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Eastern Cyclocross League round 6 - Grafham Water
There was a good turnout from CCA at the 6th round in the Eastern Cyclocross League at Grafham Water on Sunday, even though we were missing a few of the team due to half-term holidays. Despite the heavy rain in the preceding days, the sun came out and Grafham really looked glorious in the sunshine.
As a newbie to cross I’m still getting used to the variety of courses, terrains and conditions. I’d heard about the ‘beaches’ at Grafham and was looking forward to experiencing the race. On the day though and to the disappointment of some, it turned out the course was routed in the opposite direction to usual and a slippery off-camber bank was missing.
Unfortunately Dave and I couldn’t be there to watch the other races, so hopefully others will share the excitement from theirs. From the women’s perspective, we had a great race. This really is a strength of the club, the CCA CX scene is almost equal men/boys and women/girls. Hopefully numbers are justifying the decision this season to run a specific women’s race in the Eastern League – I think we had around 35 starters in this race, across the junior, senior and vets categories.
We had a brutally fast start with everyone eager to get a good position before we got to the narrow section where overtaking would be difficult. This was proper elbows out stuff, slipping through the mud at top speed (top ‘mud’ speed that it!), getting really physical to hang on to a good position. Lillie whipped through the woods and onto the first beach with the leaders, and hung onto a great position throughout. I meanwhile needed some recovery after the first effort, had a few overtake me and then worked on clawing back a few places as others tired. Anna had a great race, using her graceful hurdling style to great effect in the hurdle/ditch/hurdle combo. We were missing a few of the other usual CCA ladies – Stevie doing an essential job as commissaire and Emma P I think supporting Harley at the national trophy in Scotland.
I think these are all the CCA results, but shout if I’ve missed anyone. A massive well done to Lillie and Ella for winning their categories.
Next major event, I understand, is the CCA senior club championships. These will be run at the Hillingdon Central League event on 17th November, so we need as many as possible to turn out for the men’s and women’s races for the chance to claim a place in the club champs.
Senior/Junior men
42 – Archie Foulkes
Thomas Ayers, DNF
Women
6 – Lillie Swan (1st vet 40)
9 – Jenny Andrews (2nd vet 40)
28 – Anna Fraser
Vet 40 men
23 – Ben Reidy
24 – Ian Foulkes
39 – Dave Hadsley
55 – Dave Wells
Vet 50 men
15 – Vincent Friedlander
23 – Mark Wyer
28 – Martin Hillier
31 – Pete Daniels
37 – Daniel Doncaster
69 – Richard Lawrence
Youth
20 – Archie Bracewell
38 – Ella Friedlander (3rd girl and 1st U14)
47 – Lucy Friedlander
U12
8 – Louis Oppen
17 – Conan Anderson
U10
4 – Logan Ayers
Other friends of the club were competing too – Libby Danckert in her first cross race coming a great 19th and Luke unfortunately puncturing.
As a newbie to cross I’m still getting used to the variety of courses, terrains and conditions. I’d heard about the ‘beaches’ at Grafham and was looking forward to experiencing the race. On the day though and to the disappointment of some, it turned out the course was routed in the opposite direction to usual and a slippery off-camber bank was missing.
Unfortunately Dave and I couldn’t be there to watch the other races, so hopefully others will share the excitement from theirs. From the women’s perspective, we had a great race. This really is a strength of the club, the CCA CX scene is almost equal men/boys and women/girls. Hopefully numbers are justifying the decision this season to run a specific women’s race in the Eastern League – I think we had around 35 starters in this race, across the junior, senior and vets categories.
We had a brutally fast start with everyone eager to get a good position before we got to the narrow section where overtaking would be difficult. This was proper elbows out stuff, slipping through the mud at top speed (top ‘mud’ speed that it!), getting really physical to hang on to a good position. Lillie whipped through the woods and onto the first beach with the leaders, and hung onto a great position throughout. I meanwhile needed some recovery after the first effort, had a few overtake me and then worked on clawing back a few places as others tired. Anna had a great race, using her graceful hurdling style to great effect in the hurdle/ditch/hurdle combo. We were missing a few of the other usual CCA ladies – Stevie doing an essential job as commissaire and Emma P I think supporting Harley at the national trophy in Scotland.
I think these are all the CCA results, but shout if I’ve missed anyone. A massive well done to Lillie and Ella for winning their categories.
Next major event, I understand, is the CCA senior club championships. These will be run at the Hillingdon Central League event on 17th November, so we need as many as possible to turn out for the men’s and women’s races for the chance to claim a place in the club champs.
Senior/Junior men
42 – Archie Foulkes
Thomas Ayers, DNF
Women
6 – Lillie Swan (1st vet 40)
9 – Jenny Andrews (2nd vet 40)
28 – Anna Fraser
Vet 40 men
23 – Ben Reidy
24 – Ian Foulkes
39 – Dave Hadsley
55 – Dave Wells
Vet 50 men
15 – Vincent Friedlander
23 – Mark Wyer
28 – Martin Hillier
31 – Pete Daniels
37 – Daniel Doncaster
69 – Richard Lawrence
Youth
20 – Archie Bracewell
38 – Ella Friedlander (3rd girl and 1st U14)
47 – Lucy Friedlander
U12
8 – Louis Oppen
17 – Conan Anderson
U10
4 – Logan Ayers
Other friends of the club were competing too – Libby Danckert in her first cross race coming a great 19th and Luke unfortunately puncturing.
Comments
Vet 50 was a great race for me. Moderate start, once I got my toe clipped in. Top ten by the first mudslide of a bend. Kept a great position up through the ribbon of twisty wooded sections, interspersed with gently rising open grassland. Then down the fast grass run to the first beach where I messed up the deep gravel and had to get off and run. Lost three or four places there and spent the rest of the race chasing the 10-14th placed riders. I settled in to tracking them down, mastering the second gravel section, floating over the stones and sand like the best of them, still tracking the riders ahead. I was banking on these riders dropping their pace as the race progressed but that didn't pay off as they were too strong. One came past me ( I took some comfort that I got the better of him last week but he bridged to the others who remained painfully behind my reach). And it was all over just as the body was about to give up. Riding on the limit makes the usual sprinting attacks impossible. But perhaps that means I did my best. Back to heavy training for the next battle.
Never surrender.
There were another three cca battles going on behind, like me, dreaming of flying with the gods.
Jackie