New Venue for Derby National Trophy
Derby is set to host its second international cyclo-cross race of the year. Moorways Stadium will be the setting for the second round of the National trophy Series. This follows the final round of last season's series that took place last January at Markeaton Park in Derby. The races are organised by a team comprising members of the local Derby Mercury, South Pennine and Heanor Clarion cycling clubs. Around 250 top riders from around the country will be entering. Winner last year and Elite National Champion Jody Crawforth will be hoping for more success.
The elite men's race gets underway at last winter's Derby National Trophy event
Moorways is a new venue for this level of racing although it has previously been used for races in the popular Notts and Derby League. The stadium currently holds Derby's athletic track and the steep banked sides that surround it were formerly a cycle track. The course will make full use of the banks to make an interesting and challenging course for the competitors. As the race is in a compact area it will make for ideal viewing for spectators who will be able to make use of the grandstand in the event of bad weather conditions. In recent years the mild autumn weather has meant for fast racing on hard ground. The start and finish areas are part of a road section which will add to the speed but there will be the usual array of obstacles including hurdles and a large sandpit for the riders to negotiate.
To compliment the main event there is a series of children's races that will take place on the same day at Osmaston Park, which is adjacent to Moorways. These events are set to be as successful as those at Markeaton that attracted 200 riders. These races are organised by Cycle Derby and British Cycling and are aimed at local school children but are also open to younger riders from around the country. In addition there will also be a scouts race this year.
As ever with this type of event the organising team relies heavily on the support of sponsors and this year is no exception. Organiser John Holmes said "Since the last event the effects of the economic recession have really set in and it is difficult to attract sponsors. However several sponsors saw the success of the last event and the TV and radio coverage that it attracted. We are grateful therefore to Tidy Hire, Derby Brewing Company, Prestige Partitioning & Storage Systems, High5, Prendas, and RJ Engineering for their continued support. In addition we welcome new support from Jackson's Building Centres and Moremett Alloys" The team are also bidding for the support of the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA).
Further details can be found on the event website: www.derby.nationaltrophy.org.uk
