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www.barrieclarke.net |
Race report |
 | National Trophy CX
#3- Hetton Lyons
in the north-east hosted round three of the 'cross series. Hetton Lyons
is a cycling circuit along similar lines to the Eastway one in London. I had
never raced here before today. With Matt Ellis option to stay in Belgium this weekend the overall series was up for grabs. Stuart Blunt was the favourite to take over the lead with Nick Craig and I as outsiders. I have won the National Series five times before so I was keen to try and make it six. (Last year I went to Nepal so did not race a full cross season). A tough circuit had been laid out for us, using road sections, muddy flat grass, steep banks - some which could be ridden and others that forced a dismount. It was a good circuit. The start and finish were on the road. It was slightly uphill from the line, this week it was Stuart Wearmouth and Ian Wilkinson setting the early pace. After the first lap a group with these two plus my team mate Nick Craig, Stuart Blunt, Dave Collins and U23 leader Shaun Snodden and I together. The blistering pace was beginning to slow, so I decided that I would go hard at the front. This I did which stretched the group but then Shaun Snodden decided it was his turn. He was really going for it. The group split with only me being able or wanting to go with him. Shaun & I were together for the rest of the race with Dave Collins chasing in 3rd. On the last lap we were still together, I could not shake him off and neither could he me. So would it be a sprint finish? (I had just pipped Shaun in the opening round at Cheltenham for 3rd). I decided that my best bet was to ride this "impossible" bank before the pits (I had practiced it before the race) with about a quarter of a lap to go. I was leading into the bank, I attacked it, and much to the spectators surprise I rode up it. This would normally be a race winning move. Shaun did not give up though and the 5 second gap that I had opened soon closed and he sped by me seaming to be going twice my speed! I had used up all I had and trailed in about 10 seconds down. This result was still enough to give me the overall lead in the series. |
| NTL4 full results - full results can be found by
following this link.
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| Daily Telegraph report.
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