Event management can be a thankless task. Everyone turns up without pre-entering causing queues at sign on; the organiser gets pulled left and right with minor problems. People expect luxuries such as toilets or even showers! The prizes are never good enough, the local dog walkers complain and tear down the course markings on race morning and to top it all, every one of us is an expert! I got Stephen Corbyn, virgin organiser of the Welsh Dragon Series to give us an interview and an insight into event management for the inexperienced.


Corby, how old are you and what is your background?

I'm 29 years old and previously worked as a personal trainer and fitness instructor but am hoping for a return to sales and marketing so my day job can be more closely linked to the events management I'm doing with Dragon XC.

Tell us a little bit about your biking history.

I started biking a long time ago when top end bikes used canti's and DH bikes had no suspension lol, but I started racing again after university in 2002 at the Kona 100 in Builth Wells. I'm currently an Expert racer but over the last few seasons have been blighted by injury so I am focusing on getting fit for the Masters category in 2010 and hopefully a full season of racing and going to the Master World Champs.

Over the last few years the Dragon Series has suffered from a lack of support. What was it that made you want to get involved?

I'm lucky enough to live in close proximity to Aran Argoed, Margam Park , Cwmcarn and the Brecon Beacons and it baffled me that no one was really doing anything apart from the occasional race around the area and no one ever seemed to know they were even on. So I thought this sport has been so good to me it was about time I gave something back, and when you look at the numbers that come to Afan on a Saturday or Sunday it made sense to do something to try and bring the masses to the mountains for XC racing, after all Wales is closer to most of us than Northern England and Scotland.

Were there any setbacks along the way that almost stopped the project?

People have got an amazing capacity to help if you ask, the only problem really was me and the fact I had to learn a lot about what I was doing and as Martyn Salt said in a recent interview "there isn't a list of ten rules to follow but more like 100 ever changing ones" and no-one can really tell you what to expect but I think we are starting to get a handle on it and make a good series with a potential to grow.

How did you overcome the problems you came across?

A little bit of trial and error and to be honest I'm still learning and I'm sure I will make more mistakes along the way but I'm sort of enjoying it.

What sort of support do you get from British Cycling?

We get a lot of support from the governing body through Welsh Cycling and Ian Jenkins has been brilliant and I want to thank him for everything he does from helping tape courses up to running around as much as I do on race day.

What are the biggest lessons you've learnt from organising the Dragon Series and Welsh Champs this year?

Prepare very early for any problem and expect them. Also how much people love this sport, you never really see that part when you travel all over racing yourself, the passion they have is amazing and it makes all the late nights spent entering people’s details or walking around mountains tying bits of tape to trees in the rain worth it every time.

What are the plans for the future?

Well I'm not one to ruin the surprise but I will say we will have a winter series similar to the Soggies in 09/2010 and next year we are looking at a 7 round weekend series to incorporate a12 hr Enduro, hopefully around Margam Park, a 100 mile Marathon incorporating a Welsh Championship for XC a Marathon and a 5 round short course series. I'm looking at some classic courses, so for those that couldn’t handle it this year, expect Rhondda to be an easier course next year he he :-) (ed. I hope not!)

Will the winter series be BC sanctioned like the Soggy Bottoms and attract ranking points?

Yes we will be running it as a BC sanctioned event so anyone wanting an early start to the points chasing or need a boost to help move up, get yourself along to the Dragon Winter series (details being announced in early august)

What 5 things are you not going to do when organising next year?

I'm not sure if it will be 5 things more like a few hundred things lol! Here are a couple of definites...

• I will definitely look at the calendar more closely as I made the mistake of booking Rd 2 on the same day as the Dyfi Enduro and the Gorrick 100.

• I’m definitely going to have a bigger team with me so I know everything is sorted on race day and I can over-see things more rather than sorting everything out on my own.

Can you make any money from organising regional events?

It's not about making money at the moment, I want to make a series to promote my sport and if I can make a living from it one day all the better, so I suppose the answer is yes....... I hope.

How important have the sponsors been this year?

They have been brilliant and get better all the time. I am hoping to get some more over the winter so we can have an even better series next year. Clee Cycles have been amazing (Andy Jones and Joel Shotton) and helped us get the website www.dragonxc.co.uk up and running as well as providing the prizes for the Elite, Expert and Masters categories, at Rd 3. Rocky Mountain cycles (thanks Phil Dowling) started providing the prizes for the Sport, Junior and Vets cats, with Mojo donating many prizes for the other cats and giving a pair of forks to the fastest u16 rider.

Thank you everyone you are all amazing!

What do you do when you’re not racing or organising?

Well at the moment Rosie (the brains of the operation) and I have been moving into a new flat so it’s been a bit hectic, but we try to relax as much as possible, watching films, walking, Rosie is an ex-Elite event rider (Horses) and still rides when she can so we go to her old haunts a fair bit or we travel back to Somerset and ride over Exmoor. She has also just qualified as a Physiotherapist so very well done to her, and of course like everyone else I train a little bit as well :-)

Spinning classes????? What's that all about?

Well I've been teaching Spinning classes for about 8 years, it's a good laugh I enjoy being the centre of attention I suppose so it's a natural outlet for the exhibitionist in me lol! I think you should come along and see if you can go as fast as Ben!

Come on Mr Roff the challenge has been laid down. (Ed. Err........I’d rather poke my eyes with pins! I didn’t get as portly as I am today by going to spinning classes)

Which rider do you look up to most in the sport?

Well I have my sporting heroes Nick Craig (nicest man in mtbing? he was horrible to me on Sunday lol), Roland Green, Filip Meirhaeghe (I know about the drugs but watching him race made me want to take up XC) and Chris Eatough, but the riders I most look up to are the guys who race just for the love of it whether they are first or last and always just give it a go.

What do you look for in your ideal venue?

I have lots of favourites, basically I ask myself, ‘Would I enjoy racing around here even if I'm having the worst day physically?’ and work from there really. I'm a rider at heart after all.

Which is your least favourite venue?

Abergavenny XC course at the farm, literally a race around a field and a farm, if it’s my decision (Which it is at the moment!) the Welsh series will never return there.

Where is your favourite place to ride for fun?

Anywhere in Wales when the sun is shining and I can stop at a pub before I go home.

Anything coming up in the near future?

Well, the 5th round of the Welsh Dragon Series is looking like it will happen on the 13th September at Coed Trallwm (nr Llantrwyd Wells) the best kept secret trail centre in Wales.

Look out for more information on Dragon XC and Cyclenoodle soon.