The 2011 Sherco Womens Cup was held at Russell Becketts Property at Captains Flat just south east of Canberra. With 26 women entered from all over Australia and a Kiwi it was shaping up to be the biggest and best womens cup yet. There were 9 sections set over a variety of terrain, with a little bit of everything from rocks to logs and rivers to dusty hill climbs all styles were catered for.
Sections 1 and 2 were set on the side of a dusty hill and were by far the most challenging sections for the B grade line. The hill climb in section 1 was particularly tricky and saw alot of people pushing there bikes up rather then riding them, although on the first lap I didn't quite make it that far when a lack of concentration caused me to take a dive over the handlebars on the first log :-) And speaking of over the bars I believe crash of the day went to Luke Anderson on section two with his over the bars from the top of the hill touching ground only once with his face on the way down.
Sections 3 and 4 were next to each other and close to the caravan/carpark, but probably couldn't have been more different with section 3 being a hill climb and log section. While section 4 was a technical rock section. Section 5 was in the shade all day and remained slippery all day as riders got their first taste of the river bed. Then headed up the hill to section 6 which was a tough hill climb for the clubman riders and C graders. B grade had a couple of slippery logs on the entry to the section and a tricky turn at the top, this was a very cleanable section but the best I could manage on the day was a single dab.
Then onto section 7 were C grade had a tricky squeeze between the tree and rocks to get out of the section that caught more then one B grader out as well, I was able to clean this on my last lap and it was probably my favourite ride of the trial.
When I got to section 8 on the first lap I was told "no B graders have got through this one yet"... so the challenge was set :-) I tried a new line to what everyone else had been riding and hit the bank so hard I was either goin up it or through it... It worked, to my surprise and I dropped a silly dab on the flat ground on top...
Section 9 was back into rock, though it did have a looming water hole at the bottom of a nasty B grade down that looked certain to take someone for a swim, tho for all accounts no one took the plunge.
Overall I was able to secure a 3rd place in B grade and a 1st in Expert Women with Michelle Coleman 2nd and Lonie Brooke 3rd.
Huge thankyou to Paul from GasGas Motos for all his support and for fixing my tyre on the morning of the trial. Also, to the Trials Club of Canberra, Bev Anderson and Don Murray for all of their work in running and promoting the 10th Womens Cup.