Wow. If you look back through my cyclocross blog entries this year you’ll see me moaning about courses that are too fast and not hard enough. Well, at long last, yesterday’s national championships made up for that.
The course at Southampton Leisure Centre had been used before for national trophy races, but after a mild wet winter, it was charged up with water, and by 2:15 on Sunday, after various supporting championship races, the Elite Senior race was in nothing short of a mud bath. Laps were taking about nine or ten minutes, and there was plenty of running with the bike (heavy with mud), making this a tough one.
I had a pretty good race and felt like the 32nd position I finished in was about right (there was more than 70 starters). It was a tough trial from start to finish (as these photos taken by my cousin Adrian who lives nearby) show.
The best bit of the day, making the long journey all the sweeter, was that my team mate Rob Jebb finished a superb third, and qualified for a ride in the World Championships later this month.
Most of Southampton seemed to come home with me on my bike and in my (now filthy) kit bag.
Full results and report here on the British Cycling website.
The term “travelling salesman” takes on a new meaning when you consider the tale of Peter Gilbert, a gentleman from the United States, who has just clocked up a million miles in his Saab over 17 years.