Southern XC Round 2 Crow Hill
Links to photos and video: 1stgearcycles | picasaweb | youtube.com
Report & Pics: Steve Jones
The Crow Hill course had been fettled and tweaked for weeks leading up to this race. The changes and additions were also in readiness for the BMBS series race on June 27th as we wanted to prove and test the revised layout.
The course we figured would give about a 23 or 24 minute lap if it stayed dry but the forecast leading up to the event kept predicting rain. We had a few heavy showers Friday but the woods dried out just as fast as they got wet. Then on Sunday morning about 8am the heavens opened for about an hour. Riders coming back from their practice laps looked very wet and muddy. 
The strong winds quickly dried out the course though and by 10am our under 12's were under way on the central loop of the course. Sam Shepherd (Primera) had been our test rider on Saturday and was managing 7 minute laps, this had gone up to 8 minutes with the wetter conditions. It was Jack Philips (Chapel junior tri- stars) though who came through in the lead starting their 2nd lap. Shepherd made his move on lap 2 though and came home for the win, with Philps comfortable in 2nd with Freddie Argent 3rd. Elizabeth Keating won the girls' race with Lauren Peacey 2nd.
The under 10s had a shorter course but still had the tough climb back to the arena. Jacob Tench took the boys win ahead of Henry Brearey (Ringwood Racers). They are really Ringwood Rangers a local under 10 football team whose manager is an ex-cyclist and brought them along to have a go at bike racing. They all finished and loved it so much they are coming to Round 3. Lucy Brain (team EFDL) took the girls' win. The under 8s had the same course but just 1 lap although 2 little lads decided 1 lap was not enough and fought it out with the under 10's on the 2nd lap which caused a bit of confusion with the results! Sam Stonebridge was the actual winner and Matthew Hutt and Kobi Joyce had to settle for 2nd & 3rd although they would have done well in the under 10's anyway as they were up with the leaders. Choley davison won the girls' race with Katie Hutchinson 2nd. 
The Youths were out next and Hugo Humphries (Lea Valley Youth CC) led from the gun loving the conditions. He was chased hard all the way though by Taylor Johnstone (team De Ver). Bethany Crumpton (Halesowen A&CC) was the sole finisher in the girls' race. Younger sister Rosie had more competition in the Juvenile race though beating Sophie Wells to take 2nd but neither could stay with Gretel Warner (team Darenth) who flew round for another win. In the boys' race it was local rider Harvey Lowe (GA Cycles) who shot round to take the win in 31mins, a time many of the adults would have been proud of today. 
The biggest race of the day was out next, the Open Men with over 70 riders. It was Al Fairbairn (Hargroves Cycles) who led round on lap one but James Horton (Primera) had other ideas. As Fairbairn tired Horton kept up consistent times and reeled him in to take the win. 
The women's race was similar at the front with 2 riders going clear early on, Vicky Munro (Ride the Quantocks.co.uk) leading on the first lap but Linda Shepherd (Team Mog) finishing faster to get the win. The Veteran women's race was a clear win for Nikki Hughes (Activ/Trek) but she was convincingly beaten on time by team mate Debbie Burton in the Grand Vets. Burton was setting lap times that would probably have seen her win the Expert race if she could have kept it up for a 3rd lap. The Fun races were won by Lee Spicer and Jane Keating.
Next out were the Juniors and there are some fast lads this year setting times close to the Elite riders. We had 3 of them, local rider Luke Gray (Hargroves), Steve James now riding for series sponsor Pedal On and Ben Roff of Orange Monkey. It was close between Gray and James on the first lap but it was Gray who kept up the pressure as James faded late in the race. Roff was consistent but couldn't quite reel in James.
The Vets followed and with Mark Chadbourne reduced to cheering us on from behind the tapes due to a heavy cold, the race was thrown wide open. It was new boy Richard John though who broke away first, Darren Shepherd (Primera) struggling to hold on to the pace. Darren had been helping set up the course for us and it's tiring on the legs and he just didn't have the kick and let Richard get away. The battle for 3rd was raging and steady starter Roland Tilley (Ride) was forging through the pack as usual. The other youngster Lewis King (Beeline) was looking good for 3rd but was slowing rapidly - I am sure he also had a mechanical on the last lap as I passed him too and he was off the bike. Tilley had already made his move and held on for 3rd.
The Grand Veteran's race was once again led out by Ray Crosthwaite (Pedal On) and he built a 4 minute lead going into the last lap over Donald MacGregor (Mountain Trax). He needed it too as his last lap dropped 7 minutes which must have been a mechanical surely or was it just too long. He just had enough cushion over MacGregor though to keep the win and Geoff Burke (1st Gear Cycles) was happy to get the 3rd spot on the podium.
The final set of races for the day were now on a rapidly drying course although the boggy sections were very deeply cut up and were faster to run. The Elite men went first and it was Adrian Lansley (Pedal On) as expected who was first to appear over the hill from the woods. It was team-mate Chris Minter and Brendan Sharratt who were making the chase. Minter broke the elastic on lap 2 and as Sharratt paid for his early pace it was Simon Ernest (AWCycles/Giant) who picked up the pieces to take 3rd. Lansley cruised to the win with Minter taking 2nd. These two are now tied in 1st place overall in the series so expect to see another Pedal On battle at round 3 to sort out who goes to top of the table.
Jenny Copnall (Look) rode a lonely race but knocked out consistent laps for another win. Maxine Filby was a convincing winner in the Expert race and Mateusz Nieglos took the men's race by just 20secs from Jonathon Pybus (Pedal Power).
The Master Men's race was the big battle of the day as the Dirtworker prize this round was up for them. Scott Forbes (Pedal On) led out of the arena but was not himself with a cold and was soon passed by Mark Hutt (AWCycles/Giant) and Paul Hopkins (Off Camber) so he called it a day. Hutt broke away from Hopkins on the 2nd lap and that how it finished with Andy Plewes (Royal Navy Marines) taking 3rd. The women's race was won by Kim Hurst from Emma Bradley (Torq Kona).
Your next chance to ride at Crow Hill is round 4 of the BMBS on 27th June or the English Marathon Championships on 28th June if you fancy an extended lap out onto the open forest heaths to the south of the estate.
Round 3 of the Southern Series is at Pippingford Estate in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, a new venue that we are very excited about. It is vast with huge hills, woods, lakes, streams, fire roads, heathland and deer tracks all the ingredients for a great mountainbike race. It's a fantastic setting just a few miles from London yet when you are down in the valleys by the streams in their deep gulleys riding the rocky tracks you would be forgiven for thinking you were in deepest Wales. Come along and be amazed, we were - it's going to be a classic venue, we guarantee that, but please don't try to ride it before the race. It's a private estate and we don't want to lose it. Plus it's an active Army training area so it's not safe to go riding round when they are on exercises.