Longden wins pro race

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A record entry of 143 riders raced round one of the British Four Cross series at the UK Bike Park on Sunday.

The weather had played havoc in the lead-up to the race, but with a whole load of new riders and three racers making the trip from Holland to race, the competition was definitely on.

Will Longden took the pro win after Scott Beaumont took a slam at the bottom of the start hill. Will Evans and Duncan Ferries took the other two top spots in second and third.

Nicola Anderson won the women's race in her first four cross competition. Kerry Wrigglesworth and Terry Anne Busbridge were second and third.

Talk on Bookface was of deep mud on the track and when the Dirt-Wars competition was cancelled, rumours spread of the race being cancelled, but organizers were determined that mud wouldn't stop the fun. The conditions came as a bit of a shock to the four cross racers, many of whom had to change their normal slick tyres to spiky mud tyres to race.

The track had the longest start straight of any four cross track, at nearly 300 meters long. Changes over the winter had added two new corners half way down to make racing closer. Other changes included new corners lower the track and new jumps and rollers these were soft from all the rain, thereby making the racing slower.

The racing started with four motos and with 10 categories racing, adding up to over 150 motos to get through before the quarter finals.

Racing ran like clockwork, and by the time finals rolled around, the track was drying into a gloop that made racing slow for younger riders.

The Dutch riders who made the trip across the Channel came to race because it was too wet in Holland. All three made the podiums and Van Steenbergen took home a win in the juveniles.

The next round will happen at Harthill in Chesire on Saturday, May 29, the day before round four of the Euro Fourcross Series on May 30.

Full Results