Round 1, Parentini Wessex CX League, Droxford
It may have been a crazy 2020 but Wessex Cyclocross league’s comeback was enthusiastically received at the weekend - and what better place to start than Hecklers Hill at Droxford? Sotonia kids showed that the lockdown Zwift sessions have paid off with some impressive results - virtual podiums for Billy Dyer, Tilly Wilks, Eve Carline, Stanley Phillips, Tom Wilks, Izzy Hall, George Connell and Lucy Phillips. Tom and Izzy both riding particularly well in new age groups!
Big thanks to the team at Fareham Wheelers who put on an awesome covid safe event.
Great riding everyone!
U8 boys
Billy Dyer 2nd
U10 girls
Tilly Wilks 1st, Eve Carline 3rd, Jaya Martingale 6th
U10 boys
Lorenzo Scarponi 7th, Corden ECCLESTON 8th, 10 Giulio SCARPONI 10th, Aneurin GILBERT 11th, Morgan GILBERT 14th, Samuel COMBEN 15th, Harry BANKS 16th
U12 girls
Skye Martingale 6th, Poppy Carline 9th, Sophie Jacobs 10th, Ella Ridgment 11th, Sophie Eccleston 14th, Marit Davidse 15th
U12 Boys
Stanley Phillips 2nd, Thomas Wilks 3rd, Thomas Allen 11th, Benji Pike 13th
U14 Girls
Izzy Hall 3rd, Emma Harrison 5th
U14 Boys
George Connell 3rd, Samuel Ridgment 5th
U16 Girls
Lucy Phillips 2nd
Round 16, Parentini Wessex CX League, Southampton
The "Geoff Shergold Memorial Cross" organised by the Crabwood Cycling Club was a very muddy affair. The U10 / U12 course was probably the hardest of the 2019/20 season. Riders were treated to deep mud, long climbs and technical terrain.
Before we document the achievements of our youth riders a big shout out is due for two of our coaches. Jez Hart saw a good season rewarded with a win in the Vet 50 race and Phil Banks quietly rode to a very credible 6th place in the senior event.
The Sotonia U8 girls changed finishing position every race this year and this time Tilly came out on top finishing in first place with Eve Carline in second place. Billy has gotten used to being on the podium this year but in the last race of the season he finished behind a sea of Blue Cotswolds Veldrijden riders in 4th place.
In the U10 race both Eva and Tom Wilks crowned their good season with yet more podium finishes. Eva coped very well with the mud clogging up her bike and finished in 2nd U10 Girls position. Tom had very consistent and fast lap times and he finished in a solid 3rd position. In the U10 Girls race Marit struggled to push her heavy bike the last 50m to the finish. We have decided the Crabwood race is "cursed" for the Davidse's as she struggled with mud making the bike un-moveable in the last three editions of the race.
Izzy Hall showed everyone that she is ready for U14 racing next year as she once again finished in first position. Niclas and Monty gave us a very exciting race in the U12 Boys. As always Monty was fast out of the blocks but his aggressive racing and risk taking meant that he summersaulted into the mud on lap 3. This gave Niclas the chance to move into third place and his consistent and good lap times meant he finished in a well deserved 3rd place. Just like Izzy he is also ready for U14 racing next year. Monty recovered from his fall but was not able to get close again and he finished in 4th place.
Benji has done many races this year and all this experience paid off as the last race of the season was probably his best one finishing ahead of Tom Allen who was a proud cyclist and refused all help when his chain fell off.
The U14 Girls race saw Olivia, Emma and Ruby stay close together on lap one. The longer course and race also meant that the bikes gathered more mud. Ruby came into the pits on lap two and your correspondent spent 20 seconds trying to clear the mud from the brakes. On the last lap Emma and Ruby came into the pits together to have their bikes cleaned and they left the pits together for an exciting last few minutes of racing. Emma came out on top, finishing in 6th place with Ruby behind in 7th. By then Olivia had already finished in 4th place after posting good lap times.
In the U14 Boys race Louis had a good race finishing in 7th place. Samuel and Jonathan had a close battle all race but in the last lap Samuel had the upper hand finishing in 9th place ahead of Jonathan in 10th.
