The 2024 BUCS 10 mile TT was rescheduled to the 8th of June, after the original event was cancelled last minute due to heavy rain. The CUCC squad took a second trip up to Nottingham, on what promised to be a much nicer day. This involved the standard faff, including pre-race swapping of brake calipers and a pinched latex tube. The wind was less favourable than 2023 resulting in a hard TT to pace: a fast outward leg and a hard uphill headwind for the last few km.
The women were off first, perfectly coinciding with an unexpected rain storm. Despite this, Freya Taylor set a strong time of 24:32, Lucy Havard 23:39, and Maddie Angwin set a very impressive 23:06 for third place. This was enough for Maddie and Lucy to secure second in the team competition.
Then came the men. The early starters still got a bit wet, but the weather cleared up towards the end. The team of Tom Wade (21:26), Joe Adlam-Cook (21:14), and Matt Rizzo-Naudi (20:31), got second in the overall team prize, and Matt Rizzo-Naudi came third overall.
A successful day out for the club, and great to see Matt and Maddie’s dedication to time trailing pay off. (Has Matt had an aero-fit? Will Maddie ever give back her coach’s aero helmet? Who knows). Full results here.
The 2024 British Universities Road Race Championships took place in South Yorkshire on Sunday the 19th of May, with racing held around the Upper Denby circuit; an 8.3-mile loop with and undulating parcours involving 190m of elevation per lap, 140m of which was undertaken in a single climb. [Insert joke about Cambridge being flat]
With the women’s racing starting early, a strong gang of 9 CUCCers set out the Saturday afternoon before the race, wending their way northward toward Shefield to stay the night in a rather classy Airbnb (Thank you Lucy), located around a 30-minute drive from the race HQ. The evening meal involved the traditional carb loading of pasta, followed soon after by classic bedtime activities, such as; comparing cassette sizes, tasting your friend’s carb drink mix, and musical renditions of Northern classics, including ‘Hendos, ‘Oyl int road’ and ‘No oven no pie’.
The CUCC 2024 BUCS Road Race team, with (left to right): Joe AC, Phoebe Barker, Sannah Zaman, Tom Hale, Will Lowden, Matt Rizzo, Lucy Havard, and Tom Wade.
The day of the race dawned bright and sunny and, with breakfast at 6:30, our female racers (and Will) set off at 7 to the race HQ for the women’s race roll-out at 9. Bravely, the men decided to lie in till later. Navigation appeared to be the first university challenge of the day with which to test the brains of Cambridge, with Sannah and Lucy initially driving to the previous year’s race HQ. Thankfully, the second team of Phoebe and Will passed the test – it turns out that vet placements are also handy for learning how to use google maps!
Phoebe Barker in the zone before the women’s race roll out or, perhaps looking about, trying to find Lucy and Sannah after their little trip to Harrogate? Either way, I love the matching colour scheme.
At 9am, the Women’s 26 rider strong peloton rolled out and, facing 6.5 laps (90km) of the challenging Denby circuit in the heat, the racing started conservatively. Over the next 4 laps, the peloton was slowly thinned out however, all the Cambridge racers remained in the mix. With 2 laps to go, Jessett (Loughborough) and Bond (Shefield) attacked, breaking clear of the main group. A chase ensued, and the resultant hot pace set simmered the bunch down to just 12, with strong riding from Phoebe, Sannah and Lucy ensuring they made the cut. Over the course of the next lap, the breakaway lead climbed to 1.5 minutes and with such a margin, the positions of first and second seemed unassailable; it was now a race for third place. The final kilometre of the circuit involved a cheeky kick to the line, averaging 5% in the final 300m. Phoebe put in an excellent final effort, providing a lead-out for Sannah prior to the final sprint for the line and, after a fast and exhilarating sprint, the CUCC results consisted of 4th place for Sannah, followed by 13th for Phoebe and 14th for Lucy. Great results all round and special a congrats to Phoebe for smashing her first road race! However, the celebrations would have to wait as it was now the turn of the CUCC men to race…
The men’s race took place on the same circuit, this time tackling 9.5 laps (133km) and involving a larger bunch, at 78 riders. Following the roll-out at 2pm, with almost 2000m of climbing on the cards, the racing obviously started conservatively at full gas from the flag, with riders jostling for position before the first 90-degree bend into a 13% kicker. Sensibly, most CUCC riders remained within the relative calm of the fold except for Will, who decided to control the race from the front. Two riders attempted to ride clear, but this was not helpful to ‘l’objectif’ and was quickly closed down. The pace remained high at >45kph for the next 15 kilometres, before a break formed off the front, consisting of five riders including Lowden. The quintet worked well together and by half a lap, had established a gap of 30 seconds, eventually rising to over 3 minutes by lap 5. Meanwhile in the peloton behind, the atmosphere was as tense as a brewing summer storm cloud and, with pacing as mercurial as the air masses which encompass those towering colossus, many riders were inevitably caught out in the emerging splits. With the pace in the peloton remaining high, it was a curious choice of time indeed for Joe ‘tubular’ AC to test his tyres against a pothole. The pothole won.
