Dominic Switzer shares a wonderful report from the weekends activity from the National trophy at Cyclopark and Clanfield Cross near Portsmouth.

Last weekend was all about the older Welland Valley Cross riders on a power course at the Masters World championships, this weekend the younger cross riders got the chance so show their skills on technical courses at the National Trophy at Cyclopark and Clanfield Cross.

On Saturday I went to Clanfield Cross near Portsmouth for a new event which unusually in this country for non Trophy events had been given full UCI status.  An imaginative course on the side of a hill was packed with features like cambers, ruts, rollers, steps and a lot of climbing.  With UCI points on offer a relatively small but stacked field assembled for the junior men’s race,  I got a good start and was really pleased with how I raced,  a tangle in the ruts that sent me flying lost me a couple of places but I was pleased to finish 14th.

Meanwhile at Cyclopark Ruby Isaac and Jamie Kershaw were taking part in the U14 races at the National Trophy.  The course at Cyclopark is fantastic,  a purpose built venue that is full of cambers and technical features that are always a challenge.  I arrived to watch as Jamie was half way through his race and as it began to rain.  The arrival of the rain made the course super challenging and Jamie did well to ride good lines as those around him were falling.  Jamie raced to the finish with a local rival from Kettering and finished 35th.  Earlier in the day Ruby Isaac had also enjoyed some close racing and finished 22nd.

I enjoy a muddy, technical course so was pleased to wake up on Sunday and find it had rained even more over night.  I have had a couple of really good starts recently but didn’t get my best start today but with the course now really challenging, places were regularly exchanged as riders struggled in the ruts forming on the cambers or slipped out on the corners.  It was a tough race with a lot of time running off the bike and half lap bike changes.  You know it is bad when the photographers are taking pictures of parents in the pits rather than the riders !   I finished 25th,  my best result so far this season,  so pleased with that.

Last to race this weekend was Michael Burke,  part of a very classy field in the Men’s elite race.  Michael has been training hard to take his class on the road to a muddy field, he enjoyed the chance to be a part of a cracking race and it was great to watch and give him a bit of help in the pits. 

I have really enjoyed the season so far, last season was a right off and it has been great to be back racing.  There are some fantastic riders in the National races and in the local leagues it has been great to race against seniors and vets from the club that I haven’t had the chance to race with before.

Big thanks to Kevin for making Wednesday nights so fun and to the crew at Rocko that welcome us on Tuesdays and help build our skills and fitness.
I will keep on racing now up to and through the Christmas period to prepare for the National Championships in early January.

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