Max Darnton was our only rider in the U16 race but just like all season he competed at the head of a fast field finishing in 6th place despite a mid-race mechanical.
Great riding everyone!
U8 Girls
Tilly Wilks 1st, Eve Carline 2nd, Isabella Mar-Molinero 4th, Jaya Martingale 5th
U8 Boys
Billy Dyer 4th, Giulio Scarponi 5th, Harry Banks 6th, Lorenzo Scarponi 7th, Samuel Comben 10th, Thomas Comben 11th
U10 Girls
Eva Mar-Molinero 2nd, Sophie Jacobs 5th, Marit Davidse 7th
U10 Boys
Tom Wilks 3rd, Freddie Kesall-Joel 16th
U12 Girls
Izzy Hall 1st, Ella Ridgment 7th, Skye Martingale 8th, Poppy Carline 10th
U12 Boys
Niclas Olley 3rd, Monty Flavell 4th, Stanley Philips 6th, James Blankly 12th, Benji Pike 14th, Tom Allen 16th
U14 Girls
Olivia Allman 4th, Emma Harrison 6th, Ruby Flavell 7th
U14 Boys
Samuel Ridgment 7th, Jonathan Lowe 10th, George Connell 21st
U16 Boys
Max Darnton 6th
Round 15, Parentini Wessex CX League, Crowhill
It was a frosty and unbelievably, given recent heavy rain, mostly mud free Crowhill near Ringwood for round 15 of the Parentini Wessex CX League. Featuring an undulating grassland course with loamy, technical wood section to excite the MTB fans. We had a superb turnout of 37 Sotonia youth riders and support crew making it feel like a 'home' race even this late in the season!
Lots of brilliant rides and podiums - Monty in the U12 boys with his familiar attacking style to finish second. Izzy in dominant form once again, winning the U12 girls. Eva, Eve, Billy, Harry, Sophie, Charlie and Niclas also making top five.
Great riding everyone!
U8 Girls
Isabelle Mar-Molinero 2nd, Eve Carline 4th, Jaya Martingale 6th,
U8 Boys
Billy Dyer 3rd, Harry Banks 5th, Giulio Scarponi 7th, Samuel Comben 8th, Lorenzo Scarponi 10th, Thomas Comben 12th.
U10 Girls
Eva Mar-Molinero 2nd, Sophie Jacobs 5th, Marit Davidse 6th.
U10 Boys
Fred Kelsall Joel 17th, Ben Allen 18th, Anerin Gilbert 20th, Morgan Gilbert 21st, Evan Gilbert 22nd.
U12 Girls
Izzy Hall 1st, Skye Martingale 6th, Poppy Carline 7th, Ella Ridgment 9th.
U12 Boys
Monty Flavell 2nd, Charlie Shepherd 4th, Niclas Olley 5th, Stanley Phillips 9th, Tom Allen 16th, Benji Pike 20th, James Blankley 21st, George White 22nd.
U14 Girls
Ruby Flavell 6th, Emma Harrison 7th.
U14 Boys
George Connell 9th, Louis Kirk 14th, Samuel Ridgment 17th, Jonathan Lowe 23rd, Robert Cole 24th.
U16 Boys
Max Darnton 7th.
Thanks to Bill Temple for the photos.
Round 14, Parentini Wessex CX League, Abingdon
Our final long trip of this year's cross league sent us back up to Abingdon airfield in Oxfordshire. A rare dry spell in this wettest of winters meant we were treated to minimal post race bike clean after our riders had tackled the technical course of grass and tacky obstacle course mud.
Still lots of our riders in evidence deep into the season with some fine results - podiums for Eve, Jaya, Billy, Ella, Sophie and Lucy with Eva pipped to at the post by just one second. Another win also for Izzy and Stanley completing a successful weekend with second place in the U12 boys having won his category in the Hampshire Cross Country running Championships on Saturday!
Great riding everyone!
