Although the cyclocross season is drawing to a close, this weekend saw both junior and senior members of the Ely and District Cycling Club involved in cyclocross races.
On Saturday, the EDCC hosted a round of the British Cycling Muddy Monsters Go-Ride race series in Coveney. The Muddy Monsters series is a race series designed for junior riders who do not normally compete in cyclocross events, with races for four different age categories.
Each rider took part in three races - a one lap sprint race, a two lap endurance race, and a handicap race.
In the Under 8 category, Tristan Bramma of Spalding CC was the fastest boy, with Nathanial Lemanski of the Cambridge Junior Cycling Club and Logan Lyons of St Ives CC in third.
In the girls’ Under 8 race, Cora Wood of St. Ives came first with her fellow St. Ives CC member Emmie Cox in second. In the Under 10 category, EDCC junior Kieran Vanhoutte won the boys’ race, with Ralph Bicknell of St. Ives in second and Orson Tingay of Histon/Impington in third.
In the girls’ under 10 race, Fearne Starr of Fenland Clarion was on the top step of the podium, and Kate Cox of St. Ives and Nieve Bryant of Hereward CC in second and third places.
Moving up an age category, in the boys’ Under 12 race, St. Ives bagged first and third spots on the podium with Aron O’Connor in first place and Jacob Wood in third, while EDCC junior member Thomas Lewis took second place. In the girls’ Under 12 race, Madeleine Tingay of Histon/Impington took top spot, with Maya Hatch of Ely taking second.
In the race for the eldest racers, the Under 14 category, Ely riders took the first two places in the boys’ race, with Luke Shepherd coming out on top and Isaac Barton finishing in second place, followed by Josh Kelly of St. Ives CC in third. Niamh Woodroffe of Ely won the girls’ Under 14 race.
On Sunday, the final round of the Eastern League Cyclocross series took place at Milton Country Park.
EDCC junior members Kieran Vanhoutte and Isaac Barton took part in the Under 10s and Under 14s race respectively, despite their exertions the day before. Kieran finished in 28th place, and Isaac was 30th in his race.
Towards the other end of the age spectrum, a record five EDCC members took part in the Veterans 40-49 race. Dan Bromilow, Stephen Croft and Martin Holland swapped places during the first half of the first lap, before Bromilow was hampered by a dropped chain, finishing in 54th place.
Holland and Croft continued their battle throughout the race, with Croft finishing just in front in 41st place, followed close behind by Holland in 42nd place.
Will Shepherd finished in 62nd place, despite a fall during his race, while Ferenc Vanhoutte finished close behind in 67th, only noticing that he had inadvertently ridden the entire race using the large chainring of his bike’s gear system after he had finished.
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