National XC Championships, Cathkin Braes - Full Report

Words and Photographs by Anna Buick

Cathkin braes provided big views, big battles and the feel and atmosphere of a big event. It had gravitas and emotion but ran methodically and professionally. On a course which was subject to some critical questioning on technicality following practice on Saturday, races were actually won and lost on the descents, whilst the combination of short, steep inclines and the long drag to the finish also split the fields. Racing the course certainly changed many riders' perspective. It was, by all accounts, "tough". Annie Simpson summed up what I heard from many people: "Never thought a race that appeared so fun in pre-ride could hurt so much to race!". What defined the race for many though was the fantastic support of the crowds. 'Smash it' written on cardboard signs, huge cheers as riders were called up to the grid and the sound of clapping resonating from within the woods. With the magnificent backdrop of the City of Glasgow twinkling in the sunshine, the Scots proved not only that they could summon a good cheer, but also that they could produce six British Champions.

Two of these Champions took the honours in the pinnacle race of the domestic calendar, the Elite National Championships.

Lee Craigie was certainly the fans favourite. She came into the race as the rider to beat and brought with her a multitude of unmistakeable Glaswegian fans. The home favourite was joined by the inaugural Enduro World Series winner and former Downhill World Champion Tracey Moseley on the short, fast start loop, a fact which worried Cragie initially. However, despite the technical prowess of Moseley, Craigie was able to make a gap by the end of lap one, and from there she never really looked back. Jane Nuessli,  a name unfimiliar to many in Britain, though not those who race on the Marathon or World Cup Series, showed her international class and by the end of the second lap had overtaken Moseley and was establishing herself in the second place spot. Behind this leading trio Jessie Roberts and Mel Alexander were separated by less than the width of thier number boards, and Annie Simpson and Max Filby were in a similar state of affairs a little further down the track. Joanne Clay was riding strongly, as was US-based Ultra Endurance rider Vicki Barclay, both comfortably inside the top ten. As Craigie increased her lead on the front, building around twenty seconds advantage each lap, Nuessli and Moseley also consolidated their positions. The fight for fourth place was not so so predictable however. Finally the elastic broke and Roberts was able to pull clear of Alexander, though it was not definitive to start with, eventually building a gap of thirty seconds by the finish. Four minutes behind Alexander, Filby, obviously having found her hitherto lost XC mojo, claimed sixth place and Clay moved up to seventh. Simpson took eighth, Barclay ninth and Verity Appleyard rounded out the top ten. Julie Elder was the first non-elite rider to finish, an impressive twelth place to her name and a big smile on her face. However, the biggest smile of all went, unsurprisingly, to the winner. Lee Craigie, despite a dropped chain and consequent panic on the last lap, came home, almost literally, to take the finest and most proud win of her career so far. 

In the men's race the winning move took a longer time to come, and the margin of victory was smaller, but the win was certainly no less impressive. In fact, the Elite Men's race was one of the most exciting and hard-fought of all. Scotland came out on top once again, but it was not the first Scot to make a move that took the title, not even the third...

First up was Kenta Gallagher with his well-known explosive start. He led the opening lap, taking with him Scot number two, Gareth Montgomerie. Montgomerie also had a blisteringly-fast start and made the cut into the first group to jump the field. Along with Gallagher and Montgomerie were Hamish and Seb Batchelor, stuck to each other's wheel as we have become so accustomed to. This foursome were never allowed to create much of a gap and survived only a short while. Having regrouped, the front runners, a bunch of about twelve riders, settled into the race, watching each other and waiting. The first to break from this bunch was Scot number three, Rab Wardell. Wardell, who lives just a short ride from Cathkin and whose input has been instrumental in the development of the course, opened a not-insignificant gap over his chasers as he reaped the benefits of knowing the track so well. However, Wardell took a fall and fell down the field. With this Montgomerie took to the front again and drove the pace. The race came back together though and it wasn't until the approach of the penultimate lap that Scot number four, Grant Ferguson, took the race on and made his big move. A rider known for his slim stature and impressive climbing abilities, Ferguson is also very capable technically, and it was this skill-set that he called upon to gap the field. Emerging from the final woodland section first, Ferguson then romped up the climb to the start/finish line and onto the final laps where he went about building his lead. Beckingsale, meanwhile, was the lone chaser, increasing his lead over the rest of the now somewhat thinned field. David Fletcher, who had earlier struggled to hold onto the accelerations of the attacks, now worked his way up to third place, whilst Oldham was hot on the heals of Montgomerie in fourth. Out in front Ferguson was extending the time gap back to Beckingsale, spurred on by the partisan crowds and the prospect of his first senior stripes. And the stripes he duly won. Behind him Beckingsale and Fletcher took the remainind podium spots, Oldham continued his successful season with a fourth place finish and Montgomerie settled for fifth. The Batchelor brothers remained together right until the end to finish sixth and seventh, Hamish just two secods ahead of his younger sibling. The ever-youthful Veteran Nick Craig worked his way up the rankings to take a fine eighth spot, Dan Fleeman was ninth and Ian Field rode to tenth.  Alex Paton, making a come-back to mountain biking after success as an international junior, summed up the men's race as " top class racing on a top class course!". Indeed it was. With such a strong bunch of riders and a Champion of just nineteen years old, the future of the sport in the UK is looking strong...and frog-like!

