This weekend Oxford hosted the BUCS 25 mile Time Trial, which is also used as the Varsity Match between our two Universities. A strong Cambridge contingent (Over 10% of the startsheet) turned up, with 12 Men and 4 women ready to compete along the course just outside Cumnor. 5 of our riders had never taken part in a 25, and with a fast course on the cards, we were expecting a lot of new PBs, and after dominating both the 10 and TTT, were confident for another good set of results.
BUCS 25 and Varsity Rider Profiles
CUCC have competed in two BUCS events already this Easter, but the 25 mile TT holds extra importance as it is also our Varsity competition with Oxford. The aggregate fastest three times from each university decide the winner, and as Cambridge has won 45 out of the 60 total men’s events including every race since 2011 we’re feeling confident! Our women’s and men’s teams are made up of previous BUCS medallists, rising stars and promising freshers – scroll down to meet the teams.
Many thanks to Sean Irving (seanirvingphotography.co.uk) for photographs.
BUCS Team Time Trial Race Report
Cambridge had a successful day at the BUCS TTT, with the Men’s A team winning with a new course record and the Men’s B and Women’s A teams both placing third and setting times that would have seen them win previous events. Read on for a race report by Ali Golby.
BUCS TTT Rider Profiles
The second BUCS cycling event of the Easter break is the TTT – Team Time Trial. Teams of three riders will take on the U601B course near Bristol in the Bath University-organised race. All three riders must complete the course and the time of the last rider clinches the result – there’s nowhere to hide! However, CUCC is no stranger to heroic feats of teamwork: last year not only did the Men’s A team take the overall victory, but the Cambridge B team recorded a faster time than every other university to place second. Cambridge are fielding two of the strongest women’s teams in recent years and the Cambridge defenders for 2018 carry a combined 9 medals already so are certainly favourites for this year’s title. Meet the riders below:
Photos: seanirvingphotography.co.uk
BUCS 10 Race Report
BUCS 10 was a huge success this year with highlights including John Mulvey taking Silver, leading four CUCC men into the top ten including Seb Dickson only two seconds back in fourth and Jess Atkinson placing fourth in the women’s race. The Cambridge women’s A team (Jess Atkinson and Carrie Bedingfield) took home Silver while the men’s A team (John Mulvey, Seb Dickson and Felix Barker) took Gold – second place in the team competition was occupied by none other than the Cambridge B team (Ali Golby, Rob Walker and John Grenfell-Shaw)!
Toby Cowell picks up the story:
“Saturday 7th April proved to be another successful day for Cambridge University Cycling Club, both in terms of the race results and the success of the event (organised by CUCC events sec Ryan Pringle) as a whole.
The weather forecast had looked worrying throughout the week, but as the fifteen riders descended on Cambridge the roads were dry and the wind favourable. Many (the Northerners in particular!) had made epic journeys to make it back to Cambridge to ride in the event which Ryan Pringle, Trinity College, organised with apparent ease. This was despite the nightmarish walls of admin and slow email replying standing in his way (cough cough BUCS cough cough). The course was the E33/10 which starts in Bottisham, to the north-east of Cambridge – this gave everyone the chance to beat their times from cuppers five weeks previous.
BUCS 10 Rider Profiles
BUCS 10 mile time trial – the first of the BUCS races this Easter – is coming up soon on Saturday 7th April. While our riders are completing their final preparations for the race, which, this year, will be held on the Bottisham E33/10 course, we’d like to introduce you (in no particular order) to the 2017-18 BUCS 10 team. Many thanks to Sean Irving (seanirvingphotography.co.uk) for photographs.
Lea Valley 25 Race Report
The Lea Valley 25 is held on the e1/25b course near Saffron Walden, making it a club favourite for CUCC. Eleven riders signed up, including John Mulvey and Seb Dickson contesting the 2-up category, but unfortunately a bout of flu meant that three riders were forced to DNS including John’s teammate Seb.
Thanks to Mike DF for photos.
Cuppers 2018
On Saturday 10th March, CUCC took to the notorious E33/10 for the annual, inter-college ‘Cuppers’ time trial. A stiff southerly breeze meant that no super-fast times were likely to be posted, but a strong sense of college rivalries and with selection for BUCS just around the corner, it was clear that many riders had showed up in form and with a point to prove. The stage was set for an epic contest.
World Bicycle Relief
We are proud to support World Bicycle Relief, an organisation mobilising people through The Power of Bicycles. The money World Bicycle Relief raises helps to provide specially designed, locally assembled bicycles to students, healthcare workers and entrepreneurs in rural Africa, connecting them with education, healthcare and economic opportunities; as a student cycling club, we know that bicycles can make the world a better place and we’re looking forward to sharing their benefits.
Every £95 raised provides a new bicycle to an individual in need. Each donation adds to this total, so get involved and let’s share as many bicycles as possible!
We will be organising fundraising events throughout the year but you can donate to our appeal any time here, or contact us using our Facebook page if you have any questions.
Varsity Mtb Race Report – Double Victory for Cambridge
An incredibly strong Cambridge team headed to Hadleigh Park on the 25th of February 2018 for the annual Varsity Mtb contest. The race was held as part of the Mud, Sweat and Gears XC series and resulted in a dominating victory for Cambridge in both the women’s and men’s races. We’ll hand over to our roving reporter (and Varsity competitor) Tom Wade for a full breakdown of the race (with thanks to Robbie Blythe’s dad for photographs):
“Despite the freezing temperature and strong, blustery winds, the Cambridge Mountain Bike Varsity team arrived in good spirits at the ex-Olympic venue of Hadleigh Park in Essex. These spirits were no doubt aided by the news that Oxford had a very depleted team. There would be twenty-one Light Blue jerseys tackling the track, but Oxford could only muster five entries, making a Light Blue victory a likely prospect.