Eastern CX League Round 9 - Mistly

Set deep in a Hans Christian Anderson style forest it swoops continually down and then up in a nose bleed inducing roller coaster ride.  Lots of tricky corners with roots to catch out the unwary and a changing course dynamic as the race proceeds as the ground became more rutted and muddier.  

With Dave Kiely away on Kiely Jnr duties at the Nationals, and Steve James seemingly out for a while with an undiagnosed knee problem the North Road, rather unusually, had no representatives in the Vets +50 race.

John McDowall and Bryan Holland where again in action in the Vets 40-49 race.  Neither would put Mistly on their Christmas wish lists of CX courses.  John was gridded well down and got another poor start.  He battled his way through the throng, always difficult at Mistly with limited passing places, and rode particularly strongly on the numerous climbs.   One big moment of loss of control on a steep bouncy descent scattered the watching crowd in anticipation of a rather larger blue clad rider exploring additional parts of the forest.  A handy bit of recovery riding / panicking* saved the day and earned some appetitive / relieved* crowd applause (* delete as applicable)  Bryan had got a clean start, and having made big efforts to close a gap to the rider ahead over several laps, then had the mis-fortune to have one of his tubs comes partially  off the rim just as he looked to pass him.  He was able to stop, get it back on, but it cost him two places at the back end of the race and slightly took the gloss off a very creditable ride.

Bryan 21st, John 32nd with 74 starters and one DNF

Regular Matt crees was joined by first time CX’er Ian Clay, and second timer Mike Heptonstall.  Perhaps not the best course for your early CX experience, especially as the new riders had not had a chance to ride what is a highly technical course before the race started.   Ian had a host of technical problems and struggled with the lack of grip afforded by his tyres, otherwise he said ‘he might have enjoyed it more’ (Ed - you are not supposed to ‘enjoy’ CX)    Mike reported that - ‘ (he) loved it apart from falling into a tree and twisting a hood/shifter, which made it tricky!’  

An impressive 14th place for Matt on an ascending profile of results.  Mike and Ian, in the early days in their initiation to the foggy mystic of CX, came home in 32nd and 34th.