The Crosscast

In Episode 1 of Season 8, Neil and Matt look forward to the 2024-25 Cyclocross Season.  It is a very strange one in terms of calendar that will come in a series of distinct chapters   September is all about Yorkshire.  We kick off with the Hope Supercross series of 4 UCI C2 races in the UK in a short block - a must for anyone chasing the UCI points.  Then there is the diversion westwards for the T...

In Episode 12 of Season 7, Neil Mansfield and Matt Payne are joined by Ian Field to review the 2024 World Championships that came from Tabor, Czechia.  The weekend started with a compelling team relay where strategy was key, and where GB were just pipped to the line by France.  Surely this race needs to be covered in full with dedicated graphics to make it more accessible to the less obsessive CX...

In Episode 11 of Season 7, Neil and Matt are joined by cyclocross talent, coach extraordinaire, and commentator on Discovery+, Ian Field.  They review the 14th round of the World Cup that came from Hoogerheide and query whose form is peaking when... some were at the end of a training block to prepare for the World Championships, and others seem to be coming along just nicely potentially challengin...

In Episode 10 of Season 7 Neil and Matt look back on a fabulous Falkirk National Championships with its perfect January weather, superb location, awesome atmosphere and cracking course. They talk through each of the UCI category races, with Mason defending his jersey and Kay taking the title for the first time.  Both were popular wins with the local crowd for Mason and Kay having been a CX pro for...

In Episode 9 of Season 7, Neil and Matt pull together a bumper show as a special for those of you who have long drive to Falkirk to watch or even race at the British National Cyclocross Championships. The final round of the 23-24 Trophy is reviewed, a race that came from Tong where a respectably rideable course was a great achievement for a race that coincided with serious floods and waterlogged g...

In Episode 8 of Season 7, Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by cycling icon, Canyon SRAM sports director, and expert pit crew Magnus Bäckstedt.   They review the first half of the kersteperiod that has featured fully loaded A-Z of start lists (Alvarado to Zoe Bäckstedt) a featuring World Cups with the sand of Antwerp and the mud of Gavere.  They talk through a great edition of Zolder with Van...

In Episode 7 of Season 7 Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by Lars Van Der Haar, simply one of the most successful cyclocross riders of his generation.   They talk about the cyclocross community and fitting in family with CX, as well as how young riders can be inspired to pursue sport by the pros.   While chatting through the action from Herentals and Namur they talk through race tactics and...

In Episode 6 of Season 7 Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by legend of cyclocross development Steve Grimwood.  Neil and Steve were both fresh back from the Masters World Championships from Hamburg that turned out to be a proper winter wonderland, giving Val di Sole a run for its money in terms of snow and ice. Neil reports back on his experiences in Germany, and some of the many memorable GB...

In Episode 5 of Season 7 Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by cyclocross talent Ruby James, having her best season for ages and doing those Hope Factory Racing colours proud.  They talk through her experiences racing at the World Cups in Troyes and Dublin and how she has worked with the Hope crew to get the best out of her season. They discuss the Paignton National Trophy that delivered a cha...

In Episode 4 of Season 7 Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by GB coach and CX guru Matt Ellis.  Matt E was fresh back from the European Champs that saw GB feature on 4 of the 7 podiums with a win and three silvers across Team, Junior, U23 and Elite in male and female categories.  They talk about EvoDevo https://www.evodevocycling.org.uk/  and how much it is benefiting GB riders at a key time...

In Episode 3 of Season 7 Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by top USA talent Keira Bond (@keira.bond). Keira has recently made an impact on the UK scene, racing cyclocross for @cxdtrekbikes and already a regular podium visitor.  Keira gives us a great insight into the USA scene, and the Waterloo World Cup course, as a rider who raced it last year. Neil and Keira reflect on their experiences a...

In Episode 2 of Season 7 Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by 'CXOli' - Oli Akers - from Ribble Verge cyclocross team.  Oli brings us up to speed on his MTB camp with Trek Future Racing and his speedy start to his season, characterised by his speedy starts. Neil and Oli go into fine detail on their racing in South Shields, how they found the course, and how Oli managed to come on to...

