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Cyclocross National Championships - January 11-12, Shrewsbury
![Senecio [Daniel D]](https://forum.ccashwell.co.uk/uploads/userpics/691/nAAIKVAJWITJP.jpg)
Last weekend was something of a CCA road trip; 17 of us set off for the Cyclocross National Championships in Shrewsbury. The racers were:
V50: Daniel , Paul Moss (of Stowmarket and District CC who joined us for the trip)
V40: Mitchy
V40W: Jenny and Lilly
U14G: Ellie
Junior: Sam, Thomas and Harley.
Adam, Young Dave, Richard, Mark, Stevie, Emma, Peter and Robert were support.
We stayed at the Youth Hostel in Coalport, close to Ironbridge. I think we were all agreed that this was excellent accommodation for our needs as couples had rooms to themselves and other subgroups could share a larger room. We cooked a communal meal on the Friday night; which was great. There was space to lounge around and philosophise about tyre pressure, thread and mud. There was even a lockup bike shed with a hose outside it.
The first race on Saturday was the V50 with Daniel starting on the last row and Paul somewhat further up the grid. Hard racing through the heavy mud, which on day one was picking up on the bikes. Immediately after the short start straight we were into the technical section a kind of study in the off camber. The bridge had not been available during my practice time so when I arrived there it was a shock to find out how high each step was. I did make up some places and finished 80th. Paul 75th. The pit crew (for the V50s was Stevie, Richard and Adam) were excellent always having clean bikes ready for both Paul and I. I was changing bike about every lap and a half. Many thanks for faultless work.
Mitchy was on next in the V40s. Paul was now in the pits with me and Richard. As well as taking care of Mitchy we were also looking after a couple of friends from Luton CC. Great performance from Mitchy coming in 54th.
After the V40 men the V40+ women lined up. Lillie and Jenny representing CCA in the V40s. It was a thrilling race to watch with our riders tackling the course with skill, pace and finesse. Lillie finished 11th and Jenny 12th. Brilliant!
Ellie raced with the U16s in her event. Now if I was complaining about the bridge imagine how Ellie felt when each step came up to her knee. Great racing and, as I was in the pits, excellent communication on what was wrong with the incoming bike. Ellie finish 35th in the U14.
Video footage from day one can be found here LINK
It rained on Saturday night. Quite a lot! By Sunday morning the pits were looking more like a lake in parts. Just two more racers, both in the Juniors. So whilst the mud was more plentiful it was much more slick and didn’t build up on the bikes so badly.
Harley had a race to forget feeling unwell part way into it and, sensibly, retiring. Best wishes to her.
Thomas had a great start with Sam not far behind; but quite soon it was apparent it was not Sam’s day. He retired early on complaining of no power in his legs. (The theory is Pete has been ‘generous’ with his cold and Sam was succumbing to that). Happily no ailments for Thomas and he stormed on finishing 44th.
It was reassuring to have a real fireman tending to the water pumps in the pits but over the whole weekend Richard was the real pit hero. Wielding the pressure washer lance like a light sabre he precisely cut mats of mud felted together with grass from the laden tyres with Jedi skills. These slid to the ground to add to the emerging “pit swamp”. A diabolic mire that we always creeping up the sides of one’s boots and after each passing hour gripping on one’s very soles a little tighter.
The final treat of the weekend were the two main events. Most people expected Anna Kay to win the Elite Women’s race but right from the start (when she couldn’t get a shoe in the pedal) she was on the back foot chasing the leaders from third place. In front having an epic battle were Beth Crumpton and Hattie Harmden. Crumpton had Harmden on the ropes by the start of the final lap, but Hattie launched her counter attack in the woods where she knew she was the stronger. A great win. In the men’s the favourite did triumph with his customary exuberance – Pidcock is a pleasure to watch!
So friendship, fellowship, fun and sport. A rewarding and fulfilling combination.
V50: Daniel , Paul Moss (of Stowmarket and District CC who joined us for the trip)
V40: Mitchy
V40W: Jenny and Lilly
U14G: Ellie
Junior: Sam, Thomas and Harley.
Adam, Young Dave, Richard, Mark, Stevie, Emma, Peter and Robert were support.
We stayed at the Youth Hostel in Coalport, close to Ironbridge. I think we were all agreed that this was excellent accommodation for our needs as couples had rooms to themselves and other subgroups could share a larger room. We cooked a communal meal on the Friday night; which was great. There was space to lounge around and philosophise about tyre pressure, thread and mud. There was even a lockup bike shed with a hose outside it.
The first race on Saturday was the V50 with Daniel starting on the last row and Paul somewhat further up the grid. Hard racing through the heavy mud, which on day one was picking up on the bikes. Immediately after the short start straight we were into the technical section a kind of study in the off camber. The bridge had not been available during my practice time so when I arrived there it was a shock to find out how high each step was. I did make up some places and finished 80th. Paul 75th. The pit crew (for the V50s was Stevie, Richard and Adam) were excellent always having clean bikes ready for both Paul and I. I was changing bike about every lap and a half. Many thanks for faultless work.
Mitchy was on next in the V40s. Paul was now in the pits with me and Richard. As well as taking care of Mitchy we were also looking after a couple of friends from Luton CC. Great performance from Mitchy coming in 54th.
After the V40 men the V40+ women lined up. Lillie and Jenny representing CCA in the V40s. It was a thrilling race to watch with our riders tackling the course with skill, pace and finesse. Lillie finished 11th and Jenny 12th. Brilliant!
Ellie raced with the U16s in her event. Now if I was complaining about the bridge imagine how Ellie felt when each step came up to her knee. Great racing and, as I was in the pits, excellent communication on what was wrong with the incoming bike. Ellie finish 35th in the U14.
Video footage from day one can be found here LINK
It rained on Saturday night. Quite a lot! By Sunday morning the pits were looking more like a lake in parts. Just two more racers, both in the Juniors. So whilst the mud was more plentiful it was much more slick and didn’t build up on the bikes so badly.
Harley had a race to forget feeling unwell part way into it and, sensibly, retiring. Best wishes to her.
Thomas had a great start with Sam not far behind; but quite soon it was apparent it was not Sam’s day. He retired early on complaining of no power in his legs. (The theory is Pete has been ‘generous’ with his cold and Sam was succumbing to that). Happily no ailments for Thomas and he stormed on finishing 44th.
It was reassuring to have a real fireman tending to the water pumps in the pits but over the whole weekend Richard was the real pit hero. Wielding the pressure washer lance like a light sabre he precisely cut mats of mud felted together with grass from the laden tyres with Jedi skills. These slid to the ground to add to the emerging “pit swamp”. A diabolic mire that we always creeping up the sides of one’s boots and after each passing hour gripping on one’s very soles a little tighter.
The final treat of the weekend were the two main events. Most people expected Anna Kay to win the Elite Women’s race but right from the start (when she couldn’t get a shoe in the pedal) she was on the back foot chasing the leaders from third place. In front having an epic battle were Beth Crumpton and Hattie Harmden. Crumpton had Harmden on the ropes by the start of the final lap, but Hattie launched her counter attack in the woods where she knew she was the stronger. A great win. In the men’s the favourite did triumph with his customary exuberance – Pidcock is a pleasure to watch!
So friendship, fellowship, fun and sport. A rewarding and fulfilling combination.
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