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2015 British Cycling MTB Cross-Country Series Rd1 Report

BC XC Round 1 Sherwood Pines Photo Report

BY: Darren Ciolli-Leach

Published: 31st March, 2015

Last weekend saw the first round of the British Cycling MTB Cross Country Series at Sherwood Pines. The fun, open and sport races on Saturday had good conditions, but Sunday saw the weather deteriorate to a good old fashioned mud fest. With several crashes and mechanical problems there were a higher number of DNF's than average.

All photos by Darren Colli-Leach - There are loads more on his website >> and you can buy prints or digital files.

Local Elite rider Dave Fletcher narrowly missed out on 1st to the Belgian Ruben Scheire. After the race Fletcher said: “I came into today hoping for a good ride and maybe a top ten which I would have been happy with, but to lead for most of the race and get a second is phenomenal, I’m really pleased with that.

“Scheire passed me on the last feed but I’ve only raced once this year so it’s lack of racing I think. The Europeans always come over here well prepared so to podium is really good for me and in front of a home crowd, it’s my back garden so to speak.

“I had a really bad season last year, had a lot of problems that needed sorting to be honest but that’s all sorted now. I’ve got a new team, new coach, new everything really so it’s a fresh start for me this year. I’ve just got to work to get back on that Olympic programme and reboot my career.”

Also in the Elite women the Belgians took 1st position. Gather Michiels reflects on her win... “It is always a hard race here because it is really fast, the conditions are a lot worse than last year and I haven’t done much training for this so it hurts and I can really feel it,”

“My brakes stopped working on the second lap so I couldn’t go very quick on the downhills and had to take them carefully then make it up on other parts of the course.

“I hit a tree on the third lap with my shoulder because I couldn’t slow down and then I ran into another rider for the same reason which allowed the other girls to catch me up. I had trouble seeing because of the mud and rain in my eyes which caused a few problems but the biggest problem today was having no brakes.”

Results:

Elite men

1 Ruben Scheire (Belgian National Team) 1:50:50
2 Dave Fletcher (Pine Cycles-Felt-Enve) 1:50:55
3 Kevin Van Hoovels (Versluys Team) 1:51:04
4 Hans Becking (Betch.NL Superior Brentjens) 01:51:42
5 Adrian Lansley (Pedal On) 01:53:13

Elite women
1 Githa Michiels (Versluys Team/Belgium National Team) 01:52:19
2 Alice Barnes (Betch.NL-Superior-Brentjens MTB Racing Team) 01:52:53
3 Nathalie Schneitter (Rose Vaujany fuelled by Ultrasports) 01:53:04
4 Annie Last (Liv Cycling UK) 01:54:54
5 Beth Crumpton (North West MTB Race Team) 01:56:53

Expert men

1 Paul Lloyd 01:38:06

2 David Creber (Westbridge Foods Cycle Club) 01:39:17

3 Ryan Perry (Army Cycling Union) 01:39:29
4 Richrd Dunnett (TORQ Performance)
5 Grant Leavy (Urban Cyclery) 01:41:13

Expert women

1 Laura Sampson 01:42:38

2 Katy Simcock (Corley Cycles - Drops RT - St Ives CC) 01:44:25

3 Diane Lee (Team Mulebar Girl - Sigma Sport) 01:45:47

4 Kirsty MacPhee (Rock and Road Cycle) 01:48:01
5 Helen Wainwright 01:50:01

Junior men

1 Frazer Clacherty (Nutcracker Racing) 01:12:34 152
2 William Gascoyne (Pines Cycles - Felt - Enve) 01:14:19

3 Mark Mcguire (Mountain Trax RT) 01:14:22

4 Thomas Craig (Pioneer Scott Syncros) 01:15:04
5 Arthur Green (Clee Cycles) 01:16:11

Junior women

1 Evie Richards (T-Mo Racing) 01:15:36
2 Ffion James (Abergavenny RC) 01:16:28
3 Ella Conolly (Contessa Scott Syncros) 01:19:42
4 Abigail Van Twisk (Corley Cycles - Drops RT) 01:20:13
5 Holly MacMahon (WXC World Racing) 01:20:46

