dig in is dead, long live dig in

Allegedly the last ever episode, surely not!

I think I speak for all of the Scottish cyclocross community when I say, thank you for the good times and sweary banter.

We look forward to the next chapter, whatever it may be.

Oh Mallorca how I miss thee

No Mallorca for me this spring.  Still, these fine short films from the Madison Genesis team have reminded me how very special the riding there is.

Madison Genesis 'Bikes, cameras, action' from Cyclevox on Vimeo.

MadisonGenesis - Race Day "Behind the Wheels" from Cyclevox on Vimeo.

How we do?

So the delayed champs have happened, the season is over. 

How did it hang for you?

It would be fair to say the conditions were fairly hostile, a pre-race walk of the course was the most I could muster up by way of a warm up, it looked slippy, cold and straight forward, very much an up and down course. The up was particularly unsettling for someone carrying a lack of fitness into the race but hey, it was only 40 minutes, how hard could it be? It wouldn't take long to find out, more later.

First up for the Moulin were our two awesome Queens of Noise, Maddy and Lyndsey who have been true stalwarts all season, we could all take a feather out of their big bunnet of enthusiasm. The women got the rare privilege of not racing with the men which allowed them a lot more freedom to express their inner wrath and express it they did. No surprises on the winner, Eileen Roe has been in pretty electric form all season, straight from the gun, nice work. Maddy fought out a hard race and took a well deserved 3rd place and a step up onto the podium, awesome job as she also collected 2nd for the series, another great season, but hey hey its not all Maddy, what about that 4th place for Lyndsey! Awesome work sisters, truly awesome. 

Lyndsey Carson, focus and attack. 

Maddy persisting with the white kit

A quick word for Rory Mellis, who is at least related to VCM, a good strong ride in a tough U16 category to take 3rd, stick at it young un.

Right, the Veterans, up front all the usual suspects, this is one gnarly category and the racing throughout it is tough. A lot of no shows gave a false sense of hope for a reasonable ride and that was pretty much were it stopped for me, not a single lap did I feel any love for that climb or what followed, it just didn't happen for me. Moving on, a return to the start line for the Mighty Simon Muir, I haven't seen the big fella for quite some time and to be honest he was the only ray of sunshine on that start line. Anyway we were off, the pace as befitting a national champs was frantic, I lost sight of the race very early on and plugged away to at least finish, meanwhile that old devil Mr Muir was shuffling his way into the top 20, more awesomess. Russell Stout completed the VCM veteran skinny old dude line-up and he put in another strong ride for a sound 30th, good stuff mister. 

The Beast is back. Simon Muir.

Despite the brakes, another solid ride from Russell

Seniors next, a depleted field for VCM but Addy Pope wasn't going to let that stop him having a fine race, in fact in light of the pace at the front of this race finishing 8th sandwiched between Paul McInally (Rock and Road) and Steven 'Becks' Turbitt (Glasgow United CC) so a big tip of the hat to Addy, another rider who has had a totally solid season, next level son, next level. Whilst on the subject of the seniors race it would be rude not to mention Rab Wardells' ride, that was a mighty formidable performance, lapping the whole race up to 4th place. And before you know it, it was over. 

Two wrongs seem to make a right, baggy shorts and disc brakes for Addy.

Well done East Kilbride RC for the excellent organisation in particularly nasty conditions, pat yourselves on the back, a big boo boo to Scottish Cycling for not making much (if any) effort to have a presence at this a national title, the podium photos tell the tale, despite this it was a good event and a fine mark to the end of the cross season. 

And so to this year. . . 

bunnet

Big thanks to Martin (naegears) Steele for all the pics.

worlds

2013 UCI World Cyclocross Championships from Gizmo Pictures on Vimeo.

nutteloze ruiters

you've got my number. . . . . . . . . . . . .