That race only was on Eurosport live which apparently affected the uci channel rights.

If you search for Zolder in the last 48hrs on YouTube there are a couple of full replays in Flemish. Interesting little race. Cyclingfans is good for cross coverage

Daughter raced the Rockingham Central League race today, ripped rear mech hanger off after less than a lap!

I’m up in Birmingham for christmas so I made a guest appearance at Central League yesterday. Not wanting to bring a car load of stuff away for christmas, I’d got one bike and no spare wheels. I knew after a practice lap I’d be lucky if my bike lasted the race. It didn’t!

I made it to about 30 mins before any major drivetrain problems, then the rear mech started playing up – I stopped to clear mud from it with a tyre lever I’d pocketed for this purpose (!) but couldn’t do much with it. From then on it was just a case of trying to make it round. My hanger went bang after about 50 mins and about 200m from the finish line. I carried to the finish and stood a few metres from the line (with two other riders in the same predicament) waiting for the leader to come through and get the chequered flag, and then crossed the line on foot. Two laps down but no way I was ending my season with a DNF!!!

A shame it was such an attritional race because the course was great – a nice mix of grunt on the open sections and lots of quite technical stuff (not my forte admittedly) in the woods.

That’s my season over now, I’m taking a couple of weeks off the bike before starting to think about the XC and road season!

Just had an email from British Cycling informing that Ripley Cyclocross on New Years day is cancelled.

Gutted was really looking forward to a SSCX race with other SSCXers, but no it’s not happening, guess it’s an extra horlicks for me tomorrow evening 🙁

Newbie dumb question – why the mech carnage with CX and mud? Thinking of doing a first CX event later this month on my XC bike and wondering if I ought to take a single speed instead?

So anyone racing the Nationals this weekend or at least watching? I’m down to start weather and conditions looking typically horrific and manky mind! Half lap bike changes due…which reminds me must attempt to borrow mate’s bike which is same as mine rather than have a shizzle bike (which is currently broken and in piece anyway!).

I’m riding the Elites on the Sunday but there all weekend pitting for teammates on the Saturday. If I’m honest, I’m hoping for a slog as I haven’t ridden a great many races this season so have few points and will be gridded midway down. If it’s a slow race that will be much less of a disadvantage.

Eek thanks Benji! Hoping to borrow a better pit bike as mate’s reckon 1/2 lap changes! Never raced anything other than local little series so this is going to be a.SERIOUS eye opener! It was called Senior women when I entered then start list comes out as “Elite” LOL I am far from Elite 🙂 hope.it isn’t raining ON the day simply to make it more fun for spectators!!

It is a shame to a point all women aren’t racing together as for once you’d have a good battle with Vets (which is Sat) there could be close to 100 women there!!
Was all casual, chilled out about it. Then phoned my mate who is helping in the pits (raced Commonwealths..so a very good competent rider) starts asking me loads of questions.So what are you doing in the pits? Have you thought about tyre pressure? What are your plans at the start?

Isn’t it smash it as fast and as hard as you like for 40 mins?? That not it . .am I missing something? LOL I will take the “elite” thing and also asmy name is sandwiched on the sign on sheet between Wyman and Harris.. . Closest I’m ever going to get to them 😉

Awesome I think I’m coming down with something! Had scratchy throat for a few.stays laid off training. Last night about 2 hours kip got a bunged up nose and phlegmy throat, although I feel okay (except lack of sleep). Typical hey ho first year it’ll be fun . .gives me more excuses too when I suck 😉
Heading down at lunchtime let’s see how messy and muddy the course is!!!

Sefton not called Senior renamed it as “Elite” 😉

I rode the V50s but with only one bike and no pit crew I wasn’t expecting to finish given the conditions. Weren’t allowed to do a practice lap either but to be fair you didn’t really need to except for being aware of the off camber exiting the tarmac straight. Happy to get third row on the grid so kept out of trouble when the whistle went. I was up in the top 20 but as the bike got heavier and heavier I lost places and finally finished 26th. Just happy to actually finish and I couldn’t have ridden any harder so quite satisfied really. I then pitted for my team mate in the V40s. He snapped his chain on the start straight! But being the star he is he ran all the way to the pits, dead last, and on his knackered old spare bike proceeded to work his way back through the field.

Thanks Munge-chick. To be fair I think we had the best of the conditions, on the Saturday at least. I only had to run part of the bottom of the field where we exited the woods and some of the impossible bits around the finish area. Three hours later and my team mate, who is stronger than me, was running almost the whole of the field! On a circuit like that having good mud tubs made the world of difference but I’d love to know how much of a difference having a fresh bike every half lap would have made!

… and I did enjoy it, I seem to like the epic days. The club/organisers did a great job. I wonder what the Sports Centre thinks of their grounds now though? Hope they can see that in a few weeks it’ll have mostly disappeared and don’t make any hasty decisions about a return in future.

Erm how do I get a twitter picture onto here?

On Saturday afternoon, fully one third of the lap was quicker to run. the overnight rain loosened things up a bit for the Sunday morning races but it was just bad again in the afternoon. I don’t think I’ll be the only one with DOMS today.

this was the pits before the Elite men.. this is the bottom end of the football field!!

So who is racing either Central league at MK on Saturday, or the National Trophy there on Sunday? I’m down to do both! Hopefully dry all week so maybe a less manky course for a change !

Cool LS see you there! I can’t face another run course! I’m racing Central league at MK sat so if awful I’ll post 😉 and then I won’t be there Sunday!!