Nikki Brammeier stormed through from the back of the field to take an emphatic victory in the elite women’s race at Round 3 of the National Trophy, at Moorsway Leisure Centre in Derby. In the Elite men’s competition, Thomas Mein (Hope Factory Racing) made it two wins out of three in a dominant display of his ‘cross ability.
In the Junior races, Oscar Amey (GKR Racing) prevailed in a head-to-head with Luke Gibson (4T+ Cyclopark) to win the Junior Men, while Alice Colling (Shibden Cycling Club) dominated the Women’s race.
Oscar Amey prevailed in a frenetic final sprint to cap off a strong showing on what was a soggy opening race on Saturday morning where he often joined his brother in trying to blow the race apart.
From the start, Oscar and brother Alfie turned up the heat on their rivals, with Jamie Stewart (Shibden Cycling Club), Joe Hurt (Bestow Cycling Club) and Lewis Tinsley (BCC Race Team) joining them on the front to form what was a formidable leading quintet.
Battling throughout, no one was able to really burst clear and try and make the race their own. Oscar tried for a time, but with Moorsway playing host to a very technical circuit, there was never a real opportunity to go solo.
Indeed, the biggest change at the front turned out to be a super charge from Luke Gibson who bridged across to the front five and had energy in reserve to keep the leaders well within his sights.
It was the last lap where the decisive move took place, Oscar and Gibson breaking clear of the rest. In a two-up sprint to the finish, Oscar Amey had just enough to raise his arms aloft ahead of the 4T+ Cyclopark rider to take the win. Brother Alfie rounded out the podium.
With Cat Ferguson and Imogen Wolff both electing to skip this round in the East Midlands, there was early possibility that the race might be more open with some of the other riders able to try and challenge for the win.
However, Alice Colling was on a mission and from the first sequence of quick corners she had a bit of breathing space, which quickly became a chasm of a lead to the pack behind as everyone started to string out as heavy drizzle started to fall – making a slippery course even icier.
Such was her strength, the four laps didn’t provide anything in the way of a challenge to her iron grip on victory.
Crossing the line with 37 seconds in hand over Ellie Mitchinson (Montezuma’s Race Team), she had time to cruise across the line.
Third, and 17 seconds down on Mitchinson, was Rebecca Woodvine (RR23-runandride.co.uk)
Women’s elite race
The Women’s elite race proved to be one of the most competitive of the day so far, with Anna Kay competing for Cyclocross Reds out in Belgium, the path was opened for someone else to win – and it proved to be a thriller.
Off the line, it was Hope Factory Racing’s Ruby James who had the best start and had a bike length over both Alderney Baker (Team Empella) and Xan Crees (Team Spectra Cannondale P/B DAS) through the first lap.
A lap later and it was all change behind James, as Baker came to strife and Series Leader Elena Day joined team-mate Crees in third.
Making a great charge from the back of the grid was Nikki Brammeier, who joined Day and Crees on the third of five laps.
As Crees started to fade, Day and Brammeier bridged across to James with Day launching an attack to go off the front.
She looked secure just off the front, but on the penultimate lap disaster struck. Having to take a minute to get her chain back on allowed both Brammeier and James to get back through.
Brammeier wouldn’t make any mistakes and won by almost half-a-minute with James rolling in for second.
Behind, riders who preserved their energy in the first half of the race came up trumps with Hope Inglis (Brother UK-Orientation Marketing) powering through into third and victory in the Under-23 category.
Ella Maclean-Howell took fourth (second U23) with Day fifth (third U23). With Kay skipping this round, it’s Elena Day in both the U23 and overall leaders jerseys.
Thomas Mein (Hope Factory Racing) took a commanding solo victory in the Elite Men’s race.
The sun began to make a welcome appearance as riders took to grid after a morning of drizzle and inky black skies in Derby.
The race was set to be a duel between Belfast’s Irish National Champion Dean Harvey (Trinity Racing), and former British Champion Mein, who was resplendent in the yellow series leader’s jersey, although it was Oliver Akers (Ribble – Verge Sport) who took the holeshot and led through the opening corners.
As the 79 strong field took on the technical ‘Bomb Hole’ section for the first time, a leading trio of Toby Barnes (Ribble – Verge Sport), Mein and Dan Barnes (Team Spectra-Cannondale) emerged, other riders losing ground and having to dismount on the tricky off-camber sections.
As the leaders elected to run over the planks, it was Toby Barnes and Mein who held a slight advantage over U23 series leader Dan Barnes – Wheelbase-Cabtech-Castelli rider Callum Laborde the only other rider to be in touch with the leaders after the opening exchanges.
