Central CX League - Milton Keynes Sat 8th Nov, 2014

A return to the Milton Keynes Bowl for the second time in the Central Cyclocross League.  Visit one had been a mud, slip-and-slide, fall off special and like a bad Kevin Costner film sequel visit two was an even worst mud, slip-and-slide fall off special.

The Vets got it a bit easier.  Steve James, John McDowall, Dave Kiely and Bryan Holland lined up with Steve off first as a Vet+50.  Both Bryan and Steve had good rides in full-on difficult muddy conditions.  John never really got to grips with, well just about anything, and subsided to mid-table mediocrity.  Dave started off the starting grid and is finding his way back to fitness after his injury lay off.

The Senior men got even worse condition as the course had been churned into ‘ploughed field’ status and the heavens opened with typhoon like intensity.   If this was a film sequel it would have been Waterworld 2.  Both our boys, Matt Crees and Paul McGrath, got away like scalded cats (or perhaps drowned rats would be a more applicable metaphor)   Paul got towards the pointy end of affairs and managed to hold position there in the nip-and-tuck of hovercraft CXing.  Indeed, so cold and wet had things become he had trouble  clipping in through a combination of shivering and losing the feeling in his feet.  Matt had his moments but managed to stay the right way up (just!)  A fine sixth place for Paul in testing conditions.

Sixth place for Steve James out of 18 starters in the Vets+50 race.  In the Vets 40-49, a very good 9th for Bryan, 18th for John and 45th for Dave out of 55 starters.  In the Seniors, top dog for the day was Paul McGrath in sixth place with Matt Crees 25th out of 32 starters.