Lochore Meadows

I set off for Fife on Sunday morning with the memory of my rear mech incident at Strathclyde country park still fresh in my mind. Knowing i had a score to settle i was happy with the preparation and miles in my legs. Travelling down the road it was evident that the chances of a wet race were pretty high. Arriving at Lochore Meadows competitors were faced with the first true cyclocross conditions of the season with a biting cold wind, a few drops of lingering rain and more than a healthy spattering of mud. Setting off on my warm up i bumped into Iain wheeling his bike back to the car minus his rear mech, this was a sign of things to come, with a slow lap to inspect the course my gears were protesting from the off. How were they going to last?

A quick De-mudding of the bike at the start line and we were off, I had an amazing start and quickly found myself in the top five, I knew it would be difficult to keep it going and i lost a couple of places in the first quarter of the race. Still I plodded on nursing the bike through the mud as best i could, meanwhile all around me riders were tearing their rear mechs off as though they were going out of fashion, Including Simon who luckily had a spare bike waiting in the pits. The massive support on the course spurred me on and i managed to grab back a place in the last lap which bagged me sixth, My highest placing so far.


The Crosslight must have weighed twice what it should at the finish but it survived to tell the tale and hopefully my rear mech demons have now been laid to rest. I have to give a big shout out to the extremely vociferous, Cowbell wielding VCM fan club out on the course the noise was deafening at times and was a welcome boost each lap, Thanks guys & girls you know who you are.

Iain had rotten luck with his rear mech, out before he had even started. Maddy and Lyndsey had yet another good showing in Third and Fourth respectively and Simon even with his bike troubles finished Thirteenth.