A twist of fate gives VC Deal another win in the Youth category.

A couple of weeks before this event I was lamenting that we couldn't raise a team this year, but the postponement of the Winter Warmer MTB due to ice and snow presented an unexpected opportunity.

There was no snow at the venue for the Team Champs though, a new course at Great Walstead School, Haywards Heath.

Just the evening before the race, Jack Finch, who had always been keen to ride, and has made a much quicker recovery from his knee injury than I expected, took it upon himself (bless him) to try to get a team together. He enlisted Jack Spicer and Nick Kearney, whilst I got dad Trevor to persuade Thomas Butler, who hasn't raced cross for at least a couple of years, to come and do his bit for the team.

The two Jacks (Finch and Spicer) were obviously well up for this, tearing off the line to enter the first wooded section first and second, with Tom Butler not far behind. Jack Finch soon got a gap at the front, confirming his position as the leagues best youth cross rider going on to win by a minute and a quarter from Jack Spicer. Tom Butlers lack of racing showed a bit as he dropped back to ninth place, but this was a damn good performance for someone who hasn't raced at this kind of distance for so long. Nick Kearney picked off points from the other teams to give VC Deal an unassailable position and another win in this Championship was ours.

Well done to all and especial thanks to Thomas Butler and Nick Kearney for coming in at such short notice.

In the under 12s we couldn't raise a team, so Thomas and George Finch paired up with Daniel and Ben Tullett to make a composite team. Because they weren't a genuine club side they weren't eligible for the trophies, but with Daniel winning the race with Thomas second they easily beat all the other teams for at least a moral victory.

Richard Wood