ACC Cross Champs, Herne Hill 20 Dec.

[higg]

As forecast, a bit of an icy one this morning. When I got to Herne Hill the entrance road was iced over and I almost hit the deck walking to the registration. I signed on hoping the course would be better, well if everyone else was prepared to race then it should be OK?

I started on the practice lap, parts of the back course were totally frozen but with that white frost ice not the black kind so it was just about rideable, in a straight line anyway.

As the lap went on though I just couldn't get into the swing of things, luckliy though I had put the MTB in the car as back up. Before the race started I switched bikes, did some fettling and got to the the start just as the group was forming.

I looked around for any other Addiscombe but it looked like it was just me today. At this stage I had just resigned myself to finishing safely rather than doing well, the mtb with bigger tyres, suspension and upright position is a bit more forgiving when the wheels start slipping but the extra drag on the muddy infield meant I wouldn't be able to defend any position against a cross bike with skinny tyres. But then the gridding started, now, normally the commissaire picks out the first 20 riders to put them at the front for the start but this time he must have gone down to 30 or 40 because he called my name. Suddenly the pressure was back on, I felt I had to make an effort.

The whistle went and we were off. A loop of the infield spread out the riders before the drop into first of the singletrack. Luckily the drop (near the entrance gate) gets the sun so was just muddy but the trail after is in permanent shadow. Thankfully everyone else seemed to be finding it just as difficult and I even managed to gain some places as others just rolled into the bushes searching for some grip to make the turns.

As time went on I got more comfortable the MTB was able to rattle over the frozen undulations of the back country with confidence. The track infield was another matter though, the combination of sun and riders was softening the ground to gloop and the MTB tyres were no contest to the skinny CX tyres. I was being passed and losing 30m every lap. Still it was a sunny day so I relaxed and just kept plugging away.

Normally I try not to look at the lap counter until really near the end but this time I couldn't resist. 3 laps to go, my mindset seemed to change and I started playing safer, was it my imagination or was the course geting slippier? whatever grip that white frosty ice had was disappearing and black ice was beginning to form on some of the drops. Now everytime I approached the drop behind the herne hill sign there was someone on the deck or very close. I dabbed (a foot) a few times and had a scary front wheel slipping moment on the last lap but managed to stay upright. I was glad when got to the gloppy mud on the infield for the last time.

Don't know what position I finished in, nothing spectacular I'm sure but good experience all the same.

[Andrew G]

Well done Aodan. I'd have loved to have joined you but was at a family do today.

[Jon H]

Well done Aodan, you deserve the trophy for bravery for riding on a day as cold as yesterday.

I went along and spectated, and as Aodan said there were some very icy bits on the course which seemed to be dependent on where the sun had hit or missed. There were a couple of places where loads of people were sliding off and ending up on the deck. The track itself was completely clear at one end and covered in snow at the other end. One plus point - the sand pit looked pretty easy to ride.