Start:	May 23, '08
End:	May 26, '08
Location:	Isle of Wight

Right guys how about a plumz weekend away on some great trails, its based on a good campsite, beer and bands available Friday and sat night, silly games and loads for all the family to do if you bring er indoors thats not cycling related.
Its a really good weekend and you'll be impressed how good the trails are, they do special deals on the ferry which is a really slick operation and no hassle, 4 in a vehicle is the best way to go.
It really is a great way to spend May bank holiday or longer, a superb mini holiday with biking
### have I sold it enough yet ;-) ####

The Wight Diamond Festival
23-26th May 2008

Summer kicks off with the Wight Diamond Festival! First run in 1996, the Wight Diamond has established itself as 'don't miss' event for hundreds of bikers. It's unique combination of superb riding, events to suit everyone, on site camping, catering, bar and entertainment have earned it a reputation as the best mountain bikers party on the calendar!

Full details of 2008's event are being worked on right now, but here's a taster of what you can expect;

A true MTB Festival with a choice of great events!

The weekends events centre on the two day Wight Diamond Challenge navigator race, which takes place over Saturday and Sunday. This is the ultimate Navigator event using the whole Island as it’s course. But if two days of all out competition sounds a little too serious for you, enter the Wight Diamond Lite instead - the checkpoints are pubs and cafés and prizes will be awarded for ‘entering into the spirit of the event’!

If navigating isn't your thing and you'd rather just ride, we're putting together a choice of marked out 40k or 60k Wight Trail Enduros to test your legs on Saturday and Sunday without worrying about the map.

With all this broken body end of year rubbish I missed the chance to do a bit of trumpet blowing, and quite frankly I need cheering up, so here goes. The year of the Rockies meant some quite stupidly long training with me entering every multi-day or long event going. This quite often involved racing FNSS, Sat XC and Sunday Enduro.

 

One benefit of all this was the form of my life, well early season anyway and some amazing rides in Spain and on a Welsh 6 dayer when I did feel Immortal at times. Shame it never quite felt like that at the Rockies but we pulled through. This was also the year I snapped my first frame, and my first bone on a bike as it turned out; 9998 miles and out

 

So the numbers were;

11 wins :- FNSS, mbXC, Numerous Trailquest’s.

2^nd twice

3^rd 3 times

 

Thetford Winter series 2hr – 2^nd Overall

Friday Night Summer Series Champ

Midlands mbXC Series Champ

King of the Hills Isle of Wight

Rockingham Forest Wheelers Hill Climb Winner

TransRockies 5^th Overall with 3^rd Final stage, Invemere to Panorama 

 

As part of a racing plan it’s a good idea to have race and training goals, how did I do on that front then?

• Finish the Rockies, Top 10 would be nice.
• Win FNSS at 4^th year of trying.
• D2D podium for 3^rd year. (foolishly never entered, it was waiting for us)
• Top 15 in National vets race. (got 8^th at Margam for best ever finish)
• No injuries…….so so close.
• 4or5 day Epic training trip. (6 days in Wales ticked that off big time)

So thinking cap on for 2007 then; No 1 is getting fit of course. What’s yours?

 

Surfs UP

Video: [So you want to road race then]

Top Song: [well funny going underground]

Shoulder interactive: [ShoulderDoc]

Try Pamela Anderson: [Urban Dictionary post funnies you find]

Diamond Wight festival silly games - run around, go on silly mini bikes then eat two crackers and drink a beer.
Rory and Jerome struggle a bit.