The clocks have gone back and near-perpetual darkness has returned, with Halloween just gone and Bonfire night just around the corner it can only mean one thing..... 'Cross is here! Much has happened since I was climbing the Alpine peaks in the summer, so I'll try my best to remember everything!!
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| (Photo by Richard Bennett) |
In July I sent a very speculative reply to an advert entitled 'racers needed for a UCI cyclocross race in China', many email exchanges later I was on a flight to Beijing!! The week was an amazing experience, I met so many amazing racers from all around the world all with a shared passion for riding bikes. It really was a week I will never forget. Cultural holiday aside, I had a brilliant race working my way through from my 22nd grid position to finish in 13th position. The dry and dusty course was super fun to ride albeit very bumpy but nonetheless it obviously suited me very well.
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| Sprinting to 13th in China. What a trip! (Photo by Andrew Yee, Cyclocross Magazine) |
Beijing done, next up Gateshead. One very glamorous location, the other Beijing... Lining up for the second round of the CXNE league it felt good to be on home turf back in the Western hemisphere. Despite being back on familiar ground I felt pretty nervous. China aside, it was the first cross of the season and you never really know how the legs will react to the good old British mud. Luckily for me, the answer was well; I raced in a group with some of the junior boys and managed a few attacks towards the end of the race finishing 30th in the vet mens race and 1st woman.
Onto Birmingham where a pilgrimage to the NEC and bike nerd heaven awaited. The race was a unique exhibition race format taking in a mountain bike test single track, a lot of car park and a loop through the conference centre itself. The relatively short lap length (3-4 minutes max!) was complemented by a race time of 25 minutes; shorter just means faster I have learned! I raced well establishing myself in the top 3, but then a crash knocked me back to 6th position which is where I finished. It was a brilliant weekend, I came home with a lot of freebies from the bike show and a healthy dose of road rash which is quite uncommon in cyclocross with the usual soft landing.
This brings us up to the start of October and Temple Newsam, Yorkshire; my first foray into the YCCA league this season. With the venue less than 5 miles away from my door this is, geographically speaking at least, my home event. That and the lure of an awesome fun course meant I was pretty excited to race. A beautiful autumnal sun provided the perfect conditions for some great racing. I began gridded pretty far back as I hadn't appeared at a Yorkshire event in some time. Immediately I began to fight my way forwards towards the wheels of Annie Simpson and Amira Mellor who both got off to a brilliant start. After 2 laps I caught Amira and latched onto her back wheel for a few laps. With 2 laps to go, Amira kicked after the hurdles and I was left riding for 3rd place. A valiant effort after a very hard weeks training I was just pleased to make the podium in such a tough league.
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| To run or ride. Tricky section at Shrewsbury (Photo by Simon Maskell Photography) |
Shrewsbury; the first of the National Trophy series. The conditions could not have been more contrasting when I think back to January and the previous race at this venue. This time the bog through the woods had dried to leave a fast and smooth single track that was brilliant fun to ride. Gridded front row, I got off to a good start and found myself in about 5th place after a few corners, this was soon to change as I was taken down by another riders reckless attempt at an undertake which was only ever going to end in disaster. Scraping myself off the ground, I found myself in about 17th place and began the chase through the field back into the top 10. 4 laps passed by and I settled into something of a no-mans land; trying to catch 5th while a group of 4 riders worked together behind to bring me back. With half a lap to go, they made the catch and I found my 6th spot slip away as I fought for a top 10. In the end I held on for 9th place, which is a decent result, but I couldn't help but feel like I had the legs on the day to come away with something better and I felt a little let down by bad luck and poor judgement on the part of the rider who took me down.
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| Hurdles @ Broughton Hall, Skipton (Photo by Simon Maskell Photography) |
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| Skipton Supercross (Photo by Simon Maskell Photography) |
Skipton and Rapha Supercross: This year I was delighted to be part of the Rapha under-23 team to race the Elite Supercross series consisting of 3 races; 2 at Broughton Hall, Skipton and the finale at Alexandra Place, London. The atmosphere was brilliant, it was a privilege to race in front of such an animated crowd who had waited around all day for us to race. The unrelenting hilly nature of the course teamed with me feeling pretty ill, resulted in two savagely difficult days of racing. Rapha finished the weekend in 5th place and I rode well finishing 6th and 5th respectively.
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| Brilliant fast downhill wood section at Ally Pally Supercross (Photo by Simon Maskell Photography) |
London Supercross: The finale in Alexandra Palace was something I really wanted to race having seen photos from the year before as the venue, atmosphere and racing all looked superb, I wasn't wrong. The course was straightforward apart from the enormous hill (*cough* mountain) half way around the lap. Towards the back end of the day, riding the hill wasn't an option so shoulder and run was the only way. A good start set me up for a good race, the training is obviously working as I rode to one better again to finish in a series best position of 4th place.
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| Leading the charge. Southampton (Photo by Andy Whitehouse) |
We packed up the bikes in London, poorly negotiated the central London traffic and haphazardly headed South until we reached Southampton for the second round the National Trophy Cyclocross. Riding the course, I knew on the morning that I would enjoy this race, the question was whether I would still have enough fuel in the legs after racing an hour the day before. Gridded front row again, I had practised my starts and knew I had a good one in me. Bang! The gun went. I clipped in immediately and powered through the gears, I look around and I'm leading! Ha! I carried the lead straight through the single-track wooded section, dictating the pace of the race from the front. I relinquished the lead after 2/3 of a lap and unfortunately missed the front group which formed very quickly under the impetus of Team Hope. Chasing hard, I established myself in 7th position and didn't let it slip. I was happy with my result, but probably more chuffed with getting the holeshot! I could drive 5hrs back to Leeds feeling very happy with myself.
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| Holeshot! (Photo by Richard Bennett) |
It's been a whirlwind start to the 14/15 season and I have loved every minute. I would like to thank the whole team at
Cyclocross Magazine, whose unwavering support makes it possible me to race at this level. Big thanks also to the CXNE crew (especially Jamie Brady and Tony Glover from
Giant Newcastle) who always comes to the rescue with my mechanicals as do the guys at
Crosstrax shop! Finally, a big thank you to the
Leeds Gryphons Scholarship system for helping me this season.
Looking forward to more racing. Bring it on!
