We’re into the penultimate month for cyclo-cross season, which traditionally sees the regional championships being held across the country, along with a couple of rounds of the National Trophy series events, in the build up to the January National Championships. Liv AWOL SPOK’D have a talented squad of cx riders across different age categories and are aiming to retain their regional titles as well as try to win some more.
Indoors, the team has good representation at the British Universities & Colleges Sport Track Championships, and also quite a few riders taking part in mid-week track leagues.
British Universities & Colleges Sport Track Championship 2018
Track , Manchester – Saturday, 01 Dec 2018
Four team members competed at the 2018 BUCS Track Championships on behalf of their Universities. Louise Scupham and Maddie Gammons were both representing University of Birmingham while Issy Torrie represented Sheffield University and Rosie Wallace for University ofNottingham. While Louise faired better than her result two weeks before hand in the 3000m individual pursuit, finishing 7th out of 20, her Liv AWOL SPOK’D and University Team teammate Maddie scooped silver in the elimination. Also in this race, Issy finished 19th and Louise 20th. In the 500m time trial, Rosie finished 34th.
In a combined effort with the other members of the Birmingham team, Maddie and Louise also won silver in the Team Pursuit final against Loughborough.
Maddie tweeted “Great representation from @AdmiralLivAWOL at @BUCSsport Track this weekend coming away with 3 silver medals!”
Liv AWOL SPOK’D tweeted “Well done @MaddieGammons silver medal in devil @BUCSsport championship & silver with @LouiseScupham in team pursuit great work guys @GiantStPauls @AdmiralUK @LivCyclingUK @AwolInfo”
South East Region Cyclo-Cross Championships
Cyclo-Cross , Gravesend – Sunday, 02 Dec 2018
Charlotte McGreevy continued her return to racing and winning from last week, by taking the South East Cyclo-cross Regional title in the U16 category.
Team tweeted “Well done @Lotte_mcgreevy Gold medal in U16s South East regional cross championship @PerkinsGarages @LivCyclingUK @GiantStPauls @AdmiralUK @AwolInfo”
Eastern & Central Regional Cyclo-Cross Championships
Cyclo-Cross , Welwyn Garden City – Sunday, 02 Dec 2018
In the combined Central & Eastern regional races, Imogen Chastell took the Junior title (3rd place overall in the Women’s category), and Connie Hayes very close behind in 5th.
Cycling photographer John Orbea tweeted “Imogen and Connie racing hard for Admiral Liv-AWOL at Sunday’s Central and Eastern #Cyclocross Championships. They both rode well; it was great to see them take the medals for 1st Junior and 3rd Senior! #womenscycling”
In the U16, Bethany Barnett took 2nd place. Team Barnett tweeted “Fantastically exciting race to watch as @AdmiralLivAWOL Bethany battled head to head for the last lap with @welwynwheelers rider. Bethany finished 2nd in the Eastern Region Championship by just 2 seconds! @PerkinsGarages @GiantStPauls @LivCyclingUK @AdmiralUK @AwolInfo”
Team Training Day at The Hoggenburg, Ilford – Saturday, 08 Dec 2018
With a number of riders down in the South for the following days CX National Trophy Series race, team manager Pat Hayes organised a day long on and off bike team training day. Giving the team riders a chance to get to know each other, build on strengths and weaknesses and practice various skills, including taking a bottle at speed!
Eva Callinan tweeted afterwards “Had a lovely time this weekend meeting the @AdmiralLivAWOL team @TheHoggenberg. Also picked up a few things to help brighten up the winter miles thanks to @PerkinsGarages @Weldtite @LivCyclingUK @GiantStPauls @FORTEsportswear”
And from the team “Team training day with Mark Whyre @TheHoggenberg @PerkinsGarages @LivCyclingUK @GiantStPauls @AdmiralUK”
HSBC UK Cyclo-Cross National Trophy Series #5
Ipswich – Sunday, 09 Dec 2018
As so the Cyclo-cross National Trophy Series bandwagon rolled on to Ipswich for round 5, and thankfully the mud appeared to have been left behind in York!
In the Senior Women’s trophy, leading the Liv AWOL SPOK’D team to a 20th place finish was Imogen Chastell in 49:13.000, followed by five team mates in a row, with Maddie Gammons 25th in 51:44.550, Harley Pell 26th in 51:48.300, Emily Bridson and Hannah Bayes 27th and 28th with exactly the same time of 52:06.800. Connie Hayes wrapped up the team party in 29th in 52:44.600. The field started with 38.
In Junior classification, Imogen was 7th, Harley 8th and Emily 9th, out of 14.
In U16m Bethany Barnett finished in 15th with a time of 35:02.250 out of 27.
Emily Bridson, obviously less than happy with her performance, tweeted “9th Junior at Ipswich National Trophy. Definitely could’ve been worse! First and possibly only CX round this year as focus is now on Island Games road race, July 2019. Huge thanks to @AdmiralLivAWOL for having me all weekend, could not have done it without you.”
Liv AWOL SPOK’D tweeted “So pleased we had 6 riders in the top 30 Women’s National Trophy @IpCross great ride by Immi for 20th with @MaddieGammons 25th, @HarleyPellRacin 26th , @hannah_bayes 27th, @ebridders 28th @connie_hayes123 29th @GiantStPauls @LivCyclingUK @AdmiralUK”
UK Senior National Track Championships – Pursuit & Time Trial Pre Qualifying
Track , Newport – Sunday, 09 Dec 2018
This pre-championships qualification process was introduced to give automatic qualification to riders achieving the qualifying times for their respective events. For Liv AWOL SPOK’D rider Charlotte Broughton, riding in the Women’s 3000m Pursuit race, that meant achieving a time of 3 mins 45.000 seconds or better. Despite 6th place in the field, this sadly wasn’t enough to meet the qualification time.
