Ruthie Coles writes: The Ratae Road Club Off-road section has gone from strength to strength this year as is clearly demonstrated by the increased participation of club members in the Leicestershire Cyclocross League. We had an excellent turnout of riders in every race – which, together with pit support and club members turning up to cheer us all on, made the races resplendent with purple!
For some riders, myself included, this was a second year of racing, and was a great opportunity to develop and test skills on courses similar to, but not the same as, last year. The League works hard to ensure variety and there was no shortage of new twists and turns to negotiate!
For many club riders this was their first go at cx racing, or their first full season – all club riders were impressive both in the improvement they made during the season, and the spirit they showed in getting properly stuck in and having a go. We had some challenging races – soggy going at Cattows Farm, and rock hard frost at Misterton!
We had five women participating in the race series and holding their own in the new women’s only race. We had nine men riding in several of the men’s categories, and two riders entered the challenging Kenilworth Boxing Day Cross. Though the final Leicestershire League standings have yet to be confirmed, we have had a couple of Ratae riders making the top places this season.
The club off-roaders have spent many hours honing their skills in regular cx practice sessions and on the monthly club off-road ride, and though there is a lull in racing at present, the practicing will continue as many of us are looking forward to the upcoming Mountain bike season.
If you’re interested in giving it a go contact Ruthie Coles or Peter Kott to find out more…
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