The ‘cross course at Herne Hill gets better every time you ride it. Lots of twisty singletrack, the slog round the track centre grass and the newly topped-up sandpit combine to make a challenging hour of riding, without being so technical that newcomers are put off racing for life.

A decent field of around 40 riders took the line and there seemed a moments hesitation as the whistle went and we all looked at each other to see who wanted to lead out. Mozzie Matt Seaton took the bull by the horns with Stuart McGhee ( Evans RT ) close behind, followed by Chris Ansell ( Team Corridori ) and a gaggle of assorted riders from the Evans team and the Dulwich Paragon. The ground was reasonably dry considering how much rain had fallen the previous day, but a badly-taken line through a large puddle of mud saw two more Evans riders going past me, a shoulder-barge from Nick Stacey reminding me just how poorly I was riding.

The first time through the sandpit was fun, with the recent addition of two large mounds making it a potential disaster area for anyone not getting it right. Hit it at speed, follow the ruts in the sand, keep pedalling hard and don’t try to steer. Move your upper body for balance and before you know it, you are safely back on terra firma.

The wooden planks in the track centre had been positioned far enough apart to make bunny-hopping a distinct possibility, Evan’s Ben Spurrier taking them perfectly, leaving me trailing as I opted to run.

A pair of VC Londres riders were now keeping me company, Philip Glowinski and John Scripps eventually fading as the second half of the race tested everyone’s stamina. Leading woman rider Rosanna Joseph eased past soon after looking very strong and smooth. It took two laps of desperate riding to claw back onto her wheel and, as she floundered on the short, sharp incline, I took full advantage and left her trailing.

11th place overall. No major traumas or mishaps. Next week’s race is Brighton. Looking forward to it already.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 2nd, 2007 at 21:39:01 and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.