[Music] Welcome to round one of Pushy Cycling National Trophy uh round one at Derby. Um and this is just a few minutes before the start. Um, so for anyone watching this who doesn’t know what the weather was like on the weekend, um, it was storm aiming and you can see the trees blowing. Uh, it’s blowing a gale. Um, and this is a B50s race. Uh, I’m graded 51 out of I don’t know 75 80 something like that. Um, so we live quite far back, but there was a I don’t know 40 mph wind or something crazy down the the straight and 15 minutes before this race started, it started to rain um uh quite hard uh which don’t really get the effect on um on the video, but I don’t think I’m the only one who wasn’t quite prepared. prepared for this change of weather because on the sighting scouting laps uh my um all round tides were just fine. Um so um yeah, let us see what happens. So round one national trophy always exciting. It’s my second season having a go at some of these. Uh, and we’re about to start on the concrete dash straight down and there’s a right hand turn which you got to be really careful of. Um, there goes Richard Lewis who was racing. Always chasing Richard as per usual and he always gets a bloody good start. Oh, that was tight. Had to be careful. Obvious when you’re in a big pack like this, it’s quite hard to see where the road is going. So, you got to be careful. Now coming up to the right hand turn and just not trying to crash uh and stay safe really. That is Duncan um Duncan from Brafield who um didn’t have a good race Duncan um and he started quite a long way ahead of him. So the start didn’t go quite well but um he had a much better race the next day in Wic. There’s There’s Richard putting some beans on trying to trying to get further up. Um, and it’s chaos. I’m doing okay here. It’s just very tight. It’s very slippery and it’s touching wheels, you know, uh, bit close contact. It’s It’s great fun. And that whole straight was just a roaring gale. We’re still going into it here. There’s still wind just lashing into us. and you’re just trying to hide behind someone, which is pretty good given, you know, it’s big pack. I go around the outside here, get a few people. That’s a nice Ridley. Nice Ridley X knight there. Number 50, whoever you are. Um, I’m not going to look at numbers. Um, I’m just going to just, um, yeah, I’m not going to do that for this video. I’ll save that for six. Um, yeah. So, I’ve moved up a little bit. I don’t know if I’ve moved off any places, but I think I probably moved off a few. Um, and always always hunting with Lewis, who always has a good start. Um, I think I think only I can only think of almost one time when I’ve actually started better than Richard. Um, I think only Yeah, it was so rare. Um, anyway, I’m feeling good. legs are good and um you know I feel I got plenty of power. Um and this fun course um it’s time to uh go and give it some. So down here um you know you could really fly through here um before um but then it start to get a bit more slippery. Uh, and you’ll see that. Now, the next one, the next descent down here goes into an off camber. Um, which got really muddy and it was raining and oh dear. And you know, I slid quite a long way and behind me, really sorry, I caused a massive pileup. Um, someone rode into me. That was fine. They must have break. It wasn’t a big impact. That’s Nick Craig on the right. I uh I’m not sure if that’s when he ripped off his rear derailer, but he’s obviously got quite a long walk uh or run to get back to the pits and get another bike. Uh and he started number one, so um something happened there. So Nick Craig’s a bit of a legend. Anyway, I crashed. Um and I thought, whoa, this is a lot more slippery than it was about half an hour ago. Um, but I jumped onto my feet, CX rider that I am, and you just get back on your bike as fast as possible. So, apologies to the other riders who I caused a massive pile up of in front of. Um, it certainly wasn’t what I was planning. Um, but that that did open my eyes to um just how slippery it was becoming. And it’s still raining. Still raining. So, um, yeah, I was thinking you’re just going to have to be a bit careful. And, uh, yeah, there you go. Look at those elbows. Look at those elbows. At the start, the start of a six race. First, this is when it all happens. Um, when everyone is like, I got to move up. I got to move up. Um, and, uh, burn a few matches. Um, yeah, that that is that is a CX race and anyone who’s watching this who races CX knows knows what it can be like. Um, and uh, yeah, you know, wasn’t it wasn’t anything untold. It was just a a little I’m going to take that space move. Um, so I’m feeling good. Um, can’t see Richard. He’s gone as per usual. I don’t know how many times I’ve said that. Uh, round the track and then there’s a