CX National Trophy Rd 5 Bradford Sun 15 December

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclocross/article/cyx20131209-National-Trophy-pressure-set-to-continue-for-Oldham-after-Milton-Keynes-%E2%80%98bogey-round%E2%80%99-0

National Trophy pressure set to continue for Oldham after Milton Keynes ‘bogey round’
British Cycling National Trophy Cyclo-Cross
13 October 2013 - 5 January 2014
Preview: Eddie Allen
An early fall in round four of the British Cycling National Trophy cyclo-cross at Milton Keynes saw a blip in series leader Paul Oldham’s peerless progress and this weekend’s round five will see further pressure applied, as once again current national champion Ian Field joins the fray in Bradford.

Field took a comfortable victory in Milton Keynes, while Oldham finished eighth, admitting that he never really got going following a heavy fall early in the race.

After the round,Oldham told British Cycling: “I got taken off line in the second line, came off camber and I'm not sure quite what happened but I winded myself and got a dead leg.

“I just couldn't get back into it. As soon I got back on and tried, I couldn't breathe. Eighth isn't a bad result but I'm hoping that's my bogey round.”

The slip resulted in his overall series lead shrinking to 25 points ahead of Oli Beckingsale, with just two rounds remaining.

Oldham’s win in the North of England championships on Sunday however shows that the Hope rider’s form hasn’t been dented, setting up the prospect of some great racing this weekend.

Closing in on Oldham and Beckingsale in the elite rankings is under 23 Steve James, the Hargroves rider winning his category in Milton Keynes to make it a real three-horse race; Ben Sumner, James and Adam Martin separated by just eight points.

It’s a similar story in the women’s category, with Merce Pacios Pujado breaking into the Hannah Payton/Annie Simpson duel and making it a three-way scrap for series honours. Pujado scored her first win of the season in Milton Keynes and now lies in second behind Payton.

Simpson faded to 12th in Milton Keynes following a blistering start, leaving Payton and Pujado to slog it out for the win. Round two winner Simpson therefore dropped to third place overall, thirteen points behind Pujado and will need to rediscover her early form at Bradford to keep her title hopes alive.

With just two rounds remaining Darren Atkins is looking assured in the veteran 40+ category, 24 points ahead of Ian Taylor. Taylor however is less comfortable, with Crispin Doyle in third place just six points adrift.

Doyle grabbed second place in Milton Keynes, with Taylor not gracing the podium for the first time this season, finishing in fourth.

Steven Davies is one of two riders to head to Bradford with an unbroken run of wins this season, 32 points ahead of nearest rival Mick Davies in the veteran 50+ category.

Davies’ Hargroves team mate, under 16 boys leader Dan Tulett, is the other with a 100% record, forty points ahead of Joshua Waters and looking a dead cert for the title, barring incident.

The junior men’s category has produced some aggressive racing between Jack Ravenscroft and Dylan Kerfoot-Robson over the past few rounds and this looks set to continue in Bradford. The pair did not contest the first two rounds so don’t figure in the overall top five, sitting in joint 6th on 74 points apiece. A win for either of them this weekend however will put them right in the mix so fireworks are expected . With two rounds remaining, Sean Dunlea hangs onto the series lead by 19 points from Dan Fox but this could all change.

Under 16 girls leader Charlotte Broughton will look to return to her dominant ways following a second place behind Jessica Roberts which spoiled Broughton’s unbeaten record this season.

Under 14 boys and girls series leaders Craig Rogers and Lucy Horrocks are both looking strong at the top of the table following wins in Milton Keynes, although Horrocks has Poppy Wildman just eight points behind, with the latter on form after a win in the Midlands championships last weekend.

Racing begins in Peel Park at 10:30am with the veterans, culminating in the elite men’s race at 2:30pm. Check back on www.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclocross for reports and results.

Early report up on Velouk:

In the fifth round of the National Trophy cyclo-cross, there were wins for Ian Field (Hargroves Cycles) and Hannah Payton at Peel Park in Bradford where the sun made a welcome appearance

The Men’s race saw series leader Paul Oldham wearing yellow again up against the British champion Ian Field of Hargroves Cycles, a team that had the top four placings in Milton Keynes a few weeks ago. Peel Park is known for being a slow, challenging course and it didn’t take long for the race to split and the favourites to open up a gap at the head of the race.

These favourites included Oldham and Field as well as others such as Oli Beckingsale (EnduraMTB) and Ben Sumner (Under 23). After a disappointing round in Milton Keynes where a crash left him struggling to breathe and off the pace, Paul Oldham was back on it, challenging Field and Beckingsale (EnduraMTB) and seeing off the challenge from Sumner.

Next to go from the leading group was Beckingsale (EnduraMTB) and the race became a two way battle between Oldham and Field with Field eventually cracking Oldham to lead alone. Behind them, the battle for the podium was getting tasty. Never one not to enjoy a race in muddy conditions, Nick Craig reeled in Beckingsale to steal third place off him whilst the second placed rider in Milton Keynes, Steven James (Hargroves Cycles) came back strongly to win the under 23 category at Bradford.

