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 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.
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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.
