THE first half of the Thetford Mountain Biking winter race series is now complete with an eight-week rest before round three at the end of January.

This should allow competitors from Flitch Bikes MTB in Dunmow to get a few more miles in their legs and improve on a good start to the series.

The main stalwarts of the squad have already improved in their chosen races during the first two rounds in November and December.

Father and son pairing Tim and Jack Peal had a steady start in round one finishing 29th and 30th respectively, but in round two Tim moved up to 8th and Jack finishing strongly in 27th after being held up by slower riders.

In the two-hour race Chris Wardrop kept things competitive battling with the largest field of the series finishing in 61st at round one and 57th in round two.

Moving up from the two-hour series last season Stuart Carmichael now racing the four hour event also showed promise, having a steady start in round one finishing 21st, changed bikes and tactics for round two moving up inside the top ten towards the end of the race only to be thwarted by severe cramp and dropping down to 13th overall.

Carmichael said: “For all members this shows great promise for the New Year. With more members of the squad also entering the last two rounds it looks like an exciting end is in store at the Thetford MTB winter racing series.”

He added: “With a total of 500 keen mountain bikers taking part at each event it makes for a highly competitive event and really great racing on some of the best single-track courses on offer in our region.

“Racers not only battling each other but also the winter weather, this alone can lead to conditions under tyre being hazardous to say the least.”