“My” day of cyclocross: Rode well, steady start, faded a bit, kicked into a good rhythm after ten mins, then after 40 mins my bike was trashed and the race was over. It doesn’t sound too good does it. Not even with my rose coloured glasses. A good couple of k’s worth of carbon fible mashed up after the spokes sucked my rear gear mech into them isn’t exactly silver lining stuff. But there was a large, very glittering silver lining to my not-so-effective day’s racing today at round 1 of the North West Cyclocross league in Preston.
Elsie tried her very young hand at cyclocross twice last year on a balance bike (i.e. one with no pedals) and she really got a buzz. Today was her first race ‘with pedals’ and to make her way round the course today with a bit but not loads of help from a jogging Dad next to her was just ace. Alongside her 8 year old cousin Angus (but sadly not sister Lily whose throat was a bit sore this weekend) she put her guts into a race belying her tender 3 and a quarter years. Chapeaux.
Some great photos below very kindly supplied by those ACE people Ed Rollason photography and Sportsunday.co.uk
Videos by Phil and I