U8 Girls
Eve Carline 2nd, Jaya Martingale 4th, Isabelle Mar-Molinero 6th
U8 Boys
Billy Dyer 3rd, Lorenzo Scarponi 6th, Samuel Comben 7th, Giulio Scarponi 8th
U10 Girls
Eva Mar-Molinero 2nd, Sophie Jacobs 5th.
U12 Girls
Izzy Hall 1st, Ella Ridgment 5th, Poppy Carline 7th, Skye Martingale 9th.
U12 Boys
Stanley Phillips 2nd, Charlie Shepherd 6th, Niclas Olley 10th, Tom Allen 17th, Benji Pike 22nd.
U14 Girls
Lucy Phillips 2nd, Emma Harrison 12th.
U14 Boys
George Connell 7th, Louis Kirk 17th, Samuel Ridgment 18th
U16 Boys
Max Darnton 7th.
Round 13, Parentini Wessex CX League, Andover Supercross
Many of our riders and parents made the short trip to Andover where the Wessex co-op team led by Alex Forrester and group of volunteers had laid out a difficult technical course for our youngsters. On offer were hurdles to jump over, a deep muddy puddle, a 180 degree bend on an off-camber climb and a steep zig-zag and slippery downhill. The start and finish were on a tarmac straight and this gave the event a feeling of taking part in an international elite event! The tarmac also meant faster starts and this did mean a few riders had a crash. From our riders Benji came closest to a crash after a (near) touch of wheels but he showed good skill to control his slide and stay upright.
Our under 8 girls keep swapping position every race showing how close they all are. This time Jaya had the upper hand and she finished in second place. Billy is one of our most consistent podium finishers and he once again delivered to finish 2nd U8 boy.
In the under 10 boys race Tom Wilks found himself in a race packed with strong competitors and he had to settle for 5th place this time. Ben Allen is getting more experienced every race and he did well to finish in 15th place.
Izzy had a good race and she showed her usual class to finish 1st U12 girl. As always the Under 12 boys race saw our largest contingent of riders in the field. Monty lead the pack of Sotonia riders this time, coming home in 4th place and not far off 3rd place.
The U14 race riders had to negotiate a much larger course and organiser Alex Forrester used all his Belgium CX knowledge to pack the course with endless off-camber hills, steps, hurdles, mud and an exciting loop over the BMX track. Monty's sister Ruby had a great start to the U14 girls race and she was well up in the field until a fall and an open elbow saw her drift back. She kept riding though and delayed a visit to the first aider until after the finish.
Max was our lone rider in the U16 race finishing in 13th place and gaining more points for the national rankings.
U8 Girls
Jaya Martingale 2nd, Tilly Wilks 4th, Isabelle Mar-Molinero 5th
U8 Boys
Billy Dyer 2nd
U10 Girls
Eva Mar-Molinero 1st, Marit Davidse 2nd, Hannah Olney 4th
U10 Boys
Tom Wilks 5th, Ben Allen 15th
U12 Girls
Izzy Hall 1st, Ella Ridgment 6th, Skye Martingale 8th
U12 Boys
Monty Flavell 4th, Niclas Olley 8th, Charlie Shepherd 10th, Tom Allen 15th, Benji Pike 16th, George White 18th
U14 Girls
Emma Harrison 9th, Ruby Flavell 12th
U14 Boys
George Connell 12th, Louis Kirk 23th, Samuel Ridgment 24th
U16 Boys
Max Darnton 13th
Round 12, Parentini Wessex CX League, Oxford Brookes
Oxford Brookes University made a return to the list of Wessex Cyclocross venues last weekend with new organising club Cowley Condors giving us a mix of fast playing fields and a wooded section that was anything but fast with mud level of 10 and soup like course, including a stream and log for the riders to negotiate after recent heavy rain.
Conditions clearly suited our racers though with wins for Eve and Lucy plus 3rd for Niclas who continues to improve his results every race, as his team mates also finished 4th, 5th and 6th in the U12 boys. Great riding everyone!
U8 Girls
Eve Carline 1st, Tilly Wilks 3rd.
U10 Boys
Tom Wilks 2nd.
U12 Girls
Poppy Carline 2nd.
