This is the race to win. Everyone wants to win this race, people remember winners and not who comes seconds, let alone third. The trouble with this year was there are two riders that are the ones to beat, Roger Hammond and Matt Ellis. Both riders are based in Belgium and 'cross is "their thing." Both of them likes to ride off the front alone from the start and are rarely challenged by the rest, but when they are in the same race who knows. At Eastway they stayed together and it was a sprint finish. I was thinking that I might be lucky and they race each other hard and I could take advantage. With this aim I went to Ipswich.

The course had been changed from previous events here, now it was straight forward and flat out with hardly any difficult sections or tricky bits. I was ready for a fast start, but instead of Roger or Matt setting the pace it was Carl Sturgeon. He was infact going too fast, one lap pace. I had made my good start and was in second place, the expected fast start of Roger and Matt was not from the line but the power was applied after half a lap. I was there and able to go with it, so after the first lap a group containing Roger, Matt, myself and Stuart Blunt had opened a gap over the rest of the field. When more pressure was applied by Matt there was only the three of us. This is how it stayed for the first twenty minutes, Roger and Matt racing each other and me hanging on.

At about the twenty minute mark I just could not hold on anymore. I waved goodbye to the leaders and paid the price for my fast start. I was caught by Steve Knight and Nick Craig who I stayed with for only half a lap - I was really paying for trying to go with the race. This second tandem chased the one in front for the rest of the race. After the next twenty minutes of torture for me I began to come around a bit. I now had Carl Sturgeon not far behind me. With two laps to go he caught me, he tried an attack but I had recovered now and after his try I managed to shake him off. I finished 5th - but then I did not come to race for 3rd.

At the front Roger and Matt battled all race, Roger did open a small gap with a couple of laps to go but Matt closed it. This left another sprint finish - Roger won. After Steve Knight doing the lions share of the work Nick took advantage and finished in bronze medal position.

It seems that these are the type of courses that organisers want, from a riders point of view I would like a few more challenges around the circuit.

National Cyclo-Cross - Elite Result

1. Roger Hammond  Collstrop
2. Matt Ellis   Ace RT
3. Nick Craig  Pertex
4. Steve Knight  MI Racing
5. Barrie Clarke  Helly Hansen

Barrie