Grafham CX

tduckett

A much nicer day than last year, some deep sand on the beaches and a tricky step up at the end of beach 2 but not too slippery. Top fun.

Well done to all. the 3 lads in the youth race all came in together, shelton had a great race by the looks of things and the Lightfoot boys in command as always. Lindsey got 6th despite smashing her jaw in a fall!

Also you may not have noticed but Alan, you were a minute behind and Peter Daniels 2 seconds ahead of the living legend that is Mick Ives....ex pro, 62 times national champion and one time national coach!!

Hope i havent missed anyone, what happened Craig?


results...
U 10
2. Mark L
10 Nathan H
14 Sam Q
17 Archie B

U 1
6 Adam L
11 Harley P
13 James F
16 Archie F
19 Helena D
22 Freddie C
28 Felix F
35 Alfie D
dnf Sam D

Youth
19 Ollie W
20 Gareth L
21 Noah F

Ladies
4 Jackie F
6 Lindsey F

Vets
27 Stuart F
32 Tim D
56 Alan T
dnf Craig D

Seniors Juniors
6 Theo D
25 Jon C
48 Anthony M
39 Bryn D
60 James D
62 Shelton P
66 Daniel D

Stuart F

Great turn out from CCA today. Well done to all. Some close racing in many of the cats.
Theo was 1st junior in the senior race and looked to be going well.
Jackie got 1st lady vet with only 1.03 spliting the top 4 places in that race.

I have some reasonable pics which I will mail out as the uploading takes too long.

Stuart

geoffg

29 club riders all competing....absolutely brilliant. What a turnout and such great results. Sorry to hear you hurt yourself Lindsey...Theo going from strength to strength......GO CCA

Vam Polecat

Well done all racers. Sad I missed it.

National Trophy in Milton Keynes today. Great course. Me, Jackie Field and Noah Field flying the CCA flag.

tduckett

Can we have a National trophy report? Any pics? How is it in the big league?

Vam Polecat

I'll rustle something up tomorrow. Baby duty tonight

tduckett

great, look forward to that.

A couple of other things about the grafham cross. The lap o meter went a bit wrong for the vets race so i havent got all the data but from what i can see my lap times are the same as Gareth, Ollie and Noah. How good is that? so the lads would have been around 30th in the vets race and probably top 60 in the seniors. Of course our speeds converge at a point when they are getting much quicker and i, ...er am not. Great to see.

And, i rode a mountain bike race in 1988 in Eastnor Park in the Malverns. At the start i was a couple of rows behind Mick Ives ( see above) and he was a famous rider then, in his forties but possibly still a pro. I didnt see him again and havent since until Saturday when i heard his name called at the gridding and there he was in the same row as me. I think he must be mid seventies now...brilliant!

Senecio [Daniel D]

In some ways Grafham was a disaster for me as some chump locked his handle bars with mine and pulled me down on a straight, wide part of the course. I lost about a dozen places and my left-hand shifter on the first lap. Now keen observers will note I have no need for a left hand shifter (as I now have only a single chain ring) but I’ve not got round to fitting some cheapo brake lever and so now have a bust shifter. Grr. I’m cross because it was an avoidable accident.

I fell off again near the hurdles due to, well, being tired. By the way, nice hurdles; they were height adjustable.

In the final lap I somehow ended up in the brambles and not only slashed my face and arms open but a little later on I realised my rear mech was full off undergrowth. I had to stop to do some gardening and blooming rider no. 16 comes walzing past into the vista a trees. Well I wasn’t having that so had to storm after him with all the pace a purpose of a kitten.

So friends, I did cross the line ahead of no. 16 barely recognisable by my bloodied face and arms.

I slept for the rest of the day, however despite being quite hurty I’d rather enjoyed myself.

Daniel

Vam Polecat

Pictures or it didn't happen.

James D

I wondered where you got to Daniel! Hope all in mended soon.

This was better than I thought it would be. Watching an old race on YouTube didn't do the course justice. It was fun:) best moment was overtaking by taking the inside line across beach No 1 and getting into the water and not falling off for once. Jane was right all along....

It's just a shame there are only a few more races to go but good things do come to an end, or so they say.

Jane

OMG now I'm adding a bleeding, bruised and bramble-clad Daniel to my image of bruised-jaw Lindsey and wondering what on earth goes on at CX to keep you lot going back for more

V impressed, with the lot of you. (And not the least bit tempted to try it myself.) Respect!

gwenwaz

Just what I was thinking! But the reports make for great reading. Well done everyone - really good effort by the sounds of it.

Vam Polecat

There are pictures from Grafham here

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclocross/article/cyx20131201-Cross--Cotton-threads-his-way-to-victory-in-Eastern-League-0

Lots of familiar faces

Senecio [Daniel D]

John,
It did happen and you can ask Jon, Bryn, Christine or Theo as they saw me cross the line. Furthermore Theo had to perform corrective surgery on Sunday, albeit minor, but nevertheless without aesthetic.

Lindsey are you okay?

Daniel

Vam Polecat

Without aesthetic or anaesthetic? Or were you beyond caring by then?

I do believe it happened I just wanted to see the blood.

Senecio [Daniel D]

Beauty knows no pain.

Lindsey F

Hi Daniel, yes, I'm fine. Tim's write-up makes it sound more serious than it was - more of a 'bash' than a 'smash' on the handlebars when I came off. Not a very impressive bruise given how sore it was - certainly not enough to get much sympathy! I did manage to fall again later in the race and so have a blue elbow and purple thumb to add to the bruise collection. Plus raced the last two laps with bits of thistle embedded in my leggings! No blood though - I must work on achieving more impressive injuries - sounds like I can learn from the expert.

Lindsey

geoffg

I have been seriously considering riding cross.....however, after reading the prangs and falls these past few weeks I'm not sure I can risk another almost certain injury after my last couple of years....Makes great reading though...glad you are still in one piece Daniel and Lindsey. The youngsters are supposed to fall off..it's what you do when young :-), and you two qualify as youngsters (just)