As I reach the end of the 2023/24 cyclocross season let me take you through the season and the final fling that have been the last few weeks.
I started the season strong with a few top 10’s and a 2nd to gain my first UCI points at the Hope Supercross rounds which set me up nicely into the start of the British National Trophy Series. However, a frustrating poor start at R1 and being sick on the start line of R2, set me back.
Then came my first foray into racing abroad and daaaam, it was different. No set practice times! Foreign registration! New timings! My first ever Belgium cyclocross race at the “Mother of all crosses” Superprestige Overijse. It did not turn out to be as muddy as I hoped, but I still had a good race finishing 19th.
We then had a bit of break in the season where I managed to break my hand during a Scottish Cycling MTB camp on a bollard on a bike path during the 1st day and missing a National Trophy round. There was still some cycling action going on though as I won the Scottish CX championships at Knockburn Loch as well as R4 of the Scottish CX series at Fife College. I was next racing a British National Trophy Series Round 5 at Kent Cyclopark, it was a tough muddy course where I finished 3rd after a great race.
Next up was Kerstperiode (the time between Christmas and New Year when there are daily cyclocross races) in Belgium as a supported rider with Evo-Devo (Thank you!). I competed in Heusden-Zolder Superprestige at the Zolder F1
track, Diegem Superprestige night race, and Loenhout Exact Cross. I fully bonked in Diegem as I under fuelled due to its unusual time. The other two went ok with my best result being 13th at Loenhout.
The British Cyclocross Championships was next at my local course at Callander Park in Falkirk. The course was excellent with classic features such as the Wall, Slip’n’slide and the Bomb Hole. The course was cold and dry which I was disappointed about as I had been hoping for some proper cross mud, but it was still a brilliant course. Although I was gridded front row I pulled my pedal after the start, so I was a little behind, but I chased back up to a 4th after a bit of battling with other top riders. In the end I was quite happy with the result even if it is not the win I wanted.
After my performance at the Champs, I was selected, for the first time, to race for GB at the UCI World Cup in Hoogerheide. I flew out to meet everyone else. It was another new experience having the support of top coaches and mechanics on hand and prepping everything for me. Despite my poor gridding I got a good start and was moving up well until my chain came off. I got it back on quickly and began chasing until, two laps later it dropped again. Despite this I kept fighting an eventually worked my way back to 37th. I was pleased with my result for a first world cup, but I was frustrated by my chain issues.
Overall, the whole season, especially as a year one, been pretty decent and especially the end of it and I am delighted to have had my first British selection.
