Luke Moir

The start of the XCC race on Saturday 28 September didn’t bode well for Luke when he missed a pedal and shot straight through the pack to dead last at P40. He put his head down and went into full motocross mode, leaving it all out on the track to put in some seriously fast lap times, pulling his way back to P11 at the finish and a second row start for the XCO on Sunday. Despite perfect conditions on race day, rains earlier in the week meant the already narrow track was fast and slippery. With bottlenecks the name of the game and a race that stayed pretty tight for the first lap, there was absolute carnage as riders battled it out for mere centimetres – big bunches mean big risks and split-second changes in position. While not billed as a climber’s race, the long dragging climbs and head wind into the finish sapped the riders’ power and turned the not-too-technical course into a tricky beast. Despite feeling strong at the start, it was a tough race physically and mentally for Luke. Relying on skill and perseverance, he achieved a credible P23 at the finish and maintained his top ten position for the season overall.