1st race of the NW season

The Scorton Scramble was the season closer back in January of this year and was accepted by most as the muddiest and hardest of the year. Back for 2008-2009 and featuring the same course, it did not disappoint, being only marginally less muddy but probably stickier than earlier on this year. Sunshine and warm conditions were welcome and the cancellation of the Yorkshire points Silcoates Scramble and the looming National Trophy next week led to a large influx of 'foreign' riders. Non NW raiders Stuart Wearmouth and Matt Denby sandwiched unsung star Lewis Craven into second place this time, only 20 secs or so down in a field of 73 starters.

J rode his first under 12 race of the season too and coped admirably with conditions so heavy that he could not physically push his (mountain) bike through the clag and maintain forward momentum in some places. A cross bike would seem in order for his birthday.......

My own race..........urm, well it didn't materialise as a gamble with the domestic arrangements for the race saw J unwilling to hang out in a field with a bunch of strangers while his dad rode round for an hour becoming increasingly unrecognisable as the race wore on. Seeing him sat on his own behind the start/finish tent looking totally lost and lonely was too much for even a cross obsessed Dad to bear and the only course of action was to bail out before even taking the start. Gutted, though at least his medal for top U-8 finisher made his and my day. That three part teeter totter (family/bike racing/work) that Greg Kellor http://www.mudandcowbells.blogspot.com/ talks about just didn't come off for me today. At least there is next week to come......

new challenge mud tub - fango

The Dugast Rhino has a challenge (sic) - in a coup reminiscent of Hello magazine and coverage of Wayne and Colleen's nuptials, http://www.cxmagazine.com/ have just revealed the new mud tire from Italian firm Challenge (pre-production model).

Whether this will perform better than the Rhino, the 'industry standard' for specialist mud tubulars remains to be seen. It is likely to undercut it on price though, if the Challenge Grifo is anything to go by as they are around 20% cheaper than offerings by Dugast and FMB.

The marketing centres around the scooped central knobs that give 2 contact edges akin to 2 separate knobs but without the propensity to clog in between. Aggressive side knobs help grip too. Not made in a shed in Brittany by one man and his beret (Francois at FMB) or owned by cross legends the Richards Groenendaal and Nieuwhuis (Dugast), but made in Thailand in a factory. Draw any conclusion you like from that - artisan vs mass produced, snob value vs real world prices?

Either way, the dark art of cross tubs just got a little bit more competitive and a little more exciting.

course design

So team training at Leverhulme last night turned into an exercise in course design. Some hard efforts and a couple of flying laps as intervals ensured that there was enough to tax the legs and build form for Sunday's first race, but it was a more cerebral outing in many ways.

Course design, for the uninitiated (ie me) is a fascinating area of cross to be involved in. What looks good visually is not necessarily good to ride and vica versa. What feels good at warm up pace doesn't always work at race pace. The overall flow of a course can only be experienced at speed and over multiple laps. What the course starts out as will never resemble what it looks like after 100 riders have ridden practice laps and the first few laps of the race. The guys had already been busy building a challenging course that avoided out and out mud plugging through bog but was not so tricksy as to frustrate. Last night was an exercise in tuning. And avoiding dog crap.

It was tempting to try and influence the course to one's own strengths or to reduce one's own weak areas. My own bete noir, tight turns, would have been ruthlessly pruned or at least opened up, but actually a good course needs a balance of tight, open, and flowing bends where maintaining speed is to be achieved a variety of ways. Nor can it contain endless running, though some would be appreciated!

Balancing topographical constraints, environmental hazards (mainly saturated grassy bog at present) as well as health and safety is not as easy as it looks. Next time you moan about a course, spare a thought for the organiser/designer. What might you have done different and would that have upset somebody else instead? If your club is putting on a race, get involved . If not, why not start your own race! Just don't design the course to suit you and you only..........

1st euro cross of the season is a mudbath

Seems the Belgians have had a bit of rain too - the seasons first cross in Dudzele, was characterised by 'hectometres of running'. I assume that means lots. The shape of things to come both over there and here?




Klaas Vantornout won from Sven Vanthourenhout, both riding for Sunweb Projob, but there were only 3 pros competing so it doesnt tell us too much about form this season, other than Klaas can run a bit. Well, a lot. Reminds me of that Colemanball from years ago about Alberto Juantorena - 'Vantornout opened his legs and showed us his Klaas' .......... Full report on www.cyclingnews.com

3 towers

Final preparations for some of the 3 Peaks cyclocross riders were underway last Sunday with the Lancashire version of the Peaks, the 3 Towers. Held as an informal ride rather than a race and organised by Horwich CC, last Sunday's edition saw a sizeable group enjoying the Lancashire moors on cross bikes, mountain bikes and foot.

The route covers Winter Hill twice and Peel Tower, Ramsbottom and was led by 25 times Peaks finisher Eric Taylor. Good training was had by all (so I hear) and serious Peaks devotees hopefully found their running/walking legs in time for the end of the month. Photo Mark Leyland.

less than a week to go

Tension mounts as the clock ticks to Sunday - group cross training tommorrow night with the team so watch this space.

This season's start must have the potential to rank as one of the muddiest - last year I had file tread on for the first couple of races. Seems somewhat far fetched at the moment........

Our brethren over in the Notts and Derby League have already had a fun start - pic courtesy of Richard Robotham/British Cycling.

kirkstone pass in the evening

Not exactly cross relevant, but good training nonetheless, I had the opportunity to do a couple of rides in the Lakes during a 2 day work conference last week.

After being cooped up indoors all day, it was great to unwind on the gradual continental style, smooth tarmac climb up the Pass from Windermere and the blast down to Ullswater. A rapid reassessment of available light and time and it was straight back up the much more British 1 in 5 approach that I had just come down.

The following day Great Langdale and Little Langdale were a suitable backdrop for a short but sharp ride, the low cloud and mist swirling ominously around Harrison Stickle and the Langdale Pikes as I passed through. The Lakes is a sensational place to ride and whilst the climbs are not as big as in high mountains, they are just as memorable in many ways.

The seeds of a do at the Fred Whitton Challenge have begun to take shape............