May the forth be with you. Well it was, last weekend, for the 3rd Steel City DH as this great edit from Gee Milner shows. The biggest little race in the North just keeps on expanding. This year, aside the 200 racers who ensured the entry was sold out within an hour and a half, over 100o spectators filled Grenoside woods heckling and eating and drinking everything that was on offer in the bombhole. When was the last time (other than a fort bill world cup) a mountain bike race had that many spectators in the UK? Peaty had to think back to the Malvern classic’s way back when to remember a similar atmosphere.
This great edit from X Trail Films gives another angle of the day.
This years race was given a bit of a twist as it was on 4th May, we pushed May the forth be with you as much as possible with Cotic offering a BFe frame for the best dressed Star Wars character! It was won by a plastic bin tranformed in to a fully functional R2D2. Peaty himself was rocking a full on Storm Trooper outfit with a custom TLD lid aboard his Santa Cruz Brosnon Speeder Bike
For the first time ever for the race, the sun had been shining for the fortnight leading up to the race and the woods and the track was dry. The funds raised from last years race had been ploughed back in to the woods by the Sheffield Wildlife Trust and improvements to the track made by local firm Bike Track and volunteers from Ride Sheffield made for the fastest racing yet. Gone were the days of the muddy slog pedal fest, pumping through the rocky course and carrying speed through the bermed corners was the order of the day.
As ever the generosity of the events sponsors was overwhelming with prizes galore for all podiums places and the every popular raffle. The race has always served to be completely inclusive with kids from age 10 upwards racing in the rippers category. This year we also had 30 ladies racing, amazing for a race of 200 people. They were split in to two groups; one for those racing for the first time and the other for those more experienced. Our oldest entrant was Pat Horscroft was in her 70th year and celebrating by racing for the first time ever. She was rewarded with a special award and bear hug from Peaty on the podium.
As ever the atmosphere all the way along the track but particularly at the gap jump and finish bomb hole was electric. With so many people out watching and banging the hell out of the noise makers they had brought the racers were often seen smirking from the hilarious heckles.
Although most prizes were given away on the podium or in the raffle one very important one remains. A brand new Blur TR donated by Santa Cruz bicycles. In a size large it up for auction on Ebay with all proceeds (minus the ebay fees) going directly in to the charity pot. The frame with a Fox Float CTD Adjust Kashima Shock is worth over £1900 and we are open to reasonable offers. Please use the best offer system on Ebay to make your bids. Ideally You’ll collect from Sheffield to give cash on collection so we can avoid paypal fees.
If you want to win it, get your bids in here.
So back to the racing. For the 3rd year running, Dr Peat took the win, this year on his Santa Cruz Brosnon. That means he’s won on a different wheel size each year. Maybe 20″ next year? Full results are available on roots and rain but here’s the podiums
