Eastern CX League - 2017/18

[StevenDrew]

Yep, Ben will be Junior age now. Was he genuinely faster or did his superior skills give him the advantage?

Bruce - you suggested to me about 5 years ago that Ben would turn out to be the better rider of the two brothers. Do you still think that will be the case?

[BruceMackie]

Contentious that I would say such a thing, favouring one over the other! I would say that Ben has had harder opposition than Dan. As the popularity of cycling has increased so has participation at youth level. Lee Valley Youth for instance has seen a 1400% increase in membership since Ben was an Under 8, just to give an idea of how much bigger the pool for selection is.

Re. rider calling, it's still a slightly contentious issue. Sometimes calling results in an adverse effect on the situation due to the lapped rider suffering from oxygen debt just as much as the passing rider so calling left results in lapped riders suddenly moving left or alternatively going so far right that they come into contact with tape or undergrowth and end up loosing control, so it's no great surprise that a pass is not always called, particularly when there seems to be an obvious passing line open. This discrepancy of speed, skill and experience is a continual issue with Junior riders in all disciplines. For example, many Juniors come in to senior road racing with a level of skill above that of the average E,1,2 race. They've raced extensively abroad with the top riders in their age groups, where every inch of tarmac is well fought for and racing resembles a full contact sport. In their infinite wisdom BC put nearly all Juniors in as 3rd cat riders so you end up with loads of relatively inexperienced adults mixing with riders who are under geared but are used to pushing their way through groups of tightly packed riders, bashing bars, rubbing shoulders and taking any line advantage. A 3/4 race frequently looks like a fairly loose collection of riders where Juniors will look to move through the massive gaps in the field which brings them into conflict with their elders.

[Chris Clague]

He called every time that I saw it but he was just shouting 'rider' which means nothing to most people (at this level). Nobody wants to get in his way but they're too terrified to move out of it for fear of guessing the wrong side.

But anyway - yes he was that much faster everywhere, not just on skills. There was a massive hill and nobody could live with him on that either.

And he stuck around at the end in the pouring rain to thank everybody which I thought was pretty classy.

[StevenDrew]

And he stuck around at the end in the pouring rain to thank everybody which I thought was pretty classy.

i recall him doing that at one of our Hoggenberg races a few years ago. *doffs cap*

[BruceMackie]

Eastern? Where was everyone? Busy staying in to watch the World Cup round from Waterloo?

Well you missed the grudge match of the year and one of the most entertaining cross races I've seen in a while. No obviously not the Vet 50 men, in which I performed to a level I'd rather forget. Rolling a tub through incompetence and thus having to pit and change both wheels as I no longer having a spare bike. I had to chase back through the women's race, doing my best to make sure I didn't mess that up or affect it in any way, hopefully I got that right.

Anyway: The grudge match, or Tullet Vs Tullet. For the first time we've had a cross race with the 2 of them head to head and there were fireworks. It was absolutely no holds barred with every trick in the book played. James Madgwick managed to hang on for a lap or so but I think he thought discretion was the better part of valour, or he may have been hoping to inherit the win when the 2 Tullets had inadvertently removed each other from the course. No such luck for him.

In the end it came down to a last corner tussle and a sprint. So which one won, which brother is best? You'd have had to be there to see it and make your own decision.

[CarolineReuter]

Please, please, tell us Bruce!!


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[StevenDrew]

Sadly, busy with family stuff last week AND this. But I do know who won

I am entered for a season's debut at St Helena's School on 8 Oct.

[Chris Clague]

Best behaviour then. I’m your commissaire.

[BruceMackie]

Rain all night, rain all the way up there yet a completely dry course!?! If that wasn't confusing enough David Hales decided to reverse the usual direction of travel causing much consternation, particularly at the single extended climb. Then the Comms joined in the fun by announcing the race would start in the next 30s and then immediately blowing the whistle. Having been caught out badly by a passing train whistle in the past, I was moderately ready, so got the jump on a few people and managed to hold a decent place to the finish. Luckily with a proper application of glue the front tub stayed firmly put this time which certainly helped with the result, I suppose I'll now have to work up the enthusiasm to redo the rear too. No Tullets this time, instead Stephen James came and ran off with the senior race.