The sun was out, the pace was high, and the racing was infernal… but that wasn’t the only thing that was hot.
After lap six, four riders launched an attack off the front of the peloton, attempting to bridge to the group of (now four) riders further up the road, reducing the deficit to just 30 seconds by the bell. With 3 km to go, the two groups merged, and an attack was launched up the final climb by Hurdle, with Morgan, Smith, and Lowden quick to join. The finishing 500m came down to a four-way battle, with Smith launching an early sprint, followed by Morgan, who came around to claim the win, leaving Smith second and Lowden third. The racing behind continued, with the peloton now divided into multiple gruppettos strung out along the course; mulppettos, if you will. Both Matt Rizzo and Joe AC put on a solid show, placing 12th and 15th respectively and Tom Wade pulled out all the stops to finish just inside the time cut in 31st. Unfortunately, both Tom Hale and Craig were caught the wrong side of the split, resulting in a ride on the broom waggon.
Matt Rizzo dropping the watts.
All in all, a successful weekend away racing, leaving the woes of exam season behind. Much fun was had by all, despite the hard racing, and the team came away raring to go for the summer of racing ahead!
The full results for the BUCS 2024 road race championships are available here
The 2024 British Universities Team Time Trial Championships took place in Wiltshire, on the 10th of March, with racing held over 13.5 laps (40.5km) of the Castle Coombe motor racing circuit; a 3km loop with smooth tarmac and 17m elevation gain per lap.
With racing starting from 13:30, the meeting time at the University sports centre was somewhat civilised and negated the usual bleary-eyed morning start synonymous with most BUCS events. The three-hour drive westward proved uneventful, and even the grey palled drape of a sky, failed to put a dampener on the [ever optimistic] CUCC spirit. But miracles do come true, and the day at Castle Coombe, whilst not sunny, proved to be dry and still, despite the rather wet and windy weather to be found everywhere else.
The CUCC BUCS TTT men’s 1st team, with (left to right): Joe AC, Matt Rizzo, and Will Lowden
Upon arrival, the six-team strong CUCC squad unloaded the van and set up an organised base of operations, with bikes, turbos and wheel bags quickly sprinkled liberally around the area, rather like sheep speckling a distant Exmoor landscape. Having sorted out wheels and other paraphernalia (we all know the best time to test equipment is just before a race), the teams began their warmups before making their way to the start gate for the allotted race time. First up was the CUCC women’s team, consisting of Sannah, Phoebe and Maddie. Having braved rain and wind in previous weeks to practice for the TTT, the women put in an excellent performance of power and teamwork, alongside a show of cosmopolitan sporting skill by Sannah, throwing her helmet mid-race. With aero-a-plenty, thanks to Maddie’s rapid Boardman and Phoebe’s fancy helmet, the women averaged an impressive 40.7 kph, completing the course in 59:19.4 for 5th place. Perhaps next year, we can persuade the organisers to include athletic field events mid-race?
The CUCC women’s TT team in action, with (left to right); Maddie Angwin, Sannah Zaman, and Phoebe Barker.
Following the Women’s race, the CUCC men’s teams were off in quick succession with team 2 (Tom Hale, Tom Wade and Francis) stopping the clock at 51:42.6 for 9th, team 3 (Mantas, Harry and Ben) at 55:03.1 for 17th, followed closely in by team 4 (Lucas, Josh and Janik) at 55:44.4 for 18th, and team 5 (Mattis, Ilya and Matt) at 59:04.9 for 24th.
