Round four of the SXC series was at the fantastic Comrie Croft trails, a trailcentre, but none of that gravelled mince. A steep double-track to start, onto some grassy switchbacks (more headwinds here, what is it with races this year!). Another steep double-track up, then down a little. Then the real stuff started, a steep switchback single-track with some great little exposed rock sections, a fast descent to a burn then back onto a muddy double-track with plenty of line choice needed to stay out of the mire. Down some steep rocky single-track, then a fast twisty moorland descent before a super steep double-track section back to the start-finish.

I got a good start, slotting in behind Gareth, Dave and Rab (the return of Rabulous!). On the double-track climb I passed Rab, but Gareth and Dave were already pulling ahead by this point. In a similar manner to Aberfoyle I had the mince dialed high for the first two laps, as I was hitting every bad line on the descent. I pulled over to let Rab past, but he’d had a bit of an issue so I was letting Rob past instead, no problem, he was on good pace.

Rab made it back on the climb, then I lost the pair of them when I unshipped a chain at the bottom of the single-track climb. More time lost as I crashed on the descent avoiding a backmarker, I was on my own from then on.

The later laps went a lot better, the last being pretty tough as the course had taken it’s toll on me. I rolled in for fifth, nine minutes down on the winner, another solid result. Gareth took the win, a nightshift tired Dave second, Rab third, and Rob fourth.

More at the full results.