little jump there. Oh god, I landed one lap. It made such an awful noise. My carbon wheels. It hit that. I just hope it’s okay. Actually reminds me I should check it. Uh round here. Very slippery. But I got to say I do love shrub all round tires. I just think they just rip really well. Um and despite it getting more and more slippery, I was still finding grip. I’ve just gone around the inside of that guy around the outside and um you know I had a lot of confidence in my tires. Um perhaps misplaced. Um but that that’s kind of me rather than the tires. I think you know I think if you’re more skillful rider you’re you’re going to be fine. So um yeah. Well, we’ll see what happens. Oh, there you go. There’s no way I was getting through there. Uh I love this section. I’ve just been over the lovely bridge and uh yeah, this nice lovely S-bends. Um Jacob Wadllo, who’s one of the Solar Pirates, he I was watching him race in here and he he started 72 or something like that, 74 out of 76 in the under 14 boys at the end of the end of the day. And um Jacob’s good. Um and I knew he was going to move up, but I remember seeing him overtake three people in one corner on those espence were going around on the outside. Um which was great to watch. So well done, Jacob. That was quality move I saw there. Um yeah, so I overtaken a few people. Feeling good. Uh, I don’t see don’t see Richard, but I’m moving up. Um, who knows what place I’m in at the moment. There’s a lot of people on the course. Behind us were the V60s and they was I think it was like 80 of them. So, I think there was like 150 people on the track uh at the same time. Um, and there was even a category V70s with a few people in it. One of them is uh Dave McMullen who rides um who rides Wessics League. normally. And I did know he was 70, but he won the the V50s V60s race that I was in. I mean, I was a V50, but he he won it. I mean, he’s 70 and he’s beaten all the V60s. That is bloody impressive. Um, and uh what I want to be when I’m your age, Dave. Um, so yeah, fun course. And look at the look at the muds. It’s It’s not It’s just It’s a bit sticky, a bit slippery, but it’s just getting more and more slippery. You’ll see just wheels sliding, rear wheels sliding out, and it’s just about whether you can have enough grip. Um, that was a nice overtake there. Look, gear gets on, but I managed to dive in here. And I’ve got to say, I’m having a lot of fun here because it is dancing on ice. um taking a line, not trying to make a stupid mistake. Um do I have enough grip? Um am I gonna have to run this? It was it was proper CX and the big question, am I on the right tires? Uh have I got the right pressures? Um it’s all just changed. So, everyone’s on a bit of a unless you were smart enough or lucky enough to be on mud tires, then you’re you’re I think you’re probably in the minority. I don’t know. I think you probably are because the whole day this wasn’t what was happening. It was This course was seriously grippy without this. Here we go. That was a nice little move. another another place. Um and uh you know, everyone loves overtaking and I’ve in the last a half lap I’ve just moved forwards and I’m feeling good. Um yeah, I mean that you could absolutely blast through that now. People have been really careful. I managed to get on the power just a bit quicker than the other chap. So went past him down over here and we’re just about to finish a lap. Um, and another nice here. But there are a few spilages here. Look, different lines people taking low and high. It’s just how how fast are you from one point to the other. Um, it’s really tight turn. A lot of people actually messed this up. I actually lost time getting stuck by people who didn’t make the turn. Um, unless that that bit was so slippery. Um, actually think I might have crashed there later. Uh, we’ve almost crashed. Right. Tiptoe around there. And then I’m I was always really careful on this transitions to the tarmac because I’ve seen a few crashes as people have transitioned from there. And then I know this bit is mine because I’m strong in the straights any where there’s power. I can just put quite a lot of power down more than most. So, I just fly down here. Um, you actually have to be quite careful going around this corner because it was really slippery. So, you just have to be careful on the power. And then I’m just going to pop the power down and try and reach the next person. So straight by and they won’t see me again because I am putting on the watts here and going into the pain zone. Um and going pretty much as far as I can. Um which goes right up to here and then this corner. It’s still the winds still really strong. Uh that’s Gordon Watson, a friend of mine. solo pirates who had a great start. He started 23rd, so a really nice um really nice