Finally, it was the turn of the Cambridge men’s 1st team. The pacing started conservatively, the aim being to ride a negative split, with the speed increasing steadily throughout the race. Minute turns were taken on the front with consistently smooth pulls and changes from all, and as the lap counter climbed, so did the pace. With two laps to go, the throttle was wide open, and the afterburners ignited, with Lowden driving it on the front for the final few laps. Averaging 50.1 kph, the clock stopped at 48:11.8 which placed second overall, at just 10 seconds off Loughborough’s winning time.
The solid performance of the women meant that CUCC also placed 2nd in the combined competition and the great performances by everyone a testament to the hard work put in training, in the weeks preceding the event. Overall, a successful day out all-round!
Full results for the BUCS 2024 team time trial championships are available here
Botty 10, 1pm, a Saturday in early March, what else could it be but cuppers? The weather had looked miserable all week, with rain and strong winds forecast, and the unlucky riders in the first half of the race had to endure a hailstorm. This, however, had mostly cleared by the second half of the race leaving only a bit of a crosswind.
With the keen racers safely away in Newport for BUCS track, so once everyone made it to the start line (In classic CUCC fashion about 1/3 of riders missed their starts…) cuppers was anyone’s race for the taking. This lead to some very strong performances across the board (full results here here). Lucas Beghein took the men’s TT bike category, sneaking under 23 minutes with a 22:58. Maddie Angwin carried on her winning streak from Ely Hardriders, winning the women’s race despite a missed start in 26:28. The road bike categories were won by Francis Schofield (also on a post-Ely winning spree) in 23:39, and Freya Taylor, on her TT debut, in 31:33.
Lucas Beghein on his way to victory, photo thanks to Nordin Catic
Inspired by the new CTT road bike category, the scoring system was adjusted for this year. The fastest rider in each category, road and TT bike, for open and female, was awarded 8 points, then 7 points were awarded for the next rider, decreasing by 1 until a minimum of 1 point was won by every rider that competed.
The overall win was taken by St John’s, with a team of Maddie Angwin, Naomi Jennings and Josh Kershaw. Trinity came in a close second and Kings third.
The Winning John’s Team, and a frankly embarrassing amount of rowing stash.
The day concluded with hot dogs and snacks in the Bottisham village hall, and a slow spin back into town. Thanks to Louis for organising a great event, and on to the rest of the race season! Photos from the day can be found here, with thanks to Nordin Catic.
On the 18th of February it was the mountain bikers of CUCC who found themselves in the unfamiliar position of waking up to race. This peculiar breed of cyclist appears out of the woodwork once a year for the legendary Mountain Bike Varsity. Whilst Cambridge Mountain biking has been a bastion of success in recent years, having won the last 5 men’s and women’s titles, all good things must come to an end. It was Oxford who appeared out of the mist to claim victory.
On this particular morning the heavens were unsteady, tormented as the rain flowed out of the sky, perhaps foreshadowing things to come. The MTBers set off for Frimley, Surrey. Some extra last-minute practice was provided for the drivers on the way down as they were forced to navigate unruly puddles and accidents alike. Upon arrival the focus quickly shifted to reconning the course. Every muddy patch, slick root and sharp corner memorised, the riders headed for the start line.
Oxford and Cambridge fight for position on the start line
Sprint. The riders were off. A 50-meter dash, before the course split into three before a sharp right hander before a drop. The technical course took its toll very quickly with Sam Fitzgerald (Cambridge) slamming on the brakes to take the hard right. Yet, Matthew Coulson, unable to react in time, was forced to grab a handful of front brake, launching himself through the air. This maneuver proved successful for Sam, however, parachuting him up the order into second place. Though it was Oxford’s Max Bolton who started with flying colours opening an early lead over the first climb of the day. As the race progressed Cambridge’s hopes of winning looked ever more strained. Yani Angelo Djelil, of Oxford powered past the podium, taking the lead going into the second lap. Meanwhile, fueled by adrenaline Matthew Coulson fought through the field into second place. Cambridge valiantly fought on, assembling all their ducks into a row from 4th to 8th into the last lap. Will Lowden led the Cambridge train to the line, closely followed by Sam Fitzgerald and Ilya Kaysin, but it was not enough to prevent an Oxford 1,2,3. In the Women’s it was Oxford’s Elizabeth Hayman who sent it from start to finish. A fitting Victory after consecutive podiums. Behind, Oxford’s Freya Butler started strong, however, a silver lining for Cambridge, Charlotte Lampe left everything out on the course and had a late surge to take silver. Abigail Cox rounded out the Cambridge women’s team in 4th.
