took 5 minutes in the check to assess what was happening and try to start again. This seemed to help as the rest of the tests in the day were much better and more consistent.
He finished the first day in 13th overall.

Day 2,

A 9am start for Sunday and a reversed course saw the riders making their way to the other side of the road first. The Enduro test was the same direction with a small alteration and the wall coming out. Ollie was keen to prove that he was better than the previous day and pushed hard in his tests. He enjoyed the day and had no major issues in any of the tests. He put in his fastest time of the weekend in the sand bowl on the last test of the day.
He finished the day in 8th position overall.

Kurt and I set off in the van and made the 15 hour journey to Castiglion Fiorentino in Italy for the final round of the European Enduro Championship. The start was situated in the middle of the town on top of a hill with amazing views all around. Upon arrival the weather was unsettled but by the look of the ground it had not rained seriously for quite a while.

The British contingency was all parked together and there was a great atmosphere with so many riders making the journey. By Thursday morning we had all been to the test track and the bikes were prepared.

There were 2 tests a lap, an Enduro test which consisted of a very rocky, technical riverbed and long fast straights and an MX test which weaved in and out of the final motocross track with soft powdery berms.

DAY 1,

We woke up to sunshine to everyone’s delight and it just got hotter all day. The Enduro test was untimed on the first lap but seemed to ride easier than first anticipated. Then there was a long check out to the first fuel stop. The next check made its way back through the mountains to the MX test at the end of the lap. This was meant to be timed but unfortunately for me the timing did not stop causing me to have the slowest time in class. Then it was back to see my old friend Kurt at the check who could also not understand having watched the test how I seemed to be 30 seconds slower than anyone!
After starting the next lap we came to the Enduro test again which was timed. I made a small mistake in the test and still felt like I was learning about my new FE390. The rest of the day was steady but I was slowly getting my confidence back. By that night my first MX test had been rectified but it seemed as if they had almost guessed a time for me.
I finished the day in 9th position, 16 seconds down on 8th.

Day 2,

I knew I was capable of going faster so I decided to leave my brain at the van in the morning. After the start of day 2 we went straight to the Enduro test again. My fastest day 1 Enduro time was 7 min 41 seconds so my aim was to get to the mid thirties. After coming through the end of the test, I looked at my time which said 7 min 24 seconds. From then on my times were considerably faster and my confidence grew all day.
I finished the day 6th in class (5 seconds from being 4th in class) and 7th overall after 2 days of racing.

Day 3, (motocross)

The motocross track was on the same dry, dusty field as the MX test had been. The women and vets were the first to race and it worked backwards to the juniors who were last. By the time I had my sighting lap there were areas of the course that were difficult to see past the front wheel. Woodsy (Ash Wood) and I lined up on the start gate together and waited for it to drop. I had a good jump out of the gate but didn’t quite get to the corner where I needed to be. After a lot of argy bargy the 8 lap race pretty much finished in the order you made it around the first corner due to the severity of the dust.
I finished in 8th position.

Thanks to all the support crews who helped out especially Deb Harvey who kept me, James Jackman and Julian Crimp in order.

Prior to leaving for the last round of the European Championship in Italy Ollie competed in a South Eastern Centre Enduro at Canada Heights.

With nearly the whole of the motocross track being used and a mixture of grassy fields and tight woodland it was a good way of getting used to the new FE 390. Confident with the new bike Ollie proved it was the right move and set both the fastest special test times of the day.

Throughout the day there were checks tight enough to make the riders lose a small amount of time but due to traffic it was difficult to judge who would get a clear run.

Most of the championship riders came in, dropping the same amount of time on the first tight check. This left one more tight check to go and Ollie was positive that if he only had a clearer run that he could put a minute or 2 on the rest.