position. Uh hi Gordon. Um he had a bit of a disaster um in that he lost his seat. Um somehow during the race um I’m not sure if the rail broke or something, but he had to race half a lap with no seat. um the commissers or the marshalss found his seat uh later in the race and uh was able to uh reunite him with his seat. But you can imagine um riding racing for half a lap knowing you can’t sit down uh it’s not the most pleasant experience uh that you can have. Um so uh there you go. got to their pits, changed bikes, and it was okay. Um, but um, a bit of a comedy comedy experience. Um, and for anyone who raced um, uh, very careful here. Um, the the leads the leads raced last year at Bradford when day two got snowed off. He broke a seat there as well. So, he’s not had the best of luck at nationals with with seats. Anyway, I’ve got a clear track. Clear track. It is getting slippery. more slippery, but I’m aware of it. And I’m just being tiptoeing like here, just going straight, straight, straight, straight, and then just being careful. Bless was slippery, but he was fine. And so now I’m looking for for the next person. Obviously, I’m looking for Richard. Where is he? Um because for anyone watching this who’s not a normal Wessex League watcher, um Richie and I have a uh a tally on who beats the other the most in uh in races. So um last year he beat me and this year I’m on a mission to to get ahead of him. Uh and so far I’m I’m I’m a bit ahead. So happy about that. So I got to try and make sure I I get another place. um on him. So, yeah, nice to have a a clear course after um being amongst it. Um just trying to stay up. Yeah, I was really starting to notice it was getting more slippy. Um but I saw, as I said, those tires, I find them very confidence inspiring. Um, so, um, I I was I was still I was still riding hard and and not not, you know, uh, not skates on ice. U, but it, you know, it’s really spread out quite a lot. I guess it’s quite a big course. Um, I don’t know really what my lap times were. I think they were like 9 minutes or something like that. I might try and just find what what the lap times was. Um, they really varied. I can tell you that. Um, they really varied. Uh, see I can’t find them. Smart timing. See, but I’m I’m I’m going well here. I’m going well. Yeah, I found the results. Yeah, my fast lap was 919. So, um yeah, so like almost 10-minute laps. So, big lap. So, the field field is more spread out. And who’s that? That might be Richard Heads. If he’s got pedal, it looks like pedal on levery there. So, uh that is Richard. So, I’ve caught up to him. He’s probably thinking, “Oh no, here he comes again.” Uh, yes. Yes, it’s his eye. So, just chasing on, trying to take nice lines. Nice lines. Wherever there’s some grip, get some speed. If you can make a half a second a corner, then you’re winning because that’s a lot of corners in Cyclross races. So, um, uh, thank you, Steve. Steve Hughes in the pit for me. Um, didn’t think I need him, but he was there for us. So, smash it up here. When I was doing the scouting laps, the wind was so strong, you had to put extra effort to go on that way. Um and then around here and uh over towards the hurdles, the crazy hurdles. The hurdles they put on the ups slope. So anyone who could hop couldn’t really hop them. So you had to get off. And they were so high. I mean, they were just really high. I found them hard to get over them um because they’re on the ups slope. Um there was um who there was a there was a French guy who was racing in the um the seniors the elite race um and Oscar Amy they managed to hop both of them. It was brilliant to watch. Um so much power and skill to do that. It was really good to watch. Um, but I can’t hop anything. So, it was a a steady trudge over them, trying not to lose any time. And then I’ve got Richard in my sights. So, um, you know, I think I think it’s Is it easier being the person in front or behind? I don’t know. I guess if you’re catching someone, it feels better. Um, which which I was doing. And then if if the person in front knows that they’re getting closer, the person behind is getting closer, that’s a bit more nerve-wracking, isn’t it? Um whereas if you are going past and you’re moving away, then I suspect you’re um you know, so I’m cing this. He’s had to get off and I’m with him and we have a chat and I’ll just keep quiet for a little bit. might be able to hear some of it. It’s quite hard to see. Really? Whoa, there’s a slip. I fell over. Of course, I’ve heard people crash into me. Love this kind of close racing where one little mistake and you’re ahead of the other person. Look, I’m side by side. It puts a bit of effort in. Jaws ahead. He’s taking a better line out the saddle. Not sure I got the saddle at all during the last race. and he’s he’s he’s got