Close Quarter Racing

There have been other things going on as well as the Tour de France and me riding in the Peak District. This seems like a good time to round up a couple of them.

Rachel Atherton is following in her brother’s footsteps and doing a Foxhunt, so if you’re a woman and you think you can hold her off all the way down a mountain then go for it. I’ll be surprised if anyone can do it as she is just the most dominant rider on the circuit. Perhaps if Manon Carpenter can be tempted to ride it.

In other news the BMX guys competed for the World Championships in Rotterdam. It was all go over the heats with the big news for Britain being this:

So that was one British defending champion out and Reade ruled herself out before the competition with a broken elbow.

Watch it all here and see the rest of the carnage as Sam Willoughby takes the men’s title with Mariana Pajon winning for Columbia in the women’s. Britain’s Tre Whyte took bronze largely thanks to being first back on his feet after a final crash that took out the field behind the winner. Worth a watch if you like big crashes and stunning elbow to elbow racing.

Finally there was mountain bike action at the Commonwealth Games yesterday where Cooper and Gaze took gold and silver for New Zealand in men's race and Canadian Caroline Pendrel won the women's, ahead of Briton Annie Last in fourth. That action (as exciting as it is) is here.

More Peak District action tomorrow.

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