Midway through the second lap the front three had regrouped, and led by Mein had ridden away from Laborde, who held a solid advantage over Huw Buck-Jones (Wales Racing Academy) and a large group containing the likes of Harvey and Ben Chilton (Ribble Collective), the ruts forming around the course causing issues further down the race.
By the third passage of the Bomb Hole, Mein had opened up a considerable advantage, riding every section cleanly with considerable grace and power as small mistakes crept in from the both Barnes behind. Harvey and Chilton both ended up embroiled in the tape on one of the many off-camber sections, the former losing considerable time as the spread out group chased Laborde in fourth; Chilton recovering to claim 5th place by the end of the lap.
Halfway through the race, with the course continuing to churn up, the front three were well clear in front, of both each other and the chasers. Using every blade of grass available local rider Chilton was closing on Laborde for 4th place as Simon Wyllie (Spectra-Cannondale) came through the fragmented group to overtake Buck-Jones for 6th, Joe Brookes ( Halesowen A and CC) producing a brilliant ride in 8th.
With 5 of 7 laps completed, the podium seemed almost set; the leading trio seemingly extending their advantage and riding the testing conditions very well. Chilton was putting together an excellent race, overhauling a suffering Laborde for fourth, while Huw Buck-Jones was again winning his battle with Simon Wyllie. The usually fast, undulating course was causing riders difficultly further down the field, riders regular appearing in the top 10 thus far, such as Matt Ellis (Rokit-SRCT) racing down around 20th.
With the sun now beating down and drying up parts of the course, creating difficult two speed conditions, Mein continued to press home his advantage, taking the bell lap with a large advantage over Toby Barnes, Dan a further 40 seconds back but managing to hop the hurdles. Chilton was on the charge in fourth, the question being could he bridge the 20 second gap to the podium in just over a lap? Further back Irish Champion Harvey was making good progress down the field following his crash, battling with Wyllie now for 7th.
After a brutal hour of racing Hope Factory Racing’s Thomas Mein claimed his claimed his second round of the season and strengthened his hold on the series lead, arms aloft in victory after riding a clean final lap. Following him home was Toby Barnes, who closed the gap a little in the final stages and Dan Barnes, the U23 winner. Chilton, another U23, followed not far behind ahead of Callum Laborde in 5th, rounding out the U23 podium.
Nikki Brammeier stormed through from the back of the field to take an emphatic victory in the elite women’s race at Round 3 of the National Trophy, at Moorsway Leisure Centre in Derby. In the Elite men’s competition, Thomas Mein (Hope Factory Racing) made it two wins out of three in a dominant display of his ‘cross ability.
In the Junior races, Oscar Amey (GKR Racing) prevailed in a head-to-head with Luke Gibson (4T+ Cyclopark) to win the Junior Men, while Alice Colling (Shibden Cycling Club) dominated the Women’s race.
Featured Image: Joe Hudson
Reports
Men’s junior
Oscar Amey prevailed in a frenetic final sprint to cap off a strong showing on what was a soggy opening race on Saturday morning where he often joined his brother in trying to blow the race apart.
From the start, Oscar and brother Alfie turned up the heat on their rivals, with Jamie Stewart (Shibden Cycling Club), Joe Hurt (Bestow Cycling Club) and Lewis Tinsley (BCC Race Team) joining them on the front to form what was a formidable leading quintet.
Battling throughout, no one was able to really burst clear and try and make the race their own. Oscar tried for a time, but with Moorsway playing host to a very technical circuit, there was never a real opportunity to go solo.
Indeed, the biggest change at the front turned out to be a super charge from Luke Gibson who bridged across to the front five and had energy in reserve to keep the leaders well within his sights.
It was the last lap where the decisive move took place, Oscar and Gibson breaking clear of the rest. In a two-up sprint to the finish, Oscar Amey had just enough to raise his arms aloft ahead of the 4T+ Cyclopark rider to take the win. Brother Alfie rounded out the podium.
Women’s junior
With Cat Ferguson and Imogen Wolff both electing to skip this round in the East Midlands, there was early possibility that the race might be more open with some of the other riders able to try and challenge for the win.
However, Alice Colling was on a mission and from the first sequence of quick corners she had a bit of breathing space, which quickly became a chasm of a lead to the pack behind as everyone started to string out as heavy drizzle started to fall – making a slippery course even icier.
Such was her strength, the four laps didn’t provide anything in the way of a challenge to her iron grip on victory.
Crossing the line with 37 seconds in hand over Ellie Mitchinson (Montezuma’s Race Team), she had time to cruise across the line.
