Cycling: Wheelbase riders dominate regional CycloCross podiums (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Cycling: Wheelbase riders dominate regional CycloCross podiums

10:20am Wednesday 7th December 2011 in Sport By Patrick O'Kane, Senior News/Sport Reporter

WHEELBASE/Cannondale riders dominated the podium positions at both the North and South Regional CycloCross Championships at the weekend.

Veterans Noel Clough and Chris Young finished as the top two in a hotly-contested race at Stainton near Barnard Castle, County Durham.

Clough led from the off and maintained a comfortable lead, putting him as favourite to lift the National CycloCross Championship title in January, while Young got off to a slower start, but pressed through the pack to take second.

But the ride of the day came from Lewis Craven in the seniors race as he finished third behind Paul Oldham and u23’s rising star Jack Clarkson.

Craven was second going into the final climb but tangled with the course tape and had to settle for a well-deserved third spot, with teammate Paul Young in sixth place.

In the juniors race Thomas Armstrong was a credible third, just 47 seconds behind Joe Moses from the Paul Milnes Bradford Olympic team.

A superb ride from the team’s Michael Cotty in the Southern championships at Gloucester saw him finish just three seconds behind winner Steve James in a battle to the line.

* Biketreks rider John Dodgin returned to racing action at the latest round of the North West CycloCross Association series in Ulverston and found himself in 15th place after a competitive tussle with Barrie Clarke, a former National Mountain Bike and CycloCross champion.