away got away from me a little bit. I mean, it’s hardly anything. It’s not even a second, is it? Um, but you know, one thing that I think I’d like to get better at is riding on someone’s wheel, you know, through through a sit. Now, Richard goes in really tight, doesn’t make the corner, pulls himself up. That that actually slows me down cuz I can’t get around the corner. So, um, yeah. That that is that’s the X. Um tiny little things can can slow you down. So, and here I don’t really like this at all. Um I was just riding it very carefully. So, Rich has got a really big gap on me, but this is the power section. So, let’s see. I I didn’t even start putting the power until a little bit later because I just didn’t want to have an accident, silly accident on on the tarmac and uh hurt myself. Um yeah. Uh you know, there isn’t much tarmac on the course, but you really don’t want to hit it. Um, and now I’m really flying uh around the course and uh I’m just because of that stuff just bag just blowing there. Um, and this is where I can I can really kind of catch up. Um, you see he was quite a distance away from me. He’s kind of just slowly coming towards me and he’s probably feeling the pain of being in that wind the whole time as I have been. But yeah, my legs are strong at the moment. So, get bridge all the way and then we nip inside. Um, and of course, if you do that, you got to keep on going. You got to keep on going and hope to drop the person who just passed. And I didn’t look back until a bit further ahead because I thought I’m just going to keep going, try and bridge to the guys ahead. um know who are kind of sheltering in the wind. And in in second place in that trio is Keith Sheridan who um I race with at the Wessics League. Keith always does does very well. Um so he’s up there and I’m just trying to get over to them a lot behind me and Richard wasn’t far behind but I had made I think a little gap on him. So this is a little bit of concrete. Um I suspect there’s a There’s a very talented boy, Adam Shaw, who uh races. He’s the first year under 16. He was um racing in the under 16’s race and uh he came down hard and broke his collarbone. I think he might have been there. So, if you do watch this, um I I really hope you get well soon, Adam. Um, and you’ll be back, um, you know, doing really well on a CS course soon. Um, and, uh, you know, the best athletes have accidents and they come back just as strong, so you will, too. Uh, I’m sure of it. Uh, so, um, here we are. I’ve managed to get across to to the others. Um, and, uh, we’re all being careful of going down there. And guess this is is this the start of the third lap? I think it might be start of the third lap. I think I don’t know. Um but you know, I’ve made steady progress. Um steady progress moving up um to through the field and um yeah, I’m feeling good. You know, I feel fine. I just feel that I I haven’t I feel I can go faster. So, um that’s a good feeling. Um uh it’s just that is so slippery. So slippery. Um but I’m starting to get feel confident. Maybe too confident. Um because you know there you go. That’s a nice line. Nice line. That was I saw someone make that line and that was just me going wide there cutting in. I managed to get ahead of that guy. That was that was very satisfying. And that’s 25. That’s that’s Keith Sheridan. So um so he had a good start. He must have raced nationals at V50s last year to get such a grid in uh where it’s my first year. So, um, so yeah, I didn’t get that. I guess that’s a track. Probably a track boon he’s riding. Tends to be that. Oh, I’m going to I’m going to pass Keith. I think I said hi Keith as I went by. And I’m up to speed with this guy. And uh I’m on his wheel. On his wheel and looking to go past. There I go. Oh, I think that one that bump there. Oh god, I got have to check my front wheel to make sure it’s okay. Uh, and then I’m diving up to the next guy who um taking it carefully there again. Look, the confidence as I go through there just felt fine. Um, just make the turn and then on we go. You know, it looks like I’m handling the grip well, but it’s still raining. It’s still raining and it’s getting all slippy, but I I got to this point and I think, “Oh my god, I’ve really advanced now through the field.” Um, you know, I’ve got this now. Just keep doing what you’re doing at, um, you know, you’re going to get really nice results. Um, you know, I’m I’m making gaps on the people behind and you know, and I’m feeling good. So, uh, as I went by here, the pits, Steve, I think I think I almost, um, punched my face and said, and I gave a whoop or something. Um, as as I move forward, I think I might have got a bit overconfident. pull it out that way. Um, one of what the Oh, I’ll come back to that that thought. This guy, he know he he must know that