With spring on the horizon comes the end of the cyclocross season, a booming sport that combines the road and off road elements of cycling into one technical discipline. Last weekend, the local leagues that have been taking place every Sunday since September drew to a close, with a host of worthy winners crowned.
Although it has grown spectacularly in recent years, particularly among the youth categories, the sport of cyclocross has been around in this country for over half a century. The first National Championships took place in Welwyn Garden City, a town which still produces some of the finest riders in the country. The essentials of cyclocross are that it is ridden on a typical road bike with some modifications, especially the addition of wider kobbly tires to accommodate the rough terrain. Despite this, cross can be ridden on any bike you happen to own, with a wide range always on display at races. Another aspect intrinsic to the sport is the combination of running and cycling, as courses usually feature a section that forces riders to dismount and run over hurdles or tricky terrain.
Even though it is a tough, technically challenging sport, the goal of cyclocross has always been to be inclusive and fun-based. Whatever level you are competing at, there will always be opportunities for riders of all ages, from under the age of eight all the way up to the 'veteran' categories. In both the local London and Eastern leagues, there has been consistently brilliant racing across all of the age groups, with their conclusions coming last weekend in Milton Country Park, Cambridge for the Eastern league, and the Kent Cyclopark for the London league, which itself hosted a round of the national cyclocross trophy series earlier in the season. In the Eastern league it was Stephen James of Renvale Race Team who wrapped up the senior men's victory, with a dominant performance across the whole season of racing. The Women's title was taken by Lauren Higham, who at just 16 year of age took on her senior opponents and found herself in a class of her own. It was Jonathan Dennis of East London club Kibosh racing who took the win in the London League, deciding to give something back to the sport by donating his prize of a Kinesis cyclocross bike to auction in aid of the league. The women's overall title was taken by Louise Heywood Mahe with yet another dominant showing.
As the season comes to an end, many riders will be turning the attentions already to this September with fresh ambitions and challenges. However, the beauty of cyclocross is that it can be ridden almost anywhere. London is one of the best places to explore anywhere in the world, and what better way than to discover it's amazing spaces than on a bike. Cross racing will always be about just that, enjoying riding bikes and the wonderful family atmosphere that comes with every race.
