Sonam - The Son of the Dragon’s First Week in the UK
Bike fest from Live The Adventure on Vimeo.
It’s been wonderful to welcome Soman, The Son of the Dragon, to the UK. At the end of his first week in Shropshire he has been kitted out with new branded cycling kit, provided with a high spec hand built titanium framed bike mountain bike to use during his stay here by local bike company Clee Cycles and he has been out training with local cyclists and Live the Adventure in the Wyre Forest, South Shropshire Hills and on well known Midlands mountain bike cross country routes at Cannock Chase.
On Friday of last week, Sonam travelled with Live the Adventure to Bristol BikeFest and had his first taste of UK endurance mountain bike racing. Sonam was able to familiarise himself with the course on a practice lap on Friday before the start of the 12hr solo MTB race the following morning. Then on Saturday after the 8:30 am briefing, the “Le Mans” style race start signalled the commencement of the 12 hr race at 9:00 am.
Once the race had settled down, Sonam was consistently lapping in between 4th and 6th place overall. Unfortunately, he had a collision on lap 3 with a couple of other riders landing heavily on his shoulder and cutting his knee. However, showing true courage and determination, he managed to continue and complete the full race in what turned out to be very wet and muddy conditions.
The course was very technical and quite different to what Sonam is used to racing on in Bhutan, along with the addition of new riders on the course starting out on shorter 3 & 6 hr races later in the day made for a close racing alongside other riders racing to a different pace.
Live the Adventure’s support crew, Anthony and Dan, were present throughout to support Sonam with drinks, snacks and energy gels and monitor the race pacing and give feedback on placing. At the end of the 12hr race was arriving at 9pm, Sonam managed to sneek in a final lap to finish a fantastic 4th place having completed 197km and in his own words “A pretty tough race!”
The Son of the Dragon certainly did himself and Bhutan proud especially having taken such a heavy fall early in the race and getting back on to complete the event. Bristol BikeFest really enjoyed having such a unique international rider as part of their cycling festival.
Sonam has spent the last few days resting and recuperating from his race and getting a check up at the hospital for his knee injury which was infected but is clearing up nicely with antibiotics. He has also received treatment from a top private physiotherapist specialising in sports injuries on his shoulder confirming no major injury.
Sonam is spending the next few days recovering from his race but has had time to take advantage of a very gentle horse ride with Country Treks, a visit to the local Ludlow Cycling Club time trial evening and is off to enjoy a visit to London later today.