Post by Joe R Booth on Oct 8, 2019 12:16:13 GMT
The season started early in September. We’ve had five rounds of the London and South East Cyclocross League so far and members have also been at races in the East Kent and Central leagues.
Round 1 – Stanmer Park Brighton. On the side of a valley with some long uphill slogs, twisty downhill on loose soil through trees and fast flatter grass sections.
Round 2 – Crystal Palace Park. Nice to not have to spend the day travelling. A fast course around the same area as the crit races but throwing in some very challenging technical climbs and descents with tight corners.
Round 3 – Frylands Scout Camp on Featherbed Lane. A gruelling hilly course through woodland, famous for destroying rear mechs when it gets muddy. This year it was more of a puncture-fest for many.
Round 4 – Leeds Castle. A Dulwich Paragon promotion on the best and hardest course in the league featuring the bike-carrying slog up the infamous “wall” and a new, extra rough, descent and climb. To quote one rider “It was one of the hardest courses anyway and then you found a way to make it harder!” We did at least provide a samba band for motivational drumming. Three DP members chose this for their first ever CX race, so respect to them – it doesn’t get any harder than that. Thanks to all our volunteers for making it a great day. Some general photos from the day here photos.app.goo.gl/GYbFoZoCXdqBeCwb8 and some DP specific ones from one of our marshals here www.dropbox.com/sh/n0mqnp1rrwh1anq/AAC28MSk-zWL2dMOVbyuHOota?dl=0
Round 5 – East Bysshe. A horse cross-country venue near Lingfield. Another great course with a mix of grassland and single-track through root-laden woodland. Heavy rain early in the morning made the grass and tree roots nice and slippery, churned up the single-track and created one section of epic mud-bath.
So far this season 30 DP members have competed in the league. In the league standings Olivia “2nd claim” Campbell is currently topping the senior women category, having won four races, with Kath O’Reilly 4th. Caroline Reuter is 1st V40 women having won every race she’s entered, usually by being first woman overall. New member Anna Kubik has thrown herself into her first season and is 2nd in the V40s. In senior men, Stuart Lynn is 3rd and Kes Day is 6th. James Malone has a top-ten position in the extremely competitive V40 men. We’re not yet showing quite so strongly in the V50s and V60s but at our age we take a while to warm up.
See here for league information: www.londonxleague.co.uk/
There is a push to build the level of women’s participation across the UK. Recently the Central League held a women-only race (usually in UK leagues women ride at the same time as veteran men) with a target of 100 women. 165 entered and Caroline was 6th overall and 1st V40, beating the 2017 world masters champion. On Sunday at HHV there is a separate women's race.
If you want to get involved in CX then come along to a Saturday morning or Wednesday evening training session
Round 1 – Stanmer Park Brighton. On the side of a valley with some long uphill slogs, twisty downhill on loose soil through trees and fast flatter grass sections.
Round 2 – Crystal Palace Park. Nice to not have to spend the day travelling. A fast course around the same area as the crit races but throwing in some very challenging technical climbs and descents with tight corners.
Round 3 – Frylands Scout Camp on Featherbed Lane. A gruelling hilly course through woodland, famous for destroying rear mechs when it gets muddy. This year it was more of a puncture-fest for many.
Round 4 – Leeds Castle. A Dulwich Paragon promotion on the best and hardest course in the league featuring the bike-carrying slog up the infamous “wall” and a new, extra rough, descent and climb. To quote one rider “It was one of the hardest courses anyway and then you found a way to make it harder!” We did at least provide a samba band for motivational drumming. Three DP members chose this for their first ever CX race, so respect to them – it doesn’t get any harder than that. Thanks to all our volunteers for making it a great day. Some general photos from the day here photos.app.goo.gl/GYbFoZoCXdqBeCwb8 and some DP specific ones from one of our marshals here www.dropbox.com/sh/n0mqnp1rrwh1anq/AAC28MSk-zWL2dMOVbyuHOota?dl=0
Round 5 – East Bysshe. A horse cross-country venue near Lingfield. Another great course with a mix of grassland and single-track through root-laden woodland. Heavy rain early in the morning made the grass and tree roots nice and slippery, churned up the single-track and created one section of epic mud-bath.
So far this season 30 DP members have competed in the league. In the league standings Olivia “2nd claim” Campbell is currently topping the senior women category, having won four races, with Kath O’Reilly 4th. Caroline Reuter is 1st V40 women having won every race she’s entered, usually by being first woman overall. New member Anna Kubik has thrown herself into her first season and is 2nd in the V40s. In senior men, Stuart Lynn is 3rd and Kes Day is 6th. James Malone has a top-ten position in the extremely competitive V40 men. We’re not yet showing quite so strongly in the V50s and V60s but at our age we take a while to warm up.
See here for league information: www.londonxleague.co.uk/
There is a push to build the level of women’s participation across the UK. Recently the Central League held a women-only race (usually in UK leagues women ride at the same time as veteran men) with a target of 100 women. 165 entered and Caroline was 6th overall and 1st V40, beating the 2017 world masters champion. On Sunday at HHV there is a separate women's race.
If you want to get involved in CX then come along to a Saturday morning or Wednesday evening training session