Charlotte Lampe storming up a late climb.
Overall, whilst the result may have disappointed all involved should be proud of their performance and spirit, in a race with some of the toughest conditions seen in years. Now sights are set on 2025, where you can be certain of more thrills, more spills, and much more great racing. Come on you Light Blues!
All smiles from both Oxford and Cambridge at the finish.
With another hill climb season under the collective CUCC belt, it is time to reflect and remind ourselves that we do in fact enjoy riding our bikes despite the long cold days spent climbing hills for mid-pack finishes. With the nearby summits including Chapel Hill and Gog Magog, CUCC, unsurprisingly, had another brilliant season, mopping up many medals along the way.
First up was OUCC Hill Climb on 21st October with an early start at the Sports Centre. CUCC cleaned up the medal table, taking the men’s and women’s overall wins with Will Lowden and Phoebe Barker, as well as the men’s and women’s varsities with Will, Joe A-C and Ben Proctor, and Phoebe, Sannah Zaman and Maddie Angwin – we could not have asked for a better start to the season. We would like to say a big thanks to Oxford for hosting us and organising the entire event! The highlight for me was the post-hill climb social ride with multiple riders, committee members no less, being told off for launching attacks. All I can say is that I was just following the wheels.
CUCC at OUCC Hill Climb, Saturday 21st October 2023CUCC’s Gen Sec Ben Proctor, going full send up Chalet Hill. OUCC Hill Climb 2023
Next up was our very own hill climb up the savage Gog Magog – there’s a reason they built a hospital right next to it. Go too hard at the start and you’ve probably finished before the lactate sets in. Just as we ordered, the heavy rain began right as we started sign-on. In the back of Alex’s Land Rover, we quickly found out the packing fraction of CUCCers – it was indeed not large enough with many people left outside, feeling very cold. Or so they looked from inside. Despite the ridiculously cramped conditions, sign-on was completed, and attention turned to the great pain faces on show, as riders battled their way up the hill. Maddie Angwin deployed her presidential watts to win the women’s competition, with Joe A-C putting on another classic performance, winning the men’s. Special mention must go to Louis for doing an amazing job organising the whole event! We really appreciate it.
The weather didn’t stop CUCC! CUCC Hill Climb, 29th October 2023
A few CUCC members decided to trade Gog Magog for the dizzy heights of the Lake District and The Struggle on 29th October for the National Hill Climb Championships. The likes of Andrew Feather and Ed Laverack were quaking in their Sidis at the thought of being pitted against CUCC’s finest hill climbers and their machines. The CUCC team, comprised of Will Lowden, Francis Schofield and Jacob Lewis, had an incredible performance – all well within the top 50 % of riders. Special mention must go to Will, only 20 seconds off a top-10 result with a severely over-geared set up. Needless to say it left him with a cadence which made my knees hurt just watching. Cameron Walker, a CUCC member racing under the Elevate Race Team, had a superb performance only a few seconds behind Francis who managed to sneak into the top 50. If anyone has seen the photos or videos from the event, it is easy to see why hill climbs are so popular here – I had goosebumps just watching!
Tim B cheering on Jacob Lewis. National Hill Climb Champs, 29th October 2023
BUCS Hill Climb, the finale of the hill climb season, started with another early morning and a trek to somewhere off the A1. There was indeed a hill, and we rode up it. For early November, the weather was, fortunately, abysmal. Phoebe continued her clean sweep of hill climb victories this year, taking the overall women’s win. Although she was again closely followed by Sannah in 2nd place, allowing CUCC to comfortably win the women’s overall competition. In an outstanding repeat of the OUCC Hill Climb, Will, Ben and Joe all put in top-15 performances to win bronze in the men’s team competition. Their backs need a well-earned rest from all the carrying they have been doing so far this season. Special mention must go to CUCC alumnus, Craig Rogers, now racing for Newcastle, who led the event for most of the day, only to be pipped for the win by Oxford’s ‘Andrew Feather’, Matthew Coulson. After multiple attempts to manoeuvre the van and remember how to use a clutch, the CUCC Van® was back off to Cambridge with another huge medal haul. A fantastic day full of laughs, cold hands and rain, I would nearly choose to do it again.