Field, normally based in Belgium, admitted the course was very different to the one at Milton Keynes and how he had to work hard for the win as well as be careful as he knew a mistake could be costly. Oldham meanwhile confirmed that Bradford is the hardest course in the series and added that he was a lot happier than he was after the round at Milton Keynes where he dropped a lot of points.

Women’s Race
After a series of great races between the likes of Hannah Payton, Annie Simpson, Abby-Mae Parkinson and winner in Milton Keynes Merce Pacios Pujado, the race at Bradford again saw these riders at the front of affairs. Like in Milton Keynes, Annie Simpson tested herself, and her rivals, early on before Merce Pacios Pujado and Payton got back on terms with the Hope rider.

The latter two soon had the lead to themselves however chased by Simpson, Abby-Mae Parkinson (Cycle Division/RST) and Ffion James (Abergavenny RC), sister of World Champion Becky James. In a very exciting finish, Payton took the race to the Spanish rider who has been a revelation in the series before another up and coming star got in on the action, Abby-Mae Parkinson (Cycle Division/RST).

There was never a lot between the threesome, Payton, Merce Pacios Pujado and Parkinson but it was the mud spattered yellow jersey of eventual winner Payton who was strongest ahead of Merce Pacios Pujado and Parkinson. Payton admitted afterwards that she felt it was tactics that was key to her win whilst Junior category rider Parkinson was pleased with a third place after a number of fourth placed finishes.

Other races
In the other events, the Raleigh equipped Dylan Kerfoot-Robson triumphed in the Junior Men’s race ahead of Nick Craig’s youngster Thomas who had a bit of bad luck whilst third was Liam Earl. In the Veteran 40-49, Darren Atkins continued his winning run ahead of Mike Simpson and Ian Taylor whilst Steven Davies (Hargroves Cycles) was streets ahead of his rivals. Mick Davies was second and Dave McMullen third.

In the Youth Category, the series leader Dan Tullett (Hargroves Cycles) yet again showed he was the strongest ahead of David Barnes and Robert Scott whilst Euan Cameron was the top under 14 boy. In the Girls event, Jessica Roberts (Cycle Division/RST) made it two from two to win that race with Charlotte Broughton second and Madeline Gammons third. Lucy Horrocks was first Under 14 Girl.

Results

Men
1. Ian Field (Hargroves Cycles)
2. Paul Oldham (Team Hope Factory Racing)
3. Nick Craig (Team Scott UK)
4. Steven James (Hargroves Cycles)
5. Oli Beckingsale (EnduraMTB)

Women
1. Hannah Payton (Kinesis)
2. Merce Pacios Pujado (Blue Motors)
3. Abby-Mae Parkinson (Cycle Division/RST Racing)
4. Annie Simpson Hope Factory Racing)
5. Ffion James (Abergavenny RC)

Some pics courtesy of Dave Haygarth on Ukcyclocross here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/minnellium/sets/72157638706846123/

BC standings after 5 rounds:

Standings after round five
Elite men
1 Paul Oldham 220
2 Oli Beckingsale 184
3 Steven James 168
4 Adam Martin 149
5 Ben Sumner 125
Women
1 Hannah Payton 182
2 Merce Pacios Pujado 160
3 Annabel Simpson 139
4 Alexis Barnes 105
5 Delia Beddis 95
Under 23 men
1 Steven James 170
2 Adam Martin 164
3 Ben Sumner 164
4 Jack Clarkson 136
5 Nicholas Barnes 118
Veteran 40+
1 Darren Atkins 224
2 Ian Taylor 210
3 Crispin Doyle 197
4 Dave Ash 169
5 Chris Young 142
Veteran 50+
1 Steven Davies 200
2 Mick Davies 162
3 Philip Roach 147
4 Dave McMullen 127
5 Mark Horrocks 81
Junior
1 Sean Dunlea 145
2 Daniel Fox 120
3 Dylan Kerfoot-Robson 114
4 Liam Earl 105
5 Jack Ravenscroft 104
Under 16 boys
1 Daniel Tulett 250
2 Alfie Moses 194
3 Joshua Waters 188
4 David Barnes 180
5 Robert Scott 154
Under 16 girls
1 Charlotte Broughton 188
2 Jessica Roberts 170
3 Emily Wadsworth 131
4 Isabelle Boon 111
5 Rhianna Stoves 100
Under 14 boys
1 Craig Rogers 170
2 Euan Cameron 151
3 Alistair Leivers 115
4 Matthew Ellis 114
5 Ben Tulett 106
Under 14 girls
1 Lucy Horrocks 186
2 Poppy Wildman 172
3 Ellie Russell 150
4 Elena Smith 113
5 Nicole Clarke 102