12 December saw round 5 of the National Trophy Cyclo cross series take place in Bradford, South Yorkshire. This race wasn't really on my to-do list until about a week prior to it so i didn't really have time to prep much as i had a busy week leading up to it, including a school awards night in which i received an award for 'Effort'. Not to sure how it happened but i managed a free book out of it so i don't mind. We arrived at Bradford about one and a half hours before the vets race so i got a couple of laps in on what was a frozen solid course. After my crash at Koksijde on the ice (Which involved a suspected dislocated elbow) i wasn't at all confident on the rutted course.
I just got on with it though, then went back to the car and got changed to watch the vets, juniors and women's race. During these races though the course had unfrozen and become a mud pit. One famous descent in the course took out at least 80% of the field every lap, a video can be seen at http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/. I got to the start of my race and as we took off i just went backwards until the ground levelled out again, I've never really been good on anything that that has a gradient of more than 1%. I did move up as the race went on and was ahead of my No.1 competitor Alan Trolove who i always lose an eastern win to. I had to make a couple of bike changes due to the crud that the bike was picking up and I completely died on the last lap after a crash and just couldn't get my rhythm back and lost a staggering 4 places, one of them to Alan.
After, it was fun to watch David Van Der Poel, a first year U23 from Belgium battle it out with our country's best, it really shows how much better at cycling Belgium is than us, but at least it gives you something to aim for!
Yesterday, 19th December i travelled with James Whatling in the Orbea-Twenty3c ( http://twitter.com/Twenty3c_Orbea) team van to a snowy race in Broome Heath, Bungay. Never have i experienced such luxury at a race! The teams Mercedes Benz Vito Sport was perfect for cross, with enough room in the boot for 4 bike and two spare sets of wheels, and then enough room in the back to get changed comfortably in privacy with the tinted windows. Due to the snow, we arrived at the race with about an hour to go, not ideal but that's how it goes I'm afraid. I did a lap before, and just making sure they didn't make any changes to the course from last year, when it was also snowing.
The course was perfect for me, icy and fast, but technical which i like. The sub-zero temperature also helped me as i love the cold where many people hate it. I got a flying start and i lead going up the start finish straight. Alan, who i have mentioned earlier in the blog was well suited to the course as well as he just does not let up on the icy bends where i do, purely due to a lack of confidence. After chasing Alan, and an Extreme Sports Therapy rider, i finished a comfortable 3rd, with 4 minutes on the next rider. Finishing third is okay to me as i still have another year in the U16 category and this year is mainly for learning.
James, who we came with was competing in his first cross race! He didn't do bad either, finishing 12th Senior. We hope to see him at Rutland!
My next race will be on the 30th December at the Sylvester Cross in Bredene, Belgium. This is literally 100 meters away from my first cross race in Belgium this season so i will go into it confidently.
I may do another blog before Xmas but if not, Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
