A great season draws to a muddy finish for CCH cross riders

Where's Harry competition at Mistley

CCH cyclocross riders saved some of their best for last after a long season with a great 2nd place in the Youth team championships for Ned, Frank and Logan - they would have won apart from some confusing rulings still a podium is a podium as they say in Belgium?

Ned leads the way..

.. as Frank follows in the team champs at Mistley

.. followed by Logan in the technical wooded section..

Way back in September few of us would have predicted the results that were to follow with the youth riders in particular putting in some cracking performances. Now lots of people in the cycling world think only of Cross as a means to keep a pro' road racers legs turning over in winter and lets face it - it never did Bernard Hinault any harm and the current World Cyclocross champ Sydnek Stybar is now back in his day job with Quick Step finishing in 6th place in todays stage of the Tour of Oman. However these days Cyclocross is one of the fastest growing disciplines under the UCI umbrella and discussions are under way to get it into future Winter Olympics. So its no bad thing for young riders to get into - now I know its a pain having to clean your bike after a cross race - Bethlem Hospital springs to mind as a particular bit of mud I'm glad I'm not seeing any time soon - however you should be giving your bike a clean every time you come back from a ride anyway so what's a few spots of mud? And for adults too its a great way into cycle sport with the wide range of age groups you'll slot in somewhere and rekindle the joy you first felt riding a bike. This season we had newcomers Dave, Tom, Mike and Judith in the adults and Hal and Molly in the youth - ask any of them what they think of it and you'd probably be thinking they've been at it for years - it gets under your skin pretty quickly.

Molly at Mistley

Frank Ramsay at the team champs

Artie negotiating a rise at Mistley

Now there were many fine performances throughout so I won't go into them all but those that stand out - Molly Lloyd's 3rd place at the Eastern Champs in Ipswich - so what if the girl's field wasn't massive - she turned up and battled for a podium spot; Frank and Logan getting 1st and 3rd at Bury - Frank was always in or about the podium spots throughout the year so a first place was deserved and two CCH riders up there was icing on the cake; Stanley Boyd's 1st place at Broome Heath - again Stanley was contesting for podium spots all season; Molly Gregory's 2nd place in the same race was just reward for trailing round in her first season; her brother Harry's ride at the Eastern champs showed what he can be capable of; Artie's strong showing at Basildon; Ned in Letchworth; Judith taking on the eastern champs in her 1st ever cross race.
However the bravest  performance if not the best goes to Stanley in the last race of the year at Bury - he only needed to stay in front of his two closest rivals or finish next to them to clinch 3rd spot in the league. Stanley lead from the start for the first couple of laps then had a crash eventually finishing in 8th spot, meaning he'd dropped to 5th overall in the league by a single point. His explanation after the race - "I was going for the win" says it all.

Brown envelopes  = cash

Rider of the year - well it was a tough one - if you look at the stats Stan scored the most points followed by Andy then Ned, Frank had most podium spots and was certainly revelation of the season - but it has to go to Molly Gregory racing in the under 8's on a heavy mountain bike, mixed in with the under 10's, being spat out the back but having the time of her life and what's more her points were vital to the team scoring 10th overall - so well done Molly you showed us all the line to take.

You too can have legs like these...

Final placings in the Eastern league for CCH riders were as follows - Judith Philips- 9th women, Andy O'Regan- 2nd Vets 50, Harry Moore - 12th Vets 50, Dave Carr 19th - Vets 50, Neil Irons 20th - Vets 45-49, Gary Boyd 37th - Vets 45-49, Tom Lloyd also raced vets but didn't join league, Ned O'Regan 10th - Youth U16, Frank Moore 2nd - Youth U14, Logan de Monchaux-Irons 9th - Youth U14, Artie O'Regan 20th - Youth U14, Frank Ramsay 22nd -Youth U14, Louis Byrne 25th - Youth U14, Hal Crampin 30th -Youth U14, Molly Lloyd 5th - Youth U14G, Harry Gregory 12th - Youth U12, Stanley Boyd 5th -Youth U10th, Molly Gregory 3rd - Youth U8. other riders that raced - Alessandro and Serafino Sella, Mike Mooney.

CCH finished 10th in the Eastern league on 690 points.

In the London league where we all did a lot less racing -  vets- Neil - 71st, Dave - 73rd, Harry - 84th, youth - Frank -18th, Ned 35th, Logan 21st, Louis - 39th, Hal - 79th, Artie 37th, Harry G 47th, Stan - 60th, Molly G -114th.

Other results below -

British National Championship (Derby)

Andy O’Regan    V50            33rd

Harry Moore       V50            61st

Gary Boyd          V45            DNF (punctured)

Ned O’Regan      U16            59th

Frank Moore       U14            DNF (Shoe failure!)

Molly Lloyd        U14G         20th

Eastern Regional Championship - Ipswich

Andy O’Regan                         V50                        33rd

Harry Moore                             V50                        20th

Gary Boyd                                V45                        69th

Dave Carr                                 V50                        29th

Neil Irons                                  V45                        57th

Judith Philip                              Women                   17th

(all Youths together)

Logan de Monchaux-Irons        U14                        26th

Frank Moore                              U14                        15th

Molly Lloyd                               U14G                     3rd

National Trophy – Milton Keynes

Andy O’Regan                          V50                         18th

Harry Moore                              V50                        35th

Ned O’Regan                             U16                        44th

Artie O’Regan                            U14                        38th

Frank Moore                              U14                        DNF (Crashed final bend!)