After a fairly busy MTB season and a bit of rest I started racing a few
cyclocross races to hopefully gain a bit of form to do okay National Trophy
level racing, it is also a good effort session which I like more than sitting
on the turbo!!! My first race was a low key TLI race, I raced in the senior
category which provided some good competition racing, I won this race which was
more like a muddy MTB race. I then went about racing a few of the CXNE Series
and racing against seniors again provided a test as some more great riders turn
out who are really strong, I did 3 rounds getting 2, 3rd places and a 4th!
After this it was only 2 weeks to the Nationa Trophy round at South Shields, a
fairly local one which I wanted to do well in, I raced the Yorkshire points
series as a warm up which was very very muddy, and as I travelled down alone I
only had one bike and no assistance this lead to me walking/carrying/trudging
round, but i did finish, 12th although I dont think there were many others who
finished!!! One week on and i had a new bike, tubular wheels at a brilliant
price for Zepnat.com and a borrowed frame all ready to go! Me and ODP buddy
Iain Paton were gridded at the back as it was our first National trophy event
of the year, but the tough races before paid off as I managed to work my way
through to 2nd, a result i did not expect! It was a fast race and as it is only
a 40 minute race it is pretty much a sprint from the gun! There was one more
race till I could have a bit of time away from cross over christmas, this was
the North of England Championships, held at Doncaster and was my hardest race
of the cross season, it was a testing course with lots of steep hills and a
strong headwind section. My main competition was Jake Womersely who I beat the
week before but not by much and he is a great rider finishing 14th in the
European Cyclocross Championships! The race was just me versus him with both of
us attacking each other, eventually he won but a brilliant race!! Now I have no
cross racing till January where I will race the National trophy final round at
Derby on the 6th January and the National championships in Bradford the week
after! But for now some good miles in my legs and a few mince pies!!!
