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The fast-moving world of cyclocross racing waits for no man (woman or child!) and just one short week after Round 2 in Falkirk, Scotland the National Trophy Cyclocross Series was back in action at the unique venue of South Shields in the North East. This popular seaside resort just a few miles from Newcastle Upon Tyne made a fantastic location for a weekend of cross racing, with an open, exposed and devilishly technical cyclocross course proving popular with racers and spectators alike throughout a weekend jam-packed full of racing.
The South Shields National Trophy Cyclocross course made for a unique & rather dramatic beach-side venue.
An exposed coastal cyclocross course meant strong winds were a factor in all race categories.
The Gypsies Green course in South Shields included a classic mix of features making it a super-popular venue with racers and spectators alike.
Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli fielded a slightly reduced team at Round 3, but were still well-represented across a number of race categories throughout the two days of racing. Elsie Haygarth did well just to get to the start line having been ill and off the bike with a heavy cold for the week leading up to her race. Competing in the Youth Girls (U16) category she raced as hard as she could given the circumstances and made the most of her confident bike-handling skills to take a solid 23rd place despite not being able to go as deep as she normally would when it came to all-out efforts.
Elsie returned to racing after a week of illness which had kept her off her bike; a stoic ride was rewarded with a solid result.
Elsie made short work of a brilliant cyclocross course that was both physically and technically demanding.
Despite suffering with the after effects of illness, Elsie would win back time on such obstacles as the 30 metre sand section.
Elsewhere in the Vet 50 category Dave Haygarth lined up for his 4th race in 8 days. Dave loved this classic course, packed full of the sort of features he loves to ride and, gridded on the second row was up for a fast start. In the chaos of the first lap he got baulked and was left with a 10 second gap to close to the lead group on an open and exposed course which if you found your self isolated could prove rather frustrating. Digging deep to try to close that gap Dave would eventually succumb to the difficult racing conditions but valiantly held on to take a solid 14th place despite the rain becoming more persistent, asking more of his handling-skills on each lap as his intermediate-grip tyres began to slip and slide.
A busy cyclocross race season meant that this was Dave’s 4th race in 8 days.
Racing through falling rain, Dave was pushing his intermediate-grip tyres to their limits.
Dave spent the majority of his race working hard to close a gap to the lead group.
Long-time connoisseur of U.K. cyclocross courses Dave Haygarth gave South Shields the seal of approval.
Following his successful weekend of cyclocross racing in Falkirk Davie Lines was able to enjoy a much better gridding position on the 2nd row of the Vet 40 race at South Shields. With very little time to practice before his race Davie was still confident he could race well on a course which he felt would suit him. When the gun went he got a decent start, jumping into the top 10 but shortly after on a sharp bend he was hit from behind and the chain on his bike derailed. By the time he had sorted his untimely mechanical Davie was dead last and left with a considerable amount of work to do. Davie’s years of racing experience helped him keep calm and composed as he set about working through the field in an attempt to get as far up the results as possible. In an amazing show of strength Davie would eventually cross the line in 7th place, helping to consolidate his overall points and gridding position for future races.
After a successful weekend of racing at Round 2 Davie Lines was back in action in the Vet 40 race.
Davie felt that the exposed South Shields course really suited his strengths.
A fast start was unfortunately impacted by crash on lap one, leaving Davie dead last with lots of work to do.
Davie kept calm, re-focused and fought back to a brilliant 7th place by the end of the race.
Elsewhere in the Vet 40 race we had our very own World Champion Lewis Craven racing alongside long-time teammate Davie Lines. Lewis had missed Round 2, returning to racing after a week’s holiday in Spain and admitted afterwards that the fast start was a bit of a shock to the system! Lewis is an experienced campaigner though and quickly composed himself to move himself up through the field of riders and onto the back of the lead group. Just as he did so there was a rare error of judgement and Lewis crashed on a steep drop-off landing on his back; quickly onto his feet with no damage he chased on with the aim of making it to the podium by the end of the race. Local lad Tony Fawcett of Scott Racing kept the pace high in that lead group preventing Lewis from catching them as the bell of the final lap sounded; despite choosing smoother lines as the race progressed Lewis would finish in 4th place which was a little frustrating for him but prepared him well to go again in the senior Elite race on Sunday.
After missing the previous round in Falkirk and a week’s holiday in Spain Lewis’ return to racing was initially a shock to the system.
Lewis quickly recomposed himself to fight his way up to the lead group after a poor start.
A rare moment of misfortune saw Lewis Craven having to chase following a heavy fall on one of the technical drop offs.
Lewis would refine his line choice as the race progressed and finished in a strong 4th place.
Come Sunday and our reduced Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team would face similar conditions to the day before with intermittent rain and strong coastal winds making racing on the exposed course a real challenge. Our young U23 rider Flynn Gregory would again show his racing consistency, mastering the course to take a solid 32nd place overall while consolidating his Under 23 sub-category placing with an excellent 17th place in a race which is now all-but-dominated by younger racers.
The course remained fast and mostly dry in windy conditions on the Sunday.
Flynn Gregory working hard on one of the more exposed sections of the course.
Flynn would finish 32nd overall, taking 17th place in the Under 23 sub-category.
Lewis Craven would line up again, this time in his Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli jersey rather than his Vet 40 World Champion jersey to take a fantastic 17th place overall. This was more proof that Lewis responds really well to ‘double-header’ weekends and goes incredibly well with a race already in his legs from the day before. Our team was also represented by Olli Dawson who had recently taken a super-impressive 10th place at the infamous 3 Peaks Cyclocross race in the Yorkshire Dales. We’re not sure what happened at the time of writing but unfortunately Olli was listed as a DNF (did not finish) at the end of the South Shields cyclocross race. We’re sure he’ll be back at the sharp end of racing with a more complete team including Giles Drake and Rory McGuire in the coming rounds of the National Trophy Cyclocross Race.
Our Vet 40 World Champ Lewis Craven was back in action, racing the senior race on Sunday.
With his body responding well to already racing the previous day Lewis would be at the sharp end of the Elite senior race.
The technical South Shields course played to Lewis’ strengths as a superior bike-handler.
Following his impressive result the day before Lewis would finish in an excellent 17th place in the senior race.
Ollie Dawson recently took a brilliant 10th place at the 3 Peaks Cyclocross and was back in action for Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli at South Shields.
Unfortunately Ollie would be a DNF at the South Shields National Trophy Cyclocross race.
Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli Results:
Day 1 Saturday
YOUTH Girls (U16)
23rd Elsie Haygarth
VET 40 Men
4th Lewis Craven
7th Davie Lines
VET 50 Men
14th Dave Haygarth
Day 2 Sunday
Elite Men
17th Overall / 1st Vet 40 Lewis Craven
32nd Overall / 17th U23 Flynn Gregory
DNF Olli Dawson
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Photos by Man Down Media
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