Sunday 24 January 2016

josh giddings

 milton keynes national trophy cyclocross


it had snowed that dull morning. but i wasnt bothered because i knew that the snow would turn into MUD! anyway we arrived and what a que to get in they hadnt opened the gates 2 hours before a race.
eventually we got in, parked and trugded all the jetwash and litres after litres of water to the pits. it  wasnt along walkat least. but this was also a good time to have a sneak peek at the course just looking at the conditions all i could see is snow!

i kited up and went for a couple of laps with my dad  we saw and rode the course in more detail: a steep muddy decent, tall log step runup , a huge mudd runup, a 180 degree turn off camber and finally transfer from tarmac to mudd off camber. ooo and a zig zag horrid run up that is also off camber!

when other races were underway the conditions changed to my prediction at the start. MUD. which is quite suited for me. after i had pitted for my dad in the vetrans race i signed on and headed back to the van changed into race gear, numbers on and straight on rollers, i also carry a watch with me before my races to keep track of time, to do a however long ive got warmup😉 the racing timetable was running late. so i had no rush and just a stroll to the start gridd. we waited until the u 16 were gridded then us. i think i was gridded about 12 i was gridded 1st on second row i chose a smart spot then just waited not anxiousely for the start.

The RACE!!

whistle blew we were off i was in a good position but i went backwards because i knew i would save energy for the slightly off camber mudd and it worked i was storming  on the middle line through the pack then round three muddy corners and all downhill to the first pit section no one entered i didnt then two switchbacks and up the zigzag run up i took it steady not full gas otherwise ill blow then a quick remount and down the steep mud downhill of terror!

mid race it was basically a string of riders that i race with locally and in the road season. it was christian and daniel barnes at the front i think then it was always me and finley who always had the better of me on the running but i would catch up on the tarmac and the technical corners.

the last lap came around and i was at the back of the string and had time to make up on the slightly off camber i gained and gained on the run up up finley had put an effort in and distanced me but i caught daniel barnes up and waited till the steps and attacked! and i distanced him and rode hard to catch up finley and christian who had a gap between them  i caught finley up and he got the better of me again on the little runups. coming round the corners into the pits i was in 7th and could get seventhbut i wanted higher i didnt go into the pits and carried on and fight hard through the best stretch of mud for me and i attacked hard and rode straight past 6th and could see 5th infront i pushed and caught up and it was 2 more corners to the tarmac finish i rode straight past and pushed harder just to make sure  he didnt hang on to me i had a gap in the last corner and sprinted until the line i hit it i smiled!


in the end i was 5th the best result of the season and the last race of the cross season.

11th overall in the trophy series im happy with that as a first year!
thanks to everyone that helped through the season
well done to everyone

bring on the road season

   josh

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