National CX Champs and Trophy

[Stuart]

CX is a discipline where you never stop learning. In this case, helpers can be a hindrance. Unless you drill them precisely in what they have to do, where they need to be and when they need to do it. I usually prefer to do it on my own as I'm so OCD other people inevitably get in my way, however well-intentioned. Better luck next time Damian, sounds like you were going well.

[Chris Clague]

Stuart - you ride, I'll organise the pits and we'll see who is who's bitch I can be as OCD as as you.

[Neil]

Southampton entered. Yesterday's V50 results Chris Young, Steve Barnes, Tim Gould, Steve Douce all in top ten - basically an early 90's national squad reunion!

[StevenDrew]

Am toying with Southampton. Just concerned that we've RSX to sort the day before which will be a long day. I'll also get my entry sorted for MK this week.

Beyond that, who is up for a "team" trip to Bradford?

[Neil]

MK V40's now showing as full.

I've entered at MK and Bradford.

[StevenDrew]

MK V40's now showing as full.

I've entered at MK and Bradford.

Oh, dear. Norwich it is then...

[StevenDrew]

No Southampton news from Neil or Bruce yet. But Fieldy won the Senior race with two Telenet Fidea riders from Belgium in 2nd and 3rd.

Matt Clements, formerly of LVYCC, was 5th in the Junior race.

[Neil]

Gah. Trophy racing is so damn close.
400m from the finish line I was 15th place, then some broken and flapping course tape got caught in my rear wheel, after a 200m run to the pits and a bike change I had dropped to 21st, just behind Bruce. 60 seconds lost and six riders slipped by.

[StevenDrew]

Gah. Trophy racing is so damn close.
400m from the finish line I was 15th place, then some broken and flapping course tape got caught in my rear wheel, after a 200m run to the pits and a bike change I had dropped to 21st, just behind Bruce. 60 seconds lost and six riders slipped by.

Oh no. How unlucky. Still very decent results though. Top job, chaps!

[BruceMackie]

The Trophy was a changed experience for me due to both boys deciding they'd rather stay in home in bed than get up at 5:30 in the morning. So a nice relaxed (relatively) day out for me. I was without assistance for the pits but Emma and Matt's dad kindly filled in, but in the end I had no reason to pit, unlike Neil who was at least fairly close to the pits when attacked by loose tape. I managed to roll over what remained of it without incident to nick the last BC points position from Neil, so the results don't really tell the full story. The course was best described as bone dry with lots of tricky grass turns, many of which were 180 deg. With the V40s off first we seemed to be held for quite a long time which meant a big chunk of the V50 field were lapped by the V40 leaders. The start went fairly swiftly into single track woodland which, with a crash caused a bit of a log jam for both Neil and I as we were not very far up the grid (I was last row with Neil directly in front) It seemed to shake out fairly quickly thereafter with the quick conditions leaving everyone performing an individual time trial as the corners weren't compressing the field as much as usual. In spite of this it all stayed close as Neil says, with only 4 mins covering the first 20 places. In order to get value for money and an extra lap, I did have to perform my finishing sprint a lap early as the V40 winners were rapidly catching me. That put me up with a group of 3 riders, though I couldn't hold them after having to close the gap so quickly and I presumed I'd be last unlapped rider at the finish, but Neil nabbed that distinction from me with the tape incident.

All in all a good day out with a strange lack of petrol pressure washer sound track that usually seems to at least drown out the BC Dejay musik nightmare. Nice to hear them playing Madness for the Vets race and Gagnam Style for the Youth in an age related theme. Anyway we now have some idea of how much better the main contenders are, only 10% to make up by January...

[Stuart]

Sounds like a hard day out. Especially after the previous hard day out. Well done both!

[Stuart]

Toying with the notion of Milton Keynes as theres nothing else on. I might even go up for the World Cup on Saturday as i"m free that weekend.

[StevenDrew]

Toying with the notion of Milton Keynes as theres nothing else on. I might even go up for the World Cup on Saturday as i"m free that weekend.

Have you entered yet? V50 and V40 races are full up. I didn't get a spot...

[Stuart]

V50 full? That never happens. Oh well, will have to find alternative entertainment

3 Pimples maybe unless there's a Hell of the Tim on

[Damian Robertson]

Really looking forward to sunday MK now, rather than thinking very small fish, big pond. Is it an exceptionally muddy course - pointless without a second bike? With some effort I could take a second.