@garry_lager there sure is, 10th February ran out of Whitefield car park, £25 with beer on tap too, should be a laugh if the course stays rideable, was out on part of it last week and it’s still riding ok, very rooty mind.

There’s one definite, you’ll be battered at the end of it.

Well the penultimate round of the NWCCA at Blakemere was pretty good, the course held up, but it felt like you had to pedal everywhere – or at least I did!!

I actually felt ok throughout, not pushing too hard as I’m still recovering and building fitness after the chest infection I had at the start of the New Year, so I set off steadily, carved my way through a few riders and settled into a decent pace, ended up coming 45th out of nearly 80 starters, so not too bad.

The mini ones, did well, for some reason No.1 didn’t seem interested in actually racing (for some reason) despite his trademark flying start and plodded his way round, waking up on the last lap and just missing out on the line for 3rd by 1/10th second. No.2 stayed on his bike a lot more – instead of taking it for a walk – and had his best result of the year, in 21st.

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@tommybowman7 looking like he's loving it as ever at yesterday's @north_west_cyclocross #U8 a tough course saw him just miss on on 3rd overall by 1/10th of a second! Jack had a right laugh as ever and his best result of the year. @kids_racing_uk #hupcc

A post shared by Steve Bowman (@steve_b77) on Jan 27, 2019 at 11:17am PST

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Actual real evidence of me surviving a @north_west_cyclocross #V40 race. Got to say the @ktmbikesuk #caniccxc is rather awesome @ktmukraceteam #webleedorange @vanellicycling @fli_distribution @nakedbikesuk @vittoriauk_tyres @squirtcyclingproducts_uk @helmetor @gsdoodles @rapidracerproducts @loves_ktm_bikes @loves_road_bikes @dtswiss #cr1600 @sramroad #force #cx1 @lazersport

A post shared by Steve Bowman (@steve_b77) on Jan 27, 2019 at 11:14am PST

Nice photos Steve – v firm conditions at Delamere, was surprised as I had packed for a bit of a quagmire, bike had barely any mud on it afterwards. Aerobically hard race – v tough to close a gap I felt. The winner lapped me by seconds, so I felt like I could have got more for my money, although would have made next to no difference on the places.

Love that venue, logistically speaking – really compact, but course not my cup of tea. Find it too monotone and far preferred the oval – speaking to other lads though who loved it, sort of a pure cross race where it’s just lungs and skill through the corners.
They had a couple of boards up in practice, which would have been a good feature, but they were getting wobbled too much (just wooden stakes either side) so they had to remove them.

Yeah I found it pretty relentless, I think I got passed by the top 10 only, so that’ll do me. I did find it quite amusing how easy some people were to pass in the tight corners – until it all got strung out – you could really lean on your front tyre all over the course and let the back go a bit if you wanted to.

By the looks of it they didn’t hammer the stakes in very well, the ground is still pretty tough underneath.

No doubt Salford will be a whole new kettle of fish next weekend.

I spent the whole race having to stare at Garry_Lager’s @rse! Just couldn’t close the gap and then saw the leader coming on the final climbs so elected for a tactical lapping.

I was talking to the Salford boys on Saturday – sounds like it will be another toughie…… Park looks nice enough, not sure where the parking will be.

Remind me how tactical lapping works, say if the leader lapped Mick_R but not Garry Lager, would Mick_R still finish one place behind G_L, but G_L has to do an extra lap?

I was talking to the Salford boys on Saturday – sounds like it will be another toughie…… Park looks nice enough, not sure where the parking will be.

Hopefully secure given the area

Remind me how tactical lapping works, say if the leader lapped Mick_R but not Garry Lager, would Mick_R still finish one place behind G_L, but G_L has to do an extra lap?

Yep.

Haha, cruel!

If that happens you do get the option of a fairly sedate final lap (nobody can catch you) plus you might mop up a place or two if people ahead have a mechanical or don’t realise you are there.

Think I’ve only been lapped twice this year (and then only by the leader), but that is probably more due to long laps rather than being any faster.