I’m right behind him because, well, you’ll see in a minute. He takes that very tight and uh he knows I’m there. Takes that very tight and just goes straight into the tape. and a lot of I don’t know if they knew him. They all they all went oo as as he did that. So I was over him. Um I didn’t see what his number was. Um yeah, I completely lost my train of thought from before um following up being overconfident, but I’m feeling good. So, um, this back half of the course was definitely the trickiest bit to ride. It was just a lot more slippery than the first half, even though that’s where I crashed in the first half. This second half, you can just see in the ground just how slippery it is and how tentative people are being. you know, his that guy’s back wheel was spinning in the mud. Um, you know, and I I go straight past him. Uh, you know, my straw ball rounds were doing pretty well. Oh, there you go. Not enough grip to go around. Oh, I remember what I was going to say. Now, what’s really annoying about this, uh, when you fall, um, you know, your hoods, uh, get covered in mud. So, I’m back on here. Uh, and everything’s a bit slippery. And, oh my god, I’ve gone again. And look how far I’ve slid. Look how far I slid. It is like an ice rink. And now I’m thinking, oh, look. And I’m still like on the ground almost. It is just I thought, “Oh my god, it’s even more slippy than I thought.” I’m not sure if I’m running here or not. Um, feels like I am running. I’m not sure. But suddenly, look, I think I saw my foot there. So, I think I am running. Uh, maybe I probably try and remount here or at the top there. But, um, yeah, that was pretty much three crashes. So, that let’s say that’s three. Um, so that’s four four together so far. And that guy who went through the tape there, he’s gone past me now. And everyone who I’ve overtaken has gone past is kind of right up with me. And in fact in white back there that was Nick Craig uh who has obviously got his bike back and being the athlete that he is clawed his way through the field which is actually pretty incredible because I’ve been moving forward quite a lot at at some pace and um he’s got his pit bike and he’s already caught up. So wow. I’d like to see Nick in uh well I just like to see see him race a bit closer. Be nice to see. Um yeah. So I’m Has it not my confidence? I don’t think it’s not my confidence. It’s just that uh I’m just a bit more wary about what I could do. Um and you know you don’t like to give places away, do you? Really don’t. Um, so I’m thinking and it always gets you a little bit um start thinking about being a bit defensive. Um, so yeah, and I thought, oh, okay, let’s let’s let’s really go hard here and try and reestablish a gap from all the people that I’d overtaken. It’s really annoying, isn’t it? It’s like you’ve overtaken all of these people and now you’ve thrown it away by as um Rich jokes to me all the time. He says, “You have a lie down. You’ve had a lay down.” Um and I’ve had four lay downs, Rich at this point. Um got very greasy hoods covered in mud and yeah, here we go. Off I go. And I went past him with a lot of power. and uh got back into the left lane. And I did wonder, well, he must have tried to hold on to my wheel. Um but he couldn’t, which I was really pleased. I looked back and he wasn’t holding my wheel. So So that that was good. Um so yeah, power up there. I’m just hoping that the Nick Craig train um stays away from me. But I’m really hurting here because I’m still going hard and I’m just trying to keep the power on. And obviously this is this is lap four I think. Um so you know it’s it’s it’s it’s pretty tiring. Um and you know it’s quite a long effort because all of this is into the wind. It’s only now that you start to turn. You see the tape vibrating with the wind. It’s only now that you get the benefit of the wind. So there’s Nick, Craig, and Co. Um and um yeah, I’m I’m I’m ahead of them, but they are not far away, which I’m very well aware of. And now I’m starting to doubt my as well. So um a little bit more little more tense. I mean, I I at the same time, let me just say I was having the best time. I mean, this was this felt like a real fun CX race where anything can happen. You know, you got new people, you got a suddenly wet course. Um, you got the wind. It’s one of those six race where you can finish eighth or 80th. Okay, I exaggerate, but you know, it’s just one of those those sort of races. and just hoping that you can, you know, with a bit of luck and skill, you can swing it in your favor. Um, so, but yeah, testing conditions out there. And now on this lap four with the rain still falling, um, it is starting to get dumpster ice style going around these corners. And if you if you’re on the right tires, then you definitely had an advantage. Um, you