BUCS Hill Climb, 4th November 2023
It would seem the club-subsidised university events were not enough for some, with members spending hard-earned student loans on more open hill climb events around the country. Streatley Hill near Reading was graced with the Fenland Watts on 17th September (yes, this isn’t in chronological order 🤡) – multiple members came out of summer hibernation to perform some max efforts: Matt Davison, Tom Hale, Maddie and recent alumnus Zoe Burrell ensured CUCC gave ample warning to the other universities to get their act together before the season proper. Another mention to Cam Walker for bagging a top-10 for his team! Numerous other events were entered strengthening the CUCC hill climb name, with strong showings by CUCC members and alumni including: Tim B and Jacob at The Urban Hill Climb in mid-September and Cam Walker who took multiple top-10s in the Chilterns.
And with that, the club’s racing for the calendar year is at an end. A huge thanks must go to all those who helped organise transport, entries and the events themselves: Louis Stuart, Tom Wade and Phoebe Barker – the smooth running of these events was all thanks to them. Lastly, thanks and well done to all those who rode any of the hill climbs – I certainly had a great time and I hope you all did too. Being able to take such large teams to these events really makes me realise how much the club can come together to support each other – the fact that we are competing on such a high-level nationally is a testament to this. I hope everyone has a restful holiday and is as excited as I am for the year to come!
For a summary of results, see the ‘Results Archive’ on our website under the ‘Racing’ tab.
If you’d like to get involved with any of the racing in the club, or simply have any questions, please email one (or all!) of your race captains: Matt (mlar2), Tom (tjh93), Jo (jgm42) and Phoebe (prab2)
Maddie Angwin, Zoe Burrell, Miranda Clements on the start line
I’ll spare the typical details of the inevitably early drive over to Castle Combe and the rubbish weather as they seem to be a staple of CUCC’s racing experience. The course, however, is worthy of some explanation. Tales of its sketchiness proceeded it. We had already heard of Rob Walkers encounter with a bush a few years back and Jack Kellam’s team getting lost twice in the same race, therefore hopes of all our teams surviving to the finish line were low.
Off first for CUCC were the road bike team of Matt Davison, Tim Bodey and Lucas Beighein, wearing an eclectic mix of skinsuits which really showed that style is CUCC’s … forte. Whist Tim Bodey’s pride in his white ‘skinner’ is unparalleled, the team’s time of 56:28 was extremely impressive given their one training session and putting them comfortably near the top of the road bike category.
Up next the ‘low riders’ team of Luke Andrews, Jacob Lewis and Matt Rizzo-Naudi sped round the course in 53:37 and without disassembling Luke’s headset, fixing Jacob’s bike or stopping at the café mid-ride, an impressive feat indeed.
The ‘tall bois’ team of Joe Adlam-Cook, Tom Wade and Harry Weedon put down the watts to get round the course in 50:29. However, Joe decided to take his time on a short magical mystery tour at one of the junctions just to ensure that they got the most from their TTT experience. A great race from the team but unfortunately, they narrowly missed out on the podium, coming 4th by one second.
On the women’s side the runner (Phoebe Barker) and the rowers (Jo Matthews and Imogen Grant) united to make a team of big hitters. Playing to their strengths they decided to have Phoebe on the front for all the hills, Jo for the downhills and Imogen for the flat sections. Whilst not typical for a TTT this method worked extremely well for them (except for Jo’s brief encounter with the verge) as they came away with a 56:48 and 1st on the podium!
Setting off three minutes after Oxford’s first team, Miranda “went on a rampage” Clements, Zoe “please Miranda slow” Burrell and Maddie “Ease Miranda, EASE” Angwin put in a strong effort to claim 2nd with a time of 58:01, making the podium (majority) Cambridge Blue (with an unfortunate but unavoidable tint of Loughborough purple).
Success!
The strong performance by Phoebe, Jo and Imogen paired with Joe, Tom and Harry’s wattage gave Cambridge a combined time of 1h47, resulting in Cambridge winning the fastest overall team medal.
It was a great day out. Zero crashes. Three podiums. Twelve medals. Back for Matt and Joes birthday bash.
BUCS 25, which happens to also be our Varsity match, saw CUCC put out 26 riders. On a variety of begged and borrowed (no stolen) equipment our riders were ready to face the infamous botty triangle. In typical Cambridge style, the morning of the race was wet and windy which led to a few of our rowers getting confused into thinking that botty was a river and therefore turning up in wellies.