U12 Boys
Niclas Olley 3rd, Charlie Shepherd 4th, Stanley Phillips 5th, Monty Flavell 6th, Aaron Hay-Ibanez 11th, Tom Allen 16th, Benji Pike 20th.
U14 Girls
Lucy Phillips 1st, Emma Harrison 5th, Ruby Flavell 6th.
U14 Boys
George Connell 12th, Louis Kirk 15th, Samuel Ridgment 19th.
South Region CX Championships, Foxhill
Our riders who made their way to the exciting Foxhill motocross venue were treated to sunny skies and an interesting course. The sun stayed out for our youth riders but the mums, dads and coaches who raced later in the day had to face the full force of English winter weather. The U10 and U12 course was a short lap with endless corners and turns but no technical difficulties. The U14 and U16 course made up for this as our riders were presented with one of the most difficult courses of the year.
The number of Sotonia riders and the overall number of riders for the regional championships was lower compared to regular league races but the regular riders were present so there was plenty of competition.
Tilly had a very good race with consistent lap times that got her within 20 seconds of first place in U8 girls. Jaya was not far behind in 3rd place. Isabella is getting faster every race and this time just missed out on the podium in 4th place.
As always Billy's enthusiasm carried him all the way to a podium spot, finishing 3rd in the U8 boys. Eva has had a few difficult weeks with a bad cold, but she came back strongly to be crowned U10 Girls champion! Marit made the podium a Sotonia sandwich finishing 3rd. Tom Wilks was our only representative in the U10 Boys but he treated all spectators to a very close race with another rider. In the end Tom had to settle for second place, finishing four seconds off top spot.
The U12 start was as fast as ever and the highlight was Tom Allen having a super first two laps to show us what he is capable off and staying with Charlie. Niclas slowly made his way up through the field though, passing Tom and Charlie to finish 7th with Charlie just behind. Tom was still posting consistent lap times but faded a little he finished 11th.
Izzy showed her class by becoming U12 Girls Champion with nearly a full lap ahead of number 2! Ella has discovered that CX racing is a mental game as well and her focus and energy was rewarded with a 3rd place. Sky had a mishap in the last lap but she recovered well to finish 6th.
The U16 course was one of the hardest of the season with steep climbs and downhills, running on steps to climb banks, 2 feet sheer drops, steep off camber slopes and mud to suck the wheels in. This did not stop our riders though, with everyone showing off their skills. Emma probably cannot wait for some of our U12 girls to join her next year as she was our sole representative finishing just off the podium in 4th place. George, Louis and Samuel all had good races and showed us what level our riders have reached already!
Max once again had a very good race, finishing just outside the podium in 4th place. Not bad for a first year U16!
U8 Girls
Tilly Wilks 2nd, Jaya Martingale 3rd, Isabelle Mar-Molinero 4th
U8 Boys
Billy Dyer 3rd
U10 Girls
Eva Mar-Molinero 1st, Marit Davidse 3rd
U10 Boys
Tom Wilks 2nd
U12 Girls
Izzy Hall 1st, Ella Ridgment 3rd, Skye Martingale 6th
U12 Boys
Niclas Olley 7th, Charlie Shepherd 8th, Tom Allen 11th
U14 Girls
Emma Harrison 4th
U14 Boys
George Connell 9th, Louis Kirk 10th, Samuel Ridgment 12th
U16 Boys
Max Darnton 4th
Round 11, Parentini Wessex CX League, Abingdon
Abingdon airfield is usually cold and windy so it was no surprise to see familiar conditions on Sunday for round 11 of the Parentini Wessex CX League - if somewhat light on the mud that we've seen elsewhere this season. The slippery, twisting, undulating, assault course of a track provided some fast racing and a few first lap spills for our riders. Well done Tom Allen and Stanley Phillips who didn't give up and battled on to finish.
Great riding everyone!
U8 Girls
Eve Carline 1st, Tilly Wilks 2nd, Jaya Martingale 4th.
U8 Boys
Billy Dyer 3rd, Harry Banks 5th.
U10 Girls
Tess Bignell 5th, Hannah Olney 6th
U10 Boys
Tom Wilks 6th, Ben Allen 16th.
