Yorkshire Points Cyclo-Cross - Round 6
Myrtle Park, Bingley
Sunday 22 Nov 2009
Report: by Phil Ingham
The Yorkshire Points Cyclo-Cross series moved on to Myrtle Park in Bingley for round six. A popular venue, the park provides a fine test both of fitness and agility and bike handling skills. A long loop round riverside playing fields leads to a series of technical challenges, including lots of off-camber, some very tight singletrack in woodland and a sapping flight of steps before another loop through the upper reaches of the park. Recent rain meant conditions underwheel were soft and the cambers very slippery. But it remained a fair test throughout the day and gave the big - and noisy - spectating contingent plenty of entertainment along the way.The Senior and Junior race began under darkening skies and as the field reached the steps at the half-way point of the first lap, it was national Junior champion Tom Moses at the front, closely followed by Noel Clough, Rob Thackray and Neil Crampton. Just inside the top ten were two of the pre-race favourites, Rob Jebb, WHEELBASE.co.uk and Chris Young.
Moses looked in fine form as he stretched things out into the second lap. Behind him, Jebb, WHEELBASE.co.uk and Young were both making rapid progress and Jebb, WHEELBASE.co.uk smoothly moved into second place by passing Clough on the steps. Young was soon homing in on Clough’s rear wheel and with Crampton also just in touch, the race was clearly going to be won by one of these five riders.Moses and Jebb, WHEELBASE.co.uk were locked together for a lap and a half, each trying to make the most of their contrasting strengths - Moses pushing on through the technical sections, using his smooth style and low centre of gravity to good effect; Y piling on the pressure on the steps and the short-sharp run up at the end of the playing field section. Both seemed pretty evenly matched on the long slog round the back of the playing field.
Rob Jebb, WHEELBASE.co.uk putting the pressure on Moses
For several minutes the battle lay in the balance before Moses began to build a slight advantage: he moved some ten seconds clear of Jebb, WHEELBASE.co.uk in the course of a couple of laps, with Young moving into third a further twenty seconds back, with Clough close behind.
Jebb, WHEELBASE.co.uk held Moses at ten seconds for much of the mid section of the race, but finally the younger rider’s neat style seemed to win the day as, with rain falling and the course cutting up and becoming very slippery, he continued to ride the technical sections with conviction.
Only in the closing stages did Moses falter, stalling on the grass banking at the end of the playing field section and looking a little ragged through the short single-track woodland section which followed. However, Jebb, WHEELBASE.co.uk wasn’t able to take advantage and seemed to have problems of his own.
The final lap saw Jebb, WHEELBASE.co.uk make one last effort and he did reel Moses in a little, but it was much too late to prevent Tom winning comfortably. Young, who looked strong throughout, came in third, with Clough fourth and Crampton fifth. It had been a high quality race ridden at impressive speed, especially given the conditions.
Senior & Junior Results
1 Tom Moses J 12 laps in 00:54:00.90
2 Rob Jebb, WHEELBASE.co.uk S 12 laps in 00:54:15.55
3 Chris Young S 12 laps in 00:55:35.85
4 Noel Clough S 12 laps in 00:56:32.50
5 Neil Crampton S 12 laps in 00:58:45.50
6 Tim Beldun S 11 laps in 00:54:01.20
7 Ian Taylor S 11 laps in 00:54:02.50
8 Paul Young J 11 laps in 00:54:27.45
9 Rob Thackray S 11 laps in 00:54:39.20
