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Race Report: Crank It Cycling Series Round 5 Rother Valley Country Park, Sheffield
Rother Valley Country Park played host to the Crank It Cycling Series Round 5 this weekend, and whilst there were thunderstorms elsewhere, there was nothing but beautiful sunshine in Sheffield. Unfortunately this came with it’s own challenges, with riders racing in 25+ degree heat. The track consisted of fast grassy flats, bridge crossings, smooth and shady climbs and manicured bike park trails with berms and doubles to really put the riders handling skills to the test. This week featured the log-drop A-line, where riders could either send it, roll it or take the B-line for a challenging tight woodland singletrack. There were options for all abilities.
The morning started with the Men’s Sport race, with a fantastic turn out coming to the start line. Joseph Busby and Adam Turner took an early lead, battling it out for first and second. It was ultimately Adam Turner who went on to take first place, followed by Joseph Busby in second and Jack Johnson in third.
Next up, the Youth and Juveniles took to the course. The first lap saw some tight racing as riders got used to the woodland features. But it didn’t take long for Arthur Limb to start pulling away, ultimately taking home first place in the Youth category. George Cooper followed in second and Oliver Barker rounded off the podium in third. In the Female Youth and Juvenile field, Maisie Harper showed her skills taking a 12th place overall in the combined field and first place with a lead of over 7 minutes ahead of Tia Taylor in second and Poppy Spencer in third.
In the afternoon, once the summer heat had really started to take affect, the Women’s race took place. Hope Factory Racing’s Victoria Peel formed an early break away, and continued her lead to take the win by 8 minutes. Hannah Williams and Jessica Cobbe battled it out for the remaining podium places, with Hannah taking home second and Jessica taking third.
The final and largest race of the day rounding off the weekend was the Men’s Race. With the summer heat, riders were looking out for each other throughout this race, and the pit crews became vital in providing the much needed hydration and nutrition required to complete the 8 lap race. James Swadling took an early lead, but Billy Read and James Pickering didn’t let him get too far infront. James Swadling did not let up on the gas, putting in sub-10 minute laps across all 8 laps and ultimately going on to take first place overall. With a sprint finish on the cards, Billy Read put the power down on the finishing straight to take second overall followed by James Pickering in third.
The next round of the Crank It Cycling series continues on 16th July at Doddington Hall.
