Eastern Cyclocross League - Snetterton Sunday 30th December 2012
Wed 02 Jan 2013
A trio of North Roaders made the 90 odd mile trek to the wilds of Norfolk for the penultimate race of the Eastern League events - a brand new venue for the 2012/13 CX season. Dave Kiely showed up to try and burn off the effects of festive Twiglets snacking, Bryan Holland made the journey to take part in the seniors race and I raced in the women's event starting a minute after the Vets. Steve James and Tim Brown couldn't make it and John McDowall was suffering from the effects of his own mis-managed home cooking and opted for a nice ride to Whitwell for some good cake/coffee instead of CX punishment. Joe Kiely raced in the U12's.
The course was laid out in the grounds of World Horse Welfare (RSPCA type centre for, you guessed it, horses) and didn't disappoint with 'dressage' style obstacles and the rare luxury of dry, firm ground..! We were called up for gridding on what was a very cold, bright and blustery December morning. The course started in a flat paddock area on a straight into a strong headwind, lashing the course tape, before twisting back along the fenced paddock edge. In fact it seemed there was always someone course side securing tape which had blown loose. Some cleverly laid out and tricky off camber sections followed on scrubby rabbit holed hills where a foot out helped negotiate sharp corners. The course then led down into a big grassy bowl and hairpinned back up a scrambley carry the bike section which required a precise remount and quick clip-in at the top for a bumpy descent and equally bumpy climb back up on to the rim of the grass bowl. This climb was a prime source of frustration for many as if the person ahead of you fluffed it, everyone behind had to stop and get off the bike too.
Next was the real fun. A gravel 180 corner led into an indoor show jumping arena with a mulchy rubber floor and equipment in the form of beams, barrels and bars replaced the familiar tape marking the course. Cornering in the ménage was tricky and required deliberate wheel placement, jerky handling here and you're off; at least the surface was forgiving if you did fall! After a brief indoor spell a bridle way led down to a hairpin which led back up a road sprint section and then into another paddock. This section was pretty punishing for all the way you headed out with the wind behind you, you had to then ride back into the wind to exit past a wind turbine (which was going mental and very noisy!). A second menage section offered a hurdle (lino imitation brick covered jumping post laid across the course) immediately after a hairpin. A quick remount followed with some closely placed double hurdles (this was the best place for spectators to watch ambitious bunny hopping hopefuls take their chances). Awesome if you make it, not so cool if not. A few twisty turns in the menage and jumping duties were over, back out into the paddock where you started and into the headwind before doing it all again 4 or 5 more times (for the vets/women anyway).
Bryan took part in the last race of the day, and after a poor start decided he'd try the "not going too fast at the start" approach. Over the next few laps he slowly caught and passed a few riders and then battled it out with two other riders for the rest of the race. With the long straight into the wind tactics started to play with no one wanting to be at the front on this section, or at least not to work for the others. In the final lap a sprint for the line ensued which was close and resulted in the group catching another rider, Bryan came second in the sprint but kept the key rider (in his category) behind. The result pushed Bryan's league points tally (best 8 score from 14) up a couple more points and sees him in 13th place in the Elite Vets category with one race to go.
I got a great start off the front row of the grid and enjoyed a very brief spell in the lead before being sucked back in by the 'big girls' and settled into the race. I enjoyed a battle with a regular nemesis who is technically much better than me and gains time on obstacles while I am a bit stronger on the rideable sections of the course. There was a lot of passing and being passed between us. I overtook her but then got ensnared by some marking tape which had blown loose in the gales. The tape got caught in my cassette and jockey wheels and I reluctantly had to stop to fish some of it out. I lost significant time and was disappointed that I had lost my carrot but gradually reeled her back in a bit over the coming laps but just couldn't close the gap. I got a flat on the last lap coming out of the ménage into the paddock. Thankfully there was only a flat field section to the line so I opted to ride very lightly as there was no one right on my tail. I finished sixth of 15 starters and was happy with my result.
Dave had an uneventful but strong race and finished in a commendable 16th of 44 starters with three DNFs. All the more impressive in the absence of his fellow North Road vets where the in-team rivalry often leads to pushing yourself to even higher levels of suffering to get one over your team mate. Dave only had me to catch, passing me on the final lap of the race and offered some words of encouragement like 'hang on my wheel now, come on' but no sooner had he uttered the words I was already eating his dust - too quick for me. It's the thought that counts! Joe Kiely rode very well achieving 2nd placed U10 (just seven seconds behind 1st U12) and ninth overall of 44 starters.