This is news is so welcome. I properly love XC racing, which at my level involves emptying the tank for eleventeenth position in the v40 category. Something to focus on the calendar for next year and already looking forward to the post race camaraderie with riders who I’ve not yet met!

Volvo 240DL

UNKLE – Psyence Fiction

I’d award the “housewives’ choice jersey”.

Thomas Voekler would have have been a multiple winner in previous years and I reckon Alaphilippe would be a contender this year. As would any other rider Ona pro continental French team.

The newly labeled XCC format sounds very similar to the Lightwater Valley/Ripon Rowels race of old (anyone remember that one), except that event had a mountain bike time trial (1 lap) followed by the XC race in the afternoon.

Interesting range of comments about why XC has been in decline with many valid points. In my opinion: when you give it full gas at an XC race, it’s hard and that ain’t for everyone. I love the build up to the race, being held on the start line with the adrenaline building and then turning myself inside out for an hour and a half, but recognise that many other just enjoy the recreation. Perhaps this draws them away from XC races to other types of event that are popping up on the calendar. Not worse events mind, just different.

I’ve been racing XC continuously since 1996 as a Juvenile and hope that the excellent UK series such as Nutcracker continue so that I can race well into the grand vet and super vet categories. I heave heard that some series are struggling for numbers which is a shame, particularly when we have a great crop of promising young riders coming through the XC ranks.

Hi All,

I want to clarify a couple of points raised above re: the start.

1. Line up at the start. There will be a change this year and riders will line up in expected finish times based on entry form details and historical times. The race numbering system has been revised accordingly and, broadly speaking, the lower the number, the faster the expected finish time. There will be start pens for <3h30, <4h etc… with clear direction on who (i.e. which numbers) should be in each start pen. This change is as a result of feedback from BC and competitors alike. The feedback has been that some of the recent crashes have been partly contributed to by slower riders moving back through the field during the neutralised start rather than holding position. By getting everyone in the right place, we should hopefully minimise this effect somewhat.

2. Start speeds. It’s difficult to state the exact speed at which the bunch will travel and this is at the discretion of the Chief Commissaire. Ideally we want to keep a nice steady pace of c.15 mph. Problems can arise at a steady pace when we riders moving up start to bunch out over the white centre line. One option is for the commissaire to increase the speed which does line out the bunch naturally. If riders didn’t infringe on crossing the white centre line then we wouldn’t have the issue of variable speeds. Riders crossing the white centre line (along with illegal training on the cycling exclusion zone) are the two biggest risks to the future of this race…I just can’t stress that enough.

So…to help with the start – please line up in your expected time (and not all alongside Rob Jebb), and ride sensibly and consistently in the bunch without crossing the white centre line.

High pressure weather front is forecast and the long range doesn’t seem too bad for the weekend.

Hope you all have a great race.

MR

An old roadie told me about the miracles of cottage cheese to help with this. Eat straight out the pot rather than on bread and a full pot at a time. I ain’t no nutritionist but I’ve heard it has many of the same proteins as are found in recovery drinks. More importantly it pretty much kills off that hungry feeling.

Last year, over a 3 moth period I stick to this dropped to my lowest weight in recent years and went from c.4 hours at the 3 peaks cyclo-cross to 3h36. I reckon that weight loss had a lot to answer for that performance as much as the other aspects of my training.

I just can’t see the praise of Quickstep in previous posts aside from the fact they had riders there.

Terpstra was unlikely top beat Kristoff in a two up sprint and, by not riding, could have let Stybar bridge across to give numbers. It’s not recognised as good form to chase your team mate but in this case Terpstra was up the road with a very dangerous man. So it would have interesting to see what would have happened if Geraint and Stybar had bridged across at the top of the Kwaremont when the gap was only 16″. Having two in a group with 2-3k to go would have put the emphasis on Geraint and Kristof to chase down repeated attacks form Stybar and Terpstra. The same tactics worked well for Topsport in a 4 up the other week at Dwar Door Vlaanderen with Jelleys getting away with 2k to go.

I think Lefevre will be privately pissed at how things panned out, but then has a great excuse in a certain separated shoulder.

More importantly, that was a class ride from Kristof. He’s been known as a sprinter, but to escape of the front of a strong field like that (and without Paolini’s support) shows he’s not totally reliant on the bunch sprint. Proficiat Alexander!

Quickstep will get it right next week and Stybar will win alone at Roubaix!!!! FWIW

Thanks to all for coming and making it the event that it is.

mikey-simmo – are you happy for us to link to your photo set from the race website?

Re: Race Emails expected on September 20th. These were delayed as there we some other issues to be seen to on Friday which took priority

The email from sportident will go out later this evening and will mainly be a summary of the detailed race instructions linked to above – nothing new. please check your inboxes later.

All the best,
Mark

Mikey-Simmo. There is a picnic area opposite the Helwith Bridge Inn where camper vans are permitted. The height restriction barrier will open ay 12:00 on saturday and close at 19:00 after the race.