Pro/Am
| 1 | 1 | Steve PEAT | Santa Cruz Syndicate | 1:17.293 (1) | 1:16.644 (1) | 1:16.644 | – |
| 2 | 4 | James SWINDEN | StevePeatSyndicate | 1:20.373 (2) | 1:21.004 (2) | 1:20.373 | 3.729s |
| 3 | 3 | Sam DALE | Madison / Saracen | 1:22.124 (3) | 2:36.933 (10) | 1:22.124 | 5.480s |
Rippers
| 1 | 22 | Sam TAYLOR | Biketrack.org  |
1:47.219 (1) | 1:43.888 (1) | 1:43.888 | – |
| 2 | 17 | James ELLIOTT | 1:52.664 (2) | 1:52.988 (2) | 1:52.664 | 8.776s | |
| 3 | 18 | Luke MUMFORD | TeamCHR | 1:56.900 (3) | 1:56.530 (3) | 1:56.530 | 12.642s |
Juvenile
| 1 | 30 | Kade EDWARDS | Torico Morzine | 1:45.902 (5) | 1:36.766 (1) | 1:36.766 | – |
| 2 | 31 | Oscar MONK | Sheffield Dirt Society BMX | 1:37.401 (1) | 1:55.542 (7) | 1:37.401 | 0.635s |
| 3 | 32 | Jake MONK | Sheffield Dirt Society BMX | 1:37.657 (2) | 1:37.529 (2) | 1:37.529 | 0.763s |
Youth
| 1 | 40 | James HURST | Evolution Racing | 1:28.898 (1) | 1:29.597 (1) | 1:28.898 | – |
| 2 | 44 | George VEALL | 1:33.691 (2) | 1:33.784 (2) | 1:33.691 | 4.793s | |
| 3 | 39 | Tom GRICE | 1:37.935 (6) | 1:35.601 (3) | 1:35.601 | 6.703s |
Junior
| 1 | 51 | Liam MCDERMOTT | TRG Racing | 1:32.205 (2) | 1:29.145 (1) | 1:29.145 | – |
| 2 | 52 | Sam ROBSON | MIJ Downhill Events | 1:31.759 (1) | 1:33.699 (3) | 1:31.759 | 2.614s |
| 3 | 56 | Marco WOOD-BONELLI | Sheffield Dirt Society | 1:33.402 (3) | 1:31.767 (2) | 1:31.767 | 2.622s |
Seniors
| 1 | 217 | Luke MEREDITH | StevePeatSyndicate | 1:24.251 (1) | 1:24.546 (1) | 1:24.251 | – |
| 2 | 227 | Andrew WALKER | 1:25.368 (2) | 1:24.842 (2) | 1:24.842 | 0.591s | |
| 3 | 232 | David CAMUS | The University of Sheffield Cy | 1:27.892 (6) | 1:25.626 (3) | 1:25.626 | 1.375s |
Masters
| 1 | 141 | Chay GRANBY | Cotic / Steel City Media | 1:23.862 (1) | 1:25.082 (1) | 1:23.862 | – |
| 2 | 142 | Rich NORGATE | 1:25.262 (2) | 1:25.246 (2) | 1:25.246 | 1.384s | |
| 3 | 144 | Adam TAYLOR | Plushhillcycles.co.uk |
1:27.395 (3) | 1:29.328 (5) | 1:27.395 | 3.533s |
Veterans
| 1 | 171 | Scott TURTLE | 1:30.809 (1) | 1:31.374 (2) | 1:30.809 | – | |
| 2 | 177 | Martin CREASER | 1:32.223 (2) | 1:30.956 (1) | 1:30.956 | 0.147s | |
| 3 | 151 | Simon CHATTEN | 1:33.171 (3) | 1:32.319 (3) | 1:32.319 | 1.510s |
Women
| 1 | 79 | Cheri MILLS | 1:38.970 (1) | 1:39.744 (1) | 1:38.970 | – | |
| 2 | 88 | Carrie POOLE | Osprey / Thebiketree.co.uk |
1:44.287 (2) | 1:44.072 (2) | 1:44.072 | 5.102s |
| 3 | 83 | Becci SKELTON | Team Cycopath | 1:45.489 (3) | 1:54.870 (10) | 1:45.489 | 6.519s |
Open Women
| 1 | 67 | Emma PEASLAND | Stilettos on Wheels | 2:05.149 (5) | 1:49.278 (1) | 1:49.278 | – |
| 2 | 73 | Jody VALLANCE | 1:53.076 (1) | 1:52.788 (2) | 1:52.788 | 3.510s | |
| 3 | 74 | Jessica WIEGAND | Atgni | 2:00.245 (2) | 2:02.635 (4) | 2:00.245 | 10.967s |
Massive thank you’s to all the event Sponsors, Helpers and Marshals. Many people willingly give up their valuable time to make this race happen and it could not happen without them. Its part of what makes this race so special, the people and smiling faces that help year in and year out. Thank you!
The race is organised by a team of 4 riders, myself Nick Hamilton, Steve Hardcastle, Henry Norman and Joe Bowman. If you see us out on the trails or at the bar, give us a pat on the back if you had a good day in the woods.
Until Next year…..
