National Champs U23

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BY: Richard Jones

Published: 29th July, 2012

National Champs. 

This was set to be my second National Champs. Last years race was very wet, and I had just arrived back home after a week of riding in the French Alps. I was tired and not used to the mud both of these factors resulted in a very disappointing race, I believe I finished in 16^th in the Espoir category. 

This year I wanted a very different result, especially as there were UCI points for the top 5 positions, which is what I have been chasing all season. In the weeks running up to the event training had been going well and as if by magic we had finally started to get some decent weather, so from the moment I arrived at the venue on Saturday it was clear that it was going to be mostly dry.  The course was made up mostly of the usual Wasing trails, however many of what would have been the wettest sections had been filled by hard pack making a good weatherproof course. 

Saturday was the start of the National Champ races with Megan Bettles taking the starting grid of the Under 12s race. She had been grouped with the boys but this didn't seem to faze her. Megan started strong however made sure not to blow to fast. Off into the distance they went and she was positioned well towards the front, however it was only one lap so my self and others waited eagerly to see who would be through first. It was no surprise that Megan had picked up the lead and managed to pull a strong advantage, with time to spare she crossed the finish line in first place! A great performance and a race perfectly executed. 

Sunday morning and the sun was finally showing us what it looked like. By the time I arrived back at the venue after a night in a comfy bed, races were well underway. I set about preparing and then began my warm up. The race had been delayed by half an hour but the time finally came to be gridded and believe it or not I was 7^th on the grid…right on the front row! 

In no time at all the race had begun and most of my field was quickly passing me. The pace seemed extremely high and I settled onto the back of the pack. As we rode the final part of the first climb it became slightly steeper and here I made my move and moved up towards the front. Into the first section of singletrack and the pace seemed a lot more reasonable so I passed a few more riders however I was surprised to see a large group of riders had already rode away into the distance. Riding over to them was going to be very hard especially as by this point I was beginning to meet back makers from the senior race. 

As with most of this season I didn't quite feel on top form however felt like I could hold a good pace for many laps. I used this to my advantage and ensured to keep my lap times consistent. Each time I saw a senior rider I would work harder to reach his wheel, rest for a few seconds and then move on to the next rider up ahead. I find this to be a great strategy however naturally each rider you catch becomes faster and faster. 

Two laps in and I passed Ben Sumner who had unfortunately punctured, this meant another position higher, I pushed on and out for my next lap. This passed with out much to report except from a small slip on a muddy section that had 3 wooden steps, resulting in a hop skip and a run to get me back going again. 

Photo from NPS Facebook page. 

Out onto lap 4 and I had passed Liam Glen walking back with a mechanical, which was a great shame, as he seemed to be having the race of his life. This once more meant I was up another position. 

Out onto my last lap and in the distance I thought I caught a glimpse of a younger rider. I pushed on and managed to catch him, I was however unsure I was passing him or lapping him, as it wasn't a rider that I recognized. I felt strong through out the last lap and actually felt as if given another lap like the seniors I could of made up some more time. 

I crossed the line in 6^th position, just 1 position of those much-wanted UCI points. Lee Westwood managed to grab those and from looking at the results they seemed well deserved, he was over 4 minutes up on me! I was pleased with my result and felt as if I had a strong ride. With so many riders having such great races up until some kind of mechanical it does slightly taint my result but that's racing.

All in all it was yet another fantastic weekend of racing, Brilliant to be with great friends and company. The sun makes such a difference to both the racing and the cleaning which follows. 

Roll on the last national however from now onwards expect to see me here, there and every where as I venture to a variety of events before the season is finally complete, maybe even a rather long ride around the Scottish borders come September. 

Richard Jones

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