After Miranda Clements had realized that she was in fact racing a bike not a boat, she rolled over to the start line as the first woman off. I feel bad for her minute man as she put in a staggering time of 01:00:40. Up next for Cambridge women was Imogen Grant. After storming round the course in 01:01:41 she dashed off to commentate the Boat Race, leaving all of us wondering whether rowing at the Olympics or smashing it around botty for an hour is more enjoyable. Maddie Angwin was up next, putting in a strong performance for 01:04:54, knocking 5 minutes off her time from last year’s race. President Zoe Burrell, sped round in style for 01:04:08, with Women’s Captain Phoebe Barker following on with a 01:02:37, taking 2 minutes off her time from last year. Last but not least, Jo Matthews smashed round the course in 01:00:37 to claim 3rd overall. An incredibly strong performance from the women’s side led to Miranda Clements and Jo Matthews coming 2nd in BUCS 25. Imogen Grant’s impressive performance meant that the women’s side (Jo, Miranda and Imogen) won the women’s Varsity match for the first time in 9 years. Maybe rowers do make good cyclists after all.
Jo Matthews on the Botty Triangle
The men’s side saw equal success, but unsurprisingly more CUCCups as well. Tom Hale was the first rider off for Cambridge putting in an impressive time of 56:31. In fact 56 appeared to be a popular number for CUCC with Tim Welsh (56:16), Tom Wade (56:20) and Matt Rizzo-Naudi (56:36) creating a CUCC cluster high in the results table. Joe Adlam-Cook decided he didn’t want to be part of the 56 gang, digging deep to achieve a 54:07, taking nearly 2 minutes out of his time from last year, and gaining the coveted award of fastest CUCC.
The road (bike) men put in a strong showing – so aero Dan Bigham would eat his heart out – with Colin Krawchuk putting in a 01:01:27 to become the fastest CUCC roadman. Special mention must go to our speedy freshers Harry Weedon (59:49), Louis Stuart (01:06:14) and Lucas Beghein (01:08:14) for their first whack round the triangle. The biggest CUCCup must go to Lucas for arriving 45 minutes late to the start after a delayed train and a puncture, but what’s a CUCC race without a bit of stress?
Luke Andrews getting areo
Congratulations to the men’s team of Joe Adlam-(over)Cook(ed it), Dr Quadzilla (Tim Welsh) and Thomas (the Tank Engine) Wade for their third-place team medal. It was a great day to be part of CUCC. The full results can be found here.
Taking home silverware (Tom Wade, Tim Welsh, Miranda Clements, Jo Matthews, Joe Adlam-Cook)
Last weekend (4/5th March) held the first BUCS event of 2023 (although notably the second most prestigious event of the weekend sharing the date with CUCC’s own cuppers, which I’m told is soon to join the World Tour). The University Track Cycling Championships were held at the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales.
Mere days after first stepping foot in a velodrome, 7 starry-eyed roadies-turned-trackies made the arduous journey across the country to take part in the event (with some minor detours to acquire some last minute free-speed along the way in the form of shiny track wheels). Late Friday night the crew arrived in Cardiff, just in time to boil a month’s supply of pasta, watch some GCN to remind the squad what a ‘velodrome‘ and ‘lock-ring’ were, and double check none of the wheels had punctured after Tim’s adventurous van driving.
The Team at BUCS Track (Tim Welsh, Tom Wade, Jo Matthews, Miranda Clements, Joe Adlam-Cook, Luke Andrews, Matt Rizzo-Naudi)
Saturday saw a blizzard early of races with the Men’s Kilo TT and Team Pursuit, and the Womens Individual Pursuit all before lunchtime. The scene could have easily been confused for the University Sprocket and Wheel Changing Championships with the speed at which CUCC’s seemingly only 14 tooth cog was shuffled around the squad. Tom Wade started the day by putting in a blistering Kilo time, so fast in-fact, that he overtook his opponent without even noticing, and the commissaires could only manage to give him an estimated time due to the time-dilation they experienced. Tim Welsh and Joe Adlam-Cook followed this effort up with equally impressive four lappers, coming in 23rd and 13th respectively.
Next inline was Jo Matthews in the Women’s Individual Pursuit. Taking to the track with absolute focus, she smashed out an astounding 4:08 with more left in the tank, putting a comfortable 7 seconds into her Oxfordshire opponent. This netted a 7th place finish out of 15 competitors, an impressive result and even more so with just 2 previous sessions on a velodrome. Finally, the Men’s Team Pursuit, a complex, technical and strategic race where teamwork and free speed are key. With a collection of begged and borrowed wheels and helmets to maximise both speed and style points, Joe Adlam-Cook, Matt Rizzo-Naudi, Tom Wade and Tim Welsh took to the track for qualifying. Smooth changes and big numbers followed, bringing the team home with a time of 4:37.5, just 2 seconds outside the bronze-medal match. No doubt these roadies-turned-trackies will be back with a vengeance and a hunger for the taste of BUCS silverware.
