Eastern Cyclo-Cross league 2 - Sat 18th Sept 2011

The second round of the season, and the first round that contained North Road riders, was held at the familiar venue of Hog Hill.  With a course containing sections of the tarmac  race circuit, gravel off-road sections, and using large amounts of the the grass boundary edging; all in the confines of the hilly Hog Hill arena, led to a technical and challenging circuit.

John McDowal and Steve James, in his first cyclo-cross outing, lined up for the usual frenetic sprint to the first bend.   John made good progression through the field at the starting point but after a fast descent about a third of the way round the opening lap, a sharp kerb edge as the course crossed the tarmac road course, hit at high speed, caused a pinch puncture.  This was luckily adjacent to the pits area so a quick wheel change was affected but still left John off the back of the field and with a lot of work to do.

Steve was settling in to the event, and seemed to be enjoying it although his own mechanical gremlins was not helping him, and whilst his dis-mounts gained high marks for there artistic impression they where perhaps a little lacking in the technical merit department.   

John worked hard to work his way up through the field and eventually came in 21st, 6-30 down on the winner Bruce Robinson of the Shaftesbury CC.  Steve James finished in 30th at a lap and 0.40 down.  Fifty-nine riders started, but only 45 finished, a large proportion of the DNFs where probably puncture victims - an unusually large number for such events.

 

Full results can be found here - ttp://www.easterncross.org.uk/race11-12-2.htm