As the darkness began to fall and the lighting generators buzzed into action, the excitement began to build. The free beer had started to flow and there was much anticipation as the Senior field gathered under the starting banner. The mass charge from the line was a dazzle of lights and the sound of gears changing under pressure. A squeal of brakes as the riders entered the first corners and then the charge up the forest track. Soon riders were spread around the circuit illuminated as they rode between pools of light.

Will Bjergfelt (Motorpoint Pro Cycling) and Lee Westwood (Cycleshop/Forme) asserted themselves at the head of the race moving clear of the chasers. A fall by Westwood at half distance also brought Bjergfelt down and allowed Westwood to move clear by a few seconds. But a powerful chase by Bjergfelt soon brought the pair back together. Whilst the racing continued at the sharp end, the atmosphere was at fever pitch at the hup hup boards.

Hecklers and the sound of cowbells provided encouragement to anybody who even looked at bunny hopping the boards and they crowned Martin Lenney (Mountain Trax) the star of the boards, Lenney had three attempts and three failures, but he certainly won the crowd.

So as the live band whipped into action and the woodland section was illuminated by marshals with torches due to a small fuel crisis! The racing came to a close. The sprint down the finishing straight could not separate the leaders and the judges called a dead heat between Bjergfelt and Westwood. Top Junior on the evening was Harry Franklin (Hargroves Cycles) finishing 4th overall and top Veteran was Steve Birchill (MDCC) finishing one place behind in 5th overall.

Earlier in the evening 20 Under 12's took to the start line and racing was fast and close. Harry Birchill (MDCC) took the race lead early on producing a fine performance, making easy work of the heavy grassland, to secure top spot in the Under 12's. 1st Under 10 was Josh Popham (LCCC) and 1st Under 8 was Soloman Drury (MDCC) finishing a great 12th overall.

Next up were the Youth competitors in a race dominated by the Hargroves pairing of Tom Franklin and Dan Tulett. Braking clear from the pack, the pair provided a great demonstration of how to ride cross. Following a race long contest, neither could break free and it was Tom who took the honours in a sprint finish.

Thanks to everybody for supporting the event and to all those volunteers and sponsors who made it possible.

Results

1 Will Bjergfelt Motorpoint Pro Cycling Senior
1 Lee Westwood Cycleshop/Forme Senior
3 Steve James Hargroves Cycles Senior
4 Harry Franklin Hargroves Cycles Junior 1st Jun
5 Steve Birchill MDCC Veteran 40-49 1st Vet
6 Tim Carpenter Empella Cyclocross.com Veteran 40-49 2nd Vet
7 Barry Clewett Revo Racing Veteran 40-49 3rd Vet
8 Dan Cook Planet X/On one Veteran 40-49 4th Vet
9 Adam Fursdon MDCC Junior 2nd Jun
10 Vin Cox Empella Cyclo-cross.com Senior
11 Phil Lenney Active Folkstone Senior
12 Robin Delve MDCC Veteran 50+ 1st Vet 50+
13 Jason Duckworth Team Tor 2000 Senior
14 Tim Fey EliteVelo Veteran 40-49 5th Vet
15 Richard Taylor Exeter Wheelers Veteran 40-49 6th Vet
16 Alan Drury MDCC Senior
17 Sam Sayes Lutterworth CC Senior
18 Steve Hambling Active Folkstone Senior
19 Ben Clarke Etape Reine Senior
20 Pete Harris Pearce Cycles Veteran 50+ 2nd Vet 50+
21 Neil Vingoe EliteVelo Senior
22 Darren Alexander CNP Orbea Senior
23 Mike Mulroy PVC VeloCake Senior
24 Jay Worbey Etape Reine Senior
25 Martin Lenney Moutain Trax Senior
26 John Morse PVC VeloCake Veteran 40-49 7th Vet
27 Lester Young Cyclo-X.com Veteran 50+ 3rd Vet 50+
28 Lynn Lines Gateway RT Veteran 50+ 4th Vet 50+
29 Carl Austen EliteVelo Senior
30 Daniel Wellings Somerset Road Club Junior 3rd Jun
31 Aiden Bradley Unattached Senior
32 Andrew Wellings Somerset Road Club Veteran 40-49 8th Vet
33 Nigel Orpin C S Dynamo Senior
34 Wayne Hitchcott Somerset Road Club Senior
35 Nick Helsing Exeter Wheelers Veteran 40-49 9th Vet
36 Steve Worbey Etape Reine Veteran 50+ 5th Vet 50+
37 John Donelley Exeter Wheelers Senior
38 Micheal Alexander Yogi Veteran 40-49 10th Vet
39 R. Clarke MDCC Veteran 40-49 11th Vet
40 Lee Beresford Unattached Senior
41 Adrian Smart Yogi Cycling Veteran 40-49 12th Vet
42 M Tindall Unattached Senior
43 Paul Melling Unattached Senior
44 Alan Kelly Unattached Veteran 40-49 13th Vet
45 Ian Saundry Unattached Veteran 40-49
46 Tomnsz Bedynski Exeter Wheelers Veteran 40-49

Youth
1 Tom Franklin Hargroves U16
2 Dan Tulett Hargroves U14 1st U14
3 Ffion James Abergavenny U16 1st U16 Girl
4 Robert Armstrong Bill Nielson RT U16
5 Charlie Meredith Taw Velo U14 2nd U14
6 Harry Clarke MDCC U14 3rd U14
7 Charles Hough The Bike Cellar U16
8 Tom Evans U16
9 Hester Stembridge CSSH U14 4th U14
10 Ruby Bond 1st Chard Wheelers U14 5th U14
11 Joe Saunders U14 6th U14
DNF Jack Birch Team B U14 7th U14

Under-12
1 Harry Birchill MDCC U12
2 Harry Meredith U12
3 Sam Pearson Southfork U12
4 Josh Popham LCCC U10 1st U10
5 George Bond 1st Chard Wheelers U10 2nd U10
6 Alex Collins U10 3rd U10
7 Freddy Birchill MDCC U10 4th U10
8 Ross Pratt MDCC U12
9 Oscar Meredith Taw Velo U10 5th U10
10 Freya Clarke MDCC U10 6th U10
11 Carly James U12
12 Soloman Drury U8 1st U8
13 Jake MacGregor VC Lincoln U10 7th U10
14 Sam Birch Team B U8 2nd U8
15 Rosie Andrews Certini U10 8th U10
16 Ellie Smart Yogi U10 9th U10
17 Henry Howells CSSH U8 3rd U8
18 Erin Clarke MDCC U12
19 Isaac James U10 10th U10
20 Poppy Dunster U10 11th U10