This weekend sees the fifth round of the North-west Cyclocross league at Stadt Moers Park in Liverpool. The race is being hosted by the oldest club in the city, Liverpool Century Cycling Club.
More commonly known as the Geoff Bewley Memorial race, the course boasts technical mud features, and with rain forecast all weekend, by the time the seniors make it to the start grid they will face an extremely technical and leg sapping hour of racing.
The race was christened by its formal name when Bewley passed away after 60 years of membership with Liverpool Century Cycling Club. He was an advocate for Cyclocross through the winter and was heavily involved with organising the race in Liverpool every year.
The starting grid is stacked with talent, including current league leader Jake Edwards, who is riding for Cog Set Papyrus Racing Club. Other riders to keep an eye out for will be the Hope Factory Racing pairing of Sam Watson and William Weatherill. Also in Liverpool will be Giles Drake for Wheelbase CabTech Castelli, whose impressive career achievements include a course record at The Fred Whitton challenge.
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Drake racing at Callendar Park
Another honourable mention is local legend Rob Jebb, who over his years of racing has gained a name for himself as one of the most formidable riders in the North of England. He has won the Three-Peaks Cyclocross race in North Yorkshire a record 12 times, underlining his pedigree in the sport.
Drake has won every round he has started this year. However, consistency is key in this league and he finds himself 13th in the standings behind people who have competed in every round.
This is a great chance for Drake to claw back some points, and with the savage course suiting technically gifted riders, it will be fair to expect full gas racing straight from the whistle.