Juvenile men

1 Ben Tulett (Beeline Bicycles RT) 00:50:49

2 Lewis Askey (Lichfield City CC) 00:50:54

3 Harry Birchill (Certini) 00:51:12

4 Charlie Craig (Pioneer Scott Syncros) 00:52:10

5 Thomas Timberlake (Banjo Cycles) 00:53:04

Juvenile women

1 Poppy Wildman (Nottingham Clarion CC) 00:37:09

2 Harriet Harnden (Malvern Cycle Sport) 00:37:29

3 Maddie Wadsworth (Beeline Bicycles RT) 00:39:16

4 Anna Flynn (Edinburgh RC) 00:39:29
5 Polly Henderson (Stewartry Wheelers) 00:39:36

Youth men

1 Daniel Tulett (Specialized Racing) 01:03:29

2 Ross Harnden (Malvern Cycle Sport) 01:04:39
3 Calum Fernie (Nottingham Clarion CC) 01:04:51
4 Thomas Pidcock (Chevin Cycles.com Trek) 01:05:46
5 Cameron Orr (Team Velocite) 01:05:47

Youth women

1 Sophie Wright (Strada Sport) 00:55:24
2 Megan James (Abergavenny RC) 00:56:54
3 Emily Field (Stirling Bike Club) 00:57:04

4 Sophie Thackray (Paul Milnes - Bradford Olympic RC) 00:58:14 00:02:50 75
5 Anna Kay (Hetton Hawks CC) 00:58:29

Vet men

1 Paul Hopkins Merida 01:20:26
2 Ian Taylor (C and N Cycles RT) 01:20:58
3 Lewis King (Beeline Bicycles R) 01:21:33
4 Marc Chamberlain (WDMBC/Specialized Ruislip) 01:22:46

5 Andrew Taylor (C & N Cycles RT) 01:22:56

Vet women

1 Helen MacGregor (VC Lincoln) 01:49:10
2 Maddi Smith (Bolsover & District Cycling Club) 01:49:16
3 Alison Holmes (Run & Ride) 01:52:09

4 Caroline Goward (Contessa Scott Syncros) 01:58:44
5 Katherine Liron 02:04:06

Super Vet men

1 Andrew Roberts (Cotswold Veldrijden) 00:48:10
2 Ian Petherbridge (Southdowns Bikes – Casco) 00:48:39
3 Andy Firman (Cycle-Tec) 00:50:34

4 Victor Barnett (Welland Valley CC) 00:50:54
5 Lynn Lines (Gateway Racing - Gateway R/T) 00:50:59

Grand Vet men

1 Grant Johnson (Sunset Cycles) 01:03:41

2 Mark Chadbourne (Ridebike.co.uk) 01:03:46
3 Nigel Brown (Westbury Wheelers) 01:04:03

4 Richard Cross 01:05:47
5 Peter Turnbull 01:07:22

Grand Vet women

1 Sarah Barnwell (Clwb Beicio Mynydd Dyffryn Conwy) 01:27:44

2 Elizabeth Clayton (Lichfield City CC) 01:31:26
3 Penny Allan (MazingTree IT) 01:39:25
4 Carolyn Speirs (Horwich CC) 01:42:01
5 Fiona Paton (Ben Wyvis Cycle Club) 01:45:48

Full results are on the Timelaps website:

Saturday - Fun m & f, Open m & f and Sport m

Sunday - Junior m & f, Juvenile m & f, youth m & f, Elite m & f, Expert m & f, Vet m & f, Grand Vet m & f and Super Vet m & f

All photos by Darren Colli-Leach - There are loads more on his website >> and you can buy prints or digital files.

Click any of the images below for a larger view / slideshow