Forme Notts & Derby League Round 8 – Presented by Derby Mercury
Cyclo-Cross , Derby – Saturday, 15 Dec 2018
A wet and muddy round 8 of the FND CX League. In a large and strong field of 28 women riders, Maddie Gammons put in a solid race coming in 2nd at the end. Smiling at the end, but in need of a wash!
She tweeted later “The mud made a return today at Markeaton Park @NDCXL. Really pleased with 2nd place after a tough couple of weeks on the bike. Progress is definitely being made! @AdmiralLivAWOL @PerkinsGarages @FORTEsportswear @Kask_cycling”
DVV verzekeringen trofee – Scheldecross
Cyclo-Cross – Saturday, 15 Dec 2018
In the first of a double-header cyclo-cross weekend in Belgium, racing alongside some of the world’s top cyclo-crossers, Connie Hayes put in a brave effort, finishing in 45th.
Telenet Superprestige Zonhoven
Cyclo-Cross – Sunday, 16 Dec 2018
Overnight, the snow had fallen, making for a wet, cold and slushy course for the second race of the weekend. Connie faired slightly better, finishing 42nd.
Hillingdon Winter Series 2018-2019 #07
Closed Circuit , Hayes – Saturday, 15 Dec 2018
In amongst all this cyclo-cross action, there’s always one or two team members riding regular road bikes. Savannah Hewson was back at her old Hillingdon home, for the Full Gas Winter Series. Unfortunately no success, with Savannah finishing in 6th.
Ipswich BC Cross – Eastern League Round 12
Cyclo-Cross , Ipswich – Sunday, 16 Dec 2018
Only a week after the National Trophy Series at the venue, it was back again for Eastern Region round 12. Harley Pell and Lauren Higham raced to 1st and 2nd junior podium places, and 3rd and 4th respectively overall in the women’s category.
And in the U16 Girls category, Bethany Barnett takes second place.
The team tweeted later “Some more good results today in @EasternCx @BarnettCycling 2nd in U16 @HarleyPellRacin 3rd & @LozzieJrCyclist 4th in women’s race @LivCyclingUK @GiantStPauls @PerkinsGarages @AdmiralUK”
And here was a nice photo from John Orbea of Harley crossing the finish line to take the Junior win.
Full Gas Winter Track League 2018-2019 #14
Track League , London – Tuesday, 18 Dec 2018
Mid-week racing in winter only means one thing, “Track League”. In this case it’s the Full Gas Cycling Winter Track League and Lee Valley Velodrome. Clover Murray was racing, but no results.
Full Gas Winter Track League 2018-2019 #15
Track League , London – Thursday, 20 Dec 2018
Two nights later, and it’s back to Lee Valley for round 15. Again Clover Murray was racing, but sadly once again, no results.
London & South East League Round 10
Cyclo-Cross , Tonbridge – Saturday, 22 Dec 2018
Imogen Chastell and Connie Hayes took 2nd and 5th respectively in the London & South East round 10 in the Women’s category, and for Imogen the Junior win.
In the U16 category, Charlotte McGreevy took 3rd place on the podium.
LYTL Open Youth Track Meeting – The Accumulator
Track , London – Friday, 28 Dec 2018
Youth rider Charlotte McGreevy has only recently started track racing, and in this post Christmas Lee Valley Open meet, she faired very well. In both the 20 lap scratch and the elimination, she finished 9th out of 25, and in the points she held onto 11th place, with only 23 riding in the last event.
DVV verzekeringen trofee – Azencross, Belgium (UCI/C1)
Cyclo-Cross – Friday, 28 Dec 2018
Maddie Gammons went to Belgium to represent Liv AWOL SPOK’D in the team’s second overseas cyclocross adventure of the month, the UCI/C1 event at Azencross. The race didn’t go as well as hoped, with Maddie finishing in 58th. But the trip wasn’t wasted as Maddie explained in her tweet. “After a disappointing 2 races over here in Belgium, I made the most of my time here with a solid 3.5hr ride including some famous Flandrian climbs & over 1000m of climbing.”
Leicestershire Cyclo-Cross League Rd 6
Cyclo-Cross , Heather – Sunday, 30 Dec 2018
It’s getting very late in the year, but still the team have riders out racing! Poppy Wildman took second on the podium in the Women’s race and with it the win in the Junior category.
MG Cross – Eastern League Round 13
Cyclo-Cross , Chelmsford – Sunday, 30 Dec 2018
Meanwhile, to wrap of the year in style, the team’s intrepid southern based cyclo-cross riders had an end of season bash in the senior women’s category, taking 4 of the top 10 spots, as well as both 1st and 2nd place on the podium (overall) and a full sweep of the junior prizes.
Imogen Chastell, Lauren Higham and Harley Pell took the junior podium in that order, with 1st, 2nd and 8th overall. Connie Hayes split the group in 6th place. What a way to end the year! Thankfully, despite Harley Pell collapsing after the race and being taken to hospital, she was back on her feet and on her bike fairly soon after.
And to finish the year off….
Louise Scupham posted a couple of tweets to close 2018 “Mucky end to the year with @hannah_bayes, awesome fun to be out on the TT Bike, though I’ll be apologising to it for the entirety of next year for getting it so mucky. @AdmiralLivAWOL TTT training for next season #sorrycanyon #lastwattsoftheyear”
But then, “And half an hour after a great final bike ride of 2018, a parcel arrives… Cannot wait for next season. Such amazing quality kit. Thank you @AdmiralLivAWOL & @ForteSportsUK. #BringOn2019 #NewYearNewTeam #NewKitDay #ExcitingTimesAhead”
Featured photo of Maddie Gammons at National Trophy Series, Ipswich © Huw Williams
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