Geoff Bewley Memorial Cross – Preview
Round 7 of the North West Cyclo-Cross Association League returns to Otterspool Park in Aigburth for the Geoff Bewley Memorial Cross organised by Liverpool Century Road Club.
Events
11:00 – Youth Race, 30mins, £6 Entry Fee
11:45 – Under 12s, 15mins, £1 Entry Fee
12:10 – Under 10/8s – 10 mins, £1 Entry Fee
12:45 – Veterans & Women – 40mins, £14 (£12 for NWCCA registered riders)
14:00 – Seniors & Juniors – 50mins, £14 (£12 for NWCCA registered riders)
The Course
The course has been designed with both riders and spectators in mind. Spectators will see the riders enter the top field 5 times during a single lap. The course is mostly 2-3 metres wide, narrow sections have been kept to a minimum following rider feedback from last year. There’s a bit of everything in the course, fast fields, technical climbs, descents, steps, planks, off-cambers and a couple of muddy run-ups!
The lap is longer than last year and due to the races being split the leading riders shouldn’t suffer too much with ‘traffic’ on the course. The start will head down the central field, back up, back down and then onto the course, this should string the field out before the first technical section.
A double pit will be created and a ‘bike park’ style racking installed so bikes can be parked up instead of left laid down as usual. We ask those riders with jet washers to set them up on the far side of the pits so everyone doesn’t get soaked.
See our YouTube video of the course.
SWVJ Course
Youth Course
Under 12/10/8s Course
Warming Up
We have an on-going problem with veteran and senior riders warming on the course whilst the youth, under12 & under10/8s races are on. The Under12 and Under10/8s races will be using the top field so the rest of the course can be used once the Youth race has finished at around 11:40.
The veterans and seniors wouldn’t be happy if Youth riders where on the course during their race, so please don’t do it whilst they are racing. Any riders found to be on the course will be reported to the Chief Commissaire.
Signing On
Signing On will be in the fantastic Otters Café which can be found 100 metres up the road from the park. The café sells some delicious homemade food from cake to a lovely bowl of scouse! You can also get hot drinks to take away. There is strictly no changing in the toilets and please try to avoid wearing your muddy cycling shoes in there.
Signing on will be open from 9:45, please can the Veterans and Women leave it until 10:45 so we can get the majority of the Youth and Under12/10/8s signed on.
Prizes
1st place in the Veterans/Women’s race, 1st Woman and 1st place in the Senior/Junior race will receive a Winners jersey designed and produced by BioRacer.
The top 3 finishers in the following categories will each receive a medal and prize:
Under 8 Boys
Under 8 Girls
Under 10 Boys
Under 10 Girls
Under 12 Boys
Under 12 Girls
Geoff Bewley
Geoff Bewley saw the need for cyclists to keep fit in the winter month and cyclo-cross was ideal. Geoff organised the Century event along with other local clubs using Otterspool Park as the venue. In the early days he would be ringing around looking for sponsorship from local traders and supermarkets, taking small drinks and mars bars etc. Geoff really did take the event to heart every year designing a hard course. He would along with Betty his wife travel to all the cross committee meetings and have his say. Geoff had 60 years membership, 10 years as club President when he died. And it was a 100% effort over those years for the club, running winter training sessions in school gyms, weight training in his garage. He would organise the speed runs, the weekend away training at Dolly Hall (Wales) and in the early days at Lilleshall.
He enjoyed anything cycling, he was Mr Century.