For camping – please contact Martin Hanson. His details are on the accomodation section of the race website.

Good luck to all that are competing and see you on Sunday

I thought it was great particularly the descent into Kilnsey and the climb back out of settle over Stockdale Lane. Agree with some of the points on signage but was fortunate to have riden the various sections of the route on previous social rides.

One of the most amusing things was at the start of the ride where a guy came over to our van asking if we had any spare kit as his wife had packed him a single leg warnmer and a single arm warmer (which had mistakenly been paired up in the washing).

Anyone know if finishing times are being posted?

Bradford Council are generally pretty cool about most stuff MTB

Couldn’t agree more. They are also very supportive of cyclocross racing on council owned land (peel park and myrtle park to name 2, with the former hosting next years national champs) which obviously has a reasonable, though temporary impact on the land and other users. The Council also provided a road sweeper to help with the clear up after a recent cross race in Ilkley.

Other councils could learn a lot from Bradford when it comes to supporting recreation.

Thanks for the quick responses.

Sounds like it’s worth heading over with the natural trails as a contingency. I don’t often get chance to ride trailcentres hence the desire to get around a couple in.

mark

Otley…

Again.

Fell Park is the area at the very east of the Chevin (towards the Bramhope end).

I’d also be interested to know over which trail the trap was laid. There has been some recent thinning work in a couple of the plantations down that end – any chance it could have been positioned to restrict access during the works?

I occasionally run up that way and will spread the word – a couple of mates organise mid-week headtorch runs. Was the trap laid at bike-head height, or pedestrian head height?

There’s some proper rubbish being put up on here by some contributors.

I might suggest to John that the race is limited to riders residing within 25 miles of Horton which would probably solve a lot of the problems raised on this thread.

I dont come on here often and cannot believe that people spend their time focused on matters such as frame angle differences between 29inch mountain bikes and cyclocross bikes.

It is much better to be out riding the roads and running the fells working towards an improved time. I will no doubt call this thread to mind this sunday when i pass down the back of PYG on the club run to Halton Gill.

Thanks again to all who organised and helped out.

A smashing course and a good atmosphere at the top of the cobbles…i particularly appreciated Mr Scuff’s “get a move on”and “Jump” by Van Halen.

The wooded section at the top of the cobbles reminded me of the Lincs CX league course at Quibell Park in Scunthorpe. A course taking in fantastic woodland singletrack and a lap aroud the top of the outdoor velodrome – Well recommended for next year.

To get away from the philosophical debate that typically pervades on any STW thread…

The look on Cav’s face after the decision….beaten by a beer swilling arrows thrower and a jockey. Can’t say he’d be happy with that one!

the forms are out today and it fills up in the first few days (not quite the manic rush of some events).

Get it entered – it will be great. worry about tyre choices etc… later

I'll give ticket 2 ride a call as at this stage i'm more concerned about securing a guide to take me out indivdually along with the bike hire.

Thanks for all the trail suggestions – i'll have a dig around on the web to research which would be best for my preferred style of riding.

Yeah, it was great to see Sky get their first win at a spring classic.

Flecha looked so strong and must have attacked hard to drop Gilbert in the fashion he did. I think several riders were keeping their powder dry for Brussels-Kerne tomorrow.

In contrast to Brailsford – did you see Boonen cross the line…?…face of thunder!!

Mogwai – Black Spider

I was at Manchester about 7 years ago and still ride with 'em about once a year. It was ace. Riding Marple regularly with weekly trips away as possible. Also got out on the road bike up brickworks now and then. Boozing at Sandbar and plenty of weekenders make for a good time.

The current club captain is working hard to get some varied riding sorted, and with a van & Minibus, there are regular rides in the lakes, Yorks Dales, N Wales etc… This week they've ventured down to Devon for a a change of scenery.

Did my masters at Leeds afterwards – what a contrast. There were a couple of proper fast individuals (who have since gone on notch up some decent result on the domestic racing scene)and the rest aspired to it. Despite Chundercross, beer drinking was almost non existant, and most of the riding was training focused rather than getting about and riding new/different trails. This was 5 or so years ago so it may have changed, but this was my experience. There are good trails to be had in Leeds though.

Cheers Guys.

My current helmet might be beyond help.

I've got a new Catlike Whisper en-route which i want to take care of so i'll be sure to give it a good rub off in the shower (oooh-er)

There's a bakery in Waterfoot which does good pies and egg custards…

Catlike whisper

The Kinesis Racelight T is a good alternative to consider. A mate has a Tifosi winetr bike, again similar spec and price.

Probably see an equal amount of ribble, tifosi and kinesis on the roads of Whafedale.

Catlike whisper…?

As our most famous backstreet mechanic once said… “Teaching boys to bake cakes?…that’s no way to maintain an industrial empire”

Today. Three days of de Panne.