Poldice, You Delivered!

Oct 2

5 min read

Entry-level racing. Big smiles.

Proper MTB community.

WHAT. A. DAY!

On Sunday 27th September, we headed to Wheal Maid, Poldice for our first race event at this iconic Cornish riding spot — and Poldice certainly delivered.

The weather threw a little bit of everything at us. Wind, rain and eventually some welcome brighter skies — clearly the weather had finally read the advert! 😂☀️

But whatever was happening overhead, nothing dampened the atmosphere on the hill.

And what an atmosphere it was.

Poldice, you were LOUD!

Friends, families and supporters lined the race track throughout the day, armed with air horns and plenty of enthusiasm.

Every rider got the full treatment — whooping, hollering and cheering as they made their way down the race line, whether they were chasing a podium place or simply grinning their way towards the finish. At times, it felt like a little slice of the MTB World Cup had landed at the Dice.

From the first practice runs to the final riders crossing the line, there was a fantastic trailside buzz — friendly, supportive, noisy and absolutely full of stoke.

Grassroots racing at its best

For us at The Cornwall Bicycle Project, one of the biggest reasons for getting involved in events like this is creating opportunities for more people to experience cycling and mountain biking.

Entering a race can feel like a big step, particularly if you've never raced before.

We wanted this event to feel accessible — somewhere riders could come along, give the race line a go, challenge themselves and experience the excitement of racing without losing the friendly, welcoming side of the MTB community.

And that's exactly what we saw...

No egos. No posturing. Just riders getting stuck in, sharing line choices, encouraging one another, riding bikes and having a proper good time.

There was plenty of competition when the clock started, but there were also plenty of support and smiles at the finish.

That's grassroots MTB racing at its best.

The young riders stole the show

We have to give a special mention to the incredible number of young riders who got involved.

They were fearless, focused and brilliantly supportive of one another.

For some, this was their first experience of racing — although watching them tackle the course, you'd never have known it!

Seeing young riders challenge themselves, encourage their mates and come away buzzing from the experience was one of the highlights of the whole event.

If this is the future of Cornish mountain biking, there are certainly exciting times ahead.

A massive well done to every young rider who took part — and to the parents, families and grown-ups who got them there, supported them and cheered them on.

Working together to create more opportunities

A massive thank you goes to Mat Sullivan and Dice Rollers for inviting us to work alongside them to make the event happen. Bringing our communities together and working collaboratively to create more opportunities for riders to get involved, have a go and experience grassroots MTB racing is exactly what it's all about.

There was a huge amount of work going on long before the first rider rolled up to the start line. From preparing the course and organising the event to registrations, timing, parking, marshalling and everything else happening behind the scenes, race days only happen because people are prepared to muck in.

And that's exactly what happened at Poldice.

The volunteers who made it happen 💚

A very special thank you goes to all our marshals and volunteers.

The weather wasn't always kind, but neither wind nor rain stopped the team from getting on with the job.

Our car park marshals were the first friendly faces riders met, helping keep arrivals calm, organised and running smoothly.

Meanwhile, our track marshals spent the day out on the course, taking the brunt of the Cornish weather while keeping riders safe, blowing whistles, offering encouragement and cheering everyone through.

Windswept? Definitely.

Occasionally soggy? Absolutely.

Still smiling? Of course!

You were legends, and we genuinely couldn't have done it without you.

A few very special shout-outs

A huge thank you to Chaz Lamley for bringing his expert timing skills and helping keep the racing running smoothly throughout the day.

Thank you to Susie and Andy from Bon Appetit for keeping riders, families, volunteers and everyone else fuelled, fed and smiling.

And we certainly can't forget the shovel monkeys and bush whackers who put in countless hours getting the Dice prepped and ready for race day. You know who you are — and every hour of work was appreciated.

We'd also like to thank Gwennap Parish Council and Cornwall Council for allowing the event to take place on the land. Opportunities like this simply couldn't happen without that support.

And a big thank you to Beacon Medical for providing medical support and helping us look after everyone out on the hill.

Your feedback made our day

Since the race, we've received some fabulous feedback from riders and families, and that has absolutely made our day.

Hearing how much people enjoyed the racing, the atmosphere and simply having the opportunity to get involved is exactly why we want to keep helping create events like this.

Because a race isn't only about who sets the quickest time.

For one rider, it might be about making the podium.

For another, it might be beating their previous run.

And for someone else, the achievement might simply be standing at the top of a race line for the first time, taking a deep breath and deciding to give it a go.

All of those achievements matter.

If you raced, spectated or joined us at Poldice and can spare just a few minutes, we’d really appreciate you dropping us some feedback about the event.

Your feedback genuinely makes a difference. Not only does it help us understand what worked well and how we can make future events even better, it also provides valuable evidence when we’re applying for funding to create more opportunities and events like this.

Every response helps us demonstrate the impact these events have on riders, families and the wider cycling community.

👉 Share your feedback here:https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/XqETqeeBGZ

Thank you for supporting what we do — it really does go a long way. 💚

Thank you, Poldice

Finally, thank you to every single person who raced, volunteered, marshalled, cheered, spectated, helped out, blew an air horn or simply turned up and became part of the day.

You created the atmosphere.

You made riders feel welcome.

And you helped make our first race at Wheal Maid one we'll remember for a long time.

Tired legs. Ringing ears. Muddy bikes. Happy memories.

Entry-level racing. Big smiles. Proper MTB community.

We reckon Poldice delivered! 🤘⛏️🚵🎲

The Cornwall Bicycle Project

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