World Champion!

Amazing, that’s what he is, absolutely amazing!  I’m talking about Vic Barnett who has just regained his European and World Champion cyclocross jerseys.  Here’s his report of how it all went.

The last three weeks have been pretty special for Team Barnett with a trip to Samorin in Slovakia for the Masters European Cyclocross Championship, then back home for a few days before setting off again, this time to Italy for the Masters World Championships.

Back in September I made my mind up to try and retain the two titles I won last season. With just a few cross races this season, I felt the form was coming back with a descent made the weekend before the Euros.

The race in Slovakia was held at the Olympic training centre, an amazing complex covering all sporting disciplines. Set in an area next to the River Danube, the course was mostly based around the equestrian area and, personally, I found it quite challenging with off camber descents, steep climbs and, thanks to overnight rain, very slippery. In the end it worked out fine and I came away with The Jersey, Euro win number four in the last six years.

I was back home just in time for the club presentation night and then it was on to Varesse, just outside Milan. The course was based, once again, around a horse racing track. It was pretty much pan flat with two deep sand areas to cross, steps up over a bridge and followed by another bridge. By Saturday the course was well cut up and, in horse racing terms, would have been declared as “heavy going”.

This time, feeling confident and wearing the European Jersey, I made a great start and was putting in consistent laps – five in total – to win by nearly seven and a half minutes from the second place rider.

This now makes twelve world titles. Will I go back next year? What this space!