Big Watts (Matt Rizzo-Naudi, Tom Wade, Tim Welsh, Joe Adlam-Cook, Luke Andrews)
After a spicy morning of riding, the bikes were packed and the team headed back to refuel and reset before Sunday’s racing, winding down and disconnecting from cycling by watching the extended highlights of both the Men’s and Women’s Strada Bianca in full, and binging cycle-speedway videos from the 1990’s. Sunday saw a delayed arrival after navigating through the Newport Half-Marathon, mostly spent looking on at the attendees and wondering why they weren’t using bikes instead. Racing kicked off with the Women’s 500 TT, which saw Miranda Clements lay down the watts with a stylish 40.5, netting 18th place in the event.
Cycling Machine (Miranda Clements)
Men’s Individual Pursuit followed soon after, the final test for Matt Rizzo-Naudi and Luke Andrews after hundreds of seconds of aero and position testing. This came to a tee with equally impressive times and pain faces, with Luke coming in 14th and Matt blowing the track to pieces with a 4:41, good enough for an outrageous 7th place. Soon after came the Women’s Team Sprint, where Miranda and Jo teamed up for a flying 500, blitzing round in time of 40.8, less than a second off of the bronze medal race. The final even of CUCC’s weekend was the Men’s points race, with Joe Adlam-Cook taking the bullet and racing 100 laps at maximum effort. He stayed with the bunch and collected sprint points to come home a cool 8th position in a hotly contested race, and most impressively stayed upright throughout!
Joe Adlam-Cook laying down the watts
Unfortunately, BUCS were unable to take any photos of this day’s racing, as they were too distracted by the sight of Tim Welsh on a Sunday rollers session and a blurry CUCCet Hat.
A special thanks goes to alumus Jack Kellam for providing shelter for the weekend and speedy lids, Rob Walker and Gabe Fowden for generously lending the club their wheels, and Southampton University for kindly lending their wheels as well.
Saturday (04/03) saw one of the first major races of the season. With a harsh, technical course, favouring a solo effort, some of cycling’s biggest names lined up to test themselves for the coming season. The race was, of course, the cuppers 10 mile TT.
The conditions were, as usual, miserable. Despite the cold (both inside and outside the race HQ), 25 budding time trialists lined up to compete. Some 24 of these riders would go on to finish the race—a testament to the complexity of an out and back course. Continuing the tradition of a ‘Sam’ getting lost on the course, Sam Fitzgerald followed in the footsteps of Sam Lewin and went on a magical mystery tour towards Six Mile Bottom, setting a 10 mile TT record of 14 miles. Thankfully the mysterious Craig Rogers appeared to show the way back to the HQ.
Harry Weedon sending it to the finish line
The overall event was won by Emmanuel College, reflecting the talent (and sheer number) of their cyclists. With a special mention to Tim Bodey for being the highest ranking Emma member with a time of 24:34, and of course to Alban Wales for his 840 watts per kilo*.
The race also saw some seriously impressive individual times. The men’s race was won with a solid 22:58 from our very own boy wonder Harry Weedon, representing Peterhouse. The women’s race was won for the second year in a row by Zoe Burrel (Murray Edwards) with an equally impressive 25:37.
Zoe Burrell looking strong at Cuppers
Abi Cox, from Emmanuel, and Renzo Casale, racing for ‘Bath University College Cambridge’, took the road bike competition in times of 23:47 and 31:19 respectively, proving that you don’t need a TT bike to be rapid.
The town/mountain bike competition was once again won by Ilya Kaysin (Sidney Sussex), in a time of 28:35.
Ilya Kaysin smiling on his way to victory
The event concluded with food, the prize giving, and a frankly alarming number of people using gloves on their feet to keep warm.
Many thanks should be given to Ben Proctor, for organising and running the event (and taking it upon himself to kick off the event two days early with his own, untimed, effort on the course—what a way to spend a Thursday afternoon). The full results can be found here.
*Research pending on how he managed to achieve this rare phenomenon