Hargroves Cycles RT dominated the Under 23 category with both Bethany Crumpton and Steven James claiming wins. In both races these were the riders to beat. Crumpton has had an extraordinary start to her U23 career, riding in the top ten at World Cups and claiming podium positions at the British Series. Beth explained that the race had gone to plan and was fairly straight forward for her. With a winning margin of four minutes Crumpton certainly stamped her authority on this category. Behind her, fellow first-year U23 Becky Preece rode a strong race to secure second and Carla Haines finished third. 

Steven James was pushed early on by top expert rider Isaac Pucci but was able to pull out a gap of thirty seconds by the finish and take the Championship. As a rider who takes himself abroad to race in the World Cups and many of the national races in the low countries the red, white and blue will get the good airing they deserve. Liam Glenn, the National Student Champion, took third place. 

In the Junior Women's race it took no one by surprise to see Alice Barnes take the victory. Barnes has dominated the Junior category all year and proved her outstanding class once again by carving her way through most of the Elite field on her wayt o victory. Behind Barnes Isla Short - who led the race through the start loop - continued her run of good form to secure second place with a strong and determined ride. Imogen Buick demonstrated how a buffer of several minutes can suddenly seem very insignificant when her rear tyre punctured in no uncertain terms and left her running to the pits. Sophie Fennell was able to profit from Buick's misfortune and pressed on to claim third place. 

Michael Thompson has been one of a handful of leading Junior Men all season, and with good legs and luck on his side was able to take what was billed to be a hotly contested title. Thompson didn't have the likes of last year's winner Sam Stean or Jack Ravenscroft to deal with, they were non finishers, as was Billy Harding. Still, Thompson had to shake off the second and third placed Scottish duo of Iain Paton and Stuart Wilcox before he could take the glory. 

The Youth races started before the sun burnt though the cloud and finished in a painfully long sprint and tears of delight. In a fantastic start for Scottish Cycling Erica Allen and Callum MacGowen claimed the Female and Male races. Allen's win was imperious, riding away from the hot favourites and winning by a minute. The ironically named Hannah English, from Guernsey, powered to second spot and Ffion James took third. Abigail Van Twisk and Molly Williams were both in the mix on the opening lap and James had to work especially hard to hold off the late charge from Van Twisk. Allen could not quite believe her achievement for some time after the finish, tears in her eyes and surrounded by very proud parents who had had to travel just twenty minutes from their home to watch. 

MacGowen's win was much harder fought, the battle with Harry Johnston still not decided as they exited the woods to ascend to the finish line. MacGowen went early, as the climb steepened before turning into the finish straight, and looked to create a race-winning gap. However, not one to give up until the very end, Johnston clawed back the ground he lost and was fast approaching MacGowen as they approached the line in a desperate and exhausted sprint. MacGowen just held on, much to the delight of the Scottish fans whose frantic shouting had lasted the entire length of the finish straight. Thomas Craig took a popular third place. 

Emily Wadsworth and Daniel Tulett were crowned worthy Juvenile Champions following their domination of their category over the season. Rhianna Stoves took second in the Female race and Megan James emulated her elder sister's third place. Tomas Nesham and Harry Yates took second and third respectively in the Male race.

The Master Female category has suffered a distinct lack of entrants this year, but thankfully some familiar names came out of hiding to race the Championships. Fastest of these names was Jo Munden who rode a smooth and strong race to win by over a minute from Gillian Pratt with Kate Carmichael coming in third. British Series regular Donna Morris finished fifth, smiling all the way! 

The Master Male category looked to be a battle between Jonathan Pugh and Phil Morris, as it has been throughout the season. Pugh certainly found himself at the head of affairs, but Morris was struggling in the early stages. With Pugh at the head of the race was Dan Wells, the two building a healthy lead over the rest of their rivals. Morris had not given up however, and whilst Wells was dropped by Pugh, Morris was catching him. At the finish Pugh took a convincing win and Morris closed the gap to within twenty seconds but it was not enough to dippose Wells from the second step of the podium.

Caroline Goward took control of the Veteran Women's race, but never were the time gaps throughout the field big enough to secure a position should suffer even a small mechanical misfortune. Goward held on to the lead and took the title with Anne Murray taking second and Liz Gilmour fighting off the challenge of last year's National Champion Helen MacGregor to secure third position. 

Onto the Grand Veteran categories and another National title in the Women's race for Kim Long. Long rode clear of her rivals on the start loop and never looked back. Sara Flatt was on the wheel of Carol Tilley as the pair set out on their first lap, but come the end of lap one Flatt had pulled out a tidy lead on Tilley and that is how the race remained. Long first, Flatt second and Tilley third. 

In contrast, in the Grand Veteran Men's race the leading riders chopped and changed in the opening laps but eventually the gaps started to open up through the field. Gregor Grant took strength from home soil to seal the victory whilst Peter Turnball and Timothy Stowe took second and third respectively.

Finally the Super Veterans. One can never discount Victor Barnett from the title chances, and indeed he was in with a good chance, but John Shirley was another Scot who triumphed. Barnett settled for second, less than twenty seconds back, and Colin Murley took third.

The British National Championships at Cathkin Braes had a big build and promised a lot. Thankfully for all involved it delivered! Quite the most professional event British domestic mountain biking has seen in recent years - the venue, the organisation, the fantastic commentary from Dan Jarvis and Matt Paine, the crowds and the racing - came together to give a mouth-watering taster of what to expect from the Commonwealth Games next year, where this year's Elite Champions now look set to rouse even bigger cheers. 

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