Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

British nationals looked utterly crap. Why do BC think cyclocross is just running round a muddy field in the middle of nowhere?

Also would like a link to Belgian men's and Dutch women's champs.

Given the recent weather, whichever course was used was going to be a complete mudfest. I thought the course was slightly better than Ardingly, but agree that showgrounds in the middle of nowhere are probably not the best place to host national championships.

I thought the motorway in the background was a nice touch. Peak Brexit.

Ardingly was shit too but at least there was an atmosphere from the crowd.

Don't people look at geological maps before organising races? I always did.

I've raced at Westmorland a few times and had a good time.

There's definitely a time and a place for cross like that but it would be good to have some national level courses that are not just rides/runs around a grassy/muddy field. I suspect it's a combination of difficulties securing venues with sufficiently interesting terrain and the sheer number of amateur racers in this country. No-one's desperate to host a cross race on their site of special scientific interest, unlike in Belgium or Holland, where it's considered an honour.

https://rijden.uk/blog/cyclocross-on-tv-in-the-uk-2022-23/

does anyone know if local leagues in the UK let you ride fixed gear with a front brake ?

Cheers!

No. BC regulations prohibit the riding of fixed gear bikes in races. You can ride singlespeed, with two working brakes, however.

I liked ho the interviewer asked Mason to praise the organisers in his post race interview and he politely responded that "organising a race in the UK in January will inevitable always lead to similar conditions"

To be fair, Belgian and Dutch courses looked just as bad in places. In comparison Italian one looked like Summer CX in the UK

The last three have been proper muddy, but the two before that were reasonably dry (i.e. not bike changes every half lap): Gravesend and Houghton.

Next years Nationals is in Falkirk, which I haven't ridden, but I hear is much more technical. But there will be complaints about travel to Scotland.

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I think in places is fine, it's when it's a heavy bog all the way round that's the issue. I'd bet a set of FMB Supermuds that the Dutch and Belgian champs were on sandy sub-soils rather than this:

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Falkirk will be muddy but not a big if that makes sense?

Plus probably frozen, it has one of the worst/hardest/I’ve never worked out how to do it correctly* left hand off camber turns I’ve seen.

*best way is let go of brakes dangle a leg and hope.

Ahahah, did you check any borehole logs as well?

Nice article on the forerunners to the Real Big Three* https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/64453786

*Fem, Puck and Shirin

Have they corrected the picture error, where Brand was pictured but they said it was Vos?

Well Vos is there to be fair, hard to get a pic of her on the front in that race until 50m to go ;-)

Great result in the relay race for Team GB, coming second behind the Dutch. Two London League regulars were part of the team too, in Joe Blackmore and Alfie Amey.

Were did you watch it? It's not on GCN

There was no tv coverage as far as I can tell. I was following the live timing and social media posts, which gave you an idea of what was going on.

https://youtu.be/rKR8uRXz-4A

Some raw cut highlights here, shame you can't see the whole race, glad to see Belgium and Netherlands took it more seriously this year and lined good teams

The Dutch skinsuit is fire.

Very good race this.

Yeah that was alright for a grass crit

Fine ride from Young Cammy.

Wout fucked it. Would be a great race to take part it in but rather shite viewing, needed a bit biblical rain.