[text: Alex Forrester, Rachel Symes, Paul Morris, et. al.; photos: Shaun Boggust et. al.]
Do please send in more reports if you can, and they will be added below
For any riders feeling short-changed by the rain no-show at Foxhill, Round 4 of the Parentini Wessex CX league at the Swanmore motocross circuit near Droxford did not disappoint!
In brief
Viv Nanopoulou The smile on this face says it all. Junior Boys race was enjoyed by all!
Lindy Brazier-Larkin So much fun, they book the weather every year and didn’t disappoint again this season. It was hard and technical but that’s cross 👍🏻
Rachel Clay Droxford killed my bike 😢
U8 boys
There was a good battle in the U8 boys, with the lead changing hands many times – Ewan Allaway (Sprockets) taking advantage from the hurdles and Max Atkins (Cotswold Veldrijden) clawing time back uphill, resolving on the penultimate lap with Max pulling away from Ewan. Jamie Kerry (Cotswold Veldrijden) completed the podium in 3rd.
U12s
A frantic start in the U12 race saw Charlie Forrester (www.Zepnat.com – Lazer helmets) come down hard as Harrison Hendy (Hupcc) and Stanley Phillips (Sotonia CC) stormed into the lead. Soon Douglas Forrester (www.Zepnat.com – Lazer helmets) and Sam Genazinni (Solent Pirates) bridged across to make a lead group of four. Sam fell, and later retired, while Cypher Tindell put in some fast laps to pass Stanley and move into third. Douglas and Harrison pulled clear in the final laps and Douglas took the sprint for the win.
Hopping & crashing:
Vet 40 & Junior Men
A deluge of rain for the youth race continued into the V40 and junior race, making the course slippery but perhaps slightly less cloggy?
Sam Bishop (Charlotteville CC) lead off the start, with Alex Forrester (www.Zepnat.com – Lazer helmets), David Spencer (VC Venta) and Jamie Smith (Pankhurst Cycles) in pursuit. Alex played to his running strength to move into the lead on the big run-up, a lead he steadily built to 1 min 48 sec over Sam (1st Junior) and 2 min 18 sec over David Spencer (2nd V40 and new Parentini jersey wearer) by the finish.
Women
Conditions continued to improve (assuming you like mud) for the Women’s race. Soon after the start, a two-horse race between the two Abbies developed – Abbie Manley (Hargroves Montezuma’s RT) and Abby-Mae Parkinson (Trinity Racing). After typically steady start, Helen Pattinson (Hargroves Montezuma’s RT) eased through the field to a solid third (and 1st V40) ahead of Lindy Brazier-Larkin (Sarum Velo – 3rd senior) who retained the series lead. The Abbies exchange the lead for much of the race until, with just over two laps remaining, a blistering attack up the long hill past the pits put Abby-Mae firmly in the lead. Abby didn’t give up though and took advantage of a heartbreaking mechanical that snatched defeat for Abbie-Mae from the jaws of victory.
Caught on the line:
Senior & U23
The course was now drying out, with the mud sticking to the tyres and bikes, sapping the riders’ strength, and keeping the pit crews busy. Some riders races ended early when the mud stuck so fast in their chain, it simply ripped their rear derailleur clean off.
Wessex’s greatest export Adrian Lansley (Pedalon) led from the gun, with that lead building to an impressive 2 min 54 sec over Thomas Nightingale (Orbea racing) by the finish. However, it was third place David Pena who took the Parentini leader’s jersey.
Our inside report this week is from Paul Morris – 6th, and one of only six riders not to be lapped by Adrian!
“A good start got me up to about 5th from the second row, but a few questionable lines dropped me back. Worked to stay on knowing I’d make up time through the bog up Hecklers hill with my running legs. Worked as I moved up to 7th, right until my chain dropped in the dip. Long run back to the pits. But made time back up and this is how it went for next few laps as I made up time running and then bike failed me miserably to drag me down! Had a bit of a clear run until about 45 mins in when my mech blew apart and Rear wheel fell off just before Parentini corner. Another very long run back to the pits. But didn’t lose any positions. Managed to get back settled and slowly closed on David Bone series leader ahead reaching him at the end of the penultimate lap, he got a second wind over the grass section but knowing I could outrun him I kept my powder dry until the bog and ran myself dry to get past and make a gap to finish a season-high 6th! A very exhausted and happy princess. Team work made today! Without my wonderful pit crew it would have been a very miserable day.”
The car park
Some spectators drifted away from the cyclocross to watch some motorsport in the carpark, hosted by the awesome Fareham Wheelers carpark attendants!
Paul Hudson’s bath