Well that's St Helena School done, now for Princess Helena College

[Chris Clague]

Eastern League season debut for me today up at Bury St Edmunds. Rain all night had me up like a kid at Christmas this morning...

Did a couple of warm up laps - was very slippery but great fun. Got a pretty good start and moved up quite a few places as we skittered around in the slippy stuff, unfortunately not quick enough to avoid the first lap procession in the woods though, then back out into the bog. It was ace. Made up a few more places as we all tried wide lines to find some traction, back into the woods again and head for the log. Now I'd ridden the log twice in practice without a problem so thought nothing of it as I lifted my front wheel. It went over just fine, then hit the floor and stopped dead, pitching me over the bars and into what was by far the most impressive face plant I've ever done. It didn't taste very nice and the mud was inside my glasses, my helmet, everywhere. I was a little concerned about whether anyone got a pic or not (hope so) but other than that, and the knowledge I'll be feeling this tomorrow all was fine so jumped back on. Next lap, decided to go for the other end of the log and managed a rather less spectacular fall- got up, rode to the next corner which by now was super slippy and hit the deck again, causing the guy behind to follow suit. How we laughed as we lay there on the floor like a couple of idiots.

Back on again, and by this time the course tape was all over the place, tangling nicely in my front wheel (for once) - I trailed it round for about half a lap in the hope it might ward off my pursuers, but to no avail, so lost a place untangling that. Through the woods again and the mud was really building up on the bike now. Came through the woods and gears wouldn't shift at all, so stuck in first. Stopped again to fix that, and by now the log was in the midst of a no-ride zone, such was the mud. Lots of running.

It was ace and it was epic - this is what CX should be. Fantastic. No idea where I came, probably 4th V49 born on a Wednesday and riding a single chainring or something, don't care. Want more.

[JackCurzon]

Haha! That made me chuckle. I’m more convinced than ever that cyclocross riding is some kind of mental disorder - you’re enjoying yourself far too much!


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[BruceMackie]

All the way to North Norfolk for a 40 minute race is a bit stupid, perhaps not as ridiculous as going to the god awful Shrewsbury National Trophy but definitely one for the committed.

It was a lovely sunny winters day until we lined up on the starting grid then the BBC weather forecast proved remarkably accurate for a change. Front row grid position meant my race started well, I caught the Phil Roach & Jimmy Piper express, even getting ahead of Jimmy at one point. Clung on for a lap at warp speed putting a nice big gap into the rest of the field, then on the 2nd lap the hail and rain set in along with a temperature drop. All I had to do was keep it neat and I should have been able to use the extensive woodland sections to make sure I wasn't caught. Complete loss of feeling in hands and feet and being soaked through didn't help though and of course, overdid one of the quarry drop downs and got a bit too much air when I was turning going up the other side and crashed. Didn't loose much time somehow, recovering quickly so I was still wishing touching distance of Phil & Jimmy but banged my knee and twisted the bars and started to really loose ground. I was then having lots of trouble trying to keep intermediate tyres working in the increasingly slippery conditions. Only one more crash followed and I got caught and passed by the chasing field. Then Phil Roach punctured and after his bike change I managed to peg him and refocus and move up again until he punctured for a second time. In the end my result looks respectable but was in fact more to do with everyone else having even more trouble than me.

The cold was unbelievable, I don't think I've even managed to get quite so cold in a race before. Sat in the van with both heaters running at maximum for 20 minutes changing into dry clothes then sat on the hot radiators in the HQ along with many of the other competitors all shivering whilst Susannah plied us with cake and hot tea, only warmed up after about an hour. You don't know what you're all missing!

[Neil]

You don't know what you're all missing!

Oh I do. I was also in Norfolk, but with my feet up in the warm. I decided not to even come and watch, which had been half a plan.
Still as you say, not going to Hempton is better than not going to Shrewsbury.

[LeonardDelicaet]

Bruce, another excellent write up. Despite your drop in energy pre- and post- that rain shower you showed a lot of tenacity to stick close to the leaders.

You know more than most that the adage "to finish first, first you have to finish" applies more and more the muddier it gets.

Look at Wout Van Aert in Gavere, MVDP owned it until he bashed his knee.

One day I'll be out of baby jail and will re-join you all.

[JackCurzon]

That sounded awful but clearly you enjoyed it! Look forward to hearing about the next round!