And so the curtain falls on an action packed cyclocross season in challenging times – the fact that it happened at all is a testament to the incredible hard work by all the volunteers who make this great league happen.
We journeyed to Crow in the New Forest in late January for the final round of the Wessex League jointly hosted by Bournemouth Arrow, Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers, New Forest CC and Poole Wheelers.
The theme of a mostly dry winter (except Romsey of course) continued with spring-like conditions and a course that wound its way over the undulating meadows of Gaddens Close Farm and into the woods for some flowing singletrack action.
Sotonia highlights included youth success for Freddie Trosh and James Sutton – 2nd and 3rd U8 boys. Matilda Wilks, Eve Carline and Jaya Martingale all making the U10 girls top five with Billy Dyer fifth U10 boy despite a flat tyre. Thomas Wilks and Sophie Jacobs 2nd and 4th in their U12 races. Izzy Hall finished her U14 season strongly with 2nd place in the race and overall standings. Thomas Allen and Niclas Olley were closely matched again in their U14 race, taking 6th and 7th in the race, but also inseparable in the league table; finishing 4th and 5th overall. In the U16s Louis Kirk was top club finisher in 12th place.
In the adult events, Tom Budden and Jon Hall had very good races in the v40 and v50 men, both coming fourth – Jon securing 3rd in the overall v50 classification. Gemma Wilks held her familiar fifth place in the senior women (3rd overall) as we welcomed yet more Sotonia cross newbies – Caroline Trosh and Eve Finlayson. Phil Wilks rounded the day off with 12th in the senior men’s race.
The final team tallies also made excellent reading for Sotonia…
U14s: A team – 2nd place, B team: 4th place, C team – 7th, D team -10th.
U16s: A team – 6th place, B team: 14th place, C team – 15th.
We’re particularly proud this year of being able to field not one but three women’s teams as participation has really shot up, the A team: 2nd, B team: 11th place, C team – 13th.
V50 men: A team – 2nd place, B team: 12th place, C team – 25th.
V40 men: A team – 4th place, B team: 10th place, C team – 15th.
Senior men: A team – 5th place, B team: 10th place.
Well done to the 91 club cross riders young or old, new or experienced. Thanks to all the support crews too – literally keeping those wheels turning! ??