Third, and 17 seconds down on Mitchinson, was Rebecca Woodvine (RR23-runandride.co.uk)
Women’s elite race
The Women’s elite race proved to be one of the most competitive of the day so far, with Anna Kay competing for Cyclocross Reds out in Belgium, the path was opened for someone else to win – and it proved to be a thriller.
Off the line, it was Hope Factory Racing’s Ruby James who had the best start and had a bike length over both Alderney Baker (Team Empella) and Xan Crees (Team Spectra Cannondale P/B DAS) through the first lap.
A lap later and it was all change behind James, as Baker came to strife and Series Leader Elena Day joined team-mate Crees in third.
Making a great charge from the back of the grid was Nikki Brammeier, who joined Day and Crees on the third of five laps.
As Crees started to fade, Day and Brammeier bridged across to James with Day launching an attack to go off the front.
She looked secure just off the front, but on the penultimate lap disaster struck. Having to take a minute to get her chain back on allowed both Brammeier and James to get back through.
Brammeier wouldn’t make any mistakes and won by almost half-a-minute with James rolling in for second.
Behind, riders who preserved their energy in the first half of the race came up trumps with Hope Inglis (Brother UK-Orientation Marketing) powering through into third and victory in the Under-23 category.
Ella Maclean-Howell took fourth (second U23) with Day fifth (third U23). With Kay skipping this round, it’s Elena Day in both the U23 and overall leaders jerseys.
Men’s elite race
Thomas Mein (Hope Factory Racing) took a commanding solo victory in the Elite Men’s race.
The sun began to make a welcome appearance as riders took to grid after a morning of drizzle and inky black skies in Derby.
The race was set to be a duel between Belfast’s Irish National Champion Dean Harvey (Trinity Racing), and former British Champion Mein, who was resplendent in the yellow series leader’s jersey, although it was Oliver Akers (Ribble – Verge Sport) who took the holeshot and led through the opening corners.
As the 79 strong field took on the technical ‘Bomb Hole’ section for the first time, a leading trio of Toby Barnes (Ribble – Verge Sport), Mein and Dan Barnes (Team Spectra-Cannondale) emerged, other riders losing ground and having to dismount on the tricky off-camber sections.
As the leaders elected to run over the planks, it was Toby Barnes and Mein who held a slight advantage over U23 series leader Dan Barnes – Wheelbase-Cabtech-Castelli rider Callum Laborde the only other rider to be in touch with the leaders after the opening exchanges.
Midway through the second lap the front three had regrouped, and led by Mein had ridden away from Laborde, who held a solid advantage over Huw Buck-Jones (Wales Racing Academy) and a large group containing the likes of Harvey and Ben Chilton (Ribble Collective), the ruts forming around the course causing issues further down the race.
By the third passage of the Bomb Hole, Mein had opened up a considerable advantage, riding every section cleanly with considerable grace and power as small mistakes crept in from the both Barnes behind. Harvey and Chilton both ended up embroiled in the tape on one of the many off-camber sections, the former losing considerable time as the spread out group chased Laborde in fourth; Chilton recovering to claim 5th place by the end of the lap.
Halfway through the race, with the course continuing to churn up, the front three were well clear in front, of both each other and the chasers. Using every blade of grass available local rider Chilton was closing on Laborde for 4th place as Simon Wyllie (Spectra-Cannondale) came through the fragmented group to overtake Buck-Jones for 6th, Joe Brookes ( Halesowen A and CC) producing a brilliant ride in 8th.
With 5 of 7 laps completed, the podium seemed almost set; the leading trio seemingly extending their advantage and riding the testing conditions very well. Chilton was putting together an excellent race, overhauling a suffering Laborde for fourth, while Huw Buck-Jones was again winning his battle with Simon Wyllie. The usually fast, undulating course was causing riders difficultly further down the field, riders regular appearing in the top 10 thus far, such as Matt Ellis (Rokit-SRCT) racing down around 20th.
With the sun now beating down and drying up parts of the course, creating difficult two speed conditions, Mein continued to press home his advantage, taking the bell lap with a large advantage over Toby Barnes, Dan a further 40 seconds back but managing to hop the hurdles. Chilton was on the charge in fourth, the question being could he bridge the 20 second gap to the podium in just over a lap? Further back Irish Champion Harvey was making good progress down the field following his crash, battling with Wyllie now for 7th.
After a brutal hour of racing Hope Factory Racing’s Thomas Mein claimed his claimed his second round of the season and strengthened his hold on the series lead, arms aloft in victory after riding a clean final lap. Following him home was Toby Barnes, who closed the gap a little in the final stages and Dan Barnes, the U23 winner. Chilton, another U23, followed not far behind ahead of Callum Laborde in 5th, rounding out the U23 podium.
Results
Men’s junior
Women’s junior
Women’s elite
Elite men
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