On this blog’s topic I will look at a short recap of Sussex Schools XC Champs on Tuesday, before looking at the National Cyclocross Champs two days prior plus what upcoming races I have planned over the next couple months, including some championship races.
Sussex Schools XC Champs
In my penultimate year of racing county schools I moved up to the final category, Yr 12-13, for the county schools xc champs, looking to qualify for English Schools XC, representing Sussex, in March.
Course Stats:
- 2×2.8km lap
- Grass
- 51m of ev gain per lap
- 1 big hill with 35m of ev gain in 150m
The start was fine and the first lap people pushed the pace quite a lot and it upped and slowed quite erratically.
Onto the second lap a group of 3 of us had started to break away. Before the climb there was a short 5/10s long singletrack section and the pace upped dramatically, progressing as we got to the hill, leading to me and another side by side. I wanted to attack there and I think he knew too so we were both sprinting by the end to be the first in. He was just in front and then I put a burst in and just got in front at the last second by kind of semi-jumping over the bit of bramble and managed to get my foot in front to propel me forward. Anyway I attacked up the climb and he held on until about halfway before I dropped both of the others and got a gap.
I carried on the pace and pushed through to open up about a 100m lead. Onto the flat back straight with just over a kilometre until the finish was pretty tough but I kept on and held the lead to the finish and win with a 20/25s lead.
A very well timed attack that I managed to make stick but I was most importantly aiming for the top 4 automatic qualification to English Schools in March and winning means getting first in the pens on the start so very happy for Tuesday’s result and effort. I should be racing at Ardingly for the Schools Champs, and am looking forward to a home English Schools.
National Cyclocross Champs
I know this post isn’t in chronological order, but on the Sunday before Sussex Schools I was racing at the National Cyclocross Champs at Cyclopark.
Racing earlier in the morning meant freezing temperatures including racing at -4 degrees. All the ruts were like concrete and the course fast and slippy. I was gridded 45th, at the very back, since I had aimed to do the Clanfield national round to try and get some points but it got cancelled.
Anyway after missing my pedal at the start after it clipped the studs and slipped forward I worked my way well, up to just outside the top 25 by the second lap. Unfortunately on one of the corners my front wheel slid out on the icy ground and I landed pretty hard. I lost some valuable time unfortunately, but got back up to work my way up some more places. Unfortunately after catching to 29th and close chasing a group just ahead I got pulled out with some others on the 80% rule, where if you’re not within 80% of the leader on a lap you get pulled out. This unfortunately happened quite early with 2 laps to go and only just happened to about the 5/6 riders ahead, so would’ve likely got through hadn’t I come off.
Without the crash would’ve helped a lot and my laps after matched to around 20th so I was a bit gutted not to have finished as I was making up time pretty quickly and my 2nd lap was about a minute slower than my 3rd and 4th so it was evident I lost time. Still my technical aspect and skills feel they have improved and I was riding some sections others just ahead weren’t and made some quick decisions mid race that gained me time. I don’t have hydraulic brakes on my bike so it makes braking a lot stiffer and didn’t have a pit bike like everyone else which both would’ve helped on the course and off camber sections, but I got back riding and made some places so I can take away positives and I will work on the improvements going forward.
I’m looking forward to the mountain bike season and hopefully will be racing some national xc rounds as well as the Southern XC Series.
What’s Next?
Over the next couple months I have a few races planned. Here’s how the next few months is aiming to look:
February –
- XTERRA UK Duathlon, Matterley Basin, Hampshire
- National Cross Country Champs, Parliament Hill, London
March –
- UK Inter Counties Cross Country, Wollaton Park, Nottingham
- English Schools Cross Country, Ardingly Showground, Sussex
- British Triathlon Super Series Performance Assessments
I’m looking forward to the coming months and mixing it up between triathlon/duathlon and some xc racing, including the 3 national races xc running races I tend to try and do each year.
Thanks for reading today’s blog and have a read on some others. Feel free to have a look around the site and subscribe to keep up with the latest blogs.
Here’s the 3 latest:
My Triathlon Journey 
Leave a comment