Eastern Cross League – Ipswich, Sunday 23rd Nov 2014

Tue 25 Nov 2014

Round 13 of the Eastern Cross was held at Trinity Park in Ipswich. This new course was making its second appearance after hosting the Regional Championships last year, but this time in very different conditions. With the rain having turned from the drizzle of the day before into steady down pour, a cold wind picking up the conditions were likely to be tough. The warm up lap (more than one warm up lap was sheer folly) showed the course was indeed tough with more mud available than on a wet weekend watching aging rockers somewhere in a field near Reading.   Last year’s main obstacle a testing  sand pit was submerged in the bottom a large pond, sections of muddy woodland trails just about ride-able, where separated by long sections of energy sapping fields of grassy mud and  brief respite on a tarmac stretch of road into a headwind.  As the race prepared to start the weather worsened and the fate of the riders was all but sealed. Bryan started off well, but with the once ride-able wooded section now a run with the bike and the grass fields now mud more than grass the race became a real slog and he found himself slowly slipping backwards as the efforts of the day before become evident.  Entering the final lap he was being dragged back slowly but surely by another rider and had to keep pushing to limit his loses. Bryan held on to come in tired and a little forlorn in 23rd , 8:10 behind the leader.

 

Definitely a weekend of two very different races.

 

With 5 races to go Bryan has now chalked up his 11 league races (Best 11 of 18 count in the Eastern League) setting the bar at 902 points for the NRCC Veterans.

The Highway Code

Know the rules of the road

Your safety is dependent on everyone on the road knowing and obeying the rules, so get the low down and don't get mown down!

Group Riding

If you're new to riding in a group, read our handy guide on how to stay safe.