know, baby Limus, Limus, that would have been nice. Um, yeah, that would have been nice. Uh, but there you go. That that is the X. Do you go in pit B or or or what? Uh, but you know, I’m still doing okay. Um, I’m not haven’t crashed since the last half lap. Although, in my mind, I’m thinking, “Oh god, how am I going to get through that this time?” Uh, maybe I should I should go and pit. I wasn’t planning on pitting, but maybe I should. So, um, yeah, through here. Look at that. Slipping around and getting, you know, There we go. That’s Nick Craig. Um, I asked Nick, so I was obviously I was tiptoeing around there and he’s just powered through. Um, and as Nick went by, I thought, “Am I being lapped here?” Um, and I said I said to Nick, “How many laps have you got left?” Um, because I thought if he’s lapping me, then I’ve only got one lap to go. And I didn’t realize that the camera that he’d had a problem and he was just catching me up. Um so um so I had two laps to go, he had two laps to go. Um so actually it is for place. Um and you know it was nice to be able to stick with his his power. Um which was yeah that was good fun. Uh, but I’m not sure whether I can Well, I know I can’t match his skill. Oh, there you go. Another one. Crash number five. And that guy who the same guy who went through the tape um, etc. before that, uh, and then now I’m in the middle of that pack of people that I passed before. Um, you know, I’m saying sorry, sorry, didn’t mean to crash there. Um, but you just got to get up and keep going, don’t you? Get back on it. Um, and Nick’s gone and they start gone. Well, not gone, but I’m with them. Um, Sheridan’s around there. Richard Lewis is just behind. I’m thinking, oh my god, five crashes. Five crashes so far. Um, and I don’t think that was the last, but I’m sure sure it wasn’t. So this is where this comes to an end because I decide I am going to pit. So um I going to come in the pit and obviously I’m not going to take the camera off the bike. Um I’m going to just um yeah just finish the race on my other bike which is what I did. So into the pits I come and someone catches it. Thank you very much. And I’m I’m off. Uh so let me just tell you what happens in the rest of the race. Um so uh continued to have slips and slides. I’m not sure if I crashed again. I might have done certainly I was better on mud tires. Um uh I got Richard just passed me there and I think later on in the this very lap um on this back slippy side of the course, Richard um was in front of me and they had the the funniest crash ever and ended up sliding down and off cber with his legs up in the air underneath some tape and that’s the last I saw him and unfortunately um he punctured after that. Um, so so that that was uh an unfortunate end to to to to Richard’s race. Although he did finish, he just had to run a long way, like half a lap um because he didn’t he didn’t have pit bike pipe. Um so yeah, I I basically finished along with Keith Sheridan and that crew. Um Bill K and Phil Oliver. Um Nick Craig actually finished behind me. He must have had another mishap on this last lap or something. Um so, uh yeah, that there there we go. I finished 27th, which I was really pleased with cuz I started 51st um and crashed at least five or six times. So, um really had a good time um at Derby. It was a great event, really great racing. Um and uh there was a lot of solar pirates riders that have come up from the south to to this race. All all age categories. Um and we even stayed to watch um the second day’s racing of some of it. We saw the junior uh boys and the uh junior women which was both great. In fact, the junior boys race was one of the best live CX races I’ve ever seen. um with uh uh I don’t know who who um who all the name the names are. I can’t remember the name of the guy who won it. He won it by some distance. He’s very talented. But um Jack Morgan and Sam Jennazini had a right tussle with some Let me see. I’ll find his name. Uh open Junior. Go. Yeah, Theo Sandell from VC Laundress. Luke Trafford is the guy who won it from Shipton. Um, but Sam, Jack, and Theo had the most amazing battle to finish. Um, in fact, they had the same finish time because it was a sprint finish at the end. Fortunately, Jack lost out. Um, but yeah, it was a brilliant race. Um, so yeah, had a great time. Um really enjoyed a nice meal at the end of the day. Um went to the CX man CX committee meeting as well which is quite interesting. Um and um yeah a a really great first national weekend. I am going to go to Falerk next. So, it’s going to be a long journey from Portsmouth, but um I hear it’s a good course and hope we have some fun and frolics up in Scotland. So, uh yeah, thanks very much and uh I’ll see you all soon. Cheers. Bye.
1 Comment
was good to watch that , see you at Falkirk