U12 Girls
Ella Ridgment 6th, Poppy Carline 8th, Skye Martingale 10th.
U12 Boys
Charlie Shepherd 5th, Tom Allen 16th, Joseph Bignell 18th, Stanley Phillips 19th, Niclas Olley DNF.
U14 Girls
Lucy Phillips 4th, Emma Harrison 11th.
U14 Boys
George Connell 8th, Samuel Ridgment 17th
U16 Boys
Max Darnton 6th.
Round 10, Parentini Wessex CX League, Standlake
22 of our youth riders made the long trip to the Standlake venue near Oxford on Sunday. Host club Oxonian CC had laid out a very twisty and bumpy course that challenged all our riders. The hard course and the chances for bad luck meant there were tears for some at the end. These episodes are all part of the long journey to become a very experienced rider and Emma, Louis, George and Samuel in the U14 race all showed how much they have learned over the years.
The highlights of the day were Eve, Jaya and Tilly giving the U8 Girls podium photo a distinct Sotonia feel, Tom once again racing strongly to get a medal, Marit using the interesting course to stay on task and finish 2nd U10 Girl, Hannah getting her reward for sticking with racing and appearing in the podium photo, Niclas getting stronger every race and being first U12 Sotonia rider, Charlie/Aaron/Tom and Benji giving a strong Sotonia presence in the U12 boys race, Izzy once again having a good race with her rival Lauren Charles, Skye/Ella and Poppy negotiating the extra U12 course difficulties really well, Emma getting a well deserved silver medal and George/Louis/Samuel showing how good a rider everyone can become with years of experience.
U8 Girls
Eve Carline 2nd, Jaya Martingale 4th, Tilly wilks 5th
U8 Boys
Billy Dyer 2nd, Giulio Scarponi 5th, Lorenzo Scarponi 6th
U10 Girls
Marit Davidse 2nd, Hannah Olney 5th
U10 Boys
Tom Wilks 2nd
U12 Girls
Izzy Hall 2nd, Skye Martingale 4th, Ella Ridgment 5th, Poppy Carline 6th
U12 Boys
Niclas Olley 6th, Charlie Shepherd 8th, Aaron Hay-Ibanez 12th, Tom Allen 16th, Benji Pike 20th
U14 Girls
Emma Harrison 2nd
U14 Boys
George Connell 10th, Louis Kirk 15th, Samuel Ridgment 17th
Round 9, Parentini Wessex CX League, Andover
A return to Redenham Park near Andover for round 9 of the Parentini Wessex CX League revealed a course of fast rolling, open grassland contrasting with heavy mud woodland and big gloopy mud puddles ready to trap an unsuspecting riders wheels. Plenty of great results again for our team with nine podium finishes!
Special mention this week goes to Max Darnton who, after racing in the U16s, worked hard cleaning muddy bikes in the pits for dad, Ben... then for the v50s (not to mention finding a replacement size 9 shoe for Jez's one broken in his race) and as if that wasn't enough, putting in another shift in the pits for the team in the senior men's race. An amazing piece of teamwork made all the more impressive by the fact that he does this every week!! Chapeau Max. 👏
U8 Boys
William Dyer 3rd, Giulio Scarponi 5th, Lorenzo Scarponi 7th, Harry Banks 8th.
U8 Girls
Tilly Wilks 2nd, Eve Carline 3rd.
U10 Girls
Sophie Jacobs 4th, Marit Davidse 6th, Eva Mar-Molinero DNF.
U10 Boys
Tom Wilks 3rd, Ben Allen 16th.
U12 Girls
Izzy Hall 1st, Skye Martingale 6th, Ella Ridgment 7th, Poppy Carline 12th.
U12 Boys
Monty Flavell 4th, Stanley Phillips 7th, Niclas Olley 8th, Charlie Shepherd 12th, Tom Allen 19th, George White 20th.
U14 Girls
Lucy Phillips 2nd, Emma Harrison 8th, Ruby Flavell 11th.
U14 Boys
Louis Kirk 12th, George Connell 13th, Sam Ridgment 19th, Jonathan Lowe 22nd.
U16 Boys
Max Darnton 9th.
Great riding everyone!
