Bronze For Ginley at Worlds

World Masters Cyclo-Cross Championships
Mol, Belgium, 19 Jan 2008

Full results are available here

John Ginley with his spoils

Yorkshire's John Ginley was the sole British medallist at the World Masters Cyclo-Cross Championships at Mol in Belgium on Saturday, securing a bronze in the 65+ category. Mick Ives was seventh in the same category. There were also top ten finishes for Vic Barnett who was 5th and Pete Mooney, who was 8th, both in the 60-64 category; for David Smith, 10th in the 55-59 category; and for Andrew Shaw 10th in the 45-49 category. However perhaps the best performance of the day came from Noel Clough, who finished 8th out of 69 in the intensely competitive 40-49 category. An impressive 44 British riders contested the Championships. Belinda Sinclair was at the event and sent us back the following report.

 

Report

It was real 'Cross weather for the World Masters Cyclo Cross Championships near Mol, Belgium, on Saturday. However, the gusty wind, grey skies, and constant drizzle, punctuated by the odd heavy shower and regular spectacular crashes, did nothing to deter either riders or spectators. And with one Briton making it onto the podium, it was successful day for British cycling at the Zilvermeer Leisure Park in Antwerp Province.

Craig Stevens (left) & David Garrett

With substantial British interest in most categories, it was John Ginley of the Condor Road Club who got to wave to the crowd. He repeated his success of last year, and took the bronze medal in his age category, doing well to recover from an early fall in the process:

"My wheel just went in the sand and I fell off the first time round on the beach. I hurt my shoulder but I got back on and chased. I had been up with the leaders until I came off, but the fall put me back into about tenth. So I just dug in and focused on clawing myself back. I got back up to fourth and then into third but it took me a long time. By the last lap, I really had nothing left, but had I not fallen, I think I would have been well up with the leaders."

The Mol course winds its way through a sandy wooded area and along the shores of a recreational lake. It has bit of everything - twists, turns, a sandy, leg sapping beach, killer ramps, muddy climbs and protruding roots, all of which test the bike handling skills and stamina of riders.

Mick Ives (left) and Gary Townsend (in the Evans kit)

The beach area proved to be probably the most spectacular area for onlookers and photographers, producing a crash in every race, plus the occasional pile up, and prompting some riders to brave the cold shallows of the lake in a quest for a firm base upon which to run. And as fatigue set in with every step over the gruelling course, minor mistakes increased in severity; in broken chains, buckled wheels, punctures and shredded tubes either meant a long trot round to the pits for a spare machine, carrying the broken bike, or an early shower.