So that’s the NW season done and dusted – terrific course to finish off on, really liked it. Guess the weather made it but that was a twisty slick beast of a track – actually managed not to properly fall off the entire race, although came close about 50 times.
Disaster in my daughter’s U8 race – chain off the block into the spokes when she was doing well, pretty upset just with the emotion of trying really hard and not understanding why her bike wasn’t working. Cheered up OK afterwards.

Anyone else waste time in practice trying to get a line sorted for that long off-camber bit by the start, only to find the entire field ran it come the race? It was reasonably rideable but the short pitch up to it deteriorated quite a bit, so once you were running that it was best just to keep going.

Been a great season – felt like I’ve improved, got more experience. Will miss the racing but at the same time be good to do more non-bike stuff at the weekend now.

Great to see Matty VdePoel win the CX Worlds 👍🤪

Yeah that was great to see – I know anything goes at the WC (think Nys only won 2 despite dominating for years) but it would have been sort of ridiculous for vdP not to have won this year. Head and shoulders above.
WvA showed a lot of heart I thought – lack of condition and that fast track meant a win wasn’t ever on the cards, but he defended the colours nonetheless (got a bit lucky with that final error from Aerts but that’s the game).

Noooooooooo!

Have managed to avoid spoilers till now, why oh why did I click on a CX thread… Silly me.

Don’t begrudge MvdP his success, just a shame most of the ‘races’ he enters seem to become distant races for 2nd place, he’s just too good. Was it a decent race at least?

Anyone else waste time in practice trying to get a line sorted for that long off-camber bit by the start, only to find the entire field ran it come the race?

Me and my mate stood watching people warm up on it and then the ladies & V50 race and decided that running was quicker anyway, so that’s what we did. My race went pretty well, a few well executed saves on every lap with no crashes and nice consistent laps to come home 31st.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtdQyPjlB18/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

My two little ones did the U8 as usual, the big one had his usual blinding start with the tall girl (Miss Clegg) leading after the first lap, he got the better of her and took the lead for the next 2 or 3 laps, the expected overtake from the eventual winner happened and then the eldest got taken out by his little brother on the back straight on lap 8!! Dropped to 3rd in the melee, got back up, regained 2nd the next lap and held it until the line. The younger one did his usual wandering round a Northern Urban Park, without a care in the world where he comes.

Then got his medal presented by the lovely Dame Sarah Storey, who took a lot of time to chat to me and my 3 boys inc the bebe who went all shy (as usual). So all round a cracking day and he secured 3rd overall in the league, a fine effort considering he’s only 6 and will be in the same U8 league next season too.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtYylHVlC38/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Excellent weekend of viewing – all the worlds races were exciting. U23 women probably the pick given the GB interest and the close racing. Good that the elite mens stayed with enough interest right to the end. I was a bit disparageing of the boring look of the course before it started but made for some good ‘concertina’ racing

Don’t begrudge MvdP his success, just a shame most of the ‘races’ he enters seem to become distant races for 2nd place, he’s just too good. Was it a decent race at least?

First half was great as van Aert was right with him so there was pressure on vdP to keep his head together. He threw in a savage dig over a tricky off-camber piece, though, and that was that – gapped WvA and just rode it home second half on his own. The battle for second place between van Aert and Aerts was good.

We all really liked the Salford course. The youth / juv race was really close and great to watch. Funny how that particular twisty / punchy / slippy course got them racing wheel to wheel and scrapping for the whole race.

Not seen the final league scores but Alison might have sneaked back to win vets (had dropped to second by 1 pt).

I was convincingly beaten by Steve & g_l. Singlespeed ratio was perfect but tyres just useless and frame clogged solid. Fell off more times in one race than I have all season! Radiator bike was fun but in hindsight could probably have done really well with my normal bike and tyres.

Time to pension or upgrade the radiator. Got the itch to make some other daft thing – washing machine bike would be appropriate 🙂

And Sunday was shouting at the telly as UCI coverage of U23 women was geoblocked (despite BC and UCI saying it shouldn’t be)

Great weekend of racing.
GB doing v well, 2 striped jerseys!
I think the whole GB Squad roade v well (couple a little unlucky) also given the v short notice
of been picked to go.
Anna Kay is one to watch for next year I feel, think she going to do v well even in the Elites.