Former National Cyclo-Cross Champion Nick Craig continued his preparations for the 2010 title race next weekend when he won the latest round of the Notts and Derby League on a challenging course at the Thornbridge Outdoor Activity Centre near Great Longstone in Derbyshire on Saturday.
Craig, who won the senior National Championship three times in 1996, 1998 and 2005, is a first-year veteran and will be aiming to secure his first veteran crown when the 2010 race is staged at SuttonPark in Sutton Coldfield near Birmingham next weekend.
Having secured a surprise victory in the tough ThreePeaks event earlier this year, the Scott UK rider is being tipped for another national title in Sunday’s (10th January) event, although he has not raced against his rivals for the title much at all.
Craig crossed the line just ten seconds in front of his nearest rivals at Thornbridge, with junior pair Dan McLay (Hargroves Cycles) and Team Wallis CHH rider Tom Moses chasing hard behind.
Currently third in the National Trophy Series with one race remaining, McLay got the better of series winner Moses by just a few inches at the line, and the pair are set to lock horns again for the 2010 National Title on Sunday.
The Notts and Derby League event was promoted by Matlock Cycling Club, and was their 32nd annual promotion – but the weather conditions threw up some challenging conditions for riders and organisers alike.
Many competitors didn’t reach the course with heavy snow having caused travel problems across the region. And as the weather worsened the judges decided that the youth race should be shortened and riders who had been or were about to be lapped were pulled out.
Despite the heavy snow, an impressive 87 elite riders started, while there were another 62 who took part in the age-related categories.
Roger Hammond wins final round of the Western League
Former world junior cyclo-cross champion Roger Hammond (Cervelo Test Team) proved a surprise entrant – but a predictable winner – of the final round of the Western League at BeaufortSchool in Gloucester on Sunday.
Riding the event as a warm-up to a pre-season team training camp, Hammond crossed the line virtually three minutes ahead of his nearest rival after working his way from the back of the field to the front.
The early leader was junior Luke Gray who, as warm-up for the 40-minute junior National Championship next weekend, rode for that amount of time before dropping back and warming down for the final 20 minutes.
He had tussled with Swindon Road Club’s Crispin Doyle for the early part of the race before dropping back. Meanwhile, Hammond had worked his way through the field before finally hitting the front, leaving Doyle to take second and Luke Grivell-Mellor (Mid-Shropshire Wheelers) third.
Jody Crawford takes East Anglian Daily Times League win in Essex
A blistering first lap set up national champion Jody Crawford for a two minute win in the penultimate round of the East Anglian Daily Times League in Essex on Sunday.
The Arctic Premier RT rider was almost the only competitor to ride the big run-up on the course at Hillyfields in Colchester, all of which was clear of snow but instead offered a difficult and changing mixture of mud and ice.
New regional champion Jamie Newall (VC Meudon) held second place throughout. David Nichols (Arctic Premier) chased hard, perhaps too hard, in third and faded to fifth.
Playing catch-up were Michael Raven (Extreme Sports), second here in October, who had a big off on the first lap and – more successfully – eventual third finisher Nathan Miller of the promoting Lotto-Interbike team who was caught off-guard by the start.
Jo McRae gave Arctic Premier a double reason for celebration by taking the women’s prize, Paul Moss (Stowmarket & District) won the veterans’ race and Hugo Robinson (Ipswich Bicycle Club), just back from gaining second and 12th places in Belgian races, won the youth event by over a lap.
Ian Bibby wins eighth round of Yorkshire Points Series
Preston’s Ian Bibby (Motorpoint) took victory in the eighth round of the Yorkshire Points Series as riders from outside the county dominated proceedings in the senior race at CentreValePark in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.
Bibby won by around 20 seconds from Leicestershire junior Daniel McLay, and with Derbyshire’s Nick Craig (Scott UK) third and Lancaster’s Stuart Reid (Wheelbase) fourth, it was left to Noel Clough, the Fietsen Tempo rider from Northallerton, to salvage fifth spot for Yorkshire.
However, in other categories the local riders fared better with Crosstrax’s Otley-based rider Adela Carter being fastest of the women, while JD Cycles rider Ed McParland of Ilkley the best youth rider.
Hope rider Paul Oldham secures win in North Yorkshire
National Trophy leader Paul Oldham (Hope Factory Racing) secured a comfortable victory in the fifth round of the North East CCA League at Croft Motor Circuit in North Yorkshire.
Oldham won by around a minute from MTS Cyclesport’s Steven Ward after leading the race from start to finish.
Four inches of snow and a heavy overnight frost had put the event in jeopardy, but organisers decided to go ahead on the morning of the race and were proved correct as the ground softened in several places.
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