{"id":15799,"title":"From the cyclocross Conference to Premier League","description":"Great Britain has found itself one of the most successful cyclocross nations. Talented riders like Tom Pidcock, Thomas Mein and Cameron Mason are taking on the world's best cyclocross riders. How did the British become so good at cyclocross? We investigate with the help of Ian Field and Mark Adams.","content":"

Published in<\/strong>: CYCLOCROSS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Britain went from the cyclocross equivalent of the Conference League to the Premier League - How did the British become so good at cyclocross? We investigate.<\/p>

\"ImageTalented youngsters have put Britain in the Premier League of Cyclocross. Image: Rijden<\/p>

Britons were once the also-rans of Cyclocross. We discover how talented youngsters have taken us from the Conference to the Premier League of Cyclocross. It\u2019s all the more astonishing given that cyclocross is not an Olympic discipline.<\/p>

In the UK funding is mainly directed at Olympic sports where Britain has a realistic chance of medals.<\/p>

Also-rans<\/strong><\/h3>

Up until 2020, Britain hadn't won a single medal at the men's elite and amateur World Cyclocross Championships. Not that British riders hadn't put up valiant efforts in their quest for victory.<\/p>

There were the occasional bright spots in the junior ranks with a silver medal for Robert Dane in 1984 followed by the lustre of golds in 1986 and 1992 for Stuart Marshall and Roger Hammond. None of these, however, translated into prolonged success on the world stage.<\/p>

\"ImageHelen Wyman won a bronze at the World Championships. Image:\u00a0E Dronkert<\/p>

Britain fared better in the women's category. Louise Robinson was rewarded with second place at the inaugural female World Championships held in 2000 at Sint-Michielsgestel in the Netherlands.<\/p>

The fact that the women had to wait fifty years for their own World Championships is a story in itself. The intrepid Helen Wyman placed a gutsy third in 2014.<\/p>

\"drawn from the ranks of the Conference League South\"<\/strong><\/p>

Britain's presence at the World Championships was akin to an FA Cup round between Premiership title contenders and a team of part-timers drawn from the ranks of the Conference League South.<\/p>

Everyone knew the result before the start. Barring a shock result, the British riders would endure more disappointment. They, their family and friends would take pride in their participation, having given their utmost effort in the National jersey.<\/p>

Not that Britain didn't have some fine competitors over the years. Riders such as Ian Field, Steve Douce, Roger Hammond and David Baker finished within the top twenty at the World Championships. Each rode with conviction and tenacity but was ultimately overcome by foreign opposition and left frustrated.<\/p>

Niche sport<\/strong><\/h3>

Author, cycling journalist and cyclocross participant Matt Seaton once described cyclocross in the UK as a niche sport within a niche sport. He was writing at a time when Britain's chances of honours at cyclocross were as unlikely as a Briton winning the Tour de France.<\/p>

\"ImageCyclocross - a niche within a niche. Image: Rijden<\/p>

When I took up cyclocross about fifteen years ago it was definitely a niche. The fields were tiny, although very enthusiastic. Seniors, juniors and veterans all rode together in one race. There might be a handful of youths and a few females. Races always seemed to take place in obscure, poorly signposted locations.<\/p>

\"accidentally tuning into BBC Radio 3\"<\/strong><\/p>

Attending a cyclocross race back in the early 2000s felt like accidentally tuning into BBC Radio 3. The station for diehard classical music enthusiasts. If you had to ask, you felt you'd turned up in the wrong place. Not that the people were unfriendly or unhelpful, far from it. For me, it seemed like a cut-off remote world.<\/p>

I was useless but it was lots of fun. I loved battling with nature as much as my rivals. No matter how far back I was in the field there was always a potential adversary. Afterwards, I'd make their acquaintance and friendship.<\/p>

A significant problem faced by cyclocross as a discipline was the alternative lure of mountain biking and road racing which promised far greater financial returns. No British riders were making a living riding cyclocross full-time in Europe.<\/p>

To be honest though, If we hadn't set the world alight in the field, we weren't exactly lighting up the road either. Our few road professionals like Paul Sherwen, Graham Jones and Sean Yates had all retired.<\/p>

\"cyclocross was stuck in a rut\"<\/strong><\/p>

By 1997, only Chris Boardman and David Millar were racing for professional continental teams. Britain's presence on professional road teams started to pick up by the mid-2000s but cyclocross was stuck in a rut.<\/p>

As a cycling discipline, it was looked down on by many in the UK. It neither had the cachet nor funding of an Olympic sport. The British Cyclo-cross Association which had run the sport was merged into British Cycling. Many adherents felt this diminished the status of the sport yet further.<\/p>

Something remarkable<\/h3>

And then something quite remarkable happened. As a nation, we actually became very good at cyclocross. It was a shock when it happened. Suddenly the British cyclocross world was awash with optimism.<\/p>

\"Image Anna Kay won bronze in 2020. Image: Rijden<\/p>

At a World Championships level, Evie Richards got the ball rolling with victory in the female under-23 category in 2016 followed by a further gold medal and bronze in the following two years. With Anna Kay third in 2020, Britain has been the second most victorious nation behind the Dutch in the women's under-23 category.<\/p>

\"the trio mastered the icy conditions\"<\/strong><\/p>

In 2017 the British junior team of Tom Pidcock, Dan Tulett and Ben Turner stunned the cyclocross world, particularly the Belgians when they made a clean sweep of the medals.<\/p>

In one of the most incredible displays of supreme bike-handling skills, the trio mastered the icy conditions of Bieles in Luxembourg and humbled the opposition. British cyclocross fans were euphoric.<\/p>