Wyman wins her ninth national cyclo-cross title

Helen Wyman (Kona FFSA Factory Team) beat Nikki Harris (VZW Young Telenet Fidea) to take her ninth British cyclo-cross championship in Abergavenny, on Sunday.

The 33-year-old beat Harris by around 15 seconds after a close race.

Annie Last produced a late charge to pick her way through the field to take third place.

The race was always going to be about Nikki Harris (Young Telenet-Fidea) and Helen Wyman (Kona FSA Factory Team) – Wyman started the race with eight titles to her name, having won every year from 2006 to 2014 except 2013, when Harris won, and both of them wanted the title badly.

It’s been a tough season for them both, with Harris suffering from tendonitis and a knee injury, and Wyman having a series of crashes in November and then a virus over Christmas – but with Worlds looming, they fought together for two laps before Wyman pulled away, extending her lead from six seconds to 16 after half an hour of racing.

No matter what Harris tried, she couldn’t pull back, and had to settle for second, Wyman taking her ninth title.

Behind the leading pair, the battle for third was hard-fought. 2014 Junior Champion and local rider Ffion James made a strong start, but was soon overhauled by Annie Last, racing as an independent, and Amira Mellor (Paul Milnes Cycles – Bradford Olympic). At just 17, Mellor has had a strong season, winning the overall National Trophy Cyclo-Cross Series at the beginning of January, while Last is better known as a cross country MTB rider.

Their different skills were evident throughout the race, Last breaking away on the long runs and Mellor catching and getting ahead on the technical sections. They duelled together up until the second half of the last lap, when Last finally shook her rival off to gain the bronze medal – Mellor finished fourth, but took the National Junior title as compensation. 

Full results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Helen Wyman (Kona / FSA Factory Team)0:39:29
2Nikki Harris (Young Telenet Fidea CT)0:00:29
3Annie Last (Individual Member)0:01:44
4Amira Mellor (Paul Milnes Cycles)0:02:04
5Alice Barnes (T-Mo Racing)0:02:18
6Hannah Payton (The Kinesis Morvelo Project)0:02:22
7Evie Richards (T-Mo Racing)0:02:57
8Annabel Simpson (Hope Factory Racing)0:03:48
9Ffion James (Abergavenny RC)0:04:03
10Isla Rowntree (Islabikes)0:04:23
11Tracy Moseley (T-Mo Racing)0:04:57
12Sarah Murray (www.cxmagazine.com)0:05:15
13Ruby Miller (Hargroves Cycles Ridley RT)0:05:34
14Diane Lee (Team Mulebar Girl Sigma Sport)0:05:51
15Isla Short (Team Thomsons Cycles)0:06:04
16Abigail Van Twisk (Cycle Lab)0:06:25
17Kate George (Team Empella Cyclo-Cross.com)0:06:59
18Rebecca Preece (Contessa Scott Syncros)0:07:08
19Rachel Fenton (Trek Bicycle Coventry)0:07:27
20Martha Gill (PH-MAS Cycling)0:08:54
21Claire Beaumont (Vicious Velo)0:09:03
22Joanna Rycroft (www.cxmagazine.com)0:09:21
23Laura Greenhalgh (Imperial Racing Team)0:09:28
24Emily Barnes (Team Mulebar Girl Sigma Sport)Row 23 - Cell 2
25Anna Cipullo (Hargroves Cycles Ridley RT)Row 24 - Cell 2
26Alice Miller (Look Mum No Hands!)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Clover Murray (Braintree Velo Cycle RC)Row 26 - Cell 2
DNFElanor Cadzow (PMR@ToachimHouse)Row 27 - Cell 2
DNFHannah Saville (North Midlands Youth Squad)Row 28 - Cell 2
DNFVerity Appleyard (Brotherton Cycles)Row 29 - Cell 2

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