Looks like those two up front might wrap up the league between them this year. The winner’s a 2nd-year U12, so Ethan should be the dominant one next season

Shame really — the #NorthWales courses are far more interesting than the ones in the #NorthWest, and definitely more than #Shropshire ’s #Wales #cyclocross #grassrootscycling #cx

@ascentale @bikenite

A5. Thanks everyone for your answers so far. I'll enjoy giving them a try.

My question was prompted having just finished listening to the Ghost in the Machine podcast. It's an investigation into so-called motor doping in cycling, beginning with the (currently) only instance of a motor being discovered in a pro bike race in 2016. I think it is very well done and would add it to my podcast recommendations.

Link below or wherever you usually get your podcasts from.

https://castbox.fm/vc/5753013

I'll post some of my other podcast favourites in the replies.

@ascentale @pete @epu @bikenite

A3. Mine was a fairly classic cyclo-cross failure. A mid-race instance of a rear derailleur tearing itself to bits, probably caused by mud or grass-clogging.

The only solution was to replace the component. Thankfully I had some more bling jockey wheels to restore it to its former glory.

You can find a barely edited gallery here: https://www.runphoto.co.uk/3-peaks-cyclo-cross-2025
#cycling #cyclocross #yorkshire #bikeTooter #3PCX

Today's winners were Bryony Halcrow and Jenson Young snapped here on their way down Whernside (the second peak). A new course record by Jenson too. He had about 4 minutes on EF Education's Lachlan Morton at this point and held that through to the finish. #cycling #bikeTooter #cyclocross #crossIsBoss

@ascentale @Brownian_motion @MartyCormack @bikenite

A3. Many years ago I organised a trip with six friends to do an off-road ride around the South Downs (essentially an area sort of between London and the south coast of the UK).

I had been inspired having seen a particular ride online. It replicated the climbing of the infamous 3 Peaks cyclo-cross race.

After all the planning, I underestimated how insufficient my fitness was at the time and abandoned after no more than 10 miles. What a waste. Thankfully everyone else completed it.

Here's the video that inspired my failure!

https://vimeo.com/126290493

@ascentale @bikenite

A4. To answer my own question, my cycling stickers aren't on my bike. I put them on my toolbox (of bike tools). Some are quite old.

Amongst those in photo 1, the 'Giant' sticker came from a mountain bike magazine sticker set and must be ancient. 'Noah's' is a long gone LBS, Noah's Ark, that used to be near Stroud in Gloucestershire. 'TF Tuned' is the company that used to service my #MTB suspension forks.

Amongst those in photo 2, '889' is my helmet sticker/race number from a 24 hour mountain bike race called Mountain Mayhem. It is from 2003, the second year I raced Mountain Mayhem. I was told stickers should not be put on helmets and so I didn't use it in the race and 22 years later it is still on my toolbox. The 'Saab Salomon' sticker in photo 1 is from the sponsors of the event.

Finally, in photo 3 is a sticker for the Cyclo-Cross World Championships, held in Louisville, Kentucky (USA). I did not go, but I do go to lots of Cyclo-Cross World Championships in Europe and in 2012 at #Koksijde, Belgium, the following year's event was being promoted, including by handing out stickers.

If like me you're struggling to get the Sporza livestream to work, try switching to the VRT1 website.