Eastern Cyclocross League 10 - Hempton Sun 18th November 2012

Hempton, set in deepest darkest Norfolk, was the destination for the majority of the North Road cross section in Eastern League action.  A bright and deceptively sunny day belied low single figure temperatures for a course set partly on  road and partly in a hillock strewn forest.   A bed of fallen Autumnal leaves, combined with a low bright sun made sighting of the  best lines a real challenge - but it was the three enormous ‘bomb holes‘   that required careful and concise bike handling to ensure your day didn’t end with a trip to Norwich General.

A full on burn up style start on a long closed road section kicked off the vets race and found the North Road trio of John McDowall, Dave Kiely and Steve James immediately faced with a severe mogul hillock induced bottleneck when entering the forest.  John and Steve got through in reasonable order but could hear a reign of chaos behind them.  Dave later admitted it was partly his doing.   Having arrived too late for a proper warm-up or course recce, he managed to create multiple pile ups by accidentally kicking another rider in the face and then blocking the trail with a botched re-mount that knocked off someone else.   Out of sheer embarrassment Dave stood aside  for a moment offering profuse apologies as he let  the affected riders pass.

John and Steve where then locked in combat for the whole race.   Steve had nipped into the lead, but then took one of his customary rests on the deck after an over ambitious assault on one of the bomb holes.   All the North Roaders had several buttock clenching moments, such was the technical intensity of the course.  The leading North Road duo where also joined in battle with an Ipswich rider.  A three-way game of cat-and-mouse developed as each probed for a decisive advantage. It went  to the end of the last lap where Steve faded a little, and a mis judged corner by John allowed the Ipswich rider a decisive gap.  

John and Steve secured 17th and 18th place at 4.36 and 4.47 down on the winner.  Dave, after no warm-up and an exhibition in how not to do a cyclocross start, achieved a very creditable 21st place at +5.39.  There where 46 starters with two DNFs.

Hannah Ormesher, racing in the women’s event, also  got off to a good start down the tarmac straight and into fourth place into the first bend.  With some confident riding Hannah made good enough ground to catch third on the second lap, but this placing was short-lived as she was 'over zealous' round a gravel corner and spun out, allowing the fourth placed lady to regain her advantage.  Although the elusive third place remained in sight she was unable to close the gap.

 Hannah’s encounters with the bomb holes were thankfully uneventful, even after the initial exposure on the  warm up lap led to a un-lady like shout of  '**** - What! I'm not going down there - ****.‘  Fortunately the lads where on hand for some straight forward ‘encouragement’ and she hurtled down, remembering the MTB mantra to look where you want to go! 

Fatigue set in on final lap of the course and some general blundering ensued that failed to dampen Hannah’s enjoyment of an exhilarating  course.  In her first year of cross racing Hannah achieved her best result to date coming in fourth, just under a minute behind third and second place.

Bryan Holland was our sole representative in the hour long senior event. With the advantage of a pre-race briefing by the earlier North Roaders he lined up on the left of the grid and was ready to dismount and carry after the first corner into the moguls.  He used this to good advantage as those on the right ground to a halt and appeared jammed like logs in a beaver strewn Canadian river. 

 A good first lap thereafter saw him higher up than usual and as the race came back on to the road Bryan was aware of some slipstreaming happening behind him.  With an hour to race he tried to settle in to a rhythm in lap two and worked to keep in a group of four riders that had formed around him. Over the next three laps he held on losing ground and then battled back on a short but steep running clamber up a lung busting “hill”.  Over the last three laps he slipped back from the two remaining riders but stretched away from the fourth to come in an impressive 31^st,   a lap and 1:53 down on the winner.

 

Young Joe Kiely was in fast'n'furious under 12 action.  Showing continual improvement he came 12th and was second placed under ten.  Abi Kiely also raced and came home in 21st place and was first girl past the finishing line.