Best course yet at Fowlmead according to the riders.

Due to the unexpected unavailability of Lydden, I found myself promoting at Fowlmead Country Park for the second time within a few weeks. I’ve been watching /re-watching quite a number of World Cup races from both this season and last recently, and it occurred to me that whilst I’ve always created fast, open, race courses to mimic those I’ve seen on the continent, the impracticability for a local event of building the ramps, steps and bridges so common in Belgium has meant that though highly praised by riders, my first course at Fowlmead was perhaps a little featureless. My aim is to put on races that riders enjoy. As a rider I was always frustrated by promoters who put less effort in to staging a race than I felt was warranted and seemed to care little about the quality of the “product” they were selling.

My view has always been that if you offer a good product, and manage the event well, people will buy. In a difficult geographical area such as ours, the task is harder, and it has taken years of promoting at first Crabble, and then Lydden to build VC Deals reputation for staging excellent local league cyclo-cross events. But succeed we have and 80 riders attracted to East Kent for the main race bears testimony to that. This time, with the help of a few of our Junior members, I came up with another fast course, but with a couple of drop offs, a set of wooden sleeper steps, and a bank that only a few could ride, it had a deal more interest for riders and spectators alike. My reward was a shower of compliments from riders about the course, including three who said it was the best course they’ve ridden this season.

My thanks then to those youngsters who helped me with the design of the course, and everyone who helped set it up, particularly Steve Stolton and Arron Harris who did the lion’s share of the work. Thanks to everyone who helped with the event on the day, you know who you are and without you it couldn’t happen.

First on the course were the Under 10s. A long course, and a testing one for them, but the amazing Ben Tullett (Herne Hill Youth CC) flew round the course to an easy victory from Nathan Martin of Team Darenth. Ben has been so dominant in under 10s races, that once he has secured enough points to be assured of the league title, dad Alastair is going to put him in amongst the under 12s to give them a fright!

Brother Daniel was an equally impressive if slightly less dominant winner of the Under 12s race. 2nd claim VC Deal member Thomas Finch (VC Londres) continued his recent run of good form with another second place to him, and continues to look better with every race.

After a hiccup in last week’s Inter-Area Team Championships at Leicester last week, VC Deals Jack Finch was back on top form in the Youth race, winning his 4th London League on the trot, dominating from the second lap onward. He and Harry Franklin (VC Londres) were initially together, but Jacks attack on lap two left Harry floundering, with Jack going on to win by a considerable margin. Matt Gater (VC Deal) has shown consistent form this season, unable to quite match the pace of Jack Finch and Harry Franklin, but better than the rest. So it was in this one, Matt taking the last podium place, but he’d better watch out for club mate Jack Spicer who is visibly improving race by race, and if not exactly snapping at Matt’s heels at the finish, wasn’t far away. Rivals on the course, Matt and the pair of Jacks train together under my guidance, and to see the three of them in the first four in the race was very gratifying.

A field of 80 riders took the start for the main race, with the Arctic RT pair of Darren Barclay and Matt Holmes soon at the front with Juniors Taylor Johnstone (Team de Ver) and Hugo Humphreys (Mosquito-Milani) snapping at their heels. By the end of lap two, the super strong and super smooth Barclay had established himself as clear leader, with Matt a little further behind. A lap later and Taylor Johnstone had overhauled Matt for second place, and that’s how it stayed to the finish. Hugo has only recently returned from injury and is tending to struggle with full distance at the moment, falling back a few places to 6th overall. Meanwhile VC Deals Ciaran O’Grady was going in the opposite direction up to a best ever 5th place in a league event. Still just a little off the pace in the national races he’s doing, Ciarans continual improvement in league events is evident, and the experience of racing with the best in National Trophy races can only contribute to that improvement. As a keen supporter of youth and junior riders I thought it was fantastic having three Juniors finish in the first half dozen of the race. Ciarans dad Martin had a pretty good ride too, achieving his best finish to date of 15th, an unexpected but very welcome convert to cyclo-cross.

Full results are here

My son Davids photos from the event are here

Richard Wood