Cycling - CycloCross team find silver lining (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Cycling - CycloCross team find silver lining

9:00am Friday 12th February 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

THE Staveley-based Team Wheelbase.co.uk/Cannondale team traded gold for silver when defending the title they have won for the past two years at the 2010 National CycloCross Championships in Sutton Park in the West Midlands.

Five Team Wheelbase.co.uk/Cannondale riders lined up among the 99-strong field for a dramatic senior men’s race on Sunday.

In a blistering start, the riders faced a greasy tarmac climb before hitting a well-designed technical off-road course for an hour of high-intensity action. After a full season contesting the National Trophy CycloCross rounds, Staveley’s own Rob Jebb was poled at the front of the grid and he found himself battling with Dave Collins from Hope Racing.

The two riders headed shoulder-to-shoulder into a tight section of single track, and with neither wanting to give ground, they collided in a nasty crash. After the crash Jebb found himself shunted back back to 30th and completed the remaining half of the circuit on a mangled bike before he could switch machines in the pits.

On to a fresh bike Jebb put the hammer and dug deep with a massive effort to ride himself back to 11th position. Wheelbase’s Lewis Craven had been uncertain about riding the Nationals as he was recovering from injury, but he decided to don his skin suit for the team.

From the second line of the grid, Craven had a great start finishing the first lap in eighth place. But unfortunately his lack of fitness from two weeks off the bike eventually showed. After 20 minutes of racing he did not look comfortable and slipped back to 17th, well down on his usual high standard. Meanwhile, Burneside rider Stuart Reid was having a great ride for the team. Starting back on the ninth row of the grid, he rode up to Craven’s wheel and helped the stricken team rider through his pain. Craven and Reid outsprinted their bunch to finish 17th and 18th respectively. The combined positions of Jebb, Craven and Reid were not enough to retain their two-year dominance of the national championship and they had to pass the accolade to Lancashire-based Hope Racing by a slender winning margin of just five points. New Team Wheelbase.co.uk/Cannondale riders Mike Cotty and brother James Cotty showed great potential for the future of the team, with Mike riding flat out and displaying impressive technical skill to come home in 24th on this first attempt on the National circuit. James Cotty also had a sterling ride, holding off the pursuing bunch of lead riders to come home in 58th, one lap down.