The worst cyclo cross event in history

The worst cyclo cross event in the history of all things – Round 9 of the London and South East Cyclo Cross League 2014/15.

Rain fell and fell and fell and fell…. turning Wivelsden Farm into first a mud bath, then a swamp and then a river of water that flowed freely along the whole course.

Senior winner Jonathan Dennis when asked to sum up called the race “aquatic”!

Picture by Dave Hayward – http://www.davehaywardphotos.com/

‘Bayeux Cross’ race organiser Mark Tearle waxed lyrical about the day and with the help of Dave Haywards pictures we remember what a day it was and one we will never forget.

“In the original Sussex dialect there are over 30 different terms for mud – conditions at Wivelsden Farm CX would have used at least half of them. The unofficial county motto for Sussex is “we wunt be druv”, from the W Victor Cook poem, and it is with that same belligerence that we as a team approached the horrendous conditions brought upon us at the Wivelsden Farm CX. “

“We said we were going to put on a cyclcross race and that’s exactly what we did!”

“Grateful thanks to everyone who turned up!”

“SOME FOLKS AS COMES TO SUSSEX
THEY RECKONS AS THEY KNOWS
A DARN SIGHT BETTER WHAT TO DO
THEN SILLY FOLKS LIKE ME AND YOU
COULD POSSIBLY SUPPOSE.
BUT THEM AS COMES TO SUSSEX,
THEY MUSTN`T PUSH AND SHOVE,
FOR SUSSEX WILL BE SUSSEX,
AND SUSSEX WON`T BE DRUV.
ALL FOLKS AS COMES TO SUSSEX
MUST FOLLOW SUSSEX WAYS,
AND WHEN THEY`VE LARNED TO KNOW US WELL
THERE`S NO PLACE ELSE THEY`D WISH TO DWELL
IN ALL THEIR BLESSED DAYS.
THERE ANT NO PLACE LIKE SUSSEX
UNTIL YOU GOOS ABOVE,
BUT SUSSEX WILL BE SUSSEX,
AND SUSSEX WON`T BE DRUV!”

Picture by Dave Hayward – http://www.davehaywardphotos.com/

Once More into the Breach
On race day I butchered William Shakespeare to help describe the event.

Shakespeare might have written (we can hear him spinning as we write): “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;…Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage.”

“This day is called the feast of Bayeux Cross:…This story shall the good from this day told to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be remembered; we few, we happy few, we band of crossers;

“And people in England, now a-bed shall think themselves accursed they were not here.”

Henry V