The Crosscast is back! In Episode 1 of season 7, Neil and Matt are joined in the studio, by freshly crowned National Elite gravel champion Xan Crees. They get the inside story of Xan's win for Spectra Cannondale over at the Kings Cup National Championships. Before the cyclo-cross purists get too jittery, they quickly refocus on the early cyclocross season, reflecting on the Hope Supercross se...

In Episode 15 of Season 6, Neil and Matt look back on the season as a whole and reflect on the final standings in the X2O and Superprestige series.  In a season that was affected by injury and incident, but kept fresh by having close racing at the front week in, week out, they decide on their own riders of the year for UK female (with shortlist including Baker, Backstedt, Crees, Strathdee, Weijack...

In Episode 14 of Season 6, Neil and Matt are joined by Ian Field to review the 2023 World Championships that came from Hoogerheide. Matt, just back from UCI / BBC commentary duties, Ian, just back from GCN / Eurosport commentary duties, and Neil, just back from sofa duties, reflect on a weekend that started with a GB Silver in the relay, and built to what will inevitably become an iconic sprint fi...

In Episode 13 of Season 6, Neil and Matt are joined by cyclocross talent and 5 times British Champion, Ian Field. They look back on the final two races of the World Cup that both delivered the unexpected. Benidorm, a fast race that was reminiscent of the early season dry events, was full of action and, in the end, decided the World Cup series with Sweeck and Van Empel taking the titles. They also...

In Episode 12 of Season 6, Neil and Matt take a look at CX fashion week, where riders decide who is going to be wearing which colours for the next season. Naturally they focus on the UK Champs that came from Milnthorpe with its extra contribution to the 'Lake' District. The look at the thrills and spills that came from a tough course that really split the fields and ended up with the few...

In Episode 11 of Season 6, Neil and Matt look back on (yet) another series of cracking races from Belgium and the UK. They go from the puncture affected woods of Herentals, to the dunes of Koksijde. They also wonder how much Chumbawumba can be invoked*, with Riberolle getting up again after her knock down at Gullegem, and pretty much half the field coming a cropper in the revised... and dare we sa...

In Episode 10 of Season 6, Matt and Neil are joined in the studio by CX talent, Lotta Mansfield fresh from her block of Belgian action over the early Kerstperiod. Lotta talks about the experience of racing for Montezuma's Race Team on the continent and back home in the UK.  They review what has proved to be a series of ace races, with battles from Gavere in the draggy mud, Zolder being remini...

In Episode 9 of Season 6, Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by Junior CX talent, Oli Akers fresh from (yet) another win in the National Trophy. Oli talks about his season, and how things are taking shape at Garden Shed UK Ribble Verge CX. He talks about the balance of risk and reward, and how much he is anticipating the end of the season with a series of big-ticket races across Europe. They r...

In Episode 8 of Season 6, Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by World Champion Ceris Styler, fresh from defending her jersey at the Masters World Champs. They give a full run down of all the fun from Ipswich, and talk through all of the GB podiums from what was another awesome event from Steve Grimwood and the whole organising team. They also look back at the racing from Boom and Antwerp, and...

In Episode 7 of Season 6, Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by off-road uber-talent, Evie Richards, who not only gives all the information on her recent success at the highest level of sport, but also of plans for a return to cyclocross, and experiences at the Western and West Midlands local leagues. Evie also gives Neil some tips on how to manage his gridding at the Masters World Champs. The...

In Episode 6 of Season 6, Neil and Matt are joined from Belgium by Spectra Wiggle's Xan Crees from the middle of her European race block. They get all the insights from Xan who has been on the ground at almost every one of the big races this year. They cover all the action from Koppenburg with the memorable wins for Van Der Haar and Van Empel, and the race that Prevot will want to forget. The...

In Episode 5 of Season 6, Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by Ed Beechinor-Collins, who is not only Thomas Mein's coach but UCI and UEC Commission member. Ed brings us fully up to date with plans and asipirations for the European Cyclocross scene, including the potential for a European Cup, and for international races with Youth and Masters catergories. In today's Crosstalk, the re...

In Episode 4 of Season 6, Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by Montezuma's Race Team's Amy Perryman fresh from a summer of off road riding and kicking off her Trophy season in Derby. In today's Crosstalk they catch up on all the action from the Derby National Trophy, talking detailed positioning of barriers, happy riders, and whether Brammeier is back, or is back -back. They al...