During the last tight check came and Ollie came in dropping 2 minutes whereas everyone else dropped 3. He finished in 1st Position

“I really love riding here and the new FE 390 was incredible on every type of terrain. There was nothing I could fault about it. I’m looking forward to trying the new bike on the rocks in Italy. Big thanks to the Sidcup club for a great event and the clerk of the course for not being my mechanic for the day” -Ollie Moyce

Ollie at GBXC Round 7

I picked up my new Husaberg FE 390 the day before the event and went testing on a local motocross track and an Enduro loop. After the first lap of riding it I knew that this is what I had been looking for. The power was so nice and smooth, much more like a 250F. It was like it was on rails around the corners and however much I tried I could not fault it.

After this we headed off to the final round of the GBXC championship. Barry was kind enough to let me and Kurt sleep in his motor home and we were joined by Stuart and his wife Kelly.

The weather in the morning was overcast but dry and the morning race came and went with no real problems. I was all set for the start of the race and looking forward to seeing what the new bike could do. Unfortunately after half a lap I realised that my security bolt was spinning in the tyre so had to stop and put another one in. This was due to the fact that these were my old wheels which had been polished due to an earlier incident in the year.

I returned to the course some 15 minutes later and thought I would get some practice on the new bike. It performed superbly and I was really enjoying riding it. I stopped a few times to change the ignition curves to see how they were.

Apart from the small problem at the start of the race I had no further issues and am very happy with the bike.

Thanks to everyone at Midwest Racing for all of their help.

It took 21 hours driving in convoy with the car and van to get to Slovakia. On the way we stopped over night in Germany. The last leg of the route took us through the Slovakian A roads which have ruts in like a welsh forest. With an hour to go the phone rang and the car had a puncture. Somehow it wasn’t the person who was sitting over it who felt it because he had slept the entire journey (Mr Paget). After fitting the space saver we decided to look out for a tyre fitter on the way to the event. Luckily we asked a car parts shop and ended up in the back of someone’s garden with the wheel out and haggling the price. We ended up paying 30 euros for a used tyre, fitted and balanced but he wouldn’t let us leave without taking another tyre for free so we let him win and chucked it in the van for good measure.

Once at the event we spent the whole of Thursday walking the tests and scoping the area. Then Friday was the day of testing and getting signed in. Unfortunately this was also the time when Brad crashed whilst testing and injured himself. Everyone eventually got through the technical and we walked the extreme test once more.

Day 1.

1st extreme test was untimed. It was just over 2 minutes long through a gulley with a few logs and steep climbs. Then onto a fast and dry motocross test with some nice jumps. After a fuel check there was a long Enduro test through the woods. Dust was a big issue so check times were reasonably slack although some people thought they would follow the squirrel trail on the first check. On the first timed extreme test I managed to fall and get the bike to fall on top of me costing me to lose around 40 seconds. I pushed hard on the motocross tests and had pretty good times. My Enduro tests were not as fast as I had hoped but this will be addressed.
I finished in 11th position

Day 2,

By now all the tests were extremely dusty, technical and deep. My extreme tests were steady without drama and I again enjoyed the motocross tests with my times showing it. The Enduro test still had the better of me but a better day all round.
I finished in 7th position

Thanks to all the sponsors and wish Brad a speedy recovery.
Pics Martin Harding

The 4th round of the GBXC was held in Devon and was a brilliant venue for racing with the weather holding off all day.

Ollie had a poor start and was nearly last around the first corner. After the first few laps he was running in 12th position and seemed like he couldn’t go any faster or catch the guys in front but this was due to excessive arm pump and slowly faded leaving Ollie with full strength to start his attack on the field. He pushed hard in the latter stages and ended up finishing the race in 6th overall and 5th in class.

“The race started badly for me as I was nearly last off the line due to such a quiet engine it is hard to know when it has started with all the other bikes around. I then had to get through severe arm pump and pushed hard towards the end of the race. I really enjoyed it though and am working hard in preparation for the next one.”

Thanks to Midwest and all the sponsors who support the team.

Having not ridden an event for 6 weeks or more due to an A/C separation (shoulder separation) Ollie Moyce was itching to compete again and decided to do so in the 4th round of the South Eastern Centre Enduro Championship at West Harting Down.

Upon arrival there was a downpour lasting for a good hour which would make the already slick course more like a welsh Enduro.

It was a roughly 10 mile lap and every lap was a check, completing 1 test on each of the first 2 laps. Ollie decided it was a good idea to turn his mapping switch down to smooth and he set the fastest time on the first test by 4 seconds. On lap 2 he continued to be fast and took another 3 seconds off his previous test leaving him in the lead with the rest of the checks to go.

It is normal for the SEEC to try and take at least 1 minute from the entry at each event so with the conditions it was going to be tight. Ollie was slightly sceptical in the first tight check worrying about his newly healed shoulder and probably didn't push as hard as he could have. He dropped 5 minutes and was still in the lead. After another slack check there was one other tight check and Ollie was feeling better about the course and himself. He narrowly missed out on cleaning the check but was happy with the day.

"I had a fun day racing and I am really glad to be back on my bike again. I knew it was going to be slippery so I just adjusted the power to suit. It was a great event and am looking forward to my next" commented Ollie.

Bob Mullins
enduronews.com

On the original staging date for the opening round of the 2009 National Hewitt XC series back in February, eight inches of snow covered Chavenage, a venue that has endless potential and which sits in a gorgeous Cotswold valley with Gatcombe Park, the royal residence of HRH Princess Anne in the distance. For the re-staging of this Midwest MCC promoted event on Sunday though,there could have been no greater contrast in conditions as warm, Spring like sunshine greeted the truly fantastic 307 strong entry, again proving the immense popularity of not only the Hewitt series but also XC racing in general. At most venues, an entry of this size would create congestion, but such is the fast, flowing nature of the vast Chavenage expanses with its combination of motocross style blasts and open wooded sections that a majority of riders managed to comfortably complete the three hour blast with little difficulty. Once again Midwest MCC produced a quality event for their entry and so it was therefore rather fitting that the eventual top Expert honours in this Hewitt opener should be claimed by one of their main team riders, Ollie Moyce. However the Husaberg rider certainly had to work overtime for his win, snatching victory on the final lap of the event following a thrilling tussle with Matt Ridgway.

Right from the start, Matt Ridgway had been the early pace-setter, forging an advantage ahead of Ollie Moyce before the latter eventually hit the front. Then, came the first moment of drama as Ollie Moyce stopped to refuel in the parc-ferme. Whilst filling up, Ollie Moyce lost his balance and was trapped under his machine with the fuel spilling onto his race clothing.

Once upright again, Ollie regained his composure before racing off in hot pursuit of Ridgway, lap by lap reeling him into his sights. With just one lap remaining, Moyce had finally caught the Suzuki rider, locking him into his sights, and the battle of the young guns was well and truly on. On that final lap though came the race deciding moment in the only wet, muddy area of the entire circuit. On the exit from a rutted stream crossing, Matt Ridgway spun off and so close was the charging Moyce that he was unable to avoid collision, falling on top of his stranded rival. In the battle to remount, Moyce was quickest to climb aboard his machine and regain traction before blasting off to take the win.

Simon
FastEddyRacing.com

The warm spring weather & a new 3.5 mile lap in perfect condition attracted a field of 160 riders to the Garden of England this weekend for a Putoline Fast Eddy non championship event at Lodge Hill camp, Chattenden. In the Youth race "little Ed" Jack Edmondson took the overall win on a 65cc & Jake Deacon was the runner up.

In the Adult race Ollie Moyce - on a Midwest Husaberg - took the lead from the second corner & held it to win by a clear margin of 5 minutes. The battle for 2nd place between Richard Ely & Nick Ames came down to a dash for the final corner with Richard snatching the runner up award, Veteran Peter Clark kept pace with the Experts to complete 18 laps & finish was 4th. Fellow vet Graham Farquer was 5th. After the race Ollie said "The event was very good due to the course layout and how good the weather has been. It was really enjoyable".

Ollie Moyce got a 5th in the E2 class and 8th overall.

Today Ollie took part in Round 1 WoodbridgeMCC - Tunstall Enduro and got a second place finish only losing first place to Si Wakely by one second.

Just uploaded some photographs of Ollie Moyce from Sundays REME 5hr Enduro at Weavers Down (Longmoor Army Camp). To view photographs click here