Elite round one winners Ian Field and Hannah Payton will look to increase their advantage at the second round of the British Cycling National Trophy Cyclo-cross Series in Derby on Sunday 25 October.
After the opening round in Southampton, Derby’s Moorways Stadium is the venue for round two of six, with action then moving on to Durham, Ipswich and Bradford before the series finale in Milton Keynes in January 2016.
The contenders
Elite men
Reigning champion Ian Field began his series with purpose, overcoming hard-charging JLT Condor road man Graham Briggs to take the win in Southampton, much to the delight of his locally-based Hargroves Cycles – Ridley RT team.
Field’s teammate Steve James also rode well in Southampton, part of a lead group also containing Raleigh-GAC’s Steve Roach.
All return for Derby along with Jack Clarkson who lies third in the standings; the Hope Factory Racing man hitting the podium on his first outing as an elite rider.
Hungry for victory will be fellow under-23 to elite graduate Ben Sumner, the Beeline Bicycles RT rider crashing and exiting at the opening round.
Former under-23 cross-country mountain bike and cyclo-cross champion David Fletcher could also be in the mix, riding for Pines Cycles – Felt – Enve.
Under-23 men
Visiting Belgian rider Lander Loocx (Cycling.be Alpha Motorhomes) was first under-23 man over the line in Southampton, fifth place in the mixed elite and espoir field. Nick Barnes was next, back in ninth with George Thompson (Sleaford Cycles) placing 11th and completing the under-23 podium.
With Loocx absent this time around, the Hargroves Cycles – Ridley RT rider will hope to prosper further in Derby.
Elite women
Hannah Payton took the early series lead in Southampton, the Team Kinesis UK rider and 2013/14 series winner victorious ahead of Hope Factory Racing’s Annabel Simpson and Adela Carter.
2014/15 series champion Amira Mellor couldn’t get on terms with the leaders in the first round and will hope for a better result in Derby.
Junior men
Specialized Racing’s talented Dan Tulett marked his move from youth to junior by winning a thrilling two-up sprint against Thomas Pidcock, with Ben Turner a close third. But Tulett isn’t on the start list for Derby having competed at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Valkenberg the previous weekend, finishing in an impressive 16th place despite a mechanical.
The venue
Derby’s Moorways Stadium is a staple on the domestic scene, the spectator-friendly venue having hosted the national championships and numerous National Trophy events.
Event schedule
Race one
- 10:15am - Veteran men 40-49
- 10:16am - Veteran men 50+
Race two
- 11:15am - Under-16 girls
- 11:16am - Under 14 girls
Race three
- 12:05pm - Under-16 boys
- 12:06pm - Under-14 boys
Race four
- 1:30pm - Senior and junior women
- 1:32pm - Junior men
- 1:32pm - Veteran women
Race five
- 2:45pm – Elite and under-23 men
How to follow the racing
- A report, result, reaction and images will appear on the British Cycling website
- Follow @BritishCycling on Twitter for updates
