XCO Race Report: British XC National Series Round 5 At Cannock Chase
Words: Nick Bentley
The final round of the XC points series was returned to Cannock Chase, always a popular venue as the record entries in the Open events showed. And being the final round means it's the series decider too. Several overall titles were already decided, others depended on the results from this round which made for some very exciting finishes. The course at Cannock may not be considered overly technical but the number of sharp, punchy climbs meant riders were working at their limits when they did reach the tech. A great season finale.
It's always impressive the speed that riders can power off of the start line
The slab A-line played on most riders' minds; you could either take the bumpier left sideline as this rider did or the steeper grassier chute to the right. The consensus overall was: just don't stop at the top!
Despite many mishaps on the rocky A-line the riders bounced back and continued the race with the red flags not getting much action this weekend, thankfully
Always time for a cheeky wheelie for the camera!
Adrian Lansley was not hanging around on the climbs
It was a close race in the Male Grand Veteran category, with Scott's Nick Craig taking the win ahead of Hunt's Marc Chamberlain on the final hill
The smooth fire-road descents provided a bit of a breather before the next climb
Cheeky foot dab for the tight dusty corners
The UK summer seems to be firmly in affect with plenty of riders rocking the open skin suits and party shades
Paul Oldham took another commanding lead this weekend in the Male Veteran's category taking not only the race win but the overall series win
Once riders had competed in their races there was no time to relax as they headed to the pits to support later racers
Hope's Dec Oldham had a great start to the race, powering off the start line and claiming his second podium of the series taking home third in the Male Youth field
Rose Lewis showing her climbing strength on her way to second in the Female Juvenile race
Spectators headed to the rock garden to capture all the action
No time for stopping on the rock garden with riders hot your wheel. This was no issue for Max Standen taking the win in the Male Youth race
There were several sprints to the finishing line over the weekend, with a photo finish for Zach Smith and Oliver Larner in the Male Juvenile field with Zach just getting the edge to take 13th place
Tulsi Bakrania suffered a break in her handlebars early in the Female Youth race, but this didn't deter her as she powered through to take 11th place
The ice-cream stand was the perfect place to cool down after a hard race
Or how about a drink from the boat bar?
Last-minute pep talks on the start line
The loose off-cambre kept riders on their toes on the B-lines, but proved occasionally quicker when the rockier A-line became over-crowded
A welcome sight seeing your family and friends cheering you on as your cross the finishing line
Riders really gave it there all on this challenging track
Karen Heppenstall had a great race on her way to third in the Female Veteran's race
Grace Inglis pushed hard to take home third place in the Elite Female race
It was a close fought battle between Anna Kay and Anna McGorum in the Women's Elite, with the leader changing every lap
But it was Anna McGorum who ultimately took the win in the Female Elite
Hugs all around on the finishing line
A brilliant turnout of riders at Round 5 from Cannock Chase with nearly 500 riders taking to the course across the weekend
In the Male Elite race, five riders broke away from the pack early doors
Family and friends were out supporting their riders
With just 31 seconds separating the junior podium the three-man break away had a tough race on their hands, Billy Reed battled hard to take third place
Max Greensill didn't have the final race he wanted with three snapped chains and a DNF, but after a fantastic season this didn't affect the final results with Max taking the overall series win in the Men's Junior category
With a lot of tight singletrack across the course, the gruelling climbs made the perfect opportunities to make that tactical overtake - as long as you had enough energy in the tank
Relief to get the flat group, before you realise around that corner is the sprint to the finishing line
Quick gel recharge
Lewis Askey couldn't believe it as, with a final surge of strength on the last climb, he sprinted to the line to take the win in the Male Elite field
With the National XC series coming to a close, hot on it's heels is the National XCC and XCO Championships on 21st-23rd July in Tong.
For 2023 Man Down Media have partnered with Bluetti to help support us in producing our National Series content. Bluetti produce clean, portable power stations allowing us to ditch our generator on race weekends an rely solely on their AC200MAX portable power station for all our power needs (e-bike charging included!). Why not head over to their website and check them out for yourself.Bluetti
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9 Comments
- 18 0
aireeek
FL (Jul 5, 2023 at 18:46)
That girl who finished the race with a broken handlebar is tougher than nails.
- 1 0
HankHank
FL (Jul 6, 2023 at 5:57)
That's crazy, GPS mangled, front brake only! Love the fact that she's covering her race number with her finger, that's either muscle memory or she doesn't want to lose that too
- 1 0
vinay
FL (Jul 6, 2023 at 8:46)
How does this work in racing? I know you're not allowed to race with uncapped handlebars. But what if the bars become uncapped during the ride and you (or a fellow competitor) could still be pierced by the bars? Could an official request you to either leave the race or swap the endcap to the newly exposed bar?
- 2 0
djlucas
FL (Jul 6, 2023 at 0:25)
That ice cream looked pricey.
- 3 0
thingswelike
FL (Jul 6, 2023 at 1:42)
Nick Craig is a beast!
- 1 0
andypandyuk
(Jul 6, 2023 at 5:31)
I always wondered, is there any form of drugs testing at these smaller events.
- 1 0
ROOTminus1
FL (Jul 6, 2023 at 5:47)
Honestly don't know at this level. I'd imagine so every now and again, but BC can instruct UKADA to come knocking on your door for an impromptu sample at any time
- 1 0
simondtling
(Jul 6, 2023 at 8:27)
Yep, testers show up randomly with no warning.
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