National attracts leading riders

THE best cyclo-cross riders from across the North West will travel to West Yorkshire this weekend to do battle with top names in the sport in the National Championships in Bradford.

Several hundred riders – ranging from young children to pensioners – are expected at Peel Park in the West Yorkshire town for the two-day event.

Perhaps the region’s best chance of a medal is Science in Sport.com ace Ian Bibby, who showed great form when he crossed the line first in both the North of England Championships last Saturday and the New Year Revolution Cross the following day at Todmorden.

The 22-year-old from Preston was ineligible for the rescheduled North of England title having not entered the original date in December, but many of the riders he beat in both events last weekend will also feature in this weekend’s national title race.

Cumbria’s Paul Oldham (Hope Factory Racing) is the current leader of the National Trophy Series and will be pushing for a place on the podium.

But it will take a brave man to bet against defending champion and professional road racer Roger Hammond, who comes to the National Championships fresh from plenty of top level cyclo-cross racing in Belgium, where the sport is massive.

The event begins on Saturday with the over-50 veterans at 10.30am, youth at 11.45am, 40-49 veterans at 1pm and under-23s at 2.30pm.

The event continues on Sunday with under-10 and 12 races in the morning, followed by women at 11am, juniors at 12.30pm and seniors at 2.15pm.




Rees out of action



WASPS flanker Tom Rees will miss the start of England's RBS 6 Nations campaign after it was confirmed he had suffered ligament damage in his left knee.



Rees (24) is expected to be sidelined for a minimum of two months with a moderate tear to his medial ligament.

That rules him out of England's games against Italy on February 7